“Multiple measures have been taken to stop the illegal use of farmland,” an official of the Ministry of Natural Resources     1    (tell) a news conference on Monday. 

Together with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the ministry released two notices in July. One banned the illegal use of farmland     2     real estate (房地产) projects and the other sought     3    (ensure) reasonable land use for housing construction in rural areas. 

Since the release of the two notices, several regions     4    (raise)public awareness of the legal use of farmland through short television     5    (program) or online films in local dialects. 

Inspections and law enforcement (执行) have also been strengthened in recent months,with satellite remote sensing being introduced.

“The central government has attached great     6    (important) to farmland protection,” the ministry said. Those involved in the illegal use,sale and transfer of permanent farmland covering more than 0.33 hectares or ordinary farmland covering more than 0.66 hectares will be sued. Farmland in China     7    (classify) as permanent when its use for nonagricultural purposes is banned. Ordinary farmland can be used for other purposes in certain circumstances. 

China established     8     national territorial (领土的) planning system by the end of 2020. It is guided by three “red lines”, one of     9     includes about 103 million hectares of permanent farmland with the aim of boosting safety, improving quality and     10    (prevent) nonagricultural use.

When people sit together and enjoy the glorious moon    1     the night of the Mid⁃Autumn Festival, an ancient poem, Prelude to Water Melody (《水调歌头》),     2     (read) for this occasion now and then. In     3     poem, Su Shi, a celebrated poet of the Song Dynasty(960-1279),talks to the moon and discusses the changes     4     (happen) in nature and man’s fortunes. He realizes the moon may not always be bright and that the imperfections, or the unsatisfactory things in life     5    (go) on since the beginning of time.  

However, should we get bogged (妨碍) down in the suffering which we can’t change? Su Shi gives his answer, a very     6     (optimism)one: change your attitude and stay positive. He hopes that people will appreciate the fact that     7     they are, as long as the ones they love and miss are healthy and happy, they can all admire the same moon high in the sky and share     8     (it) beauty.  

To this day, people still use this poem     9     (express) their good wishes to family members and friends who can’t be with them,     10     (especial) during major festivals.

Valentine’s Day in China

It is really difficult to know the exact time    1     Western Valentine’s Day was introduced into China. However, Western Valentine’s Day is     2     (wide) celebrated in urban areas where there are a lot of commercial events, especially in big cities like Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong and Guangzhou. Valentine’s Day is not so popular in small towns, small     3     (city) and the countryside.  

So far, Chinese people    4     (accept) the tradition of Westerners’ celebrating Valentine’s Day, such as     5     (exchange) gifts, having a romantic dinner, watching a movie in the evening or even registering a marriage if Valentine’s Day falls on a workday.  

On this day, larger amounts of chocolate will be on sale in supermarkets,    6     compared with the case in the ordinary days, cinemas will be much     7     (busy) and the price of flowers can also be a lot higher. Many restaurants will have special menus, especially those in Hong Kong, Beijing and Shanghai. If you want to have a smooth     8     (celebrate) on Valentine’s Day, remember     9     (make) reservations as far in advance as you can.  

Chinese people have also made some changes to the Western way of celebrating Valentine’s Day. For some couples, the husband may prepare a hearty dinner or buy a fancy gift     10     his wife on this day to show his gratitude.

Does the Internet help or harm friendships? Different people have different opinions. Robert thinks talking online is no replacement for face⁃to⁃face contact. Communicating through a screen makes     1     more difficult for children to concentrate or show kindness to others. Social skills enable children     2       (develop)lifelong friendships. What’s more, the Internet     3     (make) people self⁃centred. They are only concerned with their online popularity. He also thinks friendships are built on the basis of trust. Going online can be particularly dangerous for people who are easily     4     (influence) by others.  

But Cathy holds the opposite opinion. She thinks the Internet makes communication more     5     (convenience) and more fun. People can keep in touch     6     friends wherever they are or whatever they are doing. There are also so many online tools people can use to be creative. In     7     (add), online communication can     8     (actual) bring people closer to each other. Whoever needs help can immediately get some useful     9     (suggestion) or information from all over the world,     10     makes friends feel loved and cared for.

I     1     (be) always full of confidence about Hamlet before I saw The Revenge of Prince Zidan — the Peking Opera version of Hamlet. First, the opera brought a     2     (complete) new sound to my Western ears, beginning with an orchestra playing traditional Chinese instruments, one of     3     was an instrument with two strings     4     (call) jinghu. Then, I was surprised when the main characters came on stage. The costumes and masks were     5     (amaze). Although the     6     (perform) sang in Chinese, the music, exaggerated movements and mime helped get the meanings     7     the audience. The voices sounded really unique. So high were some of the female voices     8     I was sure they could break glass! And the stage was really simple.     9     (use) some special techniques, the opera had transformed a small stage into the whole universe. What I liked most was how the characters moved on stage. It was so dazzling and energetic that I wasn’t sure if the characters were performers     10     athletes! Feeling the strong emotions of love, anger, fear and grief in the performance. I could easily recognise the theme of Hamlet.

The public nowadays has a     1     (misunderstand) of forest fires,     2     (believe) that fires should be kept out of every type of forest. Many of us can recall Smoky the Bear’s famous warning: “Remember, only you can prevent forest fires.”     3    , that’s not always the case. Under the right conditions, and when conducted safely, fire can create many environmental benefits as well as help prevent larger,     4     (control) wildfires.

After a forest fire, many wildlife species will move into     5     (recent) burned areas to feed on these newly available foods. Some reptiles and amphibians such as the pine (松树) snake prefer forests frequently     6     (burn) by fire.

If you are asked to picture the forest floor,     7     do you see? Pine needles, cones, leaves, branches might come to mind—all sources of fuel. If these fuel sources build up     8     any type of removal, the “fuel load” can lead to fires catastrophic to forests and people alike. In contrast, prescribed fire can be used by forest professionals every couple of years to keep forest fuels at an appropriate and manageable level. They can also minimize the spread of pest     9     (insect) and disease and remove unwanted tree and plant species. Plus, they can create and maintain important wildlife habitats rich in grasses and promote the     10     (grow) of trees, wildflowers and other various plants.

It is with a very heavy heart that we are sharing the news of the passing of Dr. Alfonso (Rick) Radcliffe, who celebrated his 92nd birthday in October. He died    1     (peaceful) at his home     2     the evening of Friday. Rick is survived by his son and daughter-in-law.

Rick was born in St. Louis, 1928. He    3     (accept) in the Physics program at UCLA at 15 years old but delayed     4     (study) to serve in the army. When he was released one year later, Rick returned to UCLA, completing his BS, MS and Doctorate degree.     5     (arm) with a PhD in Control Systems, Rick went to work at Mattel Toys as a Test Engineer,     6     he creatively designed a musical doll. Rick was later hired to serve as Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering for the new minority engineering program at CSUN, becoming the     7    (one) black Dean of Engineering in the entire CSU system. Among his many ground breaking     8     (accomplish), Rick was responsible for hiring     9     (many) women into CSUN’s engineering program than all of the other CSU schools combined. Rick worked at CSUN for 30 years including 10 years of post-retirement project work. In keeping with his investigative mind set, Rick donated his body to UCLA for     10     (science) research.

Few discoveries are as amazing as discovering the Terracotta Warriors in Xi’an. But behind the lifelike masterpieces, there is a group of experts working hard     1     (keep) the more than 2 00-earold historical relies in good condition.

Lan Desheng, 52, is among the     2     (dozen) of experts on the restoration (复原) team at the Emperor Qinshihuang’s Mausoleum Site Museum in Xi’an. “    3     process of restoring Terracotta Warriors is very similar     4     doctors treating patients,” said Lan, who has spent 25 years     5     (repair) more than 150 figures of the Terracotta Army.

Lan said that most of the Terracotta Warriors showed signs of decay (腐化) after being buried for thousands of years, which was made     6     (bad) by oxidization (氧化) after they were discovered. The broken pieces, whose weight could sometimes reach hundreds of kilograms,     7     (make) the restoration both difficult and challenging. For Lan, the most challenging project was the restoration of a general,       8     took his team more than two years. Even so, Lan felt     9     (satisfy) with his job. “I hope that by restoring them, we are able to uncover historical facts     10     awaken the culture of Qin Dynasty.”