3 . Standing on the shore of a lake, I can’t help but feel surprised at the thousands of small rocks that surround my boots. They were all created from _________ surfaces, their edges softening over time. I wonder, “Can we learn from a pile of rocks?”

Even the tallest mountains have _________; none are as tall as they were 1,000 years ago. And much like a rock, I’ve found my _________ has softened and my desire to better understand others has expanded with each trip around the sun.

_________, I was also a sharp rock covered in pointy edges. Today, after decades of the waters of life coursing over me, my edges are softer and I’m more _________. I’m less likely to judge and more interested in learning how we can _________ together.

But I’m not a _________. I’m a human filled with all the drama built into my DNA.

Two years ago, while traveling in the Pacific Northwest, I watched a restaurant owner ask several young men to _________ for not wearing masks. Not _________ and not rude. On the door read a sign, “Please wear a mask before entering our restaurant. We don’t like it either, but let’s all do what we can to __________ this together.”

The group of young men wanted to __________ about the note. I sat at the restaurant watching, understanding both sides. I’ve been one of them before, using my youthful edges to chip away at (削弱) the world. What I lost, __________, was the ability to grow from __________ by looking through the eyes of others. In learning to be more __________, I’ve also found more happiness and success.

You can fit more rounded rocks in a jar than those with sharp edges. The former look for ways to __________ and make room for others, while the latter never give an __________ to accommodate others.

__________, like the waters rolling against once sharp stones, changes us by washing away our resistance to __________ the world from someone else’s point of view.

I placed a __________ stone into my jacket pocket. Mother Nature is holding a __________ again.

Each morning, 68-year-old amateur cyclist Cui Yue starts his ride along the Tanglai Canal in Yinchuan, capital of northwest China’s Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region,     1    (enjoy) the picturesque natural seeneries.    2    (Cycle) along the canal allows him to experience the city’s improving ecology.

The over-2,000-year-old canal that Cui frequents     3    (build) during the Han Dynasty (202 BC — AD 220). It aimed at bringing the Yellow River water to present-day Ningxia     4     helping turn the region with tracts (大片土地) of deserts into arable land. Through the ages, it is still functioning as an ecological corridor and is the largest     5    (natural) flowing trunk canal in the Yellow River irrigation area.

Along the canal’s 75-km section running through urban Yinchuan, several parks have been built with walking and cycling     6    (route), contributing to the city’s expanding green space     7    (map) out for public leisure.

Thanks to     8    (technology) innovations, water-saving measures, and environmental protection, the water volume in Tanglai Canal has increased about fivefold     9     1 billion cubic meters in the past few years, irrigating farmland for 185 days a year. “Tanglai Canal is a great ancient water conservancy project in Ningxia,     10     still benefits local people more than 2,000 years later,” said Cui. “The ancient canal will inject more vitality into the agricultural and ecological development of cities along it.”

6 . The Silk Road is arguably the most famous long-distance trade route of the ancient world. This passage connected Europe in the West with China in the East, and allowed the exchange of goods, technology, and ideas between the two civilizations. Although merchants could make huge profits travelling the road, it was not without risk.

The main Silk Road started in Chang’an (known today as Xi’an), the early Han capital. Travelers commencing their journey from this city could take a northern route that would take them across China’s northwestern provinces. After this, they would face the Gobi Desert, arguably the greatest danger of the Silk Road.

The Gobi Desert, the largest desert in Asia, consists mainly of rocky, hard earth. This feature made it easier for traders to travel across, compared to sandy deserts like the neighboring Taklamakan Desert. Like other deserts, the Gobi Desert is dry and hot, and therefore the biggest challenge travelers faced was obtaining enough water for themselves as well as for their camels.

So, rest stops were created along the route, allowing travelers to rest, eat and drink. These places also promoted the exchange of goods, and even ideas, amongst the travelers who stopped there. Usually, the rest stops were placed within a day’s journey of each other. In this way, travelers could avoid spending too much time in the desert, which would make them targets for robbers, another danger of the Silk Road.

Once through the Gobi Desert, travelers would continue their journey into Iran, Turkey, and finally Europe. While this part of the journey may have been less dangerous, it is not entirely without its perils (风险).