1 . When my father and I traveled to Paris, Notre Dame was our first stop. But when we arrived at Notre Dame, we saw a long line outside it. Even so, we didn’t want to _______. We decided to go to the back garden of Notre Dame where there were few tourists.

Immersed in the beautiful natural scenery, we wanted to take some _______ photos. As we tried to find a photographer, a tall, slim Frenchman _______ toward us and showed us he was willing to take pictures for us.

Trying to get the perfect shot, he kept changing the _______ of the camera. However, after a few _______, he didn’t return our camera. His behavior confused us. But after a while, it became _______. He asked for 10 euros as payment before he would return our camera.

At that point, I was so angry that I _______ to argue with him. But my father stopped me and paid the money, with a (n) _______ expression on his face, the man walked away quickly to search for his next _______.

Later, my father ________ to me: There’s no such thing as a free lunch. So it’s ________ to ask for a payment after taking photos for us. But if someone offers to help you, never ________ the kindness just because of this particular event. Most acts of kindness are pure and without any ________ intention.

________, we met a lot of warm-hearted locals who guided us and lent a hand when we needed them. So just remember, we can’t throw away the ________ because of its core.

2 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Cold temperature, biting wind, heavy snow and slippery roads are the common challenges     1     trouble or even interrupt winter outings.

The first cold wave of winter     2     (strike) Northeast China since November, causing a temperature drop of 6℃ to 8℃ and snow accumulation of over 30     3     (centimeter). However, for the students and the faculty (全体教师) at Harbin Institute of Technology in Northeast China, who have been severely affected by the recent cold wave and blizzard, their routes have been made easy, warm and safe thanks to the newly built skywalks on the campus. They     4     (comfortable ) move between classrooms, libraries, cafeterias, dormitories and the gym in short sleeves through skywalks all within a 5-minute walk. Some students have even been spotted     5     (enjoy) ice cream while admiring the snowy scenery along the pathways. Praise and     6     (admire) have poured in for the usefulness of the skywalks and the thoughtfulness of the college.

    7     (launch) in 2022, the construction of skywalks on campus is aimed at effectively reducing the impact of extreme weather     8     the campus life and enhancing convenience for both faculty and students. With     9     total length of 1,330.13 meters, the skywalks are built in three phrases. Currently, 881.81-meter skywalks are     10     (access).

3 . Ancient builders across the world created structures that are still standing today, thousands of years later. Roman builders built thick concrete sea barriers against waves. Mayan builders created great sculptures, and Chinese builders constructed walls against foreign enemies.

A growing number of scientists have been studying materials since a long time ago. They are breaking apart pieces of buildings and reading historical texts hoping to learn how they have stood for thousands of years. The research has turned up a surprising list of materials that were mixed into old buildings. They include tree bark, volcanic ash, rice and beer. These unexpected materials can have the ability to get stronger over time. Figuring out how to copy these features can have real impacts today. While some of our modern concrete has the strength to hold up very tall buildings and heavy structures, it cannot compete with the durability of these ancient materials.

Many scientists have turned to the Romans. Starting around 200 BC, the Roman Empire was building concrete structures that have stood the test of time. Even in places where seawater has been hitting structures for ages, you will find concrete basically the way it was when it was poured 2,000 years ago. They think they have found an important reason why some Roman concrete has held up structures for thousands of years. That the ancient materials have an unusual power to restore themselves and “cure” cracks when they form is the most shocking for them. Exactly how is not yet clear, but scientists are starting to find the reasons.

Today’s builders cannot just copy the ancient processes. Even though Roman concrete lasted a long time, it couldn’t hold up heavy buildings. Instead, researchers are trying to take some of the ancient materials and add them into modern mixes. People don’t need to make things last quite as long as the Romans did. If we add 50 or 100 years to concrete’s lifespan, we’ll surely require less pulling down, less maintenance and less material in the long run.

It has been reported that     1     31st FISU World University Games came to a close on Tuesday night in Chengdu, Sichuan Province,     2    (win) wide praise from officials and athletes alike. Declaring the games closed, Leonz Eder, acting president of the International University Sports Federation, said the event has made the dreams of student-athletes come true     3     they have won medals or not, because their experience in the city has been gold medal standard.

The closing ceremony was held at the Chengdu Open Air Music Park. It is the first time in the world that the closing ceremony of a large international sporting event     4    (hold) in a park, according to the organizers of the games. “It was aimed     5    (leave) the audience worldwide with fond memories of a unique Chengdu, from     6     they got to know China and fell in love with its people,” the organizers said. A total of 6,500 student-athletes from 113     7     (country) and regions competed     8     269 events of 18 sports at the Chengdu games, which opened on July 28.

China     9    (successful) got 103 gold medals, 40 silver medals and 35 bronze medals. Japan was in second place with 21 gold medals. Republic of Korea and Italy both won 17 gold medals and 18 silver medals and ended up in third and fourth places, respectively. During the ceremony, the FISU flag was handed to a     10    (represent) of Rhine-Ruhr, Germany, which will host the next FISU World University Games in 2025.

“When I was little, I was always enchanted by buildings,” said Edna Blaise, 29, from Haiti, “but not until I started my journey in China did I realize Chinese architecture has so many things     1    (offer).”

    2     29 is currently studying architecture at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing. Before coming to China, Blaise expected the local buildings to be in a traditional style just like the ones she would encounter when watching movies. “But after I came here, I realized that it’s more     3    (develop) now,” said Blaise.

It was her interest in geometry     4     math as well as her love for art     5     prompted her to study architecture, with the subject     6    (perfect) complementing and combining these two fields.

Although being a foreign student in China can lead to academic     7    (challenge), Blaise noted that her classmates were always friendly and the teachers were approachable.

“Outside of class, I like to go to different places around the city where I can see ancient Chinese architecture like ‘Gugong’ and ‘Qianmen’. I’m hoping to find some     8    (inspire) from these beautiful landmarks,” Blaise said. She usually has her camera     9     her on these trips, so she can capture interesting details of the buildings. By doing this, she can gradually learn from Chinese traditional architecture and incorporate traditional ideas into her designs.

“I am still finding a way to try to combine old and modern architecture together,” Blaise said, adding that she wished to employ the traditional designs in modern technology to come up with something more interesting and     10    (innovate).

8 . Central Park

Explore Central Park, one of the largest city parks in the world and one of the most famous symbols of New York. Let’s have a look at its main sights.

Central Park is New York’s largest city park and one of the biggest in the world, with an area of 843 acres (about 3.4km²). This park is home to man-made lakes, waterfalls, grass and wooded areas. You will also find the Central Park Zoo, among other attractions in this greenspace of New York.

Besides being the city’s primary green lungs, Central Park is also a favorite spot for many New Yorkers. It is perfect for sunbathing, going for walks, or doing any outdoor sports. Something that we found curious is seeing so many people running with their babies in prams (婴儿车).

To get to know some of the wildest parts of Central Park we suggest walking. However, to get a general feel for the whole park, the best thing to do is hire a bicycle and enjoy the scenery.

If you decide to hire a bike, you will find lots of bike rental stores around Central Park that are not very expensive.

From 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekends.

From 6 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on weekdays.

Entry to the Park is free. But if you visit some parts like Central Park Zoo, you need to buy a ticket.

Subway: Line 5, 6, 7, A, B, C and D．

Bus: Line M1, M2, M3, M4 and M10.

Metropolitan Museum of Art (447 m)

Guggenheim Museum (564 m)

American Museum of Natural History (688 m)

Whitney Museum of American Art (1 km)

The Frick Collection (1.3 km)