1 . Golden Generation

A national team, mostly consisting of teenagers, pushed China to its biggest-ever medal achievement at the Winter Olympics. At the same time, a series of breakthroughs at the Games _________ the country’s emergence as a much more well-rounded force on the ice and snow.

_________ the heroics of teenage sensation Gu Ailing and seasoned aerials(空中技巧滑雪)masters Xu Mengtao and Qi Guangpu, China _________ four gold to top the freestyle skiing medal standings for the first time after its Winter Olympic debut in 1980.

Gu Ailing also became the first athlete _________, and the youngest _________, to win three medals(golds in Big Air, halfpipe and silver in slopestyle)in three different freeski _________ at the Olympics, throwing her to international super-star reputation as the _________ of Beijing 2022.

Needless to say, another teenager star, Su Yiming, also became a _________   name by winning China’s first snowboarding gold medal in Big Air after claiming a silver in slopestyle. Su’s _________ helped the host finish a highest-ever third on the Games’ overall medal standings, ____________ nine gold, four silver and two bronze-its biggest-ever medal achievement at the Winter Games. China’s ____________ best was a tally of 11, including five gold, at the 2010 Games in Vancouver.

“The ____________ of the new generation on the Olympic stage, even seeing the emergence of teenagers, ____________ a great future for winter sports in our country,” said Li Yang, manager of China’s Big Air, slopestyle and halfpipe national programs.

“With winter sports becoming popular in our country amid the fast social and ____________ development, I believe more and more young people will ____________ skis and snowboards to enjoy the sport, just as young as Su and Gu did when they were little, which will ____________ expand the talent pool for our future national programs,”Li said.

The Beijing Winter Games also ____________ the first time that China’s snow sports teams outperformed the country’s traditionally strong ice sports squads in the medal numbers, securing investment in high-performance training programs and ____________ the foundation for even better results at the next Winter Games in Italy.

“____________ we keep the tendency going, I believe we will ____________ a stronger performance in four years' time at the next Olympics in 2026,” said Yang Yang, China’s first Winter Olympic gold medalist, in women’s short-track speed skating at the 2002 Games.

3 . The following are four once-in-a-lifetime mountain hikes.

The Inca Trail, Peru

The Inca Trail offers a seven-day hike focusing on unique Peruvian culture. Led by our well-informed guides, you'll see some historical villages, visit an old-fashioned coffee farm, and attend a traditional offering to "Pachamama". After a long day on your feet, relax with a traditional Peruvian meal and have a night's rest in a local cottage（村舍）

The Dolomites, Italy

The On Foot Holidays' self-guided hike through the Dolomites covers the grassland of South Tyrol, the famous peaks of the Tre Cime di Lavaredo and the amazing town of Cortina d'Ampezzo. You'll climb from the Falzarego Pass, cross through to the Col dei Bos and up Mt. Lagazuoi, with its network of World War I tunnels.

Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania

More than 19,000 feet above sea level, Mount Kilimanjaro, an inactive volcano, is Africa's highest mountain. Climbing it is a multi-day trip through five climate zones. Duma Explorer offers several different routes（路线）up Kilimanjaro—the most popular are the seven-day Machame route, eight-day Lemosho route and a nine-day trip via the Northern Circuit. Hikes include camping equipment, meals and guides.

Chilkoot Trail, Alaska

In 1897, the Chilkoot Trail was changed from a sleepy trade route into a busy road, as part of the Gold Rush. The rush dried up within a year, but you can follow in the boomers' footsteps with Alaska Shore Hikes, through thick forest and up the Sainly Hill. Then it's a peaceful raft（木筏）ride along the Taiya River. A six-hour hike provides tourists with transportation, safety equipment and guides.

5 . The world that we live in is beautiful because it’s made up of people from a diverse set of backgrounds and cultures.     1     There’s no better way than to acknowledge Global Diversity Awareness Month every October.

During this time, our multicultural world is embraced and celebrated for all of the variety and joy it brings. Can you imagine a world where everyone looks the same, has the exact same hobbies and interests, and even eats the same thing for breakfast, lunch and dinner?     2     And bringing those differences together makes us better.

To put it simply, our diversity and inclusiveness (包容性)are our biggest strengths. We’ll all profit from a more diverse, inclusive society, understanding, accommodating, even celebrating our differences, while pulling together for the common good. As such, Global Diversity Awareness Month is a great chance for us to learn more about the beliefs, values and customs of other cultures.         3    

    4     For example, we can host a multicultural movie night and watch foreign films, or listen to music from around the world or visit cultural art exhibitions. Another way we can celebrate diversity is by inviting our friends and family to dinner. Everyone can bring traditional dishes from their countries and hometowns.

There is no doubt that diversity and inclusiveness make our world a better place.     5     As Mahatma Gandhi once said, our ability to reach unity in diversity will be the beauty and the test of our civilization. Hopefully, with each passing day, we get closer and closer to that achievement.

6 . I’m an American-born Chinese. I wouldn’t say I’m more American than Chinese or vice versa. My character was equally molded by both cultures. For a long time, I was comfortable with being from two cultures. I was fluent in “Chinglish”.

However, as I grew up, something unexpected rose, causing a parallel tension between the two corresponding cultures. During Chinese events when I was in China, the host would sometimes make fun of America. My relatives would look at me and laugh, asking me how I felt. But how could I respond to a question like that? If I said I was uncomfortable, it would just make me seem even more American in their eyes. But I couldn’t pretend to laugh either. So, I often just stayed quiet and smiled.

Sometimes, I’d leave China feeling less Chinese than when I went in.

This past summer, on my way back to Rochester, a man at the airport kept asking my father and I where we were from. When I told him I was from the United States, he didn’t seem to believe me.

He then went on to ask the terrible question, “But like where are you really from, like, where were you born?” And no matter how specific our answers were, the man still seemed a little doubtful. He then went on to ask us if we knew where Tampa, Florida was and if we knew anything about it. It’s moments like these when I realize that sometimes my appearance makes it hard for me to seem fully American.

These experiences made me question if I was more Chinese or American.

I felt like I was neither. So, if I wasn’t completely one culture or the other, what was I? In China, I would feel more American, while in America, I would feel more Chinese. There was no balance between my two cultures.

But this doesn’t mean that I don’t embrace (拥抱) both my identities. I love both my Chinese cultural identity and my American one. I just need to learn to love them together.

7 . Music influences your emotions. In turn, your emotions influence your behavior. One of these is your food intake.     1     What does science say about this subject?

Researchers at the University of Arkansas studied how music influences people when they eat in a restaurant. For the study, they used four types of music: jazz, classical, rock, and hip-hop. Their results showed that people had more appetite when they listened to jazz music while they ate.     2     This has a lot to do with emotions. For instance, when you listen to music with harmonic rhythms like jazz, you feel happier. This increases your appetite.

However, another study published in Psychological Reports suggests it isn’t only increased appetite that causes people to eat more.     3     A more stimuli-filled environment makes you eat more. In fact, they tend to urge you on to eat and even “encourage” you to eat faster. On the other hand, if the atmosphere in the restaurant is relaxed, you’re likely to feel more relaxed and spend more time enjoying yourself. For this reason, you’ll tend to eat less.

Besides, the study conducted by the Journal of the Academy suggests that the volume of music can also have an effect on how you eat. More specifically, the study states that, with low-volume music, you eat better because you make healthier choices. On the other hand, the study claims that music at high volume increases stimulation and stress.     4    

For this reason, restaurants should consider the fact when thinking about the optimization of their products and services.     5     They equip themselves with the technology needed to provide memorable experiences through music, greatly strengthening their relationship with the customer.

9 . Developing strong study skills as a high school student not only allows you to earn better grades in high school, but also to prepare you for college. The sooner you start to build your study skills, the more good habits you’ll create for your future study.     1     Here are several study skills you should know.

1. Boost brain power

    2     Healthy, brain-fueling food and adequate rest is a foundation（基础）for all the other study skills. It will help you be more focused and productive the next day. It will also help to give you the energy you need to complete tasks you may think you are not capable of.

2. Develop concentration

Set focused study time for nothing but school work. Create a quiet study zone that includes a phone-free environment for studying.     3     That way you will keep highly focused and not be distracted（分心）by other things not related to study.

3. Develop organizational skills

Find a convenient location for putting all your school learning papers, books, and homework assignments in place. That way you’ll be better prepared for the coming lectures and thus better follow the teachers.     4    

4.     5    

Be sure to effeciently write down what you listen to in class. You don’t need to write down everything said, just the important points. You may have to take down keywords, dates, names and fill in the details later if you are having trouble getting down enough. Learning to organize and denote（表示）things in a clear visual way is also very helpful in taking good notes.

I have been in Taiyuan, the provincial capital of Shanxi, for two years since I     1    (admit) to a PhD program in Shanxi University as an international student.

Over the two years, I found     2    (I) falling in love with Shanxi and China as I got more familiar     3     the city, the province and the country. You have to adapt to everything—food, language and culture. But for me, the     4    (adapt) didn’t take a long period of time. I have got used to eating noodles for breakfast and using online payment via my smartphone very     5    (quick).

My favorite sport is cycling and I find China is very cyclist-friendly because it is convenient     6    (hire) bicycles in every city in the country. I like to cycle on     7     streets in Taiyuan and visit places I meet randomly. The cycling tours helped to deepen my understanding of the city.

Taiyuan     8    (have) a history of more than 2,500 years, among the     9    (old) cities in China. An abundance of well-preserved ancient structures, like the temples in Jinci, are the material evidence to help you get a quick look at     10     ancient China looked like.