1 . Top Piano Players in the World

Martha Argerich could be considered the next Beethoven, as she is one of the most outstanding pianists ever to play. Argerich preferred being on stage with others instead of performing solo; therefore, she has been performing in a concerto format since the 1980s. Argerich was not one for the spotlight, as she often avoided public appearances such as interviews; however, her great talent was all the publicity she needed, standing out during concertos and sonatas.

Known for his appealing performances of Edvard Grieg’s works, Andsnes has won praise for his performances at some of the world’s most famous concert halls. Andsnes has certainly made his mark in Norway, as he is the founding director of Norway’s Rosendal Chamber Music Festival. Because of his unique voice and interesting approach, he was praised by The New York Times as a “pianist of authoritative elegance, power, and insight.”

Known for his beautiful interpretations of Beethoven, Haydn, Schubert and Mozart, Alfred Brendel was considered one of the greats. He played in various concertos throughout his career and became known for his interpretive coldness in recreating these works. Brendel was considered one of the greatest musicians of the 20th century, as he made his mark in the classical music industry. Brendel was self-taught and learned his love of piano at an early age.

Arthur Rubinstein was certainly one of the greats. His career began in the early 20th century when he began to come into contact with some of the world’s most important composers, such as Maurice Ravel, Paul Dukas, and Jacques Thibaud. He made various trips worldwide and visited nearly every continent, where crowds met him with great praise and encouragement.

Hanfu, or Han-style clothing, one of the     1     (old) types of clothing in the world, is becoming popular again. Walking in downtown areas or scenic spots in the Chinese mainland, one can’t miss the sight of girls and boys elegantly     2     (dress) in Han-style clothing posing for photographs with either     3     oil paper umbrella or a circular silk fan in hand.

Actually, the clothing style of Chinese Hanfu kept changing over the centuries due to the     4     (change) in people’s taste, requirements and the availability of new clothing materials. However, the development of Han-style clothing came to a sudden stop, when the Manchus, after establishing the Qing Dynasty,     5     (essential) banned people from wearing Hanfu.

For a long time, Hanfu was worn only by some brides and grooms during weddings and a few other special occasions. Attracted by the elegance and beauty of Hanfu, a few brave youngsters began to wear Han-style clothes a decade ago     6     (take) photos in ancient towns. They immediately drew the attention of the public and the media,     7     in turn prompted (促使) others to try on Hanfu.

Thanks to the country’s emphasis     8     cultural confidence, Han-style clothing has been developing into a trend. Some cities     9     (hold) Hanfu festivals or Hanfu fashion shows so far. The     10     (grow) popularity of Hanfu has also fueled public interest in other traditional cultural elements, Chinese painting, calligraphy, kung fu and so on.

4 . The Christmas of 2020 was not a time of celebration but just tough for many. It was ________ by COVID-19. Anthony, Sara’s brother, put up some ________ in the yard to make the holidays special. ________, right after Christmas, Anthony was seriously infected and ________. For Sara, the pain was almost too much to ________. But when she pulled up to her house at the end of a ________ day, the shining Christmas lights ________ her a little joy. They were the last mementos (纪念品) Sara had of her brother when he was still alive and ________. Taking them down felt like a final act of closure she wasn’t ready to take. So she ________ them up.

In February, Sara ________ a typed note in the mail. “Take your Christmas lights down!” the unsigned letter read. Sara looked at the paper ________ and got angry. She could have bottled up that ________, but she wrote about it instead. “I wanted to ________ people that we all had a tough year and people should be a little more ________ toward each other.” She shared it on Facebook. Sara’s inbox quickly filled with messages of ________. People started sending Sara messages about how they had ________ loved ones around Christmas. Then something strange happened. One evening, she ________ that Christmas lights were appearing — or reappearing — on houses in her neighbourhood.

The mystery had a ________ explanation: her neighbours had got together and ________, collectively, to hang their lights back up in honor of Anthony.

Sara never learned who sent the ________. But for her, that one mean-spirited deed was far outweighed by so many more acts of kindness.

5 . When physicist Stephen Hawking died in 2018 at the age of 76, the world mourned (哀悼), after the loss, there remains the enormous legacy of the scientist and the man to consider.

Despite being a renowned expert in cosmology and black holes, there is still much to discover about Hawking. In Stephen Hawking: A memoir of friendship and physics, theoretical physicist Leonard Mlodinow offers a close glimpse inside the famous scientist’s life, ranging from his early days at university and diagnosis at age 21 with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis to his later status as an international celebrity.

After co-authoring two books with Hawking, Mlodinow isn’t short of stories, particularly from time spent working together on their book The Grand Design. Hawking lived a colourful life often filled with hardship, and the possibility of death was never far away. Far from letting this be a setback, it is what Hawking credits for his achievements. “It helped me focus,” he tells Mlodinow after dinner one night.

Even so, Mlodinow admits that initially he couldn’t help but feel sorry for Hawking, living with a condition that required round-the-clock care and eventually left him unable to speak or voluntarily move anything but his eyes, brows and mouth. However, writes Mlodinow, “overtime all that pity would disappear like one of Stephen’s black holes”, adding that “ it occurred to me that Stephen had proved himself to be an iron man in a fragile man’s facade (外表)”. That view becomes one that readers will also tend to adopt as Mlodinow looks back.

Achievement came in many forms for Hawking, who refused to be restricted in thought or deed. As Mlodinow writes: “Often we limit our chances at success by limiting the goals toward which we strive. Stephen never did that. We can get used to anything, and we can accomplish, if not anything, then at least much more than we give ourselves credit for. To grow close to Stephen was to understand this.”

6 . In the last months of Dad’s life, my brothers and I moved him to a local nursing home nearby. I spent as much time as I could ______ him there. Cancer had damaged his body badly and was now ______ his mind.

During one visit, I entered his room, only to find him in a ______ sleep. I sat by his side for a while ______, wishing for more time with him and also ______ I hadn’t made the most of all the years we had together. Then I got up and walked out.

A light rain was starting to fall and it matched my ______. As I walked to my car, I saw a woman in a wheelchair ______ to move herself out of the rain. I ______ walked over and helped push her inside. She thanked me and gave me a ______ smile. At that moment, I felt a light shine into my soul and a sense of ______ return to my heart. I walked back out, letting the rain wash over me, and thanked all the years I had with Dad. I also knew even if Dad died, the love we shared would ______ continue.

I now still think of that ______ of loving kindness. It reminds me that while we might not be able to live every moment to the fullest, we can still ______ the moments we do have. Life is

______ for love and kindness, which go beyond even death and are ever-lasting ______. May you fill your days with them.

7 . Johnny Agar had always dreamed of competing in triathlons (铁人三项赛) as an athlete. Unfortunately, he’d been diagnosed with cerebral palsy (大脑性瘫痪) shortly after he was born. This disorder makes it difficult for the now-28-year-old to get around. However, he and his father are proving that where there’s a will — and a lot of love — there’s a way!

Jeff Agar, 59, is helping Johnny experience life to the fullest by entering triathlons by his side. As a team, they’ve completed over 200 races, including a full ironman triathlon that required them to swim, bike and run 140 miles in just 17 hours.

“I’m not a fan of triathlon,” Jeff joked. “I’m doing it not because I love it. This is Johnny’s dream and I’m giving him the legs and the power to do it.” Although Jeff typically provides the majority of the manpower, it was important for Johnny to cross the finish line on his own legs. “Walking in races was my way of telling Dad, ‘Okay, I’m not just going to say thank-you anymore; I’m going to actually put words into action,’” Johnny said.

Johnny and his dad now form Team Agar, using their story and the power of motivational speaking to inspire others. “When we completed that 140-mile Ironman together, it had an amazing impact on many people who had seen our story. We began to see that competing isn’t just about us crossing the finish line; it’s about helping others leave uncertainty in the dust — even those facing greater obstacles than we did.”

Earlier this month, they received some incredible news. They were invited to compete in one of the toughest triathlons: the Ironman World Championship! What made the occasion even more special was a pre-recorded video message from Johnny’s idol, athlete Peyton Manning. “Rumor has it that you’re a big fan of mine,” Peyton said, “I’m a big fan of yours as well! You guys are incredible; you’re a true inspiration.”

8 . You’ve heard the phrase “home for the holidays”, but I would like to introduce a new phrase: hygge for the holidays. A hygge holiday is all about peaceful, quiet and cozy(温暖舒适的) surroundings. Sounds perfect, doesn’t it? Holiday hygge is easy and comforting. Most people are already doing at least some of these simple hygge holidays without even knowing it.

Hygge is a Danish word originally coming from an old Norwegian word meaning well-being and protection from the outside harm. It’s known that winters in Denmark are severe and last long. The concept of hygge has been used by Danish people to keep themselves mentally positive in the dark winter season and fill their homes with comfort and love.

Hygge is a very important word to Danish people, often used to describe what their culture is all about and it is not necessarily a thing, something you can buy, but rather more of something you feel. Hygge really is a reflection of one aspect of Danish living, and, happily, in the last five years the concept of hygge has made its way to the US and many other countries. I mean what’s not to like about nurturing(培育)peace and quiet and coziness?

Here are some more descriptive words for hygge: comfort, familiarity, friendship, laughter, and even seasonal homemade food and drinks. While it is possible to achieve hygge any time of the year with hygge activities-an outdoor BBQ with friends and a movie under the stars with family are good examples of summertime hygge, it is most commonly associated with the colder months because of its ability to lift one’s spirits during dark winter months.

Hygge is the most suitable for the November and December holiday season because it’s all about peaceful and cozy surroundings that fill you with contentment. There is indeed something you can do to bring holiday hygge into your home this season.