Rong Hong, also     1     (know) as Yung Wing, was a pioneering figure in China’s modern history. He was born in 1828 in Guangdong Province of China. Rong is best known as the first Chinese person to graduate from     2     American university.

In 1854, Rong graduated from Yale University,     3     (mark) a significant milestone in the history of Chinese overseas education. His time in America     4     (shape) his perspective on education and     5     (modern), leading him to advocate Western-style education in China.

Upon returning to China, Rong worked to bridge the cultural and educational gap between China and the West. His most     6     (exception) achievement was the Chinese Educational Mission, a program     7     sent Chinese students to study in America in the late 19th century.

Rong believed that introducing Western science and technology would help China modernize and strengthen. While his ideas     8     (meet) with resistance in his time, his efforts laid the groundwork     9     future generations of Chinese students studying abroad.

Rong Hong was a pioneer for Chinese education and international exchange. His vision for a modernized China and his efforts     10     (promote) Western education have left a lasting impact on the country’s development.

For generations, Babusha,     1     is on the southern edge of the Tengger Desert, was troubled by sandstorms that frequently buried farmland, often leaving nothing to harvest.

Today, the desert’s southward spread has been stopped thanks to a green belt ten kilometers in     2     (long) and eight kilometers in width,     3     (plant) by Guo Wangang and his colleagues.

Guo’s father was one of the six men who first began planting trees in Babusha     4     (prevent) their land from being buried in 1981. When he     5     (force) to stop in 1983 due to poor health, Guo quit his job in the city and followed in his father’s rootsteps because he didn’t want to see the trees die. A deadly sandstorm in 1993 which claimed 23 students’     6     (life) firmed his resolve, turning Guo into     7     stubborn soldier, unwilling to give up the fight. “I asked     8     (I) that if we couldn’t protect our farmland or our children, how were we supposed to keep going?” Guo recalled. “That’s when I made up my mind to devote my life to this fight.”

Year after year, Guo and his colleagues have continued to plant trees each spring and fall,     9     (watch) out for fire and pruning (修剪) them in the winter. The vegetation coverage rate in Babusha has increased     10     less than 3 percent to 70 percent and the desert no longer moves further south.

6 . Many Silicon Valley parents are becoming more concerned about preventing their children from using screens. Some parents think that even a little screen time can be extremely addictive, so it is better if their children avoid using or seeing these devices completely. However, it is difficult for working adults in the 21st century to give up using a phone at home. So, it’s simpler to employ someone to do this.

“Silicon Valley nanny (保姆)”, who takes children back to a time without screens every day is widely needed. From Cupertino to San Francisco, it’s widely agreed that screen time is harmful to youngsters. Therefore, parents are requesting nannies to keep phones, tablets and computers in a hidden place. Others even offer no-phone agreements.

Research shows that spending too much time on technology can harm young minds. For example, teenagers who use social media frequently are more likely to feel depressed and anxious. Insomnia (失眠) rates have also increased amongst this age group, and an increasing number of children display the signs that they can’t focus attention. These seemingly minor (轻微的) problems could become significant challenges for future generations.

“Many parents come back home and focus on their smartphones, ignoring whatever their children are trying to say,” said Shannon Zimmerman, who works as a nanny in San Jose for families that forbid screen time. “As a nanny, I also call on more parents to spend more time with their kids.”

8 . My first job was at a fast-food restaurant called Carroll’s in my hometown. One spring day my next-door neighbor _________ me to apply for work with her there, and I agreed to have a try.

One little _________ was that I wasn’t 16 yet, so I just changed my birth date on the application from July to _________. Luckily, they didn’t ask for any ID to prove my _________, because there were few applicants for the job. Both of us were _________.

The pay was _________, only $1.60/hour with no tips. I worked at the _________ and only boys were allowed to work in the kitchen. I got a chance to make milkshakes, though, which I considered kind of fun. I also _________ the relationships with all the other workers, who were mostly easy-going teenagers.

It was great to _________ different diners. The restaurant was located on a __________ entryway into town, so all kinds of people came in. One day a man in plain clothes __________ but ordered many signature dishes. When he came to my counter to check out, I was __________ to find he was my idol.

Besides __________ about my age, I also failed to inform the manager that I was leaving in June to attend summer camp, so my first job only lasted a few __________. It has been long gone, but the __________ in the restaurant remains a sweet memory of my life.

9 . Tom Sawyer Play Is an Adventure

A 35-minute hand-clapping, foot-stomping musical version of a Mark Twain favorite returns with this Tall Stacks festival.

“Tom Sawyer: A River Adventure” has all the good stuff, including the fence painting, the graveyard, the island and the cave. It is adapted by Joe McDonough, with music by David Kisor. That’s the local stage writing team that creates many of the Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati’s original musicals, along with the holiday family musicals at Ensemble Theatre.

This year Nathan Turner of Burlington is Tom Sawyer, and Robbie McMath of Fort Mitchell is Huck Finn.

Tumer, a 10th-grader at School for Creative and Performing Arts, is a familiar presence on Cincinnati’s stages. He is a star act or of Children’s Theatre, having played leading roles in “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and “The Wizard of Oz,” and is fresh from Jersey Production “Ragtime”.

McMath is a junior at Beechwood High School. He was in the cast of “Tom Sawyer” when it was first performed and is a Children’s Theatre regular, with five shows to his credit. This summer he attended Kentucky’s Governor’s School for the Arts in Musical Theatre.

Note to teachers: Children’s Theatre has a study guide demonstrating how math and science can be taught through “Tom Sawyer.” For downloadable lessons, visit the official website of Children’s Theatre.