Six months ago, Xie Lei boarded a plane for London to complete an exchange programme. She     1     that she chose the year­long exchange programme with the     2     to set up a business in China after graduation.It was the first time that she had left her     3     .When she came to England, she lived with a host family,     4     members always helped her. At first，she had to get used to     5     in a new country and learn how to use public transport and how to ask for things she didn’t know the English names for.     6     , she also had to face another challenge of the academic requirements.When writing an essay，she was told by the tutor to acknowledge     7     other people had said if she cited their ideas,     8     he wanted to know her own opinions.She also found students’ participation included as part of the final result. Luckily, after a few weeks, she could speak     9     in class on traditional Chinese art successfully. And she feels much more     10     in the UK now.

6 . In all the world's cultures, people sing, play instruments, and celebrate with music. It plays such an important role in our lives that all fields focus on its study, including one looking at the biology of music. Experts find that because of the way our brains process music, learning to play an instrument or just listening to music can have a wide range of benefits.   

Music education has received a lot of attention. Learning to play an instrument can help children improve math, science, and language skills. One study in Canada tracked children's IQ scores for nine months, discovering that children who studied music had the biggest test score improvements. The secret may lie in the way reading music and playing notes use several areas of the brain, increasing our ability to learn school subjects. For example, reading notes improves spatial (空间的) reasoning skills, which are helpful in solving math problems like fractions (分数).   

Music is also used for medical purposes, such as the treatment of diseases which affect memories. The secret lies in the way the brain processes music. One area near the forehead, the medial prefrontal cortex(脑前额叶外皮), connects music with memories stored in two other areas: the amygdale(杏仁核) and hippocampus(海马体). That's why an old song can remind you of something that happened years ago. For patients suffering from diseases like Alzheimer's, listening to music can help unlock buried memories by strengthening musical pathways to memories.   

With the evidence of music's benefits, it's no wonder some countries make music study a part of their education systems. People are recognizing that more than just a form of entertainment, music is also great for the brain.

7 . New Scientist Discovery

Tour Amazing science-inspired tours across the globe with experts on board and in the company of fellow travelers who enjoy the discovery of science

Space: Past and Future: USA

14 days for £4.799

Departing 6th May and 14th September 2020

Follow the USA's footsteps in exploring space with this comprehensive tour of NASA's space centers and other key sites, including the Very Large Array in attractive New Mexico. Plus, visit the world's first commercial spaceport with leading researchers.

The Science of the Renaissance（文艺复兴）: Italy

7days for £1,825

Departing 3rd March and 3rd November 2020

Embark on a cultural adventure to the great science cities of Florence and Bologna, as architecture expert Andrew Spira and science historian Professor David Wootton guide you through the great discoveries and minds of the Renaissance.

Land of Fire and Ice: Iceland

8 days for £2,249

Departing 31st October and 7th November2020

Marvel at erupting geysers（喷泉）, glaciers and waterfalls on a trip of volcanic and geological（地质的）adventure. Joined by volcanologist Tamsin Mather, discover the best of Iceland with a chance to see the Aurora Borealis.

Tiger Conservation Safari: India

9 days for £3,850

Departing 10th April 2021

Involve yourself in jungle life in the search for the Bengal tiger. Learn how to protect the rich wildlife you encounter at India's reserves, complete with a masterclass in tracking and stay in a cozy lodge（小屋）.

8 . Many of the Earth's creatures die because of humans' choices. These choices have nothing to do with food or shelter or anything else that helps humans survive. What kills millions of animals all over the world is that humans want to make money by doing so.

People use parts of animals for everything from hats to handbags, from jewelry to ashtrays and to make powders that supposedly improve a person's life. Deciding that a species is endangered and protecting it by law are not always enough. People who kill wildlife illegally rarely get caught.

During the late 1980s, saving elephants became a popular cause. Wildlife protection groups made sure everyone saw pictures or films of elephants with their faces cut off for their ivory. These groups also proved that certain populations of elephants were decreasing. As a result, most people stopped buying objects made of ivory. Laws against poaching (偷猎) were made stronger. Many countries made importing ivory illegal. Killing elephants for their Ivory became more risky and less profitable (有利可图的).

However, concern for certain species will become weak after a while. In the late 1970s, people protested (抗议) against the killing of seal babies. Everyone was shocked to see young seals being killed in their icy habitat. The cruel activity stopped. But ten years later, the number of seal babies killed was higher than ever.

Other animal protection movements have come and gone, such as saving the whales and protecting dolphins. The whale population appears to have increased for now. And the laws are finally changed in America to protect the dolphins that swim with tuna fish in parts of the Pacific Ocean.

In the years to come, people's attention will probably turn to some other endangered species. Plenty of them urgently need attention. During this time, will the elephants be forgotten?

9 . We are warned by our teachers not to waste time because time _______ will never return. I think it quite _______. What does time look _______? Nobody knows, and we can’t see it or touch it and no _______ of money can buy it. Time is abstract, so we have to _______ about it.

Time passes very quickly. Some students say they don’t have _______ time to review their lessons. It is _______ they don’t know how to make use of their time. They waste it in going to theatres or playing, and _______ other useless things. Why do we study every day? Why do we work? Why do most people _______ take buses instead of walking? The answer is very ________. We wish to save time because time is ________.

Today we are living in the 21^st century. We ________ time as life. When a person dies, his life ends. Since life is short, we must ________ our time and energy to our study so that we ________ be able to work and live well in the future. Laziness is the ________ of time, for it not only bring us ________, but also does other ________ to us. If it is necessary for us to do our work today, ________ we do it today and not ________ it until tomorrow. Remember that time is much more ________.