2 . Adapted from Shanghai writer Jin Yucheng’s Mao Dun Literature Prize winning novel, Fan Hua (Blossoms), the series — which primarily takes place between 1993 and 1994 — follows the jouney of Ah Bao, an ambitious everyman who takes every chance and rises to become a legendary figure in the city’s most upper-class commercial circles. Aside from emphasizing his ability to seize opportunities in the stock and foreign trade markets, the plot also follows his delicate, and romance-like relationships with three women.

The enthusiasm the drama has stirred up has led to tourists flooding to the show’s locations, such as the Fairmont Peace Hotel, which is where he rents a luxurious room to do business, and Huanghe Road, which was lined with the most high-end restaurants in the 1990s. Other examples include fans waiting in long queues outside restaurants to order a plate of fried pork chops with rice cakes, a traditional Shanghai dish that Boss Bao always orders. The drama’s popularity even extends to its soundtrack. Steal One’s Heart, a song used to set the heartbreaking atmosphere in a particular scene gains newfound popularity.

Considered by some critics as a love letter from the director to Shanghai, the city shot through the lens arouses a feeling that is both familiar and fresh. While showing landmarks like the Bund and the Oriental Pearl Tower, the drama also presents Shanghai’s cityscape in a brighter and warmer manner, as if the city has been polished by the memory of someone who loves it deeply.

Buxiang, a phrase that means “keeping silent” and which represents the concept of keeping a low profile in the Shanghai dialect, is one of the most frequently heard phrases in the drama. However, the show’s popularity has caused the phrase to become a hit, as some fans on major review sites like Douban, where the drama has received a rating of 8.5 out of 10, have commented.

5 . An apology tells someone that we’re sorry for the hurt we caused — even if we didn’t do it on purpose. It’s a way of saying we’re aware of what we did and we’ll try to do better in future.

    1    . Sometimes we hurt people’s feelings without wanting to. Sometimes, we do it on purpose and feel bad later on. So we apologize.

Apologies are one of the tools that we use to get along better with other people. Saying that you’re sorry is more than just words.     2    . Apologizing shows you can understand the other person’s feelings as if they were your own. What’s more, after apologizing, you might feel a little better. The other person probably will, too.     3    , you can feel good because you are trying to make things right again.

Everyone needs to apologize when they do something wrong. For example, if someone is irritated because of something you did, you need to apologize. If you say something that hurts someone, even if you don’t mean it, then you should apologize.     4    .

When someone apologizes to you, you may welcome it and be ready to forgive.     5    . If a person keeps hurting you and apologizing without making an effort to change, you might not want to hang out with that person anymore. However, it’s always good to accept an apology.

7 . At an early age, I suffered from a serious digestive (消化的) illness. I _________ several doctors. Then, I _________ some blood test and it showed that I had a medical condition in which the body cannot digest food that contains gluten (谷蛋白). I was advised to stop eating milk products from my _________ for six months. After making these dietary changes, my digestive health _________. After seeing how food affected my body and life, I developed a deep interest in nutrition (营养学).

_________, I went to study nutrition at the College of Naturopathic Medicine (CNM). I was _________ by the practical learning methods suggested by the experienced teachers and the interesting _________ given by them in class. In addition, I was amazed by how _________ my classmates were in sharing their knowledge and experience with each other. My time at CNM prepared me for _________ my own business and it was a great __________ for making friends and discovering opportunities.

I now __________ at the Nordic Clinic in Stockholm three days a week. I see a variety of __________ with a wide range of common illnesses, __________ them to get well through nutrition. I love my work, because it feels meaningful and I'm making a __________ to other people’s lives. I can’t imagine retiring from work because I know learning never stops and I love __________ applying my knowledge and helping people in need.

8 . How to keep your house clean

Before you start deep cleaning, do some basic tidying up. Remember the saying, “    1    .” When everything is where it should be, it saves a lot of time.

You just need an all-purpose cleaner, a disinfectant (消毒剂) and a window cleaner.     2    . The disinfectant will attack germs (细菌) in places like inside the toilet or the kitchen. And the window cleaner can make sure there are no marks left on the windows.

    3    . For example, in your bedroom, clean the lights before removing the sheets on the bed. If not, all the dust may fall onto the mattress (床垫) directly. Besides, make sure to dry clean before you wet clean. If you start straight with your wet cleaner, you'll end up getting all that sticky dirt on your rags (抹布) and having to change rags more often.     4    .

Try to set a timetable for daily, weekly, and monthly cleaning. Daily cleaning might include picking things up, cleaning kitchen and doing those dishes. Weekly cleaning might include cleaning the bathroom, washing sheets and towels. Monthly cleaning might include cleaning both the inside and outside of all your glass windows.