1 . 21-year-old Joe McGrath received a strange Facebook message. Someone asked if he ________to go on holiday to Spain with a group of________for free! McGrath thought it was a ________.

But it turned out the________was legitimate （合情理的）. A group of friends were looking for someone to take the place of another mate, who shares the same________with Joe McGrath and had dropped out of a pre-booked holiday, to take a mad________to Majorca.

The message read: “Hi Joe. Would you________coming on holiday with a group of nice strangers if they had already arranged（安排）flights for you and an all-inclusive hotel?”

“It’s our friend Nathan’s 30th birthday and we ________to throw him a surprise holiday   break in Majorca.   Unluckily, our friend Joe McGrath   can’t ________, but we have   already   booked it all up for him.”

Although they ________15 other Joe McGraths on social media, the 21-year-old from Manchester, England, was the only one to reply and finally ________ to go on the paid-for trip.

“At first I was ________ the holiday,” McGrath said, “After speaking to Dan, one of the     group, on the phone, I realized he was a(n) ________ person and the friends were real, and this holiday was ________.”

In the end, McGrath decided to leave for the moment and drove to Bristol to ________ the nine strangers. “When I turned up at Dan’s house and it was all dark I was a bit ________ but as soon as I met him it was_______. There was no awkwardness（尴尬）really.”

“They were a lovely group of people! I ________ every minute of it.”

McGrath said he is already ________ to visit his new friends again and has invited them to Manchester, where he lives, to take them on a night out to express ________ to them.

2 . In the past, many people regarded people living around them as their close friends and even relatives. And there was a need to _______ one’s neighbors. But nowadays, people do not _______ with those who live close to them as they did decades ago. _______, these people are now living lonelier lives and they are living in a neighborhood of _________.

To begin with, there are several reasons for this _________,which may help the understanding of why this is _______. Firstly, people’s lives are generally _______ today than in the past, as they have much more work to do, which leads to interacting with their _______ instead of their neighbors. Secondly,the lives of the general public are more mobile these days. _______ frequently causes them to develop a more superficial(表面的) relationship with local residents. Lastly, in some ________, there may be cultural differences between neighbors, which makes communication almost non-existent.

________ these reasons, there are also a number of ________, which may help deal with this problem. First of all, the local council(委员会) could ________ community events, to improve relations between local people. Moreover, people should ________ themselves and invite their neighbors to dinner or a casual barbecue, in order to ________ a relationship with each other. Finally, ________ people ought to attend local council meetings so that ________ of the community have the opportunity to communicate with each other.

________, many different solutions are available to help start introductions and communication among ________ such as community events, social gatherings in one’s home and council meetings. And it is in my opinion that it is up to the ________ to do something first. What about spending next weekend with your neighbors in your backyard?

In Budapest, a train line called Gyermekavasut runs between stations     1     (bury) deep in the woodland. Like any other railway, it has ticket offices, signals, guards and a timetable. Unlike any other, this one     2     (run) by children aged between 10 and 14. The children of the Gyermekavasut railway     3     (efficient) sell and check tickets and salute trains as they leave     4     (station).

In fact, the railway was created to give children the chance to learn teamwork and     5     (responsible). Kids work the railway under     6     guidance of adults, and the engineers and the train drivers are adults.

Tickets can be bought from a child who usually takes the job so seriously. As the train comes in, a childish voice echoes (回响) in the station following the same jingle (叮当声) that can be heard in every station across Hungary. The train     7     (pull) out, as children in navy blue uniforms with red caps salute. Once the train leaves the platform, they relax back into more natural childlike poses.

Only the top students are considered for the railway, and those selected     8     the job take a training course and must pass railway worker exams. For a year, the railway children go on duty every two weeks,    9     (get) excused from school during workdays, but only on the condition     10     their grades don’t slip.

7 . Since the beginning of my scientific training, I was encouraged to seek multiple mentors (导师) to help me find my way. With many efforts, I became comfortable, confident, and strategic in building my network of mentors.    1    

Cast a wide net.

Sending cold contacts was scary, so I focused on the thrill of emailing people who had some of the coolest jobs I'd ever heard of. If I was inspired by someone's work, I emailed. If

I loved the way they ran their lab, I emailed. If I was interested in learning more about their company, I emailed.     2     At last, I got dozens of informational interviews that helped me in my ideal job.

    3    

As a grad student, I met someone at a conference who I hoped would be a future mentor—and followed up with a five-paragraph email. Their reply was simple, “I cannot respond to this. Too long.” Over the years, I learned to clearly include the what, the ask, and the when —for example, a 30-minute meeting to talk about X, offering three or four specific times. A clear, concise email encourages a quick, positive response.

Consider the context (情景).

In graduate school, I asked a senior faculty member to serve as my departmental adviser.     4     A few months later, he left the institution. I realized the move must have already been in the works when I asked, and his response didn't reflect negatively on me; he was just predicting his own changing circumstances. When evaluating responses or advice, remember that everyone has their own affairs and concerns.

Come prepared.

    5     I came to every conversation with at least 10 questions, arranged in categories including shared experiences, career goals, and advice. Coming prepared helped me respect other people's time and use these meetings wisely.

9 . Experts using a high-tech laser scanner (激光扫描仪) have discovered thousands of ancient Maya buildings hidden under the thick forests of northern Guatemala, officials said Thursday. Some 60, 000 buildings were found over the past two years in a scan of an area in the northern department of El Peten between Mexico and Belize, said Marcello Canuto, one of the projects’ lead researchers.

These findings are a “breakthrough in Maya archeology(考古),” Canuto said.

The new discoveries in this Central American country include city centers with sidewalks, homes, wide steps, farming facilities and so on, said Canuto, an archaeologist at Tulane University in the United States.

Among the finds was a 30-meter high pyramid (金字塔) that had been earlier recognized as a natural hill in Tikal. Also discovered in Tikal: a series of holes and a 14 kilometer-long wall.

The Maya development reached its height in what is present-day southern Mexico, Guatemala, and parts of Belize, El Salvador and Honduras between 250 and 950 CE. Researchers now believe that the Maya had a population of 10 million, which is “much higher” than previous judgment, Canuto said.

The project depended on a remote (远程的) sensing method known as LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging). Aircraft with a LiDAR scanner produced 3D maps of the surface by using light in the form of laser linked to a GPS system.

The technology helped researchers discover sites much faster than using traditional archeological methods. “Now it is no longer necessary to cut through the jungle to see what’s under it,” said Canuto.

Details of the research will appear in a documentary to air on February 11 on the National Geographic TV channel, said Minister of Culture and Sports Jose Luis Chea.

10 . On the 100th anniversary of the Communist Party of China (CPC), red tourism has gained popularity among tourists who flood in to visit historic sites with a modern revolutionary heritage.

Jinggangshan

This is one of the most crucial and splendid chapters of history of establishing Red China as well as a unique and wonderful ecosystem, which is covered with rich forest, rugged peaks and several memorials to the Red Army. The best time to visit is between April and October, with the most temperature timing April and May when the large azaleas (杜鹃花) bloom.

Open: 8:00-17:00 (Feb. 16-Nov. 15). 8:00-16:30 (Nov. 16-Feb. 15)

Xibaipo

It is an old revolutionary base where the leadership of the Communist Party of China was stationed, drawing up the blueprint for a new country. A memorial hall was built to honor the memory of this site. The lake and the hill here add brilliance and beauty to each other and form pleasant scenery.

Open: Tuesdays to Sundays 9:30-17:00 (Xibaipo Memorial Hall)

The Nanhu Revolutionary Memorial Hall

A new exhibition is held with updated display approaches, including phantom imaging (全息影像) and oil painting, which are used to improve visitors' experiences. The exhibition shows four stages of the CPC from its establishment to its achievements.

Open: Tuesdays to Sundays 8:30-18:00 (closed on Mondays)

Former Site of the Editorial Department of New Youth

New Youth started the New Culture Movement and spread the influence of the May Fourth Movement. The site was briefly based in Beijing but moved back to Shanghai in 1920 and also served as the office for the Communist Party of China Central Committee in the 1920s.

Open: Thursdays to Tuesdays 9:00 - 11:30, 13:30 - 16:30 (closed on Wednesdays)