On February 16, 1861, a big earthquake struck Sumatra, an Indonesian island. The earthquake shook the western side of the island,     1     ( cause) a tsunami(海啸). That wall of water poured onto shore, destroying towns and taking thousands of     2     ( life).

Recently, though, a team of scientists discovered that another earthquake     3     ( occur) before this deadly event. According to the record, that earthquake started in 1829 and lasted for 32 years but no one felt even one shake. This kind of slow-moving earthquake     4     (call) “silent earthquakes” because no instrument can find them. Scientists have only begun discovering them because     5     the advances in GPS technology in the last twenty years.

    6     (figure) out what is going on under the ground, scientists need to study earthquakes. Every earthquake, either small     7     big, can teach scientists something about how much the ground will shake in the future. Unluckily, no one can predict(预测) when an earthquake will hit. Scientists just have to prepare to study all earthquakes     8     strike.

But silent earthquakes like the one in Sumatra change the game for scientists. These silent earthquakes happen all over the world. Sometimes, a silent earthquake happens just before a regular one, both of which might be     9     (relate). By studying silent earthquakes, scientists hope to better understand regular earthquakes and     10     ( possible) predict them.

3 . It’s said that about one third of the world’s citizens live in substandard housing. But researchers have created free plans now available online for building houses using pre-made parts that fit together perfectly, which could help solve this housing problem.

The world population is expected to grow to more than 8 billion by 2030, and the housing situation in city is already a huge problem. Building new homes in the traditional way still takes weeks or months.

In a London neighborhood, a group of volunteers are constructing a house made of pre-made plywood panels (预制胶合板面板) and parts, the so-called WikiHouse. All parts were precisely cut in a Computer Numerical Control, or CNC machine, following a free plan downloaded from the Internet.

Founder of the UK-based on WikiHouse Foundation, architectural designer Alastair Parvin, said this could be the solution for affordable housing. WikiHouse is essentially a series of technologies we’re developing aimed at simplifying the process of making really sustainable high-performance houses to a point where almost anyone can do it.

Precise cutting allows a perfect fit for all parts, which speeds up the process of assembly (装配). No special tools are required. The WikiHouse was built in 10 days for exhibition purposes. Then, it was taken apart and reassembled elsewhere for permanent use.

“Open-source (开源)software is now really established; it drives a lot of the software we use,” Parvin said. “What's happening now is that that's coming into the world of physical things, so we're effectively building a kind of Wikipedia for physical material.”

Parvin said the project is in its early stages, with limited availability. But he said he expects it to grow as more people start showing interest in houses whose assembly requires no special skills.

I Need Your Ideas for a New Drama!

The English Drama Club

China’s conventional tea processing techniques and associated social practices successfully became UNESCO’s latest world intangible cultural heritage.

“Stove-boiled tea”,    1    new way of drinking tea, has been popular in China. The process of drinking tea has a sense of ritual (仪式), and so far the ceremony    2     (become) a new favorite of young people.

Usually, the process of boiling tea on a stove consists of lightly roasting tea     3     (leaf) before making tea, sometimes with rosebuds or sweet osmanthus (桂花), in a pot over a stove. The art of boiling tea is a time-consuming process,     4    .requires constant attention to the temperature in order to         5     (proper) “cook” it.

People also post their moments of stove boiled tea while wearing       6     (tradition) Han fu in these ancient teahouses. Similar to other trending lifestyles such as cycling and camping, “stove boiled tea”     7    (reflect) young people’s desire to escape    8     cities in order to embrace the nature and experience a peaceful mind. It is absolutely    9     (relax) to drink hot tea, feel the winter breeze, and chat with best friends.

“Stove boiled tea” is also a latest “Guo Chao” to blend Chinese culture elements into people’s daily lives. Apart from the “stove boiled tea”, Dian Cha is also a tea art from the Song Dynasty. During the making process, the froth   (泡沫) and the tea paste act like paper and ink, allowing artists       10     (create) delicate patterns.

6 . In the old-fashioned town of Willowbrook, two friends named Emma and Liam shared an intimate bond. They were inseparable and spent every moment together, laughing, exploring, and creating unforgettable memories.

One cold winter morning, as the first snowflakes gently fell from the sky, Emma woke up with a stuffy nose and a sore throat. She tried to brave it and get ready for school, but her body felt weak and achy. Unwillingly, she called Liam to let him know she couldn’t make it to school that day.

Liam was concerned when he heard the tiredness in Emma’s voice. “Don’t worry, Em. I’ll take care of everything at school for you,” he assured her. Feeling grateful for Liam’s understanding, Emma forced a smile and replied, “Thank you, Liam. You’re the best friend anyone could ask for.”

After school, Liam hurried to Emma’s house, carrying a meal he had prepared for her. He knocked on the door, and Emma’s mother welcomed him with a warm smile. “Oh, Liam, you’re such a thoughtful friend,” she said.

“I brought some soup and tea for Emma. I hope it will make her feel better,” Liam replied, some concern in his eyes. Entering Emma’s room, Liam found her curled up under a blanket, looking pale but relieved to see him. “Hey, I brought some comfort food to cheer you up,” he said, setting the food on her bedside table.

Emma’s eyes lit up, and she smiled weakly. “You didn’t have to, but thank you. This means the world to me,” she whispered. Sitting by her side, Liam kept her company, chatting softly and making her laugh despite her illness. The warmth of their friendship enveloped the room, bringing a feeling of comfort to Emma’s tired soul.

As Emma regained her strength, she realized just how lucky she was to have a friend like Liam. His unwavering presence and kindness had made her recovery easier and brighter. Their friendship grew stronger with each passing day, and from that moment on, they knew they would be there for each other through thick and thin.

7 . Forget about “military-style ravel” during which people tend to visit as many places as possible in the least amount of time. A more relaxing and leisurely alternative, such as “Citywalk”, is becoming the norm among urban youngsters.

Unlike military-style travel, Citywalk is about wandering around a city on foot, feeling the atmosphere and finding unusual things that even a resident of the city might not have noticed before. It can be a special event where people start a journey led by tour guides or simply explore the streets.

Such walks generally avoid famous scenic spots and shopping centers, and take you to places where you can have real interactions with the local people, eat at small but authentic restaurants, and gain a deeper understanding of the city’s history and culture.

Citywalkers have shared their carefully planned routes on social media platforms, generating thousands of followers. Their posts usually include the duration of the walk, and interesting places and restaurants along the way. Some posts are more like a food tour.

Nan Xi, who recently moved from Beijing to Shanghai, said “I think Shanghai is a city perfect for Citywalk. There are big trees along the streets and shops selling different products, which is ideal for couples and friends to walk together and take photos.”

After several Citywalk experiences, she signed up for a two-and-a-half-hour Citywalk priced at 88 yuan per person. A tour guide narrated the history of the buildings and streets along the way. “If it were me walking alone, I would simply find the streets artistic, but the tour that day helped me gain a better understanding of how Western culture blends in with the local culture in Shanghai.” she said. Another surprising benefit of the walk was that she has made friends with two of her fellow walkers.

Lin Yi, a manager for an online platform for self-guided tours, thought Citywalk can help travelers learn about local culture and live as local people do, feeling the vibes of a city. “People who participate in Citywalks usually have similar tastes, and can have in-depth discussions with each other,” he said.