1 . Virtually, there is nothing that man cannot do. Only what he has to do is keep doing and doing without being discouraged. Success will come someday or other, though it may apparently be the conception about something that it cannot be done.     1     But the reality is that man’s success depends on whether he can do the toughest tasks successfully. It is because our life is complicated and tough. And to succeed in this tough battle, perseverance and hard work are a must     2    . We can prove this fact when we look at the reality of life and the history of man’s success. Perseverance helps us do what we otherwise would consider impossible to do.

What the world-famous scientist Sir Isaac Newton had done by twelve years’ constant hard work was burnt out by his pet dog. But that could not discourage him a little.     3     It is only for his undefeated perseverance that’ we have been able to have many inventions and discoveries.

    4     He went through thick and thin to reach his destination after months of the strenuous voyage on the sea. He discovered the way from Spain to America and offered the world a new route of communication with America. This outcome of his perseverance will be generated by the world forever.

All the great men in history have written their names in golden letters by means of perseverance.     5     If we all are perseverant in whatever we do, we are sure to stand out as a successful nation in the near future.

I used to be a lazy student who often fell asleep in class. Worse still, I associated with bad friends. As a result, I was     1    (落后的) in my studies. It was not until the beginning of the new term that I     2    (开始) to behave well because my English teacher, Miss Yang, a beautiful and attractive lady, kept encouraging me not to give up studying. Under her influence, I was aware of my mistakes and decided to change my     3    (态度) entirely. Every day I     4    (上学) school on time and pay attention to my teachers in class. To     5    (避免) making the same mistakes, I usually attach a note to my desk as a reminder. Knowing that my studies are     6    (糟糕的), I want to improve it badly by making an effort. First, I     7    (醒来) early in the morning to do some reading aloud and attempt to learn the basic knowledge by heart. Also, my teachers are ready to assist me with my studies. With their help, it is not long before I make progress and catch up with my classmates. Not long ago, I participated in an Spoken English Contest on     8    (代表) of my class and I held the firm belief that I would     9    (打败) the other competitors. What astonished everybody was that I attained the championship and was     10    (授予) a gold medal. Now, not only do I go all out to study but I often exercise because only in this way can I keep the balance between study and relaxation.

Tibet was a region I was desperate to see,     1     its remoteness and my inability to go delayed my journey. Last summer, my brother and I finally decided to take the trip.

We set off at the Guangzhou train station and three days later, we arrived in Lhasa. The trip certainly took a while; however, we     2     (reward) with the most beautiful views and made friends along the way, all at a     3     (low) cost than flying.

We started our tour of Lhasa watching pilgrims(朝圣者)doing their morning prayers,     4    (comprehensive) exploring the palace. We had an incredible lunch at one of the best restaurants in Lhasa,     5     offered a beautiful view overlooking the Jokhang Temple.

Then we started our journey to the Qomolangma base camp    6     road from Lhasa. Along the way we stopped     7     (admire) the Yamdrok Lake. Its beauty was beyond     8    (describe).

About a week later, we arrived. We stayed in a guesthouse just next to the base camp and after dropping off our luggage,     9     (head) straight outside to see the Mt. Qomolangma. The tip of the mountain emerged through the clouds,     10     (astonish) us with its unbelievable height. The clouds parted and we watched the sunset over the peak.

8 . The Rise of “China-chic”

Over past years, guochao, or “China-chic” has been gaining popularity among Chinese consumers. Guochao conveys the cultural heritage and values of China.     1    . “China-chic” is rising, but what is it?

The idea of guochao was first borrowed from some international brands, and began to win over Chinese consumers in 2015.     2    . In 2018, Chinese sportswear band Li-Ning presented its Wu Dao (the principles of Taoism) collection at the New York Fashion Week. It featured bright red color and Chinese characters. More brands have since followed, heralding (预示) the early period of guochao.

    3    . This was a period when applications of big data, cloud computing, the Internet of Things, and 5G technology hit the market one after another. Domestic tech companies such as Huawei, Xiaomi, and DJI made headlines.

In its third stage, guochao became more common in everyday life. Over the past decade, guochao has expanded from consumer goods to experiential products. As consumers are showing greater interest in cultural identity and creativity, productions like the TV program National Treasure, and the dance show Night Banquet in Tang Dynasty Palace integrate cultural and historical elements with the latest audio-visual technologies.     4    .

Nowadays, guochao is moving to the next stage. No matter how the trend evolves, Chinese people’s positive attitude toward the country’s development and their recognition of and growing confidence in national culture won’t change.     5    . Seen from a broader perspective, guochao mirrors the rise of China, a country eager to make its presence felt globally. Guochao is a style, but more importantly, it transmits culture and values.