1 . Paris is one of the most-visited destinations in the world. A relaxing trip to Paris takes a little bit of planning. Here are some tips for you to make your trip smooth.

Have a passport for international travel. A passport costs $110 and takes 6-8weeks to arrive after you apply.

The cheapest month to fly is March, especially if you can leave on a Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday. You’ll save even more money by booking around 90 days in advance. In the summer months, tickets will be more expensive no matter when you book.

●Visit the Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower is the most recognizable symbol of Paris. To avoid the crowds, go to the Eiffel Tower early in the morning. It costs €25 to go to the top, or €10 to climb to the first 2 levels on foot.

● See the Notre Dame Cathedral

At present, the Notre Dame Cathedral is closed to tourists due to the fire that destroyed parts of the cathedral. However, you can still visit the outside of the cathedral.

● Go to the Louvre to see world-famous art

The Louvre hosts the Mona Lisa along with 35, 000 other pieces of art. If you’re pressed for time, visit the highlights. The Louvre costs €15 at the museum or €17 in advance (to skip most of the line).

● Take a day trip to Versailles

If you have a day to spare, head to the palace of Versailles, around 14 miles southwest of the city. Take a tour to see King Louis XVI’s palace and gardens. It costs €20 to visit the palace and grounds.

3 . How Running Helped Me Turn My Life Around

I’ve never been an athlete. Besides being good at all academic performances at school, my main goal was to ________ PE lessons at all costs. In my twenties, I went for an occasional yoga class, but that was really the ________ of all my athletic

That was until the end of 2016, when I was unexpectedly fired. The possibility of getting a new job soon was not in my ________ and dark thoughts of not being good enough started to ________. I was feeling depressed but pushed myself to go and ________ for the TCS Marathon runners as the course was going through our neighborhood.

However, while being there, I got extraordinary ________ from all the runners, smiling and applauding constantly. Not a runner myself, I thought maybe I could give running a ________, just to try to use my neglected gym membership and see where it ________ me. And so I tried. I went to the gym the next morning and got on a treadmill. I was breathless by minute five, but I slowed down, walked for a bit and then restarted. I came back the next day, hoping to ________ a few minutes longer. Two weeks later, I could successfully run for 30 minutes.

While I saw my body look more toned (协调的), I also noticed my negative thoughts didn’t occur that ________. And it sparked a thought—what if I could set a running goal and sign up for my first race? I did and races sort of became a new hobby.

In the meantime, I secured a few freelance (自由职业的) projects. They offered me a good ________, and most importantly, the time to work out for the big race. I got my full-time job ________ at my dream company just several weeks before the half-marathon. Although I got an injury before the race, I still went for it and finished within my ________ time.

I still have a long running ________ ahead of me—I’d love to work on my speed, my technique and I dream of running a marathon outside of the US. Running gives me ________ that I can do anything I set my mind to.

4 . Global animal populations are declining, and we’ve got limited time to try to fix it. That’s the outcome of a new report from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), which analyzed years of data on wildlife populations across the world and found a downward trend in the Earth’s biodiversity.

According to the Living Planet Index, animal populations across the world decreased by 69% between 1970 and 2018. Not all animal populations decreased, though, and some parts of the world saw more dramatic changes than others. But experts say the loss of biodiversity is a worrying sign of what’s to come for the natural world. “The message is clear and the lights are flashing red,” said WWF International Director General Marco Lambertini.

According to the report’s authors, biodiversity loss mainly results from land-use changes driven by human activities, such as infrastructure (基础设施) development, energy production and deforestation. But the report suggests that climate change — which is already causing wide-ranging effects on plant and animal species globally — could become the leading cause of biodiversity loss if rising temperatures can’t be limited to 1.5℃.

Lambertini said the crisis of biodiversity loss and climate change is already responsible for plenty of problems for humans, including less access to food and water and a rise in the spread of diseases. He said world leaders should take major steps to deal with environmental damage. They are locked in old-world thinking, with no sign of the brave action needed to achieve a nature-positive future.

WWF chief scientist Rebecca Shaw told a radio station that humans have the opportunity to change how they do things to benefit nature. “We don’t have to continue the patterns of development we have now. And we have an opportunity to change the way we produce, what we cat and how we consume food and what we waste when we consume our food,” Shaw said. “Little things that we can do every day can change the direction of animal population declines.”

Delicate strokes, carved onto wood, with ultimate precision. This is woodblock (木印版画) printing,     1     ancient printing technique that has promoted human civilization.

Certain people are believed to bring Buddhism (佛教) into China during the Tang Dynasty, when there was a strong need     2     (produce) a large number of Buddhist scriptures (经文), and     3     (copy) by hand could not meet the rising demand. Ancient Chinese craftsmen thus came up with a novel way to create printed works     4     (massive). Then came the original version of woodblock printing.

Traditional woodblock printing can be divided into four major steps: writing, engraving, printing, and binding. With each step then sub-divided into several procedures,     5     takes roughly 30 steps to produce a woodblock print. Characters and images     6     (carve) to produce raised areas or lines, which calls     7     skilled hands.

The Buddhist scripture Diamond Sutra, the “earliest dated printed book”, can only be seen in the British Library,     8     a lot of Chinese treasures are stored. It is just one example of ancient works of art that not only tells the wisdom of our ancestors, but also is a witness of Chinese craftsmen’s continuous    9     (commit) to beauty through centuries.

The invention of writing gave life to great thoughts,     10     it was the invention of printing that made knowledge a shareable fruit for all humankind.

7 . A wireless charging room has been developed by scientists. It can deliver power through the air to any laptop, tablet or phone without the need for plugs or cables.

The new technology involves generating magnetic fields (磁场) over longer distances without also producing electrical fields that would prove harmful to any people or animals within the room, according to the team from the University of Tokyo.

The system, which has been tested in a single room but is still in its initial stage, can deliver up to 50 watts of power without exceeding (超过) current guidelines for human exposure to magnetic fields, the study authors explained. It could be used to charge any device with a wire coil fitted inside, similar to the system used with wireless charging pads currently in use—but without the pad. As well as removing charging cables from desks, it could allow for more devices to be fully robotized without the need for ports, plugs or cables.

To demonstrate the new system, they installed the unique Wireless charging equipment in a purpose-built aluminum “test room”. They then used it to power lamps, fans and mobile phones that drew current from anywhere in the room, regardless of where furniture or people had been placed.

Researchers didn’t say what the technology might cost because it is still very early in development and “years away” from being made available to the public. “This really ups the power of computing world—you could put a computer anywhere without ever having to worry about charging or plugging in,” said study coauthor Alanson Sample from the University of Michigan.

There are also medical applications, according to Sample, who said heart implants (植入) currently require a wire from the pump to run through the body and into a socket. “This could remove that,” the author said, adding it would act to reduce the risk of infection and improve patients’ quality of life by removing the wire completely.

9 . Ian McKenna was in third grade when he learned that many kids at his Austin school weren’t getting enough to eat at home. He wanted to help, but local volunteer organizations turned him away, saying he was too young. So he decided to find his own solution. For years, he had been-gardening with his mother, and they often sent their vegetables to the neighbors. “I’m good at gardening,” says McKenna, now 16. “Why not plant a garden at school, so that kids in need could take food home?”

McKenna persuaded his school to set aside space for a garden; then he asked the community for donations of seeds and equipment. Other students donated their time. Within months, McKenna’s garden was producing lettuces, tomatoes and cucumbers for students and their families. Now, seven years later, McKenna’s Giving Garden project has expanded to five area schools in addition to his own backyard garden. For most of his gardening activities, McKenna wears the same T-shirt in different colors, with his personal motto on it: BEA GOOD HUMAN. To him, that means helping in any way you can, no matter what your age.

“Even a smile might change someone’s life,” he says. “It lets them know that they are important. It can make their day.”

When COVID-19 hit the U.S., MeKenna redoubled his efforts, cooking up to 100 meals to distribute (配送) to the hungry on the weekends. When social distancing meant that volunteers couldn’t work on community garden, he started offering online classes and a gardening hotline so families could grow at home. While gardening is his core focus, MeKenna says he is always looking for new ways to help the hungry.