1 . Around 2000 years ago, ancient Chinese divided the sun’s annual circular motion into 24 equal segments, each segment was called a ‘Solar Term’. Each solar term ______ a unique period of a year. But have you ever heard the term — “Hui Nantian”, a unique meteorological (气象) ______ that occurs ______ in southern China? This term, which translates to “the return of the south wind,” encapsulates (概括)a seasonal shift that not only ______ the weather patterns, but also deeply affects the way of life and cultural practices in this region.

“Hui Nantian” occurs during the ______ from winter to spring, when the cold, dry air of winter ______ the warm, damp air of the south. This change is not merely a meteorological shift; it’s a cultural event. People in the southern China anticipate “Hui Nantian” with a ______ of excitement and caution.

On the one hand, it signals the end of winter and the ______ of spring, a time of renewal and rebirth. On the other hand, the ______ humidity and dampness can present challenges, especially in terms of maintaining the integrity of buildings and ______ personal items. In Chinese culture, “Hui Nantian” is often associated with traditional practices and beliefs. It also reflects the importance of respect for ______ and traditional values in Chinese culture. In addition, it is also connected with the concept of “harmony with nature.” This belief encourages people to live in harmony with the natural world and respect the ______ of nature, such as the changing of the seasons and the flow of energy.

By ______ these natural rhythms, it is believed that people can achieve a state of inner peace and harmony, which is essential for leading a healthy and ______ life. Overall, Hui Nantian shows a blend of traditional practices, beliefs, and values that are unique to Chinese culture. These practices not only serve to preserve the cultural heritage of China but also ______ harmony and balance in people’s lives.

3 . By the age of 27, Vincent had made the most important decision of his life, to become an artist. He spent the years between 1880 and 1885 developing his _______. He had little money and lived in _______ rooms all over the Netherlands, including the flat agricultural landscape of the Drenthe. There he _______ country people. He was often ill and miserable, but determined to _______ this new career.

After the failure of his studies for the priesthood, Vincent didn’t want to _______ art formally at an academy. But he knew nothing of anatomy (解剖学), the study of the human figure, or of perspective, by which artists show a sense of _______ in work done on flat paper or canvas. Theo, his brother, knew a rich young _______, Anthon van Rappard, who taught Vincent perspective, and _______ him prints to copy. Vincent made hundreds of drawings of people, _______ charcoal, crayon, ink, and watercolor. Theo provided ________ for oil paint, and he began to paint in oils. Vincent often traveled to the ________ or the coast to draw working people. He was beginning to believe in himself as an ________.“Diggers, sowers, planters, male and female, they are what I draw ________. I have to ________ and draw everything that belongs to country life.” The compassion that Vincent ________ for poor people as a preacher was now channeled into his art.

5 . Every mountain has a peak. Every valley has its _________ point. No one is up all the time, nor are they down all the time. Life has its _________. Problems do _________. However, they are all resolved in time.

You may not be able to control the times, but you can _________ your response. You can turn your pain into _________ or into appreciation. The choice is up to you. However tough your time is, you can _________ how you will react to it.

The positive solution to a problem is that you need courage to _________ it. When you control your reaction to the _________ uncontrollable problem of life, then in fact you do control the problem’s _________ on you. Your reaction to the problem is the last word! That’s the __________. What will you let this problem do to you? It can make you __________ or tough. It can make you bitter or better. It all depends on you.

In the final analysis, the reason why the tough people can __________ the hard times is that they’ve chosen to react positively to their problems. Tough times never last, but tough people do. Tough people __________ it out. History teaches us that no problem is __________. Your problem will be solved and, as you know, storms always __________ the sun.

6 . I was struggling 11 months after I left China to pursue a Ph.D. in England. In the daytime, I kept myself _________ in my research. But at night I had to fight increasing _________. I turned to social media and even tried “talking” to Chat GPT, which _________ me for a few days. But when the novelty _________ I was back where I started.

When colleagues invited me for a coffee chat or lunch, I _________ to feel the urgency to get back to my long list of research _________, not taking time to build relationships. Eventually, my loneliness hit a breaking   _________. When I talked to my tutor about my feeling, she helped me see that _________ with the people around me would improve my state of mind. I began to chat with friends more and realized we were all dealing with _________, professionally and personally. Life isn’t about convincing colleagues that I can do everything   ____________, but about teaming up with friends on common goals and challenges.

These days, I’m working not only on my research, but also try to book ____________ with my friends for research discussion, and share ____________ into social issues through coffee chats. I feel much more ____________ when I come home with concrete memories and measurable milestones. And cooperating with my colleagues has helped me overcome some ____________ research challenges.

The nights are sill as ____________ as before, but I have seen the bright light in the day. I feel content to lie down and rest so I’m prepared for tomorrow’s new adventure.

7 . Changing the world may be impossible, but changing a world is realistic—that’s how Lorenzo Amani looks on the life. Amani’s journey from the football team to the ________ world is a story of perseverance and personal growth.

Growing up in a military family, Amani experienced frequent moves and ________ requirements, which influenced his character and ________ his capacity to handle stress, particularly in sports. ________, a career-ending foot injury in his junior year ________ his dream of football. With the encouragement and assistance of coaches and the staff, Amani ________ his attention on other off-field interests—studying at Virginia Tech. “Student athletes at the time didn’t really study abroad,” he said. “We were generally too busy ________ our sport. This was a (n) ________ experience that taught me that we’re all a lot more alike than we are ________, even in various corners of the world.”

Following his graduation, Amani served as an academic coach to ________ others facing the same career ________ from sports to others post-college. It’s a (n) ________ many athletes struggle with—fewer than 2 percent of student athletes go on to be professional athletes.

Today, Amani has founded an athleisure clothing company, with a (n) ________ to contributing a portion of its profits to organizations that offer education training to minorities. Additionally, he remains devoted to ________ individuals, helping develop their leadership skills and financial literacy.

Amani’s experience proves that as long as we ________ setbacks (挫折) bravely, we can change not just our own world, but the world of others as well.

8 . If you want to stand out, 10,000 hours of training will take you much further than your natural abilities. Mozart is considered by many as the greatest composer who ever lived. Traditionally, many people ________ outstanding achievements like Mozart’s are due to talent, or even inborn inspiration or ________.

This assumption holds especially true for child prodigies (神童) like Mozart whose music talent ________ the world at the age of six. But looking more ________ at this phenomenon, we find that these individuals actually had to practice countless hours before showing their ________ remarkable talent. In fact, scientists indicate that a prodigy’s training typically ________ at a very early age, with massive time invested in practice.

For example, when the six-year-old Mozart toured Europe to ________ his brilliant piano skills, he had already ________ 3,500 hours of musical training. If you compare this to other pianists who have practiced for as long, Mozart’s ________ wasn’t all that exceptional. It seems that outstanding abilities come from intensive strict practice ________ natural talents. A study shows the only factor directly ________ the students’ level of achievement was the amount of serious practice time: the most ________ performers had practiced for an average of 10,000 hours, while the least skilled had only 4,000 hours of practice. What’s even more revealing is that there were no ________: All of the top performers had ________ great efforts to their practice. It seems that no extraordinary talent can ________ without tough practice.

10 . My mom is the greatest mom ever. She seems to have the _________ to solve any challenge. Also, whatever the situation is, she _________ any challenge with a positive attitude.

One day I saw my father, who was out of work, looking at my mom with a worried face. We hadn’t paid rent because of _________ problems, so we had to move out of the house. My sister and I were _________ and my mom comforted us with smiles as if any problem could be _________ easily.

That whole week she tried her best to _________ a place for rent. Worse still, we also had nothing to eat since the food my dad had bought the week before had _________. Even though she didn’t show pain and _________ then, I felt how much it hurt her not to provide a shelter and food for us.

After that whole week of seeing her struggle, _________ fortune smiled at my family. There was a place near my school, which __________ my family even though it was pretty small. Afterwards, my father got a job and could afford the rent and the food. Relief and happiness __________ anxiety and worry on our faces.

Things like these __________ to make me ad mire my mom’s power. When bad situations __________, there are some people complaining about their misfortune, but my mom has the __________ that horrible moments in life should be a chance to become stronger. When things seem to be the worst, we believe she can __________ carry us through the test.