No matter how exciting space exploration sounds, there’s an important point that needs to be considered: food supplies. Right now, astronauts typically       1     (依赖) dry food in airtight bags and cans, since there are strict weight limits on items taken into space. Foods that we     2     (认为是理所当然的), such as fresh fruit and vegetables, are out of the question for space explorers.

For those who     3     (有强烈的愿望) to grow food during space flights, they’ve faced many difficulties, including the absence of gravity, and a lack of soil, air and humidity (湿度). However, growing food to add and minimize the food that must be carried to space will be increasingly important on long-duration flights into space. Recently, a leading team has worked out how plants can absorb nutrients from human urine (尿). Human urine is 95 percent water, with the other 5 percent    4     (构成；组成) nutrients which are harmful to the human body but not to plants, and it could supply three to four out of the six nutrients that plants need. By recycling liquid waste and producing food, an efficient cycle will be created.

And most importantly, the duration of space flights will be greatly extended to “20 years of flight”, meaning we may be soon sending astronauts on flights to Mars, or even beyond.

The twenty-two of us lived like this in the cold for four months. Our     1    and team spirit kept us     2    and helped us deal with our fears in a positive and successful way. We also celebrated our birthdays, festivals, and even the times     3    we caught a sea animal. This was    4    episode in my life that I would never forget.

When we were finally rescued, we felt such     5    and joy that many of us could not     6    our tears. We were at last free to go home to warm beds, good food, and the care of our family and friends. Our optimism and faith in Shackleton had helped us     7    in staying alive. And he paid us     8    by his commitment     9     save us from a slow but painful death.

Chinese paintings feature some of the world’s longest-held     1     (art) traditions. These paintings with a range of special oriental (东方的) styles record China’s long history and     2     (反映) its beautiful landscapes. The following are two of China’s most famous paintings.

One Hundred Horses was drawn by Lang Shining, a     3     (talent) painter of the Qing Dynasty. Lang was from Italy with a birth name of Giuseppe Castiglione. Working as a court painter in China for over 50 years, he was regarded highly by Chinese emperors Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong.

Lang was skilled at painting horses, and One Hundred Horses is one of his representative     4     (杰作). This paper painting shows 100 horses in various postures. (姿态)

Spring Morning in the Han Palace was drawn by Qiu Ying, who specialised in the gongbi brush     5     (技巧). Qiu’s use of the brush was extremely skilful, and his drawings of landscapes and     6     (人像) were vivid and well-organised. He was regarded as one of the four great     7     (大师) of the Ming Dynasty. His paintings are not only beautiful and refined, they are also quite decorative.

In the past, moving to a new town meant losing     1     of our friends and writing letters was the only way to getting new from f    2    (遥远的) friends. But with the     3    of technology, the way we make friends and communicate with them has changed s    4    . (显著地)

Nowadays the s    5     medial (社交媒体) tools are helping us a    6    (获得) friends and m    7     (维持) friendships more easily. In addition, the     8     age (数码时代) also enables us to find people who share the same hobbies     9     us.

But on the other side, as the Internet is developing rapidly, not all “friendly” people     10    (在线的) are your real friends. They may not e    11    (交换) real personal information with you. So we should be alert (警惕的) while making friends online. In fact, many people     12     to post only good things on social media sites. What we should keep     13     mind is that real and     14    (有意义的) friendship is based on true personal information. Remember the above advice and it will be more possible     15     us to make real friends with the help of the Internet.

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to our New City. Look! Many a building     1     (正在被建造) now in the centre of the city. More than one subway     2     also     3    (construct). It’s said that at least a new stadium and a new swimming pool     4     (design) by the City Construction Company. Well, as you can see, the trees and flowers     5     (正在被栽种) on each side of the roads.    6     (这座城市被规划) to be developed into a big city? The answer is yes. Imagine that you     7     (被带领着参观) the city again in the future. Aren’t you happy with that? Let’s just wait and see!

Wonders are being done every day. I am convinced that you will see a more fantastic New City in the future.

Bringing with him lots of books, clothes, and two pairs of trainers, Zhang Tian travelled to the village with an eager heart. He imagined     1     exciting things about living independently and teaching in a village.

Our coach was not so sure. Paul had to     2     many times just for making the team. He was still usually on the bench, being just a replacement, which was really     3    .

Like any exercise, running increases the flow of blood and oxygen to your brain. It makes your heart stronger and allows more blood to flow around your body. It also     4     and reduces the risk of serious health problems, as well as     5     like colds.