Pickleball

It’s got nothing to do     1     pickles(泡菜) — it’s a sport. It has been described as a     2    (combine) of tennis, badminton and table tennis. Picture a small plastic ball soaring through the air     3     you need to bat back to your partner, or partners. Many Brits (英国人) are listening to their inner athlete and     4     (pick) up this racket game. In the UK, there are     5     (current) around 7,000 players, according to Pickleball England. But the association     6     (aim) to have more than 25,000 players by 2025 and is even attempting to get the sport played as part of promotion for the 2028 Olympics.

How exactly do you play this game? Well, it can be played indoors     7     outdoors and it can be played as a singles or doubles game. There are a few easy-to-understand rules. The ball is served underhand and should     8     (bat) diagonally across the court. On     9     first two hits, the ball has to bounce, but after that, players are free to volley.     10     (win) a point, the defending side must miss the ball.

So, if you fancy picking it up, find your local Pickleball court and give it a go!

Mo Yan is one of     1     most popular Chinese writers today. All of     2     (he) books are bestsellers (畅销书). And his three books, including Red Sorghum, have been made into movies.

Mo Yan was born in Gaomi, Shandong Province in 1955. There     3     (be) six people in his family. They are his parents, his two brothers     4     his sister. As a child, he went to the primary school in his village, and because of the poor family, he had to leave school and worked on the farm. In 1976, he     5     (join) the army and worked for the army. Five years later, he started writing and finished his first three     6    (novel). Later, he wrote     7     (many) than thirty famous books. His novel, Red Sorghum, came out in 1986, and it was made into a film by Zhang Yimou. It was his first big success.

Mo Yan won Nobel Prize for Literature     8     2012, and he is the first one who got this prize of China. He also wrote some books after he won Nobel Prize. He has a daughter, Guan Xiaoxiao. And his daughter is also a     9     (write). Now he lives with his wife and his daughter in Beijing     10     (happy). In his free time, he goes on his writing.

My name is Mark brown, a teacher. Many students write to me to ask for help and I reply to them to help them solve their     1    (problem). Timmy is one of the students I once helped. Timmy is a    2     (talent) boy. He is   going to be a dentist when he grows up,    3    he likes playing football very much. His parents are angry with him. They are afraid that    4     (play) football too much is bad for Timmy’s studies. They care about Timmy’s grades a lot. Timmy     5     (feel) upset, so he writes to me.

I write a letter to Timmy. I tell Timmy both schoolwork and hobbies are important. I advised him to plan his spare time better. For example, he must do his homework       6     (careful) and them he can make     7     (few) mistakes than before. In that way, he can have more time    8     (do) his favorite things. If Timmy does well     9     his studies, his parents will agree with him. In the letter, I also tell him some    10     (suggest) on his relationship with his parents and football.

Born in a poor American family, John Smith depended on scholarships     1     (pay) for his tuition fees when studying in a medical college. After graduation, he rejected an offer in New York, came to Wuhan and     2     (hire) by a local hospital. He held the principle that he should never complain about the working pressure but make positive responses     3     his patients in need.

He tended them     4     (careful), organized first aid lessons, and saved many people’s lives with his professional knowledge. That impressed a girl     5     was working in a local clinic. She fell in love with this caring doctor. Two years later, they got married. A decade later, he was elected chairman of the local medical association, the first foreigner in that position. This chain of events made him the     6     (happy) man in the world.

Then came the outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan. With the number of     7     (infect) patients increasing sharply, he helped carry these people through the disease together with many other medical     8     (worker). After     9     great deal of effort, the majority of the patients recovered. However, he himself was badly infected. Having fought against COVID-19 for a month, he passed away, leaving his family in tears and in despair.     10     (hear) the sad news, many people sent flowers to the hospital in memory of his contribution.

As is known to all, reading is of much benefit to    1     (we) in many ways. The necessity of it has been stressed by many scholars (学者) for     2     long time. Above all, reading is a perfect way to spend our spare time. Meanwhile, we can gain more knowledge by    3     (take) advantage of our tiny time. Remember that every little step     4     (bring) a thousand miles. Besides, reading allows us    5     (learn) from great minds and live a better life. Just as the saying goes, “There     6     (be) houses of gold in books.” It is necessary and important to have regular reading. Here are some tips     7     how to form a regular habit of doing necessary readings. First, it is advisable to make a    8     (detail) reading plan or to-read list in advance. You can make a decision based on the advice of successful people or your teachers. Second, you can share books with your friends. It will be a    9     (please) to both. In addition, you can also swap your opinions about books you read with others,     10     makes it easier to start a topic while chatting. Fainally, making reading part of your daily life, and it will certainly do you a lot of good in return.

Minor Snow is the 20th of the 24 solar terms in the traditional Chinese culture. It falls     1     November 22 this year. From this day onwards, temperatures will continue to drop.

During winter, strong fronts of cold air will sweep many parts of China,     2     (generate) a fall in rainfall and a higher chance of snowfall. The snow in this period is likely to be light and short.     3     will fall at night and melt away during the day. Chinese people usually observe it by eating     4     (vary) food with the arrival of Minor Snow. People often eat sticky rice cakes     5     are a symbol of family reunion and a good harvest due to their round shape. As the temperatures continue to drop, people tend to drink hot soup     6     (stay) warm in winter. Mutton and radish soup is one traditional winter favorite. Additionally, honey water, white radish water, and pear water are all     7     (incredible) good choices to prevent dryness and disease. After Minor Snow, the temperatures will sharply decline and the air     8     (become) drier. This is the best time to make     9     (preserve) pork and pickled vegetables. Whether food shortage occurs or not, these kinds of food are intended for     10     (celebration) of winter and Chinese New Year.