Chinese speakers tend to use “spear and shield”     1    (describe) anything that’s contradictory. Actually, now the Chinese phrase for “contradiction”     2    (call) Mao Dun or “spear and shield”.

Nearly 2, 000 years ago, there was a man living in the State of Chu. One day, he went to a market to sell spears and shields—two most common     3    (weapon) at that time. When a small crowd gathered around the seller to look at his goods, the man     4    (decide) to advertise his shields first. He said, “Please look at my shields. They are certainly the     5    (strong) ones you can ever find in the world.”

Then some of the potential buyers came closer to have a careful examination of the shields,     6     they couldn’t see anything special about them. The seller then moved on to brag about his spears. “Now please have a good look at my spears. They are the sharpest weapons     7    have ever been produced. So, no matter how firm a shield is, my spears will pierce (刺穿) through it     8    (easy).” After listening to the seller’s pitch, a man stepped forward and said, “You just told us that your shields are the strongest in the world and then you claim your spears are the sharpest. How about     9    (use)your spears on your shields?” The seller was unable to respond.

So today, instead of saying “you are contradicting yourself”, Chinese will say “you are attacking your shield     10     your own spear”.

For urban dwellers living in concrete jungles, few things are more therapeutic (使人心情好转的) than a mindful walk in nature, especially a tropical jungle     1     (fill) with wonders and adventures.

That is     2     the tropical rainforest in Xishuangbanna Dai autonomous prefecture,     3     is known as the kingdom of flora and fauna located in China’s Yunnan province, is growing in     4    (popular) as a destination for weekend tours,     5     (attract) people from far and wide.

Once you step into the forest, you will be awed by what you are seeing and want to snap some pictures     6     (share) on social media. You would probably find your phone     7     signals, then you would realize how far away you already are from the urban hustle and bustle.

With the help of local guides, you could feast your eyes on various mesmerizing (有吸引力的) rainforest     8     (phenomenon) such as the strangling growth habit shared by those sprawling (蔓延的) strangler figs (无花果); “sky gardens” featuring epiphytes (附生植物) such as ferns, bromeliads, and orchids growing entwined (缠绕) on the trunks of bigger trees; and crown shyness (树冠羞避) that can     9     (see) among some tree species whose crowns maintain social     10     (distant) with each other to form a canopy with channel-like gaps.

The Internet connects billions of people across the globe and turns distant areas into part of a global community. This connectivity provides fast access to vast amounts of information,    1     (make) learning and discovery highly efficient. To     2     certain extent, the world’s knowledge is all at our fingertips. With the click of a mouse or the touch of a button, you are able to find millions of results online in seconds.

    3     addition, the Internet makes daily tasks more convenient through e-commerce. You can easily order food, shop for clothes, call a taxi, or plan a vacation from your device. Digital payments allow people     4     (go) out without carrying cash.

Beyond convenience, the Internet supports social     5     (tie). Distance no longer prevents communication; with     6     (vary) apps, you can keep in touch with family and friends or join new communities     7     can share your interests. Whether through messages video calls or social media, the Internet     8     (offer) many ways to maintain relationships and express care so far.

However, despite these advantages, the Internet has its downsides. It is essential to use it wisely and responsibly to ensure that it remains a place of     9     (inspire) and discovery. By recognizing its challenges and managing them carefully, the Internet can continue to be     10     (true) a world without frontiers.