In the Ming Dynasty, a Chinese man Wan Hu made the world’s first rocket (火箭), but     1     (lucky) he lost his life with it. It was not until April 24, 1970     2     China launched (发射) its first man-made satellite Dongfanghong-1 successfully.     3     (celebrate) the first big success in the country’s space     4     (develop), we now make April 24 China’s Space Day.

China also announces new plans to make a space station and go to Mars and further space. The space station will be finished     5     (build) around 2022. According to China’s top space scientist Zhou Jianping,     6     that time, becoming an astronaut will be     7    normal job. More astronauts are needed than ever before. They need to be able to finish difficult tasks.

By now, China     8     (choose) astronauts mainly from pilots like Yang Liwei. In the future,     9    (astronaut) will be picked from engineers, doctors and space technology experts. Another plan is about Mars. In order to explore Mars, China sent a spacecraft (航天器), named Tianwen-1, to Mars on July 23, 2020,     10     will land on Mars and even bring back things from Mars.

Jiangjun Village used to be a dull place during winter. But the development of art areas has promoted tourism,     1     (give) it a new lease of life and making the winter scene much brighter nowadays. Art galleries, museums, and theaters now can       2     (see) located among its small cottages. The dilapidated (破旧的) houses have been changed into     3     (restaurant) and teahouses.

In 2021, the village government, the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute and several other bodies established a rural artist construction pilot project,     4     centered on a dilapidated village courtyard called Lotus Cave. The project planned       5     (build) 10 core art areas , aiming to integrate the new facilities into the village's environment, culture and. local characteristics.

When the project was launched, Lotus Cave     6     (be) a rundown collection of residential buildings in poor repair. But it has now been largely transformed by the hard work of artists and villagers.

The art museum in the center of the village used to be       7     dilapidated house that was overgrown with weeds. During the renovation work, the building’s original framework was restored     8     part of the adobe wall was preserved.

More exhibitions and art activities are now being held at Lotus Cave, attracting tourists     9     far afield. The injection of new life has tempted (吸引) many villagers who moved away to return and take a look at       10     (they) previous home.

An expedition to the South Pole with the great Sir Ernest Shackleton — this is the adventure that I     1     (dream) of. However,     2     I applied to join the expedition, Shackleton turned me down because he thought I was too young and wasn’t     3     (qualify), so I secretly went aboard his ship, the Endurance. Later I     4     (discover) and Shackleton had to assign me to be     5     steward. The journey wasn’t very easy, for Endurance was stuck in the ice as we approached Antarctica. And when the ship sank, our hearts sank with it. Before we abandoned the ship, Shackleton     6     (calm) told us to rescue our most essential supplies and he     7     (he) threw away all his gold. He allowed Hussey to keep his banjo,     8     made us surprised. We had been struggling for days, but things were going from bad to worse. Soon after we arrived at Elephant Island, Shackleton left us to find help. Sometimes we were able to catch a seal or a penguin to eat. I tried to think of     9     (happy) things. I was grateful, for Frank and Ernest’s genuine concern for others, their perseverance, and their resolve filled me     10     hope.

I was studying English literature in Italy, and I had to study in an English-speaking country for one year as part of the course. I     1     (offer) a chance to go to Boston University and I took it.

As soon as I saw Boston, I fell in love with it. I live in a small city, and I’ve always wanted to live in a big city. Boston was exactly    2     I needed for my first-time-away-from-home. Boston is     3     (definite) a big city but not big enough     4     (make) you feel overwhelmed. The weather is also great and you get to enjoy all four     5     (season) in true New England style.

I stayed with a family.     6     (They) house was on Commonwealth Avenue,     7     is one of the busiest streets in Boston. It was great to be there as Boston University is spread out along Commonwealth Avenue. The only bad thing is that it’s a bit busy. One of my friends had to wear a cast for months after he was hit by a car trying to cross Commonwealth Avenue — Boston is famous     8     its horrible drivers.

Boston is a(n)     9     (attract) place to live as a college student. College students make up twenty percent of Boston’s population. This increases the energy of the city,     10     (make) it a wonderful place to live and study.

Fusong County in northeast China’s Jilin Province was abuzz (热闹) with activities last winter, especially when the World Robot Contest Finals 2023     1     (hold) there. The finals attracted over 5, 000 youngsters from across the country     2     competed fiercely with their self-designed robots.

“We need to compete in assembling, programming and operation. I believe that maintaining a resilient mindset     3     (be) the key to winning out,” said Yu Yiyang , who is     4     fifth grader from Shanghai and has a profound passion for robots. Yu said that from robotics class, he acquired knowledge beyond conventional textbooks, refining his practical skills and     5     (encourage) innovative thinking.

Many of the contestants     6     (receive) robotics education before participating in the robot contests. Their skills, mental strength and the sense of team work improved a lot as a result of their     7     (expose) to such competitions.

The young contestants,     8     various places and with diverse backgrounds, offered a glimpse of the popularity of robotics education among Chinese students. For many, learning robot programming and participating in robot contests not only offer     9     (opportunity) to sharpen their cognitive abilities and their skills, but also serve as an effective means to boost     10     (they) spirit of teamwork.

The “Reminiscing Jiangnan (忆江南) — Shanghai Intangible Cultural Heritage Arts Exhibition” kicked off at the Sydney Opera House     1     Tuesday.

The exhibition,     2     aim is to promote cultural exchanges between China and Australia, is co-hosted by China Cultural Center in Sydney and other agencies. It is held     3     (mark) the 10th anniversary(周年纪念) of the establishment of the China-Australia strategic partnership. The 10-day exhibition will showcase a selected     4     (collect) of Jinshan peasant (农民) paintings at the China Cultural Center in Sydney. The works often feature a wide range of striking colors     5     diverse elements from traditional arts.

    6     (list) as Shanghai’s intangible cultural heritage, the art of Jinshan peasant painting       7    (exhibit) in many nations and regions across the world over the past decade. This time,painter Li Yuan presented his work themed on Sydney’s landmarks as a gift to David van Nunen, president of the Australian Watercolor Institute.

Themed “Reminiscing Jiangnan”, the exhibition expresses     8     expectation to further promote the exchange and understanding of civilizations between the two nations. “It’s obvious that the people of both     9     (nation) share a deep enthusiasm for life. I’m delighted to participate in this extraordinary cultural exchange,” said David van Nunen.

In particular, the City Walk Shanghai series albums were displayed at the opening ceremony,     10    (show) Shanghai’s innovation and convenience.

Learning Chinese calligraphy     1     (list) as one of the must-do things when I came to China. Now, I’m in the course of learning this unique art,     2     value is considered very high in China, even across East Asia today. It is not only     3     ancient artistic form of human language, but it also reflects Chinese traditions.

As someone who paints, draws, and loves all     4     (create) things, at first, I assumed I would be rather good at Chinese calligraphy. I was     5     (total ) wrong. Using thick brush tips to produce awkward brush strokes (笔画)     6     (be) very difficult for a beginner. I have no idea about the different types of calligraphy and the meanings     7     ( hide) behind each one. Also, I have to hold the paintbrush     8     a very specific way; unlike a pen or pencil, the paintbrush is held upright in the hand. I need to be extra careful when changing the angle or     9     (direct) of the brush, especially if I press too hard on the paper.

After taking the lesson, I now understand the difficulty of calligraphy and that it will take efforts and commitment     10     (master) this art form. Yet, I am grateful to learn such a special Chinese tradition.