During China’s dynastic period, emperors planned the city of Beijing     1     arranged the residential areas according to social classes. The term “hutong”,     2     (original)meaning “water well” in Mongolian, appeared first during the Yuan Dynasty.

In the Ming Dynasty, the center was the Forbidden City,     3     (surround)in concentric(同心的)circles by the Inner City and Outer City. Citizens of higher social classes     4     (permit)to live closer to the center of the circles. The large siheyuan of these high-ranking officials and wealthy businessmen often     5     (feature)beautifully carved and painted roof beams and pillars(柱子). The hutongs they formed were orderly, lined by     6     (space)homes and walled gardens. Farther from the center lived the commoners and laborers. Their siheyuan were far smaller in scale and     7     (simple)in design and decoration, and the hutongs were narrower.

Hutongs represent an important cultural element of the city of Beijing. Thanks to Beijing’s long history     8     capital of China, almost every hutong has its stories, and some are even associated with historic     9     (event). In contrast to the court life and upper-class culture represented by the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, and the Temple of Heaven, the hutongs reflect     10     culture of grassroots Beijingers.

To understand a painting, we’re taught to look for color, composition, and light. But how can a painting     1     (appreciate)by someone who’s blind? Through touch, the one thing gallery signs tell you not     2     (do). John Olson, a former     3     (photograph)and his team turn paintings into fully textured 3D models.

The tactile(可触知的)paintings work as a way to show art to     4     blind because we don’t see with just Our eyes: We see with our brains. Research in the field of neuroplasticity-the brain’s adaptability-shows that the visual cortex(大脑皮层)is made active by touch. Blind people recognize shapes with their     5     (exist) senses, in a way similar to that of     6     (sight )people, says Ella Striem-Amit, a Harvard scientist.

Luc Gandarias, who’s now thirteen, went blind suddenly     7     age seven. When he felt a 3D version of Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa” he     8     (notice)her smile right away. ”I can actually feel what you see when you look at it,” he said.

For Luc, this means     9     (independent). "The feeling of being able to see it     10     to form my opinion is like breaking down another wall as a blind person.”

Since people can’t always eat out or cook for     1     (they), they get takeout or order delivery. More takeout and more food delivery equal more waste, especially plastic waste. That includes cups, bottles, and bags, most of     2     are only good for one use. That’s a big problem and it is getting even     3     (bad). The use of those plastics     4     (increase) by 300% since 2019. The world won’t survive if this situation continues.

Why do humans prefer some smells over others? One theory, increasingly     1       (support) by experts, suggests that smell preferences are learned. It’s easy to explain how we determine     2     smells are dangerous or not: we learn. This has been adopted to ensure easier detection of gas leaks. Gas naturally     3     (have) no recognisable smell. However, a strong smell is added so that we can raise the alarm when we detect the smell associated with danger.

Helen was walking down the street late     1     the evening, her arms filled with grocery bags. Focused on balancing the bags, she didn’t notice her wallet falling out of her pocket. As Helen walked on, she heard a man charging towards her. Fearful that he might have an intention     2     (harm) her, Helen started to run. Eventually, the man     3     (catch) up with her, and he was only trying to return her wallet!

Henry Tyler made the catch of the year on the weekend. When he saw a young child hanging from a sixth-floor apartment balcony (阳台), Henry ran one hundred metres, jumped over a 1.2-metre fence, and held out his arms to catch the     1     (fall) child.

Eric Brown, only three years old, knocked Henry down when he fell. The boy is in the hospital and doctors say he'll be OK.

    2     Brown family live in an apartment building outside Toronto. On the day of the accident, Mrs. Brown was at work and Eric was at home with his father. They both fell     3     (sleep) while watching TV.

Eric woke up a little later when he heard children playing outside. He pushed a chair onto the balcony, and climbed up     4     (see) them. When he looked down, he     5     (accidental) slipped and fell over the edge. He hung on for a few minutes     6     screamed for his father, but his father didn't hear him.

Henry     7     (fix) his car when he heard the screams. He looked up and saw Eric hanging from the balcony. He quickly     8     (throw) his tools aside, and started running, arms out.

"He saved my     9     (son) life," said Mrs. Brown. "I don't know     10     to thank him.”

"I just didn't want the boy to be hurt," said Henry.