Over the course of the recent global pandemic, humans grew familiar     1     the idea of social distancing. A research team wondered     2     oceanic species engage in a similar practice. To find out, they ventured to the shores of the Dutch Wadden Sea to study seal (海豹) behavior.

The researchers noted that two main     3     (type) of seals frequent the shores－harbor seals and gray seals. In surveys of the area, the team noted that gray seals tend     4     (stay) away from the shore, while harbor seals prefer to keep close to the water. They also found that harbor seals keep nearly twice as much distance between one another than gray seals do.

The researchers noted that harbor seals tend to fall victim to distemper (瘟热) outbreaks — they     5     (face) two major outbreaks over the past three decades, each of     6     led to major drops in their numbers. Gray seals have not been nearly as     7     (severe) impacted because they generally survive such infections.

The research team suggests that the reason why the harbor seals keep their distance     8     (be) that they are practicing a form of social distancing as     9     way to reduce the chances of infection during outbreaks. Their findings could have     10     (significant) for other animals that practice similar behavior in light of climate change.

The Mogao Grottoes, a world-renowned     1     (culture) heritage site in Dunhuang, contains 735 caves and more than 45,000 square meters of murals. Their preservation could not have been done     2     the dedication of countless guardians across     3     (generation). Among them, Fan Jinshi, former president of the Dunhuang Academy, is an illustrative one.

Fan first trekked all the way to Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes in July 1963 shortly after     4     (graduate) from college. She kept a dream to protect the national cultural heritage     5     remained there for more than 50 years. Over the past decades, she     6     (put) down roots in the desert, as if her life and Dunhuang’s have blended into one. Thus she has become known as “Daughter of Dunhuang”.

Fan has made outstanding contributions to the cause of “protecting, studying and carrying forward” Dunhuang Grottoes through her work. She was the first     7     (suggest) the “Digital Dunhuang” concept in the late 1980s to preserve the murals,     8     (paint) sculptures and historical data in Dunhuang Caves permanently. She also     9     (active) promoted the popularization of the Dunhuang culture.

Now, 85-year-old Fan Jinshi,     10     still works very hard to protect and manage the caves, is as busy as ever, “I’ve done all I could for Dunhuang,” she says.

Li Shichuan, a young Chinese artist, has gained     1     (recognize) for his wonderful paintings of the lion dance created with marker pens. At the beginning of 2020, Li began sharing his artworks on social media platforms     2     started gaining popularity. Having a fondness for traditional Chinese culture, he decided    3     (use) it as the theme for his artworks. His first traditional cultural-themed piece Awakened Lion gained millions of     4     (view) upon release, providing him    5    the confidence to continue creating new paintings. Over time, Li’s collection of lion-themed artworks has grown,     6     (attract) more attention and exhibition opportunities.

Using strikingly bright colors like blue, red and white, Li makes the traditional lion with its pair of round eyes look     7     (power) , lively and mysterious. Li’s paintings are detailed to the point     8    the lion’s fur is clearly shown.

Today, the lion dance not only     9     (serve) as a form of entertainment but also connects Chinese people worldwide. Wherever there are Chinese communities, there will be the lion dance, symbolizing     10     spirit of self-reliance and perseverance.

A group of Chinese researchers issued a data map of the soil organic carbon (SOC) content for global black soil areas,     1     (reveal) the quantification of agroecosystems and global food security, according to the recent issue of the journal Remote Sensing of Environment.

Research has shown that carbon cycle is     2     (significant) influenced by agricultural soils. The accuracy mapping of SOC content can help to clarify the carbon sequestration capacity (碳汇能力), quantify agroecosystem and contribute     3    global food security. But it is still challenging to acquire     4     (rely) SOC content databasets.

The study     5     (publish) in the journal was done by researchers from the Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences. According to the journal, the researchers     6     (collect) more than 191,000 scenes of remote sensing images and elevation model data, and used meta-learning convolutional neural network model     7     (generate) high-resolution data map for global black soil regions.

The data in the study indicates that the SOC content in the global black soil regions shows a decreasung trend, which can be divided into the significant decrease phase from 1984 to 2000,     8     the moderate decrease phase from 2001 to 2021.

The result from the study also shows that the four major black soil     9     (region) in the world have different rates of SOC decline. The SOC decline rates of the Russian-Ukrainian Plain and the Pampas Plain of South America are higher than     10     of the northeast China and the Mississippi River Basin in North America.

Many people are afraid of flying in airplanes, but they shouldn’t be. Over time airplanes     1     (improve) their safety measures. Flying has become one of the safest ways to travel. In fact, when measured per mile, flying is     2     (actual) far safer than driving, or travelling by train.

Not only is flying the safest mode of transport,     3     it is also the fastest. Just a hundred years ago if you wanted to travel from China to the United States, you would have to travel by boat     4     many weeks. Fortunately now, you can get there in less than 24 hours. Airplanes are also quite     5     (comfort), and often offer in-flight entertainment, such as movies. This helps explain     6     travelling by plane is now the first choice for long     7     (distant) journeys.

Of course, that doesn’t stop some people from being afraid of flying. People can be frightened,     8     (think) about flying through the atmosphere (大气层) at hundreds of miles per hour. One of the main reasons that people are afraid to fly is that     9     (passenger) lack any control over the airplane, and have to place their trust in the hands of the pilots. Many people intend     10     (remain) in control.

When I was 20 years old, I had a big dream in my mind. I wanted     1     (travel) around Africa with my backpack. So I left my hometown with confidence(信心) and arrived     2     Cape Town, not really sure what to do next.     3     (lucky), before my trip started, I met a kind; old Nigerian man. He gave me the     4     (good) travel advice I had ever received: “Be like a student on your way around the world.”

The advice sounded simple, but     5     really changed my idea about traveling. He helped me realize that travel is about     6     (learn) cultures. It’s far too easy to go into     7     new country and believe your ways are better.

“But if you. study, ask questions, and try to learn from the locals, you     8     (have) far richer experience,” he promised.

After seven     9     (month) of full backpacking in Africa from Cape Town to Cairo, I realized having a student-like mind helped me learn a lot, which     10     (satisfy) me more than any other trip that ever did to me.

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.

Literally translated as the “Songs of Heroes” dance, Yingge Dance is 300-year-old folk dance that originated from the Chaoshan area of South China’s Guangdong Province.     1     (dress) in colorful costumes, performers wave wooden sticks in their hands     2     dancing in orderly formations to the music. Based on the stories of the 108 Heroes of Liangshan Mountain from the classic novel Outlaws of the Marsh, it is a folk art combining a variety of forms,     3     martial arts and Chinese operas to dance.

In recent years, Chaoshan Yingge Dance has     4     (gradual) come into the public eye through transformations in performance form, style optimization, and opening up of information channels. In the Spring Festival of the Dragon Year, Yingge Dance once again     5     (dominate) the screens,     6     (it) dazzling and fiery wave of popularity continuing throughout the holiday, even sparking     7     brilliant cultural passion overseas.

On the first and second days of the Lunar New Year, the Nanshan Yingge Team from Guangdong’s Puning made appearances at     8     (icon) British landmarks-the Burlington Arcade and Trafalgar Square--     9     (bring) New Year greetings from Guangdong to overseas Chinese and foreign friends alike. The performances attracted over seven hundred thousand spectators and received     10     (cover) from over a hundred media outlets.

Everybody likes watching acrobats (杂技演员). The acts sometimes seem scary and dangerous, and there is thrill and wonder.     1     Chinese acrobatics troupes (表演团) travel internationally, they are not commonly seen by audiences outside the country. While in China you might want to see the     2     (amaze) feats of balance and skill.

The acrobats developed their styles     3     (base) on traditional ancient arts such as dance, theater, martial arts, and magic shows and they are distinctive and incorporate traditional skills and physical exercises. Chinese acrobats tend to emphasize balance and extreme     4     (flexible) more than the troupes do in Russia or the West. This might be due to the influence of martial arts styles. Chinese acrobats     5     (intensive) practice timing and coordination. The individual performers practice to cooperate precisely. They use martial arts skills in     6     thrilling and sometimes comedic fashion. The Beijing Red Theater’s “Legend of Kungfu” show is an example. Many of the shows will have traditional Chinese music that is recorded or performed live by musicians     7     (play) traditional instruments. The costumes or the themes may     8     (draw) from a familiar opera. The acrobats may perform scenes from popular legends, stories,     9     novels of the ancient past such as The Monkey King. You might not recognize the story or the music, but you’ll still enjoy the sound, color, and     10     (usual) costumes.

Shoushan Stone was first discovered in Shoushan, Fuzhou. For centuries, craftsmen have been carving stones primarily     1     (mine) from the Shoushan village. The stones are carved     2     figures, animals and many other artworks.

The Charm of Shoushan Stone,     3     ongoing exhibition at the National Art Museum of China,     4     (gather) antique and modern objects which introduce the tradition of stone carving in Fujian. It offers a visual introduction to both the fine quality of Shoushan Stone and the superb skills required     5     (process) it. On show at the exhibition are seals(印章) made from excellent examples of the stone,     6     were sought after among the literati (文人墨客) of the Ming and Qing dynasties. There are also mini sculptures which show craftsmen's different     7     (approach) to carving Shoushan Stone based on its rich color schemes: a red and yellow stone that is suitable for sculpting mountains, flowers and fruits, a black one for trees and stones     8     a grey one for clouds.

So far, Shoushan Stone,     9     (official) named “China National Stone”,    10     (become) a symbol of elegance, dignity and wisdom, which is worthy of collection.