International Left-Handers Day is celebrated every year on August 13 in an effort     1     (recognize) the differences and uniqueness of left-handed individuals in our society. Most of us have grown up around right-handed people. Some of us have been taught that using our left hand to carry out some essential tasks     2     (be) disrespectful. Consequently, left-handed individuals often find     3     (they) in an awkward situation in a world that is mainly right-handed. Left-handers are often ignored when it comes to design and technology     4     are tuned to suit the requirements of the right-handed majority. Even simple chores like using     5     pair of scissors or using the ATM are inconvenient for most left-handers.

International Left-Handers Day     6     (observe) for the first time in 1976 by Dean R. Campbell. On this day, left-handers are confident that having a dominant left hand is     7     (absolute) normal. Left-handedness should be recognized     8     a unique strength instead of an oddity. This day is very significant as it spreads awareness about the importance of     9     (appreciate) left-handed persons across the globe. This ensures that the historical biases (偏见) against left-handers are corrected and that the world is made as     10     (comfort) for left-handed persons as it is for right-handers.

Some people are born with a vision and desire to help     1     (other). For other people,     2    , this calling comes     3     (expect), like a lion that attacks     4     (it) prey (猎物) by surprise. This was certainly true of Swiss businessman Henry Dunant. In 1859, Dunant travelled to Italy     5     (want) to see Napoleon Ⅲ,     6     Emperor of France.     7     the age of 31, Dunant was already a     8     (succeed) businessman. But he needed the help of Napoleon Ⅲ for one of his business deals. At the time, France     9     (fight) with the     10     (Italy) army in a war against Austria. Dunant knew that Napoleon Ⅲ would be with his army in northern Italy, so he travelled to the city of Solferino to look for him.

An undersea tunnel (n.隧道) of a high-speed railway was completed in South China on Friday,    1     (set) a new record in the construction of high-speed railway tunnels in China.

The Zhanjiang Bay (湛江湾) Undersea Tunnel, a key project of the Guangzhou-Zhanjiang High-speed Railway,    2     (complete) after 33 months of construction, marking a significant milestone in the construction of the new railway.

The Zhanjiang Bay Undersea Tunnel spans (v.横跨)    3     total length of 9,640 meters. It is designed as a single tunnel with double tracks, crossing the seabed of the Zhanjiang Bay and the urban area of Zhanjiang. It crosses a 2,500-meter sea section and a 5,051-meter section of land.    4     (especial), the tunnel is China’s    5     (long) single-headed undersea high-speed railway shield tunnel (盾构隧道), showcasing the country’s remarkable engineering techniques.

“Single-headed shield (单头盾构) refers to the method of using a single tunnel boring machine (隧道掘进机)     6     (dig) continuously from one end to the other,” said Yin Yihao, an engineer from China Railway’s 14th Bureau Group, which was responsible for the tunnel’s construction. Yin added that the traditional methods were not applied in the Zhanjiang Bay Undersea Tunnel due to the complicated geological conditions and    7    the single-headed shield tunnel was    8       (safe) and more efficient in this case.

Wu Chunzhao, a senior engineer of the China Railway Design Company,    9     (explain) the reason for building an undersea tunnel instead of a bridge. “Building a tunnel preserves (v.保护) the beautiful urban skyline of the Zhanjiang Bay,    10     avoids the impact of the project on the marine (adj.海洋的) ecological environment,” he said. Wu also noted (v.指出) that a bridge will affect the large ships’ navigation, but the tunnel will not do this.

The tunnel is a key project of a high-speed railway linking Guangzhou and Zhanjiang in Guangdong.

Rice is perhaps the most fundamental food in Laos,    1    (form) the basis for every meal. It’s often the first dish that home     2    (cook), usually women, learn to make. Luangrath, for example,    3     (learn) from her grandmother how to make khao niew, or sticky rice when she was young.

There are more than 40 ethnic groups in Laos, each with its own food    4     (prefer) and traditions. However, for many people in Laos, sticky rice is the first choice, partly due to     5    fact that Lao people eat with their hands.

In Laos, sticky rice is cooked in a thip khao,    6    literally means “rice basket” . These flexible baskets,    7     (make) from sustainable bamboo, are both functional and environmentally friendly. The sizes of thip khao vary, from small and personal     8    large enough for an extended family, although cooking is more     9    (common) done in larger versions. In restaurants, thip khaos     10    (decorate) with delicate patterns are usually used as serving containers.

A popular movie or TV drama has the power to make a city famous     1     promote a tourism boom. Moviegoers are no longer satisfied     2     merely watching the show on screen, but eager to step into the scenes and experience the daily lives of the characters. Over the past year, several films and TV dramas     3     (put) their shooting sites into the public spotlight.

Shanghai, often     4     (know) as the “magic city” in China, has once again caught the public’s attention with the recent     5     (popular) of the TV series Blossoms Shanghai (繁花). Key filming locations such as Huangh e Road, Peace Hotel, and Tai Sheng Yuan restaurant have become     6     (high) attractive tourist destinations. Dishes in the show,     7     (feature) delicate cooking techniques, such as Spare Ribs with Rice Cakes and Stir-fried Rice Noodles with Beef, have been favored by tourists. The iconic No. 27 on the Bund (外滩),     8     Miss Wang worked in the TV series, has transformed into Jiushi Art Museum. Since the release of the TV drama in December last year, searches for hotels along Nanjing Road and its     9     (surround) areas have welcomed 7.2 million tourists. This rapid rise in visitors contributed to     10     obvious increase of tourism consumption during the holiday.

Dunant, a Swiss businessman, formed the International committee of the Red Cross in 1863. The first act of the Red Cross was     1    (organize) an international conference where countries adopted guidelines and measures for protecting     2     wounded and medical workers during and after battles. In the years since, the Red Cross has been active not only in helping soldiers and civilians caught in war but also responding     3     natural disasters.

Now much of the work     4    (do) by volunteers and workers in the Red Cross is difficult and dangerous. They tend to work in places of crisis, where there are wars and conflicts. It is estimated that about 40 workers of International Red Cross     5    (kill) since 1993. However, their work is also both important and     6    (reward). They help prepare communities and gather     7    (supply) and materials for future disasters. Most of the people who receive help from Red Cross are grateful for the help and some even do    8     they can to help others.

The Red Cross is playing an     9    (influence) part in every country.     10     Dunant is long gone, his spirit continues with us until this day.