In the gentle winter sunlight, Gulangyu Island lies like a pearl in the ocean, quietly revealing     1     (it) unique charm. This small island is a witness     2     history. Every brick seems to tell stories of the past.     3     (original) named “Yuanshazhou” and also known as “Yuanzhouzi”, it     4     (refer) to as “Wulongyu” during the Southern Song Dynasty. Later, due to the sound resembling a drum, it was renamed “Gulangyu.” Famous for its natural landscapes and cultural heritage, Gulangyu boasts     5     (attraction) such as Sunlight Rock, Shuzhuang Garden, and more. Figures like Ba Jin and Lin Yutang found inspiration here,     6     (enrich) the island’s intellectual heritage.

During the winter, life here seems to slow down. In the early morning, it’s preferable to walk through the alleys     7     (surround) by European-style buildings. Breathing in the air filled with the smell of the sea     8     (bring) an extraordinary sense of freshness and joy.     9     walk to Sunlight Rock on the island offers a view of the entire city of Xiamen. In the afternoon, one can enjoy a rich cup of coffee in a café by the sea,     10     feels like being in a moving painting with the occasional fishing boat passing by. As the sun sets, the entire island is enveloped in a golden sunset. At this moment, Gulangyu becomes even more gentle and romantic.

Today’s Teens in No Hurry to Start Driving

The legal age to drive a car in the United States is 16. Obtaining a driver’s license on the day you turn 16 has long been     1     major life event for many young people in America.

But interest in driving among today’s teenagers     2    (drop) sharply over the past 35 years. In 1983, 80 percent of 18-year-olds in America had a driver’s license. By 2018, that number had reduced to 61 percent. Among 16-year-olds, the number decreased from 46 percent in 1983    3     25 percent in 2018. Those    4    (figure) come from the U.S. Federal Highway Administration.

Young people say they have many reasons for delaying or avoiding     5    (get) a driver’s license. Some choose more environmentally friendly transportation choices. Others find driving     6    (stress). And some     7    (simple) do not care about cars at all.

Carmakers want to make their vehicles more appealing to young people. They seek to make cars more interesting to a generation     8    (bring) up on technology. Some believe a big screen is     9    today’s teen drivers want. The vehicle is an    10    (extend) of their iPhone or their screen device.

Aside from teacups and rice bowls, China doesn’t do anything on a small scale. Sure enough, their recently-completed solar power array in Ningxia is huge.

The Ningxia array is the first of several giant renewable energy projects planned for     1     (construct) in the dry western areas like the Gobi, Tengger, and Taklamakan deserts.

China Energy Investment Corp says it is the first solar farm in the country    2     (include) an ultra high voltage power transmission channel that will bring the electricity     3     (generate) there to Hunan Province. This is because Hunan has     4     population of 66 million people, compared to Ningxia’s 7 million.

    5     the most recent Five Year Plan, the Chinese government     6     (outline) their intention to install 100 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2026. Installed capacity of renewable energy in China continued to expand in the first quarter,    7     (reach) 47.4 million kW.

Like most rural Chinese provinces, Ningxia, along with Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia — the provinces     8     the three deserts mentioned above lie, rely     9     (heavy) on coal for electricity.    10     is hoped that the major installations of solar and wind will accelerate development in these mostly-agricultural economies.

Working and living abroad is an eye-opening experience. From 2019 to 2021, I pursued my career in Shanghai and gained new insights into China.

Firstly, the Chinese people work     1    (incredible) hard. This gives evidence to     2     the Chinese economy is growing so fast. Secondly,     3    (be) in China during the Spring Festival is an absolutely amazing event. No matter how far from home, most Chinese will make     4     home from work or study to spend China’s most important holiday with their family.     5     (million) of people crowd into trains and planes for family reunions. So you will witness the     6    (large) urban migration in the entire world. It is referred to as the Spring Rush, Chunyun in Chinese who attach great importance to the family. Last but not least, as an American who worked in China, I would encourage everybody to learn a foreign language. In this way, you’re going to have a challenge that will give you confidence     7    (deal) with many other things in this world.     8     Nelson Mandela said, when you speak to a man in a language that he     9     (understand), it goes to his head. But when you speak to a man in his mother tongue, it goes to his heart.

Working and living in China as an American opened the door to     10    (end) opportunities for me. It enabled me to learn the Chinese culture and have a better life I go for.

Eating Chinese food can be beneficial for your health. Chinese dishes are often packed with vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy grains like rice and noodles, which     1     (make) them a great source of vitamins nutrients, and other essential     2     (mineral).

Chinese food is also     3    (relative) inexpensive, making it a great option for eaters. Many dishes can be easily customized to meet dietary restrictions or preferences, and takeout options make it easy     4    (enjoy) a delicious meal without spending much time in the kitchen.

Chinese food is often thought of as a single type of cuisine,     5     there are actually many different regional variations. Cantonese cuisine     6    (characterize) by light and flavorful dishes that often contain seafood while Szechuan dishes are known     7     their spicy (辛辣的) flavorings. Hunan cuisine is typically     8    (heavy) than others, incorporating ingredients like chilies and garlic.

In conclusion, eating Chinese food can be a nutritious and economic way to get a variety of flavors and textures on your plate. With a little bit of research and knowledge, you can enjoy all the delicious flavors of Chinese cuisine in     9     healthy and safe way. So don’t be afraid to explore the world of Chinese food and discover all the     10    (wonder) tastes it has to offer!

My first visit to China

I was really excited when I     1     (offer) the opportunity to go to Guangzhou in China for my work and I spent a lot of time visiting schools and observing lessons. The schools I visited were all     2     (good) equipped with computers, video screens and interactive whiteboards in most of the rooms. The buildings were     3     good condition and there were spaces for the children to play badminton or basketball.

I noticed some interesting differences in the school routine. When it was time for a class to begin or end, music was played on the intercom. I thought this was a really nice idea. There were also short breaks for eye exercises with music     4     (play) on the intercom. This was something I had never seen     5     heard of before so I was very interested in it. In some of the schools I visited, the habit of     6     (take) a nap at lunchtime is something I really like. The schools made us     7     (feel) very welcome and the children took great interest in us. They were very keen to practise their English and ask us questions. The pupils seemed to be very     8    (enthusiasm) about their English classes.

I really enjoyed my 10 days in China. It was a great experience and opened my eyes to a very different culture. In some ways it was better to be there on work than as a tourist. You learn something about people’s everyday     9     (life). If you go on work I think you learn more about the real culture of a place because you can see normal people doing normal things in normal places.     10    , next time I go to China I would like to spend some time as a tourist rather than working all the time.

The artists of Dafen can paint like Van Gogh

The village of Dafen was once thought     1     (produce) the most oil paintings in the world every year.     2     (recognize) as the “world’s art factory”, Dafen impressed visitors with its many workshops, in which painters created mock masterpieces by Van Gogh, Monet and Warhol. But the village was always seen more as a production line     3     a place of culture. Today the future of Dafen may depend on     4     it is able to earn respect of the art world.

Things started to change for Dafen in 2008,     5     the global financial crisis cut down overseas orders. With more demand     6     (come) from domestic market, artists began painting different subjects. New customers preferred Chinese styles, says     7     painter in Dafen. He learnt the art of Shan Shui which involves representing natural landscapes. In some ways Dafen reflected the broader economy. As exports start to decline as a share of GDP, domestic     8     (consume) plays a larger role in driving growth.

China is the world’s second-largest art market.     9     it is not clear where Dafen fits in. Li Jinghu, an artist from nearby Dongguan, often visits the village hoping to discover new talent. But locals say the demand for their paintings     10     (decline) in the past two pandemic-struck years. “Most people would probably be surprised that Dafen still exists. It does and it will,”says Lisa Movius, a writer in Shanghai who covers art.

Chinese astronauts have successfully grown rice seedlings (幼苗) onboard the Tiangong space station.

There have been other rice     1     (experiment) in space. But the one being conducted on Tiangong is the first of     2     (it) kind that aims to produce the complete life cycle of the plant, which begins with a seed and ends with     3     mature plant producing new seeds.

China launched the Wentian space laboratory into orbit on July 24. The space lab, which weighs 23 metric tons and is 17.9 meters tall, is the country’s     4     (large) spacecraft to date. Onboard     5     (be) eight experimental payloads, including the one for the rice experiment.

“We want to investigate how microgravity affects the plant flowering time on the molecular (分子的) level     6     whether it is possible to use the microgravity environment     7     (control) the related process,” said Zheng Huiqiong, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Flowering is a     8     (vital) important stage for plant reproductive development.

“If we want to land on and explore Mars, food     9     (bring) from Earth is not enough for the astronauts’ long journey and mission in space. We have to find a sustainable food source     10     long-term space explorations,” Zheng said.

Some scientists think     1     idea of people living on Mars will come true one day. Stephen Hawking believed humans must move into space to survive. “Once we spread out into space and establish     2     (dependent) colonies, our future should be safe,” he said, Robert Zubrin, a rocket scientist, agrees and thinks starting with Mars     3     (make) the most sense. He thinks sending people to Mars will allow us to learn a lot--for example, about the ability of humans to live in a very different environment.

However, scientists will need to terraform Mars for people to be able to live. Terraforming means changing the environment on a planet so that it is similar to Earth's. One of the main goals of terraforming Mars is to warm it up     4     the average temperature there is about -60°C. One idea for warming Mars is to build factories there     5     produce greenhouse gases. This could take many     6     (century). However, it should lead to rainfall and the growth of plants,     7     (result) in more air that people can breathe.

Another big concern for scientists is whether humans can move to Mars and still live     8     (healthy) in mind and body. Not to feel bored, humans on Mars would always need to keep     9     (they) busy with various activities. And the people living together should all be able to get     10     and work together.

Before highspeed rail, it took around 34 hours to travel more than l,600 kilometers by train from Beijing to Lanzhou via Baotou. For railway fans, the trip was, and still is, really    1     treat. After     2     (leave) at night from Beijing, you wake up the next morning to be greeted by the sight of the plains of Inner Mongolia. In the distance, to the north you see low mountains, and to the south, hills. The plains themselves are mostly empty, except for grass and periodically sheep, or     3     (end) fields of wheat or sunflowers shining in all     4     (they) glory in the summer sun. Within the sleeper carriage,     5    little else to do, people talk or play cards, and soon a small community     6     (develop) among the passengers. Near Baotou the Yellow River winds along the hills south of the rail line. Its waters     7     (fill) with the characteristic silt (淤泥) that gives it its light brownish color.     8     the sky grows dark once more, you return to your bed and go to sleep, to be awakened early the next morning     9     (happy) by the sight of a deep desert valley just outside Lanzhou. The train crosses the Yellow River, bidding it goodbye,     10     pulls into Lanzhou Station.