Whenever you have to write a paper, a letter, or any other document for work or school, you probably head toward the computer. Now, most people reach for     1     (keyboard) faster than they pick up pens. In a Scottish primary school, however, Mr. Norman Lewis is taking a different approach. He feels that neat handwriting     2     (be) still an important skill, so he has his students write not only by hand but also     3     old fashioned fountain pens.

Fountain pens     4     (use) in schools long ago and have been regaining popularity lately because they are refillable. Today, a writer     5     (simple) throws an empty pen away and gets     6     new one.

So far, Mr. Lewis is pleased with the results of his experiment. He reports that his students are taking more care with their work, and their self-confidence has improved as well. He is happy with the     7     (improve) he sees in his students’ writing     8     in his own writing. He knows that computers are here     9     (stay) and that they will not disappear. However, he believes that the practice with fountain pens helps students to focus, to write faster, and they can feel proud of     10     (they).

China’s cargo spacecraft, Tianzhou-5, is ready for     1    (it) launch, according to the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site, under the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, in China’s     2    (south) island province of Hainan. The launch of Tianzhou-5 will be     3     200th launch mission for the Xichang Satellite Launch Center this year, as well as the last one for the Wenchang launch site this year.

So far, the site     4    (conduct) the final preparation and rehearsal (彩排) for the launch, including fueling up the cargo craft     5     transferring the spacecraft-rocket combination to the launching area. All systems are     6     good condition, and the launch site is preparing to fuel up the rocket as     7    (schedule).

Zhong Wen’ an, chief engineer at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, said they had completed the most extensive rehearsal before launch,     8     is also the final joint rehearsal. The facilities are good and the weather forecast on the launch day meets the     9    (requirement), Zhong said.

The country will carry out three more missions -the launch of the Tianzhou-5 cargo craft and the Shenzhou-15 crewed spaceship, as well as bringing theShenzhou-14 crew back to Earth -before it     10    (complete) the in-orbit construction of the space station by the end of this year.

In a tea plantation (种植园), Maksim Ruban examined the collected fresh tea leaves carefully as local farmers began their annual tea-picking season.

The 25-year-old Russian runs a tea business in St. Petersburg, Russia. His company,    1    imports tea from China regularly, has an online store sell ng its products across Russia. Ever since he was a little kid, he    2    (become) fascinated with Chinese tea culture.

    3    (find) suitable tea flavors, the young man shuttles between Russia and China almost every year. Last month, he visited multiple Chinese cities and Qimen in Huangshan city was     4    must-see spot on his journey. The county is home to the world-famous Keemun black tea,    5    (award) the gold medal at the 1915 Panama World’s Fair. Keemun black tea, Darjeeling black tea from India and Ceylon black tea from Sri Lanka, are known    6    the world’s top three high-fragrance black tea varieties.

In a local Keemun black tea company, Ruban     7    (have) a close look at the local showroom, production workshop, and tea plantation. A tea craftsman also showed the complex manufacturing procedures with strict     8    (standard). Finally, the Russian man signed an    9    (agree) with the company, reaching their initial cooperation intention.

    10    (deep) impressed by Qimen’s beautiful ecological environment and high-quality tea leaves, Ruban has decided to introduce Keemun black tea to more Russian customers.

The Hainan gibbons (长臂猿), who live in rainforest trees over 10 meters tall, rarely set foot on the ground.     1     (know) as the world’s rarest primate(灵长类动物), the Hainan gibbons have been listed as     2     (critical) endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Fortunately, conservation efforts have seen positive results in recent years. According to the latest     3       (office) figures, the gibbon population in Hainan     4       (estimate) at 36individuals living in five family groups, from 30 in four groups in 2019. The increase in gibbon population comes as China enhances efforts     5     (construct) the National Park of Hainan Tropical Rainforest.

This national park,     6     covers 4,269 km², is home to China’s most concentrated and well-preserved tropical rainforests. Many wildlife that     7       (disappear) previously are returning to their homes thanks to the park. In recent years, Hainan has promoted the construction of the park, strengthened the restoration of tropical rainforests,     8       carried out ecological relocation projects in core protected     9     (area), such as planting more trees to provide food for the Hainan gibbons.

A research center has also been established,     10       experts from home and overseas jointly providing suggestions for their protection. The population of the gibbons is expected to hit between 60 and 70 in 2035, as long as current protection efforts and environmental stability can be sustained.

The Legend of White Snake(白蛇传) is linked to a love story and is a common household tale in China.

The time-tested tale goes that a white snake spirit, with the name of Bai Suzhen, managed to transform     1     (it) into a charming lady after centuries of practice. She fell in love with a respected doctor, Xu Xian,       2     first sight when they met on a rainy day on the Broken Bridge.

After getting married, the young couple managed a medicine shop, enjoying a     3     (harmony) life. But the appearance of Fa Hai caused a change to their sweet life. Fa Hai convinced the husband     4     (trick) Bai Suzhen into drinking a special wine. Xu broke down and died     5     (unexpected) when witnessing his wife turning into a white snake after the drink.

Bai     6     (steal) a magical herb from the land of the immortals and brought Xu back to life. Xu was then imprisoned by Fa Hai to the Jinshan Temple. To rescue her husband, Bai Suzhen employed the waters and flooded the temple,     7     (break) a rule of heaven. Finally, the couple’s son offered sacrifice (献祭) to his mother in front of the Leifeng Pagoda,     8     caused the pagoda to collapse and enabled the family to reunite.

More than     9     love story, the cross-species romance deals with themes of appreciation, struggle and devotion and     10     (regard) as one of China’s most famous folktales.

As the morning sun went above the hills, Liu Dachun’s wife was guiding her cow through the wetland, while Lu’s daughter, a college art student, spotted the pair and     1    (pencil) a quick drawing.

Shiyanping, a traditional Tujia village, has 182 well-preserved buildings    2    (construct) in the typical wooden building style,     3     (most)built in the Ming and Qing dynasties. In 2013, the ancient architecture complex    4    (recognize) as one of the nation’s major historical and cultural sites.

In recent years, the village’s unique building complex, as well as other Tujia cultural activities, have attracted a stream of tourists. The village received more than 100,000 visits and achieved     5    income of about 5 million yuan from tourism in 2022.

Liu Dachun, a skilled farmer, is hard at work preparing for spring plowing (犁地). He has tried out the rice-fish farming system,     6     not only benefits the environment but also local residents. According to Wu, fish raised in rice fields are more popular among consumers as they are environmentally-friendly — the fish waste can add natural fertility (肥料)to the soil    7    hence promote rice output. Quan Xiping,another 59-year-old villager, was among the first in the village    8     (establish) a family-run hotel. Meanwhile, his son started an online specialty store, capitalizing on the rapid     9     (grow) of rural tourism in the area. His e-commerce business is working more efficiently due to the village’s    10     (rise) appeal.

Seeing these “gardens” is like looking at a universe in a plant pot. The miniature (微型的) branches spread and twist,       1       (demonstrate) the beauty of nature, so as to allow viewers to stop and reflect on the circle of life. The potted landscape of penjing.     2       (be) a representative of top-ranking garden art ever since its existence.

    3     (expected), the Suzhou-style penjing cultivation technique was listed as a national-level intangible cultural heritage (非物质文化遗产) in 2011.     4     penjing, Suzhou gardens wouldn’t be as charming as they are today. Once the construction of a garden is completed, its buildings are set, but planting can grow and change, which makes gardens     5     (live).

The history of penjing     6       (date) back to the Tang Dynasty when the great poet Bai Juyi used some stones     7       (create) miniature landscapes in pots. And the Ming Dynasty marked a boom in the economy of Suzhou, the very period       8     turned the city into a major cultural center. Because of that long history, Suzhou-style penjing is often seen as       9     fundamental school of Chinese planting art.

Penjing works are beautiful, but people think that they were owned by the rich. However, only when they are enjoyed by general     10       (consume) can they benefit from being part of people's wider modern artistic taste.

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.

When Polly left home that morning, the city was already covered in grey mist. After work, Polly tried     1     (take) her usual bus home before the fog got too thick, but the bus conductor told her to take the Underground to Green Park and find a taxi there. On the train, as Polly observed the passengers, she had a feeling that she was being watched by a tall man     2     wore a dark overcoat. While the rest of the passengers were getting out, she glanced     3     the faces around her. The tall man was nowhere to be     4    (see). When Polly got to the station entrance, it was empty. The fog lay like a thick grey cloud. There was no one in sight.     5    (sudden), Polly heard the sound of     6     (footstep), her heart     7     (beat) with fear, but she decided to accept his help. The man took Polly’s hand and led her to her house. In his other hand the man carried     8     stick. What a surprise when the man told Polly he was blind! She wanted to invite him to her home to rest for a while, but the man left quickly. He wanted to pay back the help that people gave     9    (he) when it was     10     (sun).

Ai Kanxiang is about to finish his first semester at college,     1     he is working hard to make his dream come true. As a physical education major, he hopes     2     (become) a PE teacher and train China’s future soccer     3     (play).

Two years ago, though, his dream was even bigger. Ai wanted to join the men’s     4     (nation) soccer team, but the 20-year-old has experienced twists and turns on the soccer field.

    5     (raise) in a small village in Yunnan, Ai got public attention last year after videos of him playing soccer in a river became popular. Demonstrating creativity, such as the way to do a precise bicycle kick in the water, he became     6     online celebrity, with some fans even     7     (say) that he was “better than professional players”.

But when Ai     8     (final) played with the team, he was beaten. He was barely able to keep up. His skills were not as strong as he     9     (imagine), and he had little awareness of teamwork. Ai realized he needed more experience. So he set a new and more practical goal-to apply to university     10     become a PE teacher.