In an age of rapidly growing urbanization, rooftop farming has emerged as a sustainable response     1     the challenge of creating green space in cities. This innovative practice transforms rooftops into mini farms, where vegetables, fruits, and even flowers     2     (plant), providing local residents with fresh produce and adding a touch of nature to urban environments.

Rooftop farming, also     3     (refer) to as vertical agriculture, is more than just a trend; it’s a step towards environmental conservation. Green roofs with vegetation help to absorb sunlight and release moisture, cooling the air and reducing the demand for air conditioning,     4     in turn lessens energy     5     (consume) and carbon emission. Meanwhile, rooftop farms serve as educational platforms,     6     (teach) city dwellers about sustainable agriculture practices and the importance of locally     7     (source) food.

As urban populations continue to grow, rooftop farming fosters community engagement     8     promotes healthier lifestyles by providing access to fresh and organic produce. When we look towards     9     future where environmental consciousness and sustainable practices become increasingly vital, rooftop farming stands as a testament to our ability to cultivate more than just food—we cultivate hope for a     10     (green) and more resilient world.

I was lucky to have a happy childhood, one that most people would want to have. My family lived in a tiny     1     in Scotland. Our neighbors next door had a son named Danny, and we grew up together.

We     2     long summer evenings in the forests, digging up worms for fishing, and collecting feathers left by the birds. It was here that I discovered that I was allergic (过敏) to the tiny flies which     3     me and made my face swell (肿). There were a few walnut trees above the village and we would frighten the squirrels away and wait for them to ripen (成熟). However, the village was too far north for a proper     4    .

Danny was a     5     boy, and we made things out of branches, which we tried to sell in the village shop. We even     6     a tree house. Once I lost my footing, fell out and     7     my foot, so Danny washed my wounds in the river. He was a very     8     boy for someone so young. My mother     9     blamed me for tearing my clothes.   

It was the finest     10     anyone could have, and I’m proud of calling him my friend.

Everyone changes in his or her life. Mostly these changes     1     place because of an experience. For me, high school was such an experience, High school     2     me about myself. And that is the most important lesson I have ever learned.

I used to be quiet and shy, not     3     to show my inner self. I will never talk about what was in my mind. I was afraid that someone would criticize (批评) me or tell me I was wrong. I cared too much about what others     4     of me.

Now I am no longer afraid to tell     5     my worries and let them know how I feel. I have changed a lot     6     the help of my teachers and friends. They taught me that it is not a big deal to fail in something. As long as I have learned from my mistakes by finding the courage to believe in myself, I have become much     7     in mind. The thought of a Challenge used to make me feel afraid,     8     now I want to work even harder to deal with the difficulties that stand in my way. I have realized     9     the ideas I hid in the past can now be contributed to     10     world.

Zhang Hanliang, a martial arts teacher at Tianshui Normal University in Gansu province, has produced many traditional Chinese martial arts videos in the past years,     1     sixteen million viewers at home and abroad on the online     2     Bilibili.

Zhang, now 35 years old, has been     3     martial arts since she was seven. Thanks to her hard work, Zhang won her first sword (剑) championship in Gansu province at 13. She then got sword and spear titles at a     4     level when she was 17, and at 20, she won a series of championship titles in various categories. In 2007, Zhang began to work as a martial arts teacher at Tianshui Normal University, getting new     5     such as first-class national athlete and first-class national judge of martial arts.

In addition to her daily teaching tasks, Zhang has been     6     to France, Russia, Malaysia and other countries many times to teach martial arts. “Martial arts can be a bridge for     7     exchanges between China and other countries,” said Zhang, adding that she wanted to     8     martial arts to the audience through the     9    . And she hoped more and more foreigners could     10     and love martial arts.

Boyan Slat has one huge goal. It’s a goal that could be good for people and animals all over the world.     1    , it looks like he’s going to meet his goal.

When he was 16. Dutch engineering student Slat was on vacation in Greece, and he started to think about all the rubbish that is pushed onto beaches by water. The oceans around the world are all of plastic—millions of tons of plastic.     2    , plastic doesn’t just disappear. It takes centuries to break down.

The present     3     of the oceans is bad and worrying, and Slat wanted to do something to change it. So he made it a personal goal to clean up the rubbish in the world’s oceans.

Slat started with an idea for an unusual machine to “catch” the plastic floating(漂浮)in the water using the     4     energy of the ocean. He left school in 2013 to begin work     5     his project The Ocean Cleanup. Soon, the project received a lot of attention.

A year later, Slat was named a “Champion of the Earth” by the United Nations for his valuable work.

The 75­-year­-old Joe lived very happily in a village and had a big warm family. His children     1     and moved to different cities. Now he has four grandchildren, and they usually visit him during their holidays.

During one     2     , Joe was preparing his home for the kids: cleaning the house and cooking their favorite foods. After he finished working, he realized his watch was     3     . The watch was from his     4     and he treasured it very much, so he was very upset. He looked for it but could not find it anywhere.

When his grandchildren came, they promised him they would find the watch which was given by their grandma.

One granddaughter asked, “Grandpa, do you remember when you saw it the     5     time?”

“I guess when I was cleaning the     6     ! ” he replied.

The children looked for more than two hours with Joe, but they couldn’t find it. The kids were now also sad, but they tried to comfort their grandpa.

One grandson went back to the garden to look again. He was there for about 15 minutes and rushed back with a(n)     7     look on his face.

Then everyone was very surprised to see the watch in his hand. They asked how he was able to find it. The little boy replied, “I sat there without making a noise. After a few minutes, I heard the ‘tick, tick’ sound and found the watch.”

Joe hugged and     8     the little boy.

This is the power of silence. If we stay calm (冷静), we are more able to find the ways of solving problems.

For CEOs, creativity is now the most important leadership quality for success in business,     1     even integrity and global thinking, according to a new study by IBM.

The study is the largest known sample of one-on-one CEO interviews. Over 1,500     2     heads and public sector leaders across 60 nations and 33 industries were polled. They were asked what drives them in managing their companies in today’s world.

A manager at IBM Global Business Services expressed surprise at this key finding, saying that it is very interesting that coming off the worst economic conditions they’d ever seen, CEOs didn’t return to traditional management     3    , existing best practices, rigor or operations. In fact, they did just the opposite.

About 60 percent of CEOs polled cited creativity as the most important leadership quality, compared with 52 percent for     4     and 35 percent for global thinking. Creative leaders are also more prepared to break with the traditions of the industry, enterprise and revenue models, and they are 81 percent more likely to rate innovation as a “crucial capability. ”

Other key findings showed a large gap between views of North American CEOs and those from other     5    . For example, in North America, 65 percent of CEOs think integrity is a top quality for tomorrow’s leaders, whereas only 29–48 percent of CEOs in other territories view it as such. While company leaders in North America will bring more integrity to the job, they also expect far more regulation than foreign heads.

Octopuses are masters on disguise (伪装). They can change their appearance in less than a second.

How do they do this? An octopus can disguise itself in three ways. One is by using     1    . An octopus's skin has special     2     called chromatophores. These cells are filled with yellow, brown, and red pigment (色素). When an octopus moves its muscles in a certain way, the cells produce colorful spots on its skin. Chromatophores can also     3     light. In blue light, for example, an octopus's skin will look blue. An octopus can also change its skin texture (皮肤结构). When the octopus moves its muscles, its skin can     4     unsmooth. It might then look like a plant, or coral. And     5     way an octopus disguises itself is by changing its     6    . Some, for example, roll their bodies into balls so they look like rocks. One type of octopus can change its form to look like other sea creatures — especially     7     ones, such as sea snakes.

Why are octopuses so good at disguising themselves? They have to be. The ocean is not a safe place for them. Because they have no     8     in their bodies, octopuses are like large pieces of meat. Many predators (捕食者) want to eat them — and they can eat them whole. To survive, octopuses have developed the     9     ability to change their appearance very quickly in order to     10     from predators.