8 . A friend of mine called me at 2 am. I usually worked through the_________, so I was awake. She was_________some problems and wanted to talk to me about them.

I was_________with work, under a lot of pressure._________my work, I also had a lot on my mind. But I_________to stop what I was doing, put it all_________and talked to her. It did the trick because we managed to find some kind of clarity to the_________after the conversation.

I felt happy. I know that sometimes what_________is not really what you talk about or whether you have found a(n)_________solution to the problem. What really counts is knowing that when you are going through a（n）__________time, you have a shoulder to lean on. Just knowing that somebody__________enough to give you time, support and__________, without any judgment, is enough to__________much of the weight that you are carrying.

I've ever been in situations where I've had to__________through things by myself, with no support at all. Living like this makes you very__________. But it also makes you cynical, and leaves you feeling like you can only depend on yourself.

I have had__________from people at times, totally__________when I have really needed it. And I realise what a(n)__________it can make, having someone to talk to.

I really hope that I was able to give my friend support. Even though we did not__________the problem, I hope that I was able to__________her of some of the weight that she was carrying.

9 . One of the three astronauts who made up the historic Apollo 11 crew, NASA veteran Michael Collins passed away today, April 28, 2021, at the age of 90.

Collins was born on Oet. 31, 1930, in Rome, Italy. His father, a career officer in the US, Amy who’d go on to retire as a major general, was stationed there at the time. After his family returned stateside, Collins earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the US. Military Academy at West Point, graduating with the class of 1952. He then became an Air Force test pilot, which opened some interesting doors. In 1962, John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth. Glenn’s achievement was an inspiration for Collins. “I certainly had no childhood dream of flying to the moon or anywhere else, but the idea was extremely appealing.” Collins wrote in his autobiography Carrying the Fire: An Astronaut’s Journeys. He was selected to join NASA’s third class of astronauts the following year. His first extraterrestrial (地球外的) adventure came in 1966, when Collins set about on a three-day spaceflight with fellow astronaut John Young. Known as Gemini X, their mission was one for the record books; the two men reached the then-unprecedented (前所未有的) altitude of 475 miles (764kilometers ).

Of course, Michael Collins is best remembered for his role in Apollo 11. On July 16, 1969, at 8:32 AM ( Eastern Standard Time ), Collins, Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong were launched out of the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. They were the three explorers NASA had chosen for the first mission that would ever put a man on the moon. Four days into their adventure, on July 20, Collins parted ways with his crewmates. Seated in the Eagle landing craft, Armstrong and Aldrin made their landing onto the lunar surface. An American flag was planted; photos were taken; Armstrong said the immortal words, “ One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. ”

Meanwhile, Collins stayed behind in the crew’s command module (舱), orbiting the moon as his colleagues explored it.

10 . For centuries people have wondered who was the model for Leonard do da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and what was the reason for her smile. But the Mona Lisa is just one of the many mysteries in the art world. Here are some other notable unsolved art mysteries that might be a little less familiar.

Mystery 1: Who Is the girl in Johannes Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring?

Around 1665, Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer painted a charming portrait of a young girl. People around the globe have long wondered who this fetching young lady was. Many say she must have been Vermeer’s daughter or girlfriend. Others think she wasn’t a real person, but rather an intentionally mysterious, timeless figure. The painting, referred to as the “ Mona Lisa of the North ” , has been part of The Hague’s permanent collection since 1903. But it draws record-breaking crowds whenever and wherever it tours around the world.

Mystery 2: Where Is Raphael’s Portrait of a Young Man?

Portrait of a Young Man is considered one of the most important pieces of art to go missing during World War II. The painting was created around 1513 by Raphael, a famous Italian Renaissance artist, and stolen from Poland’s Princes Czartoryski Museum in 1939.

The portrait had traveled to Germany and Austria before it was gone in 1945.

Mystery 3: Was Van Gogh Murdered?

One of the main things people know about Vincent van Gogh is that he cut off his ear. That was likely because the Dutch post-impressionist painter suffered from mental illness, probably severe depression. The official cause is suicide from a gun shot at close range.

That certainly seems plausible (貌似有理的), given his poor mental health. However, no gun was found near his body, and locals reported two teenage boys bullying him shortly before his death.