We think that life in Chinese high school is an adventure in which we have to survive mountains of homework and all kinds of exams. Yet would it be {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(surprise) if I tell you that high school life in the US is almost as stressful and demanding

 {#blank#}2{#/blank#}it is in China?

       In US high school, everything must {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(record) into your studying document, including your grades on quizzes, tests and final examinations. Failing

 {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(turn) in your homework on time will directly affect your grade for a certain course. Perhaps completely different from {#blank#}5{#/blank#}we used to think of theUS high school students, they pay great attention to {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(they) academic performance in order that they can get into a distinguished university.

       Like university students, US high school students have the {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(free) to choose the courses that most interest them. Even a ninth-grader can sit {#blank#}8{#/blank#}the same classroom as 12th-graders. But this also {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(mean) he orshe has to work very hard, because the teacher will not treat him or her {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (different).

    Polar bears are suffering in a much {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (warm) world.

    Polar bears live in environments too cold for most animals. During much of the year, they live and hunt on the frozen Arctic sea ice. Nature has {#blank#}2{#/blank#} （prepare）them for the cold conditions. But nothing has prepared the bears for the danger {#blank#}3{#/blank#} threatens the only home they know.

    The polar bears' world is melting. Studies show that the amount of the polar ice {#blank#}4{#/blank#}（have）decreased by 9.8% every 10 years since 1978. Now about 20,000 to 25,000 polar bears live in the Arctic. Polar bears rely {#blank#}5{#/blank#} the sea ice for their survival. “The sea ice is more {#blank#}6{#/blank#} just this platform that the bears walk over,” says Andrew Derocher, {#blank#}7{#/blank#} scientist who studies North American polar bear populations. “{#blank#}8{#/blank#} it, they can't exist.”

    Some melting and refreezing of the polar ice is natural. But in a warmer world, these cycles speed up, and bears have less time {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (hunt). Normally, they have three months in the spring when they gain more weight. The extra fat is used later, when the bears are not {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(active) hunting.

    Chinese architecture is a style that has taken shape in East Asia over many centuries. The structural principles of Chinese architecture have remained largely {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (change), the main changes being only the decorative details. Since the Tang Dynasty, Chinese architecture  {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (have) a major influence {#blank#}3{#/blank#} the architectural styles of Korea, Vietnam, and Japan.

    The architecture of China is as old as Chinese civilization. From every source of information, there is strong {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(evident) that the Chinese have always enjoyed a native system of construction that has kept its principal characteristics from old times to the present day. Over the large area from Chinese Turkistan (突厥) to Japan, the same system of construction is popular and this is the area of Chinese cultural influence.

    Throughout {#blank#}5{#/blank#} 20th century, western-trained Chinese architects have tried {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (combine) traditional Chinese designs into modern architecture, with great success. Moreover, the pressure for urban development throughout contemporary China required higher speed of construction and higher floor area ratio (容积率),{#blank#}7{#/blank#} means that in the great cities the demand for traditional Chinese {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (build) has declined in favor of modern architecture. {#blank#}9{#/blank#} the traditional skills of Chinese architecture,{#blank#}10{#/blank#} (include) major and minor carpentry (木工), and masonry (石工), are still applied to the construction of vernacular architecture in the large rural area in China.

Jane: Hi, Jack. What are you doing there?

Jack: I'm reading a book about the American scientist, George Washington Carver, who made great {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (contribute) to American farming.

Jane: I have read an article about him too. He was born into a state of slavery.

Jack: Exactly right. But he became {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (know) for the development of new crops for southern farmers {#blank#}3{#/blank#} main cash crop (经济作物) was cotton.

Jane: And I remember that he carried out many {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (science) researches on the planting of crops, {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (aim) to improve the farmers' quality of life.

Jack: You are right. However, he had an unfortunate family. His parents had eleven children but all of his ten brothers and sisters died young. {#blank#}6{#/blank#} addition, Carver and his mother was kidnapped (绑架) and sold to Kentucky when he was just one week old. Though he {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (find) by his master later, he never saw his mother again.

Jane: I can see {#blank#}8{#/blank#} he had a really hard childhood.

Jack: Yes. But his life changed after slavery was abolished (废除). He was able to attend a school {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (build) for blacks. Then he managed to get into the Tuskegee Institute, and began his crop research {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (short) after graduation.

    Christopher Reeve was born in September, 1952. He was in his first school play {#blank#}1{#/blank#} he was eight and he started to act in TV shows and films while he was still in college. He made many {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (success) films and TV shows but he is most famous {#blank#}3{#/blank#} his Superman films. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (lucky) , disaster (灾难) came in 1995 when he fell from his horse and {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (break) his back. The doctors did not expect him to live. However, he made {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (amaze) progress. At first, he couldn't breathe without a machine, but he learnt to breathe on {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (he)own. He would never walk again but he started {#blank#}8{#/blank#} new life with great courage. The second year after his accident, Christopher returned to film making. He also raised a lot of money {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (promote) medical research into back injuries. He made speeches all over the USA about his experiences. This not only drew public attention to research into back injuries but also encouraged a lot of people {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (live) with all kinds of problems.