Since the one-baby policy {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (carry) out in China, Chinese families have been shrinking from one with over 10 members to the other with only three including parents and one baby. Things are usually out of our expectation. Apart from the benefits {#blank#}2{#/blank#} have been mentioned enough, small families are now beginning to have {#blank#}3{#/blank#} own problems. Because parents are having fewer children, they increasingly feel the need {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (control) the lives of those children. As a result, many children are becoming less {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (depend), determined and ambitious than in the past.   

Parents today discourage their children from doing housework, extracurricular activities and socializing {#blank#}6{#/blank#} they fear it will interrupt their education. For example, when I was younger I wanted to learn the guitar {#blank#}7{#/blank#} my parents wouldn't allow me because they believed it would distract me from my studies. They are happy as long as I perform {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (wonder) in my exams but don't seem concerned about how I develop {#blank#}9{#/blank#} a person.

To some extent, I understand parents' concerns, but I think they should love their children for {#blank#}10{#/blank#} they are, not what they want them to be. We deserve the chance to chase our own dreams and learn on our own. Even if we fail, we can learn from those failures.

    A study shows that new technology is reducing children's ability {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(use) a pencil or pen. The study is from the National Health Service in the UK. Researchers said that nowadays, children spend so much time swiping iPads or mobile phone screens {#blank#}2{#/blank#}they cannot hold a pencil properly. Children are not using{#blank#}3{#/blank#}(pencil), so they now lack the muscle{#blank#}4{#/blank#} (strong) in their hands to be able to write {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(proper). Researcher Dr Sally Payne said: “Children are not coming into school with the strong hand and the ability they{#blank#}6{#/blank#} (have)

    10 years ago. Children {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (come) into school are being given a pencil but are increasingly not able to hold it because they don't have the fundamental (基本的) movement skills.”

    The researchers said technology is changing the physical way that children write, draw or make things. Dr Payne explained why. She said: “It's{#blank#}8{#/blank#}(easy) to give a child an iPad than encourage them to do muscle-building play such as building blocks, cutting and sticking, or pulling toys and ropes. One expert said {#blank#}9{#/blank#} a child isn't strong enough to hold a pencil, perhaps their whole body is weak. She said it was better for children's physical development to climb trees {#blank#}10{#/blank#} to watch YouTube videos.

    At 3:42 a.m., everything began to shake. It seemed as if the world was at an end! Eleven kilometres {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (direct) below the city, the {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (great) earthquake of the 20th century had begun. It was felt in Beijing, {#blank#}3{#/blank#} is more than two hundred kilometres away. One-third of the nation {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (feel) it. A huge crack that was eight kilometres long and thirty metres wide cut across houses, roads and canals. Steam burst from holes in the ground. Hard hills of rock became rivers of dirt. In fifteen terrible seconds a large city lay {#blank#}5{#/blank#} ruins. The suffering of the people {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (be) extreme. Two-thirds of {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (they) died or were injured during the earthquake. Thousands of families were killed and many {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (child) were left without parents. The number of people who were killed or injured reached more than 400,000. Then, later that afternoon, another big quake shook Tangshan. More buildings fell down. Water, food, and electricity were hard {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (get). People began to wonder {#blank#}10{#/blank#} long the disaster would last.

    The University of Cambridge {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (use) scores on gaokao as part of its admission criteria for Chinese students for several years, according to its official Weibo account.

    However, it does not admit students simply based on {#blank#}2{#/blank#} test scores. In addition to top scores on gaokao, Chinese {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (apply) also need to meet English language requirements, participate in an interview {#blank#}4{#/blank#} take a subject-specific written admission assessment.

    Internet users have {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (broad) welcomed the move, {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (say) this is a blessing for Chinese students {#blank#}7{#/blank#} want to enter the university, though the requirement {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (set) high, reported China Daily Stephen Toope, vice-chancellor of the university, said the reason for accepting gaokao scores is that Cambridge wants as much information as possible {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (evaluate) possible candidates.

    "Global universities must seek connection, communication and collaboration if we wish to see changes that will make the world a better place for everyone," he said {#blank#}10{#/blank#} March during a visit to Peking University.