"Life is speeding up. Everyone is getting unwell." Picture this:You're rushing {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(finish) your homework on the computer. Your mobile phone rings. Suddenly the computer goes blank and you lose all your work. Now you have to stay up to get it {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(do). How can you feel calm and happy?

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(invention) have speeded up our lives so much that they often leave us feeling stressed and tired. Why do you think people who live far away from {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(noise) cities often seem to be happier? Perhaps because they lead {#blank#}5{#/blank#}simple life.

    One family in the UK went "back in time" to see{#blank#}6{#/blank#}life was like without all the inventions we have today. The grandparents, with their daughter, and grandsons Benjamin, 10, and Thomas,7, {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(spend) nine weeks in a house dating back to 1940. They had no microwave, computer or mobile phones.

    The grandmother, Molly, said, "It was hard {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(physical), but not mentally." She believed life was less materialistic."The more things you have, the more difficult life becomes," she said. The boys said they had less to fight over, their computer, for example. Benjamin also noticed that {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(he)grandmother had changed from being a trendy, beer-drinking granny to one{#blank#}10{#/blank#}liked cooking things.

    The colors red, white and blue, along {#blank#}1{#/blank#} the stars and stripes on the American flag, all represent different things. Red represents {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (strong) and bravery, white means virtue, and blue stands for hard work and {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (just). There are fifty stars on the flag, one for each state,{#blank#}4{#/blank#} (represent) the union of fifty states {#blank#}5{#/blank#} one country in a federal system. The thirteen stripes are {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (remind) people of the thirteen colonies that {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (join) together to fight for independence from Britain. Each year on 4 July, the USA celebrates Independence Day,{#blank#}8{#/blank#} the Stars and Stripes {#blank#}9{#/blank#} be seen all over the country,{#blank#}10{#/blank#} (light) by fireworks in the night sky.

    China is rich in tourist {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (attract). The long Chinese history and splendid culture {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (leave) it with many places of interest over the past centuries. The ancient Chinese laboring people created lots of world wonders, {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (include)the Great Wall. It is {#blank#}4{#/blank#} long that you can't see the end of it. From {#blank#}5{#/blank#} distance, it looks like a dragon on tops of mountain chains. Another {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (history) site in China is the Potala Palace, {#blank#}7{#/blank#} was once served {#blank#}8{#/blank#} the office building of Tibet local government. {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (fortunate), to help preserve the buildings, only a few people {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (admit) each day.

    Yu Rong, a Chinese artist, thinks of a new way to introduce {#blank#}1{#/blank#} ancient story of Hua Mulan in her picture book. In the book, I Am Hua Mulan, she tells the story by{#blank#}2{#/blank#}（combine） paper﹣cutting with international artistic styles. She places Shaanxi paper﹣cuts over western﹣style pencil sketches（素描）{#blank#}3{#/blank#}（create） a typical presentation of Chinese elements （元素）,which turns out to be a {#blank#}4{#/blank#}（success） and impressive breakthrough.

    Hua Mulan,{#blank#}5{#/blank#} story has been told by generations in China, is a fighter from the Northern Wei Dynasty（386﹣534）. As a devoted daughter, she dressed herself as a man to serve in the army{#blank#}6{#/blank#}place of her father. Mulan's characteristics, such as courage, kindness and a disinterested attitude toward fame and fortune, made{#blank#}7{#/blank#} （she） one of the most respected historical Chinese heroines. Mulan's story has been adapted{#blank#}8{#/blank#}（frequent） in modern media, including TV shows, video games and literature. For example, in 1998, Disney produced a film named Mulan, which {#blank#}9{#/blank#}（consider） a great success by critics and the public.

    To better tell the story, Yu Rong takes inspiration from her several {#blank#}10{#/blank#}（visit） to sites of ancient battles and Henan province's Yuju Opera. After years of preparation she finally makes this extraordinary work.