Chinese brush calligraphy or “shufa” in Chinese is one of{#blank#}1{#/blank#} most important art forms in China. Many Asian cultures have originated their own calligraphy styles, but China's is unequaled because of {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(it) beauty, grace (优雅), and history.

    The {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (origin) of Chinese brush calligraphy are unknown, but local tales say it goes back over 4,000 years to the time of the legendary (传说的) Yellow Emperor (2698-2598 B.C.). At that time characters were carved on animal bones or tortoise shells. Only after Emperor Qin Shi Huang united China under his rule {#blank#}4{#/blank#} one country did it really gain popularity as a common art form.

    He simplified Chinese characters and regular rules were set,{#blank#}5{#/blank#} (make) it easier for people to learn and master. This Chinese art form continued to progress and during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) a new type of cursive script (草书) was formed and standardized. It is written {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(free), but it's not as easy to read.

    Today Chinese calligraphy is once again a subject in schools and an art form highly {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(appreciate) across the world. Anyone can practice it and{#blank#}8{#/blank#} is required is a simple set including: brush, ink, and paper. It's fun for amateurs to try, but to become good at it, not only years of practice but natural talent {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (need). Practising this art consistently can develop personal character and is of {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (benefit) to health.

    What might life be like if you looked very different from others? Most of us are lucky to be born with “normal” faces.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}, the movie Wonder shows us that there is no such thing as being normal and that beauty is more than skin-deep.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (base) on a bestselling novel, the movie is about a boy named Auggie. He has a facial deformity (畸形) and has spent most of his life being home schooled. But as he enters middle school, his parents decide to send him to a private school. There, Auggie must deal with judgmental classmates and learn to accept {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(he) as he is.

    In the US, most kids {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (teach) that it is OK to be different. Most people in the US celebrate being unique.

    But some kids have difficulty {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(accept) uniqueness. It's easy to pick on someone who's different,{#blank#}6{#/blank#} (especial) if you have your own problems to deal with. This is another {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (center) theme from the movie—even the kids {#blank#}8{#/blank#} pick on Auggie have their own personal struggles.

    As Auggie's classmates get to know him better, they come to find that he's a nice kid {#blank#}9{#/blank#} a great sense of humor. They start to change their attitude toward him. In real life, it may take longer to see such changes happen. But if we give people{#blank#}10{#/blank#}chance, their hearts and minds may change in the end.

    As is known to all, art {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (influence) by the customs and faith of a people. Styles in Western art have changed many times.

    In the 5th century, the art of the Middle Ages came into being and the main aim of {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (paint) was to represent religious themes. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} a result, some pictures at this time were full of religious symbols, {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (create) a feeling of respect and love for God. During the Renaissance, people began to concentrate {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (little) on religious themes and adopt a more humanistic attitude {#blank#}6{#/blank#} life. In the late 19th century, some painters became the Impressionists. And they were the first painters {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (paint) outdoors. Paintings can reflect the {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (develop) of civilization, and it is interesting to predict {#blank#}9{#/blank#} styles of paintings there will be in the future. {#blank#}10{#/blank#} not try to visit some art galleries to appreciate different styles of paintings?

    The Amber Room, an{#blank#}1{#/blank#} (amaze) treasure, which was decorated with gold and jewels, was made of several tons of{#blank#}2{#/blank#} (select) amber. It first{#blank#}3{#/blank#} (belong) to the King of Prussia and was given to Peter the Great as a gift. The Czar sent Frederick William a troop of his best soldiers{#blank#}4{#/blank#} return. Later it was moved to a palace outside St Petersburg{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Catherine Π spent her summers.

    During the Second World War, when Germany and Russia were at war, The Nazis stole the room{#blank#}6{#/blank#} (secret). In less than two days 100,000peices were put into twenty-seven{#blank#}7{#/blank#}(wood) boxes and put on a train for Künisberg. After that, what happened to the Amber Room{#blank#}8{#/blank#} (remain) a mystery and the room is now missing. Recently, the Russians and Germans have built a new Amber Room,{#blank#}9{#/blank#} looks like the old one,{#blank#}10{#/blank#} (celebrate) the 300^th birthday of the city of St Petersburg.

    Since {#blank#}1{#/blank#} first fully artificial plastic was invented in 1907, humans {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(find) innumerable uses for the material. It has found {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(it) way into our tools, our clothes and even our bodies. In a new study in {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(environment) science and technology, researchers estimate the average American eats more than 50,000 pieces of microplastic particles, {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(small) than 5 millimeters in length every year and breathes in another 50,000. Although the health {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(effect) of consuming these tiny bits of plastic are unclear, researchers stress the real volume that people are {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(casual) swallowing is alarming. The largest contributor came {#blank#}8{#/blank#} drinking bottled water, in {#blank#}9{#/blank#} the bottle itself added more than 32 times more plastic to a diet {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(compare) with tap water, The Guardian reports.