“Why do we have to learn about these useless things?” This is what teachers have heard students complain about most {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (common). In such cases, we may tell the students such {#blank#}2{#/blank#} story:

    One night, a group of herdsmen（牧民）were about to leave the campsite when there appeared a flash of bright light. They knew that God would be there, so they looked forward to {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(get) wishes from God. God {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(begin)to speak: “You have to collect along the way a number of stones. Tomorrow night, you may be very happy, but you may be very regretful.” Then God disappeared.

    The herdsmen were very {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(disappoint), because they would look forward to God to bring them untold wealth or treasure, but they did not expect that God had told them to do all these meaningful things. However, in any case, after all, that was God's will. Although there {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (be) some dissatisfaction, they were still picking over some stones. {#blank#}7{#/blank#} this way, they took a day. When night fell, they stopped. All of a sudden, they found that all the stones they picked had turned into {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (diamond). They were happy, {#blank#}9{#/blank#} at the same time, they felt very sorry, and they regretted that they had not collected more stones.

    Now we feel that knowledge is as useless as stones, {#blank#}10{#/blank#} may become endless wealth in the future.

    When people {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (face) with health or nutrition questions, it is {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (increasing) common to go online and diagnose themselves. But the Internet is full of conflicting health warnings with no regulation to get rid of the wrong advice, some of which {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (be) extremely dangerous! Also, search engines rank results by {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (popular) rather than accuracy, so solid facts can be tricky to find. It is worth {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (check) if the writer of an online piece is properly qualified as an expert. Anyone can call {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (they) a "diet expert", "nutritionist" and even a "doctor" — given it could refer to qualifications like a PhD. But remember, only officially {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (recognize) practicing doctors as well as dietitians have degrees in giving medical {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (suggest). So if you are unsure and still wondering {#blank#}9{#/blank#} the chocolate diet really does work or not, then it pays to make {#blank#}10{#/blank#} appointment with your dietician or doctor. The truth is out there, and you just need to look in the right place!

    The world's longest sea bridge {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (call) the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge has opened. The bridge {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (link) Hong Kong and Macau to mainland China. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} took more than a decade to construct it. Builders had to make artificial islands in the Pearl River Delta {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (provide) the supports for the bridge. There is also a 6.7-kilometre underwater tunnel in the middle of the bridge, {#blank#}5{#/blank#} allows ships to sail through the Delta. The new bridge stretches {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (long) than 14 Golden Gate Bridges lined up end to end. The bridge will {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (great) cut the time it takes to travel from mainland China to Hong Kong and Macau.

    Chinese President Xi attended the opening ceremony of the bridge. He hopes the new crossing will help to connect 68 million people in 11 different {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (city). China's government believes that up to 29,000 cars will cross the sea link daily by the year 2030. A trade and tourism expert said, “This makes Hong Kong a lot more accessible for goods, passengers and trade, so this is a benefit {#blank#}9{#/blank#}the economic perspective.” The bridge will be open to tourists to drive across it. However, local car owners will not be able to cross the bridge {#blank#}10{#/blank#} they have a special permit. Most drivers will take a shuttle bus to make the journey.

    Once upon a time, there was a poor fisherman {#blank#}1{#/blank#} always dreamed of becoming rich. He wished to become {#blank#}2{#/blank#} millionaire, and so did his wife. He heard {#blank#}3{#/blank#} some old men before, that several ships {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (load) with diamonds and gold had sunk in the nearby seashore. Because of this, for a long time he kept searching that whole area for this treasure.

    One day, while he was sitting on the boat daydreaming, he suddenly felt that the fishing rod {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (weigh) down by a heavy object. He {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (excite) pulled hard at it, and {#blank#}7{#/blank#} he saw made him shout, "Wow! A big, shiny gold chain!" He pulled hard at the gold chain to get it into the boat, but {#blank#}8{#/blank#} seemed to be no end to it. His boat started to get overload and the sea water filled his boat. {#blank#}9{#/blank#}, he had begun dreaming of a big house, a big piece of land and {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (buy) horses and cows... He kept pulling at the chain while the boat kept sinking. The boat was finally submerged and he struggled to stay afloat. Unfortunately, his feet were caught in the gold chain and he drowned.

    An umbrella is what we easily forget and leave behind in our daily life. When the weather is fine, we certainly don't think of it; only when it's raining, we'll carry it purposefully. But as soon as the rain stops, most likely we'll forget {#blank#}1{#/blank#} we've put it. It has to wait patiently and pitifully for {#blank#}2{#/blank#} owner to claim it, otherwise it'll remain alone as a deserted umbrella. Once I suddenly found my longtime used umbrella "disappeared". I really {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (regret) quite some time for my own carelessness. Several days later, out of my {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (expect), I saw it quietly stand in a corner of the house where I worked. I was extremely glad to regain it. Looking carefully at it, though it was so familiar {#blank#}5{#/blank#} me, I found for the first time that its plastic handle {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (wear) out as a result of repeated rain-wash for years. I sought for it only when I needed it. It occurred to me that I should have paid {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (much) attention to it.

    It sets me {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (think). Around us there is always a person giving us support in silence just like {#blank#}9{#/blank#} old umbrella that protects us from the rain or any bad weather. Will you think of those individuals {#blank#}10{#/blank#} have helped you get through difficulty when you are leading a comfortable life?

Tu Youyou, a {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(commit) and patient scientist, was born in China and graduated from Peking University Medical School in 1955. After graduation, she worked at the China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Beijing. In 1967, she {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (choose) by the government to join a team of scientists with the aim of discovering a new treatment {#blank#}3{#/blank#} malaria. Her team examined over 2,000 old medical texts, and evaluated 280,000 plants for their medical {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(property). From their research, they discovered and tested 380 distinct ancient Chinese medical treatments that showed promise in the fight against malaria.

After a lot of failures, in 1971, Tu Youyou and her team members succeeded by using a lower temperature {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(draw) out the extract. They even insisted on testing the medicine on {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(they) to make sure that it was safe. Later, the medicine was tested on malaria patients，most of whom recovered. The medicine,{#blank#}7{#/blank#}was called artemisinin, soon became a standard treatment for malaria.

According to Tu Youyou, the discovery of artemisinin was a team effort. Upon {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(hear) that she had been awarded {#blank#}9{#/blank#}Nobel Prize, she said the honour belongs to the team behind her and all the people of her country. The success{#blank#}10{#/blank#}(prove) the great value of traditional Chinese medicine.