No matter where you are, humans are constantly measuring and checking time. Some of us are good at it—planning and doing things ahead of time,{#blank#}1{#/blank#}others are always trying to beat the clock and do things at the eleventh hour.

    Tardiness (拖拉) can be serious. If you{#blank#}2{#/blank#}(be) one minute late for work, would you resign? It may sound extreme, but that is exactly {#blank#}3{#/blank#}occurred in the UK upper chamber of parliament, the House of Lords, in January 2018. International development minister Lord Bates arrived one minute late, and, as a result, was unable to answer a {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(schedule) question. Instead of trying {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (make) up for lost time, as many might do, he resigned on {#blank#}6{#/blank#}spot. He apologized for his discourtesy (无礼) and stated that he was ashamed. His resignation, though.{#blank#}7{#/blank#} (reject) by the UK prime minister.

    So, how late is too late? Many cultures take punctuality very seriously. In contrast, others seem to view tardiness{#blank#}8{#/blank#} just the normal way of things. What is considered acceptable is based on culture. That is, if you don't mind waiting, it might be best to attend your{#blank#}9{#/blank#} (appoint) in good time. And if the worst comes to the worst, remember the old English proverb.{#blank#}10{#/blank#} (well) late than never.”

    Throughout modern history, perhaps there has never been a scientist as iconic (偶像的) as Stephen Hawking.

    Whether he{#blank#}1{#/blank#}(educate) the world with his knowledge of the universe, or making fun of himself in TV shows, it is hard to imagine what the world will be like now Hawking is no longer in.

    On March 14, 2018, the British physicist passed away in Cambridge. Since then, many people have expressed their condolences (哀悼) on social media, including British computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee{#blank#}2{#/blank#}invented the World Wide Web. “We have lost a great mind and a wonderful spirit,” Berners-Lee wrote.

    Hawking was an icon for many reasons, but he will be best remembered {#blank#}3{#/blank#} his work in the field of science.

    Building on German scientist Albert Einstein's work, Hawking explained his belief that space{#blank#}4{#/blank#} (start) with the Big Bang, and will end with black holes.

“This complete set of laws can give us the {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (answer) to questions like 'How did the universe begin?'” Hawking wrote in his 2010 work The Grand Design. “Where is it going and will it have an end? If so, how will it end?”

    Besides his work in science, he also managed to overcome many difficulties in his personal life. While{#blank#}6{#/blank#} (study) at Cambridge University, he was diagnosed with motor neuron (运动神经元) disease at the age of 21. His {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (ill) left him paralyzed and he was told he only had a short time to live. However, he went on to become one of the{#blank#}8{#/blank#} (great) minds the world has ever known.

    “I felt it was unfair. Why should this happen to me?” he once recalled. “At the time, I thought my life was over and that I would never realize the potential I felt I had. But now, 50 years later, I can be satisfied with my life.”

Hawking left behind a great legacy (遗产). His signature book A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes{#blank#}9{#/blank#}(publish) in 1988, became one of the world's best-selling science publications. And in 2014, UK actor Eddie Redmayne played Hawking in the movie The Theory of Everything, which tells the tale of the physicist's life.

    He may no longer be with us{#blank#}10{#/blank#} Hawking will continue to inspire the world for generations to come. As he once said himself, “Look up at the stars and not down at your feet!”

    It's common to see food delivery workers riding electric bikes in a hurry through big cities in China. Some of them even risk {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (run) red lights to deliver their meals in time. However, such careless behavior often causes serious problems.

    The reason for the rise of such a careless behavior is that there is {#blank#}2{#/blank#} large demand for food delivery workers, and many companies offer high salaries {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(attract) new workers.

    In fact, food delivery workers are often under high {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(press) from their employers. They face company fines for delivering food late. Moreover, the more orders they take, the more money they can earn, {#blank#}5{#/blank#} leads to some workers checking {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(they) mobile phones for new orders while they are riding their bikes

    While most companies require delivery workers to follow traffic rules, it remains a problem whether these requirements and rules are {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(strict) obeyed

    To solve the problem, some cities {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(take) action since last year. Shanghai required the delivery workers should{#blank#}9{#/blank#}(train) on traffic rules and safety. Now in Shenzhen, if a delivery worker gets caught breaking traffic rules more than twice, he or she will be banned {#blank#}10{#/blank#} driving food delivery vehicles for a whole year.

    There's no electricity {#blank#}1{#/blank#} water. However, one thing is for sure, I've become more imaginative in my teaching. Science is my most {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (challenge) subject as my students have no concept of doing experiments. In fact, there is no {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (equip), and if I need water, I have to carry it from my house in {#blank#}4{#/blank#} bucket! The other day I {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (show) the boys the weekly chemistry experiment when, before I knew it, the mixture was bubbling over everywhere. Sometimes I wonder {#blank#}6{#/blank#} relevant chemistry is to these students, most of {#blank#}7{#/blank#} will be going back to their villages after Year 8 anyway.

    Tombe's father, Mukap, led us to his house, a low bamboo hut with grass {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (stick) out of the roof — this shows it is a man's house. There were no windows and the doorway was just big enough to get through. The hut was dark inside so it took time for our eyes {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (adjust). Fresh grass had been laid on the floor and there was a newly {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (make) platform for Jenny and me to sleep on.

    At the ancient Olympics, by{#blank#}1{#/blank#} the athlete were all men and they had to compete {#blank#}2{#/blank#} no clothes. Single women were allowed to take part in their own {#blank#}3{#/blank#}, at a separate festival in honour of Hera, the wife of the Greek god Zeus. Today, both male and female athletes from around the world can take part, no matter what nation they come from. The {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Olympic were first held in 1896, in Athens. It was a Frenchman, pieere de Coubertin, who brought the Olympics back to life. He dreamt that the Olympics would make it possible for people of all countries to live side by side in {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Now people all over the world are helping to realize this dream. Among them are many well-known athletes.