China, which takes pride in inventions in ancient times, has once again shown its{#blank#}1{#/blank#}(able) to change the world with its “new four great inventions”: high-speed railways, electronic payments, shared bicycles and online shopping. The “new four great inventions” are all related{#blank#}2{#/blank#}China's high-tech innovation(创新){#blank#}3{#/blank#}improved the quality of people's lives. “My wallet is no longer in use. I can buy and eat{#blank#}4{#/blank#}I want simply with a tap of my phone,” said Lin Jinlong{#blank#}5{#/blank#}overseas Chinese student from Cambodia{#blank#}6{#/blank#}(add) that “even pancake sellers are using Alipay (mobile payment). We can also order food at home, which is super convenient. If I{#blank#}7{#/blank#}(be) at home in Cambodia, I would have to go outdoors.”

    The bikes themselves are not new, but the operating model of bike-sharing is based on satellite navigation system, mobile payment, big data and other high technologies. It is{#blank#}8{#/blank#}(increase) clear that China is innovating and no longer copying Western ideas. This is partly because China skipped over the PC age and went directly to mobile. China has the{#blank#}9{#/blank#}(large) mobile use in the world.

    In terms of the “new four great inventions”, Charlie Dai, principal analyst of American market research company Forrester, said, “These products and services{#blank#}10{#/blank#}(improve) customer experience so far, improving national and global economy at the same time”.

    Crows(乌鸦) are remarkably intelligent birds. Now these feathered geniuses are given a job: Six crows have been trained to pick up rubbish in the Puy du Fou historical theme park in western France. Whenever the six crows put cigarette ends or other small {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (piece) of trash in a special container, it offers a treat to reward the crows {#blank#}2{#/blank#} their efforts.

    The idea came from one of the park's employees, Christophe. In 2012, the theme park held a show during which the crows picked up roses and brought them to a “princess”. It was the show {#blank#}3{#/blank#} inspired him. Since then, six crows {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(raise) and trained to do the same with rubbish. The training system is similar to the one for testing crows' intelligence, {#blank#}5{#/blank#} a food dispenser(分发器) gives away a food reward when a crow {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (correct) performs a task. Christophe also introduced other species of birds to go through the training. {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (compare) with other birds, crows are much cleverer.

    The purpose of {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (train) the crows is to educate the people to reflect on themselves. Since the birds are able to protect the environment, we need to care about it too. “It is {#blank#}9{#/blank#} funny way to remind people not {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(throw) the rubbish everywhere,” said Christophe.

    Agricultural experts say crop diversity is important to feed the{#blank#}1{#/blank#}(increase) population of our planet. They say having a large variety of plants also{#blank#}2{#/blank#}(help) to protect against possible crop diseases and future crises. But many experts say the number has decreased sharply during the past century.

    One of the world's {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(large) seed conservation projects has predicted further losses. The Millennium Seed Bank Partnership is warning that up to one hundred thousand plant species could {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (permanent) disappear. The rich collection of genes{#blank#}5{#/blank#} decide their qualities would disappear with them.

    Many experts blame climate change and loss of habitat, normal growth area, for damaging plant life. They say human{#blank#}6{#/blank#}(activity) and poorly planned, overly heavy use of land also are responsible. Modern business farming is responsible{#blank#}7{#/blank#}loss of farmers' traditional crop varieties. The "Green Revolution" of the twentieth century changed agriculture. Some experts say the use of modern commercial farming methods saved millions of people from{#blank#}8{#/blank#}(starve). Farmers planted, watered, and fertilized their crops with the help of machines. They treated their fields with chemicals{#blank#}9{#/blank#}(control) diseases and insects. Harvests grew larger and higher quality,{#blank#}10{#/blank#} another result was that some traditional crops were lost. Damage to the environment over the past century makes people believe that crop diversity also suffered.

    A computer program has beaten a human player at the ancient Chinese board game Go（围棋）. It marked an important advance for the {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (develop) of artificial intelligence. The program, {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (call) Alpha Go, had taught itself how to win. It beat the European player in all five games of a match in October. The developers say {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (it) learning ability may someday let computers help solve real world problems. Those could include making medical diagnoses and {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (explore) scientific research.

    Previous computers have beaten humans in other games. But among classic games, Go has long been viewed as the most challenging game for artificial intelligence to master. Therefore, many people find it {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(accept) when AlphaGo won the human player.

    Go involves two players who take turns putting markers on a checkerboard-like grid (格子).  Players obtain the opponent's pieces {#blank#}6{#/blank#} surrounding them. The rules are simple, {#blank#}7{#/blank#} playing it is not. It's {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (probable) the most complex game ever created by humans.

    Martin Mueller, a computing science professor, {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (work) on Go programs for 30 years. He once said, "The new program is really a big step up from everything else that we've seen. It's a very {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (amaze) piece of work."

The FIFA World Cup attracts worldwide attention. But have you ever considered how watching the World Cup might affect {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(you) health?

Watching sports might have some positive consequences. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}  (support) a team can give people a sense of community and boost fans' self-esteem when their team wins. Jason Lanter is a psychology professor at Kutztown University who studies the{#blank#}3{#/blank#}(behave) of sports fans. Lanter says people feel like they fit in. They know there {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(be) good psychological and health benefits simply from being part of a group.

On the other hand, however, when watching{#blank#}5{#/blank#}intense match like the World Cup, people's pulse can{#blank#}6{#/blank#}(easy) spike(激增), which could cause heart attacks, especially when their teams lose. On the day in 1998 when Argentina defeated England in the World Cup, 55 more people {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(admit) to hospitals due to heart attacks,{#blank#}8{#/blank#} (compare) to an average day in England. British research revealed that apart {#blank#}9{#/blank#}heart attacks, the excitement, disappointment and flow of adrenalin from watching a national team play might also cause more domestic violence.

John Ryan, a cardiologist at the University of Utah advised people to stay hydrated, stay cool and eat and drink alcohol in moderation. He said those pieces of advice{#blank#}10{#/blank#}we found useful for life in general were also useful while we were watching sports games.