The music you love could end up making you deaf. More {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (special), the way you listen to the music you love could be making you deaf.

    The problem is headphones. In the past, we {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (play) music out into the air. Then earmuff-style（耳罩式）headphones were invented and we were able to music much {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (close) to our ears. Now we have car buds（耳塞）, which many doctors think are worse than older headphones because they play music directly into the ears. Also, ear buds are not as good as blocking outside noise, so people {#blank#}4{#/blank#} use them may turn the volume（音量）{#blank#}5{#/blank#} to dangerous levels.

    What's dangerous level? Well, it {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (depend) on how long you are going to listen to the noise. This is the next problem. Very, very loud sounds can be dangerous to your hearing even if you only listen to them for a few minutes. But scary {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (true) is that even “normal” seeming noise can be dangerous {#blank#}8{#/blank#} you listen to it all the time.

Think for three minutes about how long you spend {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (listen) to loud noises with headphones every day. Then do some research. There are resources online to tell you what volumes {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (be) safe, and for how long. Don't take your hearing for granted.

    Confucius(孔子) is honored {#blank#}1{#/blank#} setting the tone for much traditional Chinese music for thousands of years. He {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (think) to be a music teacher and a {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (talent) musician who was able to play several instruments expertly. Perhaps for other people around the world, music was meant mainly for amusement.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} during the time of the Zhou Dynasty about 500 BC, music had an important role in making society stable.

    How music was used and performed is expressed in several main Confucian books. Confucius taught that {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (educate) somebody, you should start with poems, emphasize ceremonies, and finish with music.

    Musical knowledge was {#blank#}6{#/blank#} matter of higher learning. It is said that he thought of the six most important {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (subject) to study, ranking music higher than the other five necessary subjects like writing and mathematics.

    Music was so important because the ideal society was to be governed by ritual (礼制) functions, but not by law. In a culture {#blank#}8{#/blank#} people function according to ritual, music is used to help govern them. So music wasn't really {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (entertain), but a means for musicians to accomplish political and social goals. Music is {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (eventual) a means for social happiness.

    On January 25, 2020, over a billion people in China and millions around the world will celebrate the Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival. The ancient tradition, {#blank#}1{#/blank#} date is determined by the lunar calendar and falls somewhere between January 21 and February 20 each year, is the{#blank#}2{#/blank#} (long) and most important of all Chinese festivals.

The preparations will {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (official) begin with Little Year on January 17, 2019. It is observed with a day of memorial and prayer ceremonies. Other Little Year activities include cleaning the house {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(sweep) away bad luck and hanging spring couplets —red decorations hung in pairs —on doorways for wealth. Since red {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (believe) to keep misfortune and evil spirits away, it can be noticed in everything from clothing to {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(lantern) used to decorate houses.

    Often {#blank#}7{#/blank#}  (consider) the most important meal of the year, the reunion dinner is both delicious and rooted in Chinese tradition. {#blank#}8{#/blank#}whole chicken symbolizes family togetherness, while long uncut noodles show longevity (长寿). Wealth is represented by dumplings and spring rolls. Children receive red envelopes filled {#blank#}9{#/blank#} money and inspiring messages from elders and are often allowed to stay up late to watch the {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(amaze) fireworks shows.

    The two-week long celebrations will end on February 8 — the day of the full moon — with the Lantern Festival.

    Two ladies living in opposite apartments say "hello" when they meet each other in the corridor. One of them says, "I moved here five years ago, {#blank#}1{#/blank#} I never met you before. Could I ask your name please?" The other says, "I {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(be) here for six years. How should I call you?"

    It seems very ridiculous {#blank#}3{#/blank#} people living so near don't know each other for such a long time. However, you can find this kind of story {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (perform) everywhere. It is the exact {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (reflect) of interpersonal relationships in the modern world. In the modern world most people live in apartments. They close their doors and never go out as soon as they get home from work. If they live alone, they will kill their time {#blank#}6{#/blank#}watching TV or reading magazines. They don't have any connections even with their {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(close) neighbors, who seem no different from people they meet every day in {#blank#}8{#/blank#} street.

    This phenomenon is no good to us, nor to our society. People will feel more and more lonely. The world becomes so indifferent. It's time that we {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (take) some measures to improve it. People living in the same place can {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (organize) to have some activities. We should call on people to be friendly to each other.

    Mr.Brown was tired of living in the big city {#blank#}1{#/blank#} he worked. He wanted to move to the country and live in a house from which he could get to his office in the city early every day. He {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (look) for a house when he saw an advertisement in a newspaper one day. The advertisement said that a suitable house in a quiet area was up for sale {#blank#}3{#/blank#} a reasonable price, and the house was within a stone's throw of a railway station from which there were frequent {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (train) to the big city.

    "That's exactly {#blank#}5{#/blank#} I need," Mr. Brown said to {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (him). So he called the housing agency and arranged to go by train the next day {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (have) a look at the house.

    The housing agent met him at the station and they started walking. It took them at least 15 minutes to get to the house. When they finally arrived, Mr. Brown said {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (angry), "I should be very {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (interest) to meet the man who threw the stone you mentioned in {#blank#}10{#/blank#} newspaper."