My family objected violently when my brother and I said{#blank#}1{#/blank#}were going to spend the Christmas holidays abroad. But nothing could persuade us {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(stay). Two days{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Christmas, we went to a small town in Southern Germany. We spent {#blank#}4{#/blank#}whole of Christmas Eve sightseeing.

       There were so many activities in the town that they added to our{#blank#}5{#/blank#}(excite). The streets were crowded with people{#blank#}6{#/blank#}the shops were full of wonderful things. In the evening, we went to listen to Christmas songs sung by children around the{#blank#}7{#/blank#}(bright) decorated Christmas tree in the main street. We returned to our hotel late that night, greatly{#blank#}8{#/blank#}(look) forward to the next day when we planned to have a meal at the best restaurant in town.But in the morning the streets were empty. To make matters worse, all the shops including the restaurants {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(shut). At last we had to return to our hotel, feeling very miserable. Our Christmas“feast” was a bag of fruits, which my brother had happened to buy the daybefore. Our thoughts sadly turned to home {#blank#}10{#/blank#}, at that moment, the entire family must have been wishing us a “Merry Christmas.”

       We think that life in Chinese high school is an adventure in which we have to survive mountains of homework and all kinds of exams. Yet would it be {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(surprise) if I tell you that high school life in the US is almost as stressful and demanding

 {#blank#}2{#/blank#}it is in China?

       In US high school, everything must {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(record) into your studying document, including your grades on quizzes, tests and final examinations. Failing

 {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(turn) in your homework on time will directly affect your grade for a certain course. Perhaps completely different from {#blank#}5{#/blank#}we used to think of theUS high school students, they pay great attention to {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(they) academic performance in order that they can get into a distinguished university.

       Like university students, US high school students have the {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(free) to choose the courses that most interest them. Even a ninth-grader can sit {#blank#}8{#/blank#}the same classroom as 12th-graders. But this also {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(mean) he orshe has to work very hard, because the teacher will not treat him or her {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (different).

    More and more public schools in America make it a rule that students must finish a certain amount of community service {#blank#}1{#/blank#} they are allowed to graduate from high school. They work on projects like making the environment better or {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (feed) homeless people.

    Many school systems in the United States now ask students {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (do) some kinds of community service as part of their studies. Students involved in service projects help {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (they) as well as their communities. They learn about the needs of people and aid {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (organize).For this reason, holidays {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (become) the prime period for volunteer work so far. Volunteers get no pay, but experts point out that it is {#blank#}7{#/blank#} excellent opportunity to learn and practice new skills.

    According to the statistics, more than 60% of young Americans have participated {#blank#}8{#/blank#} different kinds of community service, such as cooking for homeless people, or painting old buildings, etc. Some students like to do their volunteer work in {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (centre) parts of America, but the majority of teens prefer to do it in their hometowns. Tom, a 16-year-old middle school student in California, often {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (do) community service in a local hospital. He works 16 hours every week either receiving calls at the information desk, or helping push patients back to their wards (病房).

    When HarmonyOS, the Chinese self-developed operating system for Huawei mobile devices,  {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(release) on Aug 9, it quickly became a hot topic on social media. Many believe it not only represents the rise of the country {#blank#}2{#/blank#}a tech power, but also shows respect for classical Chinese culture by {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(name) the system "Hongmeng" in Chinese.

    Besides "Hongmeng; Huawei has also registered many of its  {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(product) under the names of legendary creatures from Chinese mythology. For example, the company's server chip is called "Kunpeng", a mythical creature  {#blank#}5{#/blank#}changed from a fish into a giant bird.

    In fact, Huawei is not alone in using  {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(tradition) culture for modem enterprises. {#blank#}7{#/blank#}.(base) on the well-known work of classical Chinese mythology The Investiture of the Gods, Ne Zha is shown as a rebellious underdog, who has to overcome hardship and his dark fate to become a hero,  {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(like) his attractive heroic character in previous cinematic works.

    As Global Times put {#blank#}9{#/blank#}, "ancient mythology has the power to stimulate contemporary imagination in young people". After all, imagination is  {#blank#}10{#/blank#}beginning of creation.