9．　　Very often, we expect our parents to solve our problems, however, they can't solve every problem for us. We should have enough life skills to (1)       the problems waiting for us in the future.
　　This is what (2)       country tries to do now:Helping more students have working sprint. To help us understand the (3)       of hardworking spirit education (劳动教育), the government released a guideline (发布指导方针) recently.
　　The guideline requires students to learn(4)      life skills and form good working habits through such education, and they (5)       work.
　　The government has always tried to help students (6)      the importance of working hard. But many (7)       do not value the importance of working hard and are not interested (8)      doing so. Only 22 percent of primary and middle school students help their parents with everyday housework.
　　School and families play an important (9)       in teaching students about the value of working hard, the guideline says. Every week, primary and middle schools should (10)      students with hardworking spirit classes. They can also organize activities to give students real-world work (11)      . For example, they can teach children how to (12)       trees on Tree-Planting Day.
　　As children's (13)       teachers, parents should also encourage children to do housework. Students should learn more life skills, which include cooking, washing their clothes and tidying up their rooms.
　　We'll (14)       grow up someday, leaving our parents and facing the challenges in life. (15)       we learn enough life skills, we can depend on ourselves.

10．
　　In the United States, most children's birthday parties are held at the home of the birthday boy or girl. It used to be that children's parties were (1)      for children. Parents would drop their kids of and come back when the party was over to take (2)       home.
　　Now, it is more (3)       for the parents' guests to stay for the party as well. This gives the adults time and space to communicate (4)      the kids play games.
　　Kids and adults don't always have the same tastos in (5)      . So when adults are (6)      to go for a child's birthday party, there is usually different food for the adults, like cheese, (7)       Meanwhile, the kids (8)       hot dog and potato chips. Parents may drink some alcohol (酒).
　　Party games are not just for the kids, (9)      . While the children play (10)       games like musical chairs, adults may dance or play card games. Parents and their children can always have fun, and they expect (11)       another birthday party very soon.

12．　　Chinese sprinter (短跑运动员) Su Bingtian won the men's 100 m semifinals (半决赛) during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games on August 1, 2021. He finally achieved his goal in his third Olympic Games. He has already run below 10 seconds in 100 m competitions twice this year. He finished the preliminary race (预赛) at 10. 05 seconds before admitting it was not the best he could do.
　　Su Bingtian set a new Asian record in the men's 100-meter race with a time of 9. 83 seconds at the Tokyo Olympics semifinals to become the first Chinese sprinter to qualify (取得资格) for the final of the event. He also became the first Asian athlete to reach the Olympic final of the event since the digital timer (数字计时器) was introduced.
　　Though he did not win a medal, Su was a breakout star for Team China in Tokyo First, he set a new Asian record of 9. 83 seconds in the men's 100 m semifinal, becoming the first Chinese sprinter to reach the final of the event at an Olympics. Then Su finished sixth in the final, which was also history-making performance.
　　After that, Su joined in the men's 4 x100 m relay event and again made the final and finished fourth in the final. Su Bingtian will be the flag-bearer (旗手)of the Chinese delegation at the closing ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics on Sunday. "This will be my second time to attend the closing ceremony, the first time was in the last Olympic Games," Su told China Media Group.

13．　　Most kids like to play video games. But did you know that some people consider gaming a sport?When people play in video game competitions, it's called eSports.
　　Stanford University held the first eSport event in 1972. Students competed while playing a popular video game. In 1980, the Space Invaders Championship was the first official video game competition. Ten thousand people watched the event.
　　Anyone can play video games. You don't have to be strong or tall to be good at them. Gaming takes skill and practice, however. In this way, the training can be much the same as in traditional sports. Playing video games can be good for you, too. You need to do things over and over again in a game, such as hitting a ball. Studies say this trains the brain to work better in real life.
　　There are summer camps where kids go to develop their gaming skills. Gamers can be part of an Sports team in college, much like being on a soccer team. Some kids enjoy playing so much that they plan to do it as a job. Professional gamers play against each other to win big prize money.
　　Others say gaming can't be a sport because it isn't athletic. Some feel that kids spend too much time inside with made﹣up characters. They say that kids should go outside and get some exercise instead. Some parents worry about bad things their kids could learn from playing video games. For example, if children play games with lots of fighting, that might make them become furious very easily.
　　Like most sports, there are some good and bad things about gaming.

14．　　How does it feel when someone listens to you without stopping or giving their opinion?This is called active listening and it's a great way to understand other people's feelings and build trust between friends.
　　The meaning of active listening
　　Active listening means trying to understand how someone feels by listening carefully to what they're saying and by paying attention to their body language(how their face and body express their feelings). The Week Junior reader Annie, aged 11, explains what it means to her. "When my friends tell me something important, I listen to what they're trying to say. I can tell by their voices and the looks on their faces if they're upset or happy. This makes me feel like I understand them better."
　　The reasons of being active listeners
　　Listening closely to someone without stopping or giving your own opinion shows that you're interested in what they're saying, even if you don't agree. This helps to avoid mistakes and arguments and can make friendship strong. Samaritans is a charity that supports people by listening to their worries. It says, "Really listening to people makes them feel valued and understood, and being able to listen well to others helps you be someone who others feel they can tum to and trust."
　　The ways to be active listeners
　　Listen carefully to what your friend is saying, and avoid jumping in with your own thoughts and feelings. If you really want to talk, Samaritans suggests making a listening sign like nodding your head instead. Ask questions or say things that need more than a yes or no answer, like "Tell me more". Try looking for more information about how they're feeling in their faces and bodies too. "Active listening is a skill and it takes practice," says Samaritans, "but don't give up, and remember you can only do your best."

15．　　Ordering food has never become easier. All you need to do is just open an app, place your order, and wait for your food to be delivered(递送)to your home ﹣this is how people eat in China these days. According to the latest report from the China Internet Information Center, 421 million Chinese people use online food delivery services. That's half of the total number of Internet users in China.
　　 Unsurprisingly, it's mainly young people. A recent report from Meituan, a food delivery service, showed that 86. 3 percent of the service's users are between 20 and 34 years old. These people are the main force making the development of the food delivery industry (行业).
　　Small families depend greatly on food delivery services. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, Chinese families have changed in size over the past ten years. In 2004, only 7. 7 percent of people lived alone. But this number added up to 15. 6 percent in 2019. For small families, cooking takes more time, so ordering food online has become more popular.
　　The improvement of China's food delivery services has also attracted (吸引) more customers. According to Meituan's report, the time it takes to make a food delivery dropped from 38 minutes in 2016 to 29 minutes in 2019. Meituan is also offering more services, delivering products such as fruit, vegetables, medicine and flowers. As its services improve, it's likely that the food delivery industry will keep growing.

16．　　Shopping may he bad for your wallet but it is good for your health, say some experts. Recent studies have shown that "retail therapy"(购物治疗法)is a good way of helping people to deal with sadness. (1)       However, making decisions about what to buy helps get back the feelings of control over environment and self.
　　(2)      Getting something at a low price, for example, can also build up one's feelings of self-worth.
　　Shopping for other people can also help people form healthy relationships. (3)       This connection can make them happier because they feel closer to their family.
　　(4)       A recent article in The Daily Telegraph newspaper in Britain said that walking and carrying shopping bags can bum off 385 calories in a week. And one shopping center in England did an interesting study. (5)       Men can walk for only 1. 5 miles during their average weekly shopping, which usually lasts about 50 minutes per week. A charity known as The Heart Foundation also advises people to shop because it prevents them from sitting, which can be very bad for the heart.

17．Henry is dropping by Claire now. H ＝ Henry, C＝Claire;
C: Hello, Henry. Come in.
H: Oh, sorry. You're having lunch.
C: No, this is breakfast. (1)      
H: Someone told me you're going away after Christmas.
C: (2)      
H: What a life you lead, Claire. What time do you leave for the airport?
C: Oh, at about ten in the morning. (3)      
H: I can drive you to the airport.
C: (4)      
H: I'm free on Wednesday mornings. I'd like to see you off.
C: Thanks a lot. (5)      
H: No problem. See you then.