Young people 【1】 (bear) in 1995 or later have another name in English-Generation Z. Now entering adulthood and soon to join the workforce, Generation Z grew up in a special period of time when new 【2】 (technology) were accepted and the Internet became universal.

It 【3】 (believe) that Generation Z is the generation that is going to shape our future, 【4】 is why policy makers are trying 【5】 best to understand these young people. This is a group of people who have been familiar 【6】 social media as soon as they came to the world. It may be true that Generation Z-ers have a shorter attention span than a goldfish 【7】 (do), but since they became adults among social changes, they are 【8】 (much) active in politics than their parents.

Generation Z-ers are also culture creators.【9】 (grow) up with the Internet has freed this generation from traditional cultural thoughts. These young people never【10】(willing)let their creativity be limited by their parents or traditional rules.

But it isn’t in his native United States that Gavin has really hit the big time, the honor belongs to China. Since creating a profile a mere four months ago on Weibo, Gavin has gained an astonishing 1.8 million followers - and the number continues to grow, along with his fame. On Twitter, by comparison, Gavin has a mere 450,000 followers.

Why is a young American, born in Minnesota and still in elementary school, an instant sensation in the largest country in the world? It’s because of Gavin’s unique facial expressions, which have become a hugely successful viral meme (模仿傳遞行為) . Gavin first made a name for himself in the US, when short videos of him playing with his uncle Nick Mastodon quickly became a hit online. But it wasn’t until Gavin’s videos spread gradually to the Chinese cyberspace, particularly one of his reacting with a nervous smile to a gecko (壁虎) being placed on his head, that his fame truly took off. A picture of Gavin’s face, smiling awkwardly, might be used as many as 10 million times a day across China’s various social media platforms, according to Ann Ding, founder and CEO of Dongtu.com, a major distributor of online gifts, told CNN. Ding said Gavin seemed to be more popular in China than in the US. She estimated that all of the total number of Gavin related pictures used across platforms in China has easily exceeded 1 billion. His appearance on Weibo was widely reported by Chinese state media, and his first trip to China in August made headlines across the country.

【1】Where is Gavin more popular?

A.In the USA.B.In the Europe.

C.All over the world.D.In China.

【2】Gavin Thomas has so many followers because of his ________.

A.unique facial expressionsB.great contribution to China

C.coming to ChinaD.his appearance with his uncle

【3】The underlined word “exceeded” in the last paragraph means________.

A.enlargedB.strengthened

C.surpassedD.finished

【4】Which of the following statements is true?

A.He has never come to China but well-known here.

B.He earned followers not only from the USA but also from China.

C.He became famous when reacting to a gecko placed on his head.

D.Gavin now works in major Chinese social media platforms.

Our annual short-story competition is back for its eighth year. As ever, we look forward to reading yours!

The Rules

Please make sure that stories are new, not previously published and exactly 100 words long (not including the title). We may use entries in all print and electronic media.

Entry is open only to people living in the UK. It is not open to employees of Reader’s Digest and all others associated with this competition, their immediate families and relatives living in an employee’s household.

Terms and Conditions

There are three categories-one for adults and two for schools: one for children aged 12-18 and one for children under 12.

In the adults category, the winner will receive￡1,000 and two runners-up will each receive￡250. In the 12-18s and under-12s categories, the winners will each receive a Fire HD 8 Tablet and a selection of STAEDTLER products worth￡50, plus two STAEDTLER classpacks of pencils for their school. The two runners-up in both categories will each receive a Kindle E-Reader.

Please submit your stories by 5 pm on February 19.

The editorial team will pick a shortlist of entries, which this year will be published by our partner nicereading.com. Winners of the categories will have an opportunity to write a longer version of their stories for inclusion in the book.

The three best stories in each category will be posted on-line at readersdigest.co.uk on February 27. You can vote for your favourite, and the one with the most votes wins the top prize. Voting will close at 5 pm on March 19 and the winning list will be published in our June issue (六月刊) .

【1】Who is allowed to take part in the story competition?

A.A British man of 20.B.A staff of Reader’s Digest.

C.One of the organizers.D.A brother of the staff.

【2】Which of the following will be awarded to the runner-up in the adults category?

A.A Fire HD 8 Tablet.B.A Kindle E-Reader.

C.￡50.D.￡250.

【3】Where will the three best stories in each category will be posted?

A.On TV.B.In a magazine.

C.On a website.D.In a book.

●Snowy winter

【2】 . The natural scenery is “ice blockading for hundreds miles and snow flying through thousands miles”. In the South, the snowflakes fly and the world turns white. About the snow, a proverb goes, “A timely snow promises a good harvest”. As the snow covers the ground, pests living through the winter will be killed by the low temperature.

●【3】

Wintersweet(臘梅花)usually blossoms in mid-to-late December in some southern cities of China. Sometimes it even blooms earlier. Wintersweet originated in China and is highly appreciated in Chinese culture for its endurance in severe winters. With pine and bamboo, it is referred to as one of the Three Friends of Winter.

●Eating lamb

Lamb is the main food chosen by Chinese people during Major Snow.【4】. People in Chongqing like to have potted lamb soup or stewed(燉)lamb soup with their families and friends. Nanjing residents like to stew the lamb with yams or wolfberries to make it more nutritious.

●Preventing respiratory (呼吸系統(tǒng)) illness

The Chinese people during this period pay attention to the outbreak of respiratory illness, which can be prevented by wearing a warm scarf to protect the neck and drinking water properly. During Major Snow, it is drier and colder, so people should drink more water.【5】.

A.Appreciating wintersweet

B.Blooming wintersweet

C.Here are several things you should know about Major Snow

D.At the same time, don’t drink cold water after exercise

E.But one should drink too much water at once

F.The snow in North China may last a whole day, breaking tree branches and blocking the road

G.It is excellent for nourishing the body, promoting blood circulation and providing protection against the cold.

How could we possibly think that keeping animals in cages in unnatural environments - mostly for entertainment purposes is fair and respectful?

Zoo officials say they are concerned about animals. However, most zoos remain “collections” of interesting “things” rather than protective habitats. Zoos teach people that it is acceptable to keep animals bored, lonely, and far from their natural homes.

Zoos claim to educate people and save endangered species, but visitors leave zoos without having learned anything meaningful about the animals’ natural behavior, intelligence, or beauty. Zoos keep animals in small spaces or cages, and most signs only mention the species’ name, diet, and natural range (分布區(qū)). The animals’ normal behavior is seldom noticed because zoos don’t usually take care of the animals’ natural needs.

The animals are kept together in small spaces, with no privacy and little opportunity for mental and physical exercise. This results in unusual and self-destructive behavior called zoochosis(動物精神病). A worldwide study of zoos found that zoochosis is common among animals kept in small spaces or cages. Another study showed that elephants spend 22 percent of their time making repeated head movements or biting cage bars, and bears spend 30 percent of their time walking back and forth, a sign of unhappiness and pain.

Furthermore, most animals in zoos are not endangered. Captive breeding(圈養(yǎng)繁殖) of endangered big cats, Asian elephants, and other species has not resulted in their being sent back to the wild. Zoos talk a lot about their captive breeding programs because they do not want people to worry about a species dying out. In fact, baby animals also attract a lot of paying customers. Haven’t we seen enough competitions to name baby animals?

Actually, we will save endangered species only if we save their habitats and put an end to the reasons why people kill them. Instead of supporting zoos, we should support groups that work to protect animals’ natural habitats.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

●感謝邀請；

●表達祝愿；

●你不能參加的原因；

●你準備的禮物以及如何送給他；

注意：1. 詞數(shù) 100 左右；

2. 可以適當增加細節(jié), 以使行文連貫；

3. 開頭語和結束語已為你寫好, 不計入總詞數(shù)

Dear Zhang ming

How are you?

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Yours,

Li hua

Keeping a diary in English is an【1】(effect ) way to improve our English writing ability.

【2】(compare)with other forms of writing, it is shorter and takes 【3】(little) time. It can help us to develop the habit of thinking in English. If we persist in this practice, gradually we'll learn how to express ourselves in English. In keeping a diary in English, we certainly run up against many【4】(difficulty). In the first place,【5】often happens that we have trouble【6】(find )appropriate words and phrases to give expression to our mind. Secondly, there are many idiomatic ways of saying things in Chinese. And it is extremely hard for us to put them into English【7】(proper).

As far as I 【8】 (concern), we should always have a notebook and a Chinese-English dictionary within easy reach. 【9】 something beats us, we can first put it down in our notebook and then consult our dictionary. We can also turn to our English teacher for help, if necessary. In short, I believe that it is【10】great use to keep a diary in English for the development of our writing skills.

As I entered the ward, I overheard my relatives making plans for a funeral. My grandfather had remained _______ for almost a week, with a _______ diagnosis from the doctor. Was this really the end for him? _______ at my grandparents' place since young, I_______a very close relationship with them. He would sneak me downstairs for ice cream when Grandmother was in the bathroom, while I _______added more sugar in his morning drink because he had a sweet tooth that Grandmother disapproved of.

I wanted to_______ this quiet man. I did not believe it was his time to go. I had read about paper cranes(鶴) and wishes coming true. For every one thousand folded paper cranes, we get a wish granted by the gods. Ridiculous as it sounds to the adults, I managed to_______ my sisters and cousin to carry out this sacred plan.

The last few cranes were ________but a week later he was still in a deep sleep. The one thousand paper cranes had not delivered our________ to the gods. We only had one wish -was that too________to ask for?

Just when all hope seemed________, a call from my aunt changed everything. She wanted us to come to the hospital immediately my grandfather was awake. A visit to the hospital is ________a pleasant one. However, this time, I was________by the scent(香氣) of flowers that visitors brought. I stepped into my grandfather's ward and saw him holding our jar of paper cranes. This man of few words looked up at me and said, “My good girl, thank you.”

【1】A.hidB.gaveC.forcedD.return

【2】A.beautifulB.miserableC.seriousD.ugly

【3】A.awakeB.silentC.uncertainD.unconscious

【4】A.firmB.wrongC.correctD.discouraging

【5】A.SupportedB.RaisedC.HeldD.Kept

【6】A.improvedB.destroyedC.establishedD.handled

【7】A.secretlyB.delightedlyC.surprisinglyD.gladly

【8】A.callB.understandC.forgetD.awaken

【9】A.allowB.convinceC.adviseD.inform

【10】A.completedB.performC.startedD.left

【11】A.wishB.suggestionC.informationD.opinion

【12】A.heavyB.highC.muchD.far

【13】A.promisingB.lostC.reasonableD.inspired

【14】A.usuallyB.graduallyC.rarelyD.typically

【15】A.praisedB.acceptedC.remindedD.greeted

增加:在缺詞處加一個漏字符號(∧)，并在其下面寫出該加的詞。

刪除:把多余的詞用(＼)劃掉。

修改:在錯的詞下畫一橫線，并在該詞下面寫出修改后的詞。

注意:1.每處錯誤及其修改均僅限一詞；

2.只允許修改 10 處，多者(從第 11 處起)不計分。

Spring is a great time to get outside. My most favorite outdoor activity is gardening. Gardening was popular in many parts of the world. It gives us beautiful flower, fresh fruits and vegetables. But it also gives us many benefits. Firstly, gardening connects people. When we are gardening outdoors, which is a perfect time to talk with your neighbors. Secondly, gardening keeps us strongly. We can easily get many exercise when digging holes or pull weeds. Thirdly, gardening can be great teacher. We can learn a lot about nature and wildlife. So, start gardening this spring!

【1】How should the woman take the medicine in the first three days?

A.One red pill each morning.

B.Two red pills after lunch.

C.Three yellow pills in the evening.

【2】What is the advice from the doctor?

A.Take the disease seriously.B.Keep regular hours.C.Ask for a sick leave.