Directions: Fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. assistance   B. hit   C. hopelessness   D. need   E. ordered   F. pressure G. shared   H. signal   I. starving   J. active   K. unity

The White Flag: An Old Symbol Take on a New Meaning

Raising a plain white flag has historically been considered a symbol of surrender (投降). But recently, in Malaysia, the white flag has taken on a new meaning. In July 2021, a social media movement encouraged people who had trouble making ends meet to use a white flag to 【小题1】 for help. This was the beginning of the white flag movement.

Like most countries, Malaysia has been 【小题2】 hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. Following a government-【小题3】 lockdown on June 1, many people couldn’t find work. The local news began reporting stories of people who were living on a single meal a day. The 【小题4】 of lockdown also led to an increase in mental health problems. But 【小题5】 was on the way.

In July, a businesswoman made a post online that encouraged Malaysians who needed aid to raise a white flag outside their house. The post was 【小题6】 over 20,000 times in 24 hours. People made Facebook groups and started posting photos of groceries that they could donate as well as addresses of those in 【小题7】.

The movement quickly gained attention. When 20 white flags were raised in a fishing village, the local fire department provided food and supplies. A grocery store chain even asked people to report white flag so it could send food to 【小题8】 families.

The white flag movement shows that even in the face of 【小题9】, people will help each other out. In Malaysia, the white flag is no longer a symbol of surrender: it now stands for 【小题10】.