We watched as Shackleton and the boat sailed away from Elephant Island. It was easy 【小题1】 (imagine) the danger ahead. There was nothing like a good dinner and some music to cheer us 【小题2】.

To stay alive was not easy. The island had no water. We could only melt ice from the ocean and drink the water from 【小题3】. There were no trees growing on Antarctica and no oil, so the only fuel we could use was animal fat. We had to be careful not to go outside too often, 【小题4】 the changing temperatures could make us ill. Many of us also 【小题5】 (fall) ill from the smoke of the animal fat we burnt for our fires.

We lived like this in the cold for four months. Our discipline and team spirit kept us 【小题6】 (optimism) and helped us deal with our fears 【小题7】 a positive and successful way. When we 【小题8】 (rescue), we felt such relief and joy 【小题9】 many of us could not hide our tears. Our optimism and faith in Shackleton had helped us persevere in staying alive. Eventually, he paid us back by his commitment to save us from a slow but painful 【小题10】 (die).

Liu Cong, a 34-year-old illustrator (插画师), attracted by one particular aspect of the splendid city, the hutong, 【小题1】 (live) in Beijing since 2012. She enjoys 【小题2】 (ride) a bicycle and wandering through hutong neighborhoods. These narrow alleys consisting of trees, small shops and gray-walled courtyards, or siheyuan, contribute to a sense 【小题3】 community and offer a glance of a fast-disappearing way of life.

Last year, Liu moved to a courtyard in Chaodou hutong, 【小题4】 her friend, architect Jie Xiaofeng, had stayed for many years. There, Liu started a series of illustrations. With those 23 illustrations being displayed at the Shijia Hutong Museum now, in an 【小题5】 (exhibit) titled Wandering, Liu is popular among illustrators.

“Each of the 【小题6】 (yard) hidden in the hutong, as is known to people, 【小题7】 (be) different and full of the wisdom of the enthusiastic residents, who 【小题8】 (full) use the limited space 【小题9】 (create) comfortable and convenient surroundings for their families,” says architect Jie. What she loves about living in the hutong is 【小题10】 it offers a kind of close connection with her neighbors.

I was 【小题1】 smartphone addict. The smartphone had taken up too much of my time, and I could have done something more meaningful than just looking at a tiny screen all day, but 【小题2】 was not easy to quit the habit. 

One day, I looked down at my smartphone when 【小题3】 (cross) the road, and I was nearly knocked off my feet. At that moment, I realized I had to make a change. 

The first day was the 【小题4】 (hard). Very soon, time slowed down. The empty hours stretched out in front of me, and I felt 【小题5】 (disconnect) from everyone and everything. It was 【小题6】 (scare) at first. Then somehow I began to feel free. Most important of all, I began to appreciate the 【小题7】 (beautiful) in life with my own eyes, instead of through my smartphone camera. My offline relationships benefited as well. 【小题8】the end of the week, I almost did not want to turn my phone back on. I cannot escape from the modern world, but I can cut back 【小题9】 the amount of time I spend on my smartphone every day, and I do. Life beyond 【小题10】 (smartphone) is richer and more beautiful, and I am going to make use of it.