Due to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP), people all over the world are wearing masks 【小题1】(reduce) the risk of infection. It’s a very simple 【小题2】 incredibly effective method to protect oneself from a 【小题3】 (various) of harmful things. The fact is 【小题4】 masks have been helping mankind for centuries. In the first century, many people in Roman Empire 【小题5】 (work) underground in mines to support their families. But most of them suffered 【小题6】 and even eventually died of respiratory (呼吸的) illnesses. To address this problem, Pliny the Elder (23-79 AD), a Roman philosopher and naturalist, recommended the use of animal bladder (膀胱) skins to stop dust from being breathed in. Although primitive, his idea 【小题7】 (consider) the very first recorded mask invention.

With several outbreaks of 【小题8】 (infect) diseases and the flu, and the rise of pollution caused by industrial waste, the materials in masks have continued to evolve to 【小题9】 (well) protect its wearer. For example, in 2012 when China suffered from smog, mask models such as N95 and KN90, which can filter out this fine particulate (微粒) matter, became highly popular. In the future, masks will continue to improve, hopefully 【小题10】 will the habits of humans.

Ancient Chinese healing methods 【小题1】 (spread) along the Silk Road for over two millennia, but the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has further boosted the internationalization of the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).

Currently celebrating its 10th anniversary, the BRI, 【小题2】 aims are to better connect the world and expand common prosperity, has brought the healing powers of TCM 【小题3】 more countries and regions, bridging different cultures and promoting international cooperation.

In Budapest, Traditional Chinese Medicine Center of Hungary (Qihuang Center) provides 【小题4】 ray of hope for patients seeking relief from various health issues. One such patient is Jozsef Frenyo, an 80-year-old 【小题5】 (retire) teacher who suffers from hearing impairment due to an inflammation (发炎) of the middle ear five years ago. Since then, he had to use a hearing aid -- until he visited the Center two months ago when a “miracle” 【小题6】 (occur).

After 【小题7】 (give) more than 10 acupuncture treatments by TCM expert Zhang Haifang, from northwest China’s Gansu Province, Jozsef’s hearing improved 【小题8】 (significant). He no longer needs the hearing aid.

The center has also helped Jozsef’s son, Csaba Frenyo, who has been struggling with obesity-related health 【小题9】 (issue). A combination of acupuncture and herbal medicine treatments helped him lose nine kilograms within a month, 【小题10】 (ease) his back and knee pains.

The Year in a Word or Two

Can anybody describe a year with only one word?

Each December, the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) nominates (提名) a word to describe the very year 【小题1】 has just passed.

2020 was a very unusual year that was really worthy 【小题2】 (describe) with two words. Two of the obvious words the OED suggested were “pandemic (疫情)” and “lockdown,” due to most of human activities across the globe 【小题3】 (bring) to a stop by the life-threatening disease. Businesses have been closed and people have had to stay in their homes for weeks or even months on end.

【小题4】 I would like to nominate “cooperation” and “hope” as my words of the year because it is supposed to be described in a more positive and   【小题5】 (helpless) way, because there was a great deal of cooperation between countries and international health organizations. China took a leading role in this effort by sending masks and protective clothing to Canada, the United States and Europe,   【小题6】 to countries in the Middle East and Africa. Without this cooperation, the pandemic, bad   【小题7】 it has been, could have been much worse.

And that brings me to my second word: hope. We are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel, and, with a little “hope,” we will get to see the world begin to return to normal.

For young people, it was the first time that they   【小题8】 (experience) something big, a worry that they shared with their families, friends and neighbors, and a suffering   【小题9】 (endure) at this moment and to be endured next few weeks. And they also learned that “hope” — the belief that   【小题10】 you will see tomorrow will be better than today — is at the heart of every human being.

With “cooperation” and “hope,” 2021 should make for a wonderful year.