Queen Elizabeth II, the UK’s longest-serving monarch, has died at Balmoral aged 96, after reigning for 70 years. She died 【小题1】 (peaceful) on Thursday afternoon at her Scottish estate, 【小题2】 she had spent much of the summer. The Queen came to the throne in 1952 and 【小题3】 (witness) enormous social changes ever since.

Her son King Charles III said the death of his beloved mother was a “moment of great sadness” for him. “We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished sovereign and a much-loved mother. I know her 【小题4】 (lose) will be deeply felt throughout the country, the realms and the Commonwealth (英联邦国家), and by countless people around the world.” The UK began 【小题5】 10-day mourning period on Sept 9th.

Born in 1926, Elizabeth has experienced the rise of fascism and the fall of the Berlin Wall, World War II, the conquest of space, the 【小题6】 (globe) financial crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Russia-Ukraine conflict. She devoted 【小题7】 (she) to serving her country and the Commonwealth and saw 15 British prime ministers come and go.

She was a popular queen who was also respected 【小题8】 her knowledge of and participation in state affairs. The prime ministers who served under her 【小题9】 (impress) by her knowledge of state affairs and her passion for work.

She is now the past, and her successor, King Charles III, is the future. Where Britain goes from here remains 【小题10】 (see).

Gandhi, an Indian 【小题1】(nation) hero, was honored as the father of the Indian nation. He has been respected and beloved by the Indians.

He was born in India in 1869. 【小题2】(follow) the local custom, he got married at the age of 13. In 1888, he sailed to England where he studied law for three years and became a lawyer. On his return to India, he was sent to South Africa 【小题3】(work) on a law case.

In South Africa he 【小题4】(surprise) to find that the problem of racial discrimination (种族歧视) was serious. There he formed an 【小题5】(organize) and started a magazine to fight for equal rights.

Gandhi returned to India in 1915, when India was controlled by the British. He led the Indians to fight for an end to the British rule and independence for his country. In the political movement many Indians including Gandhi 【小题6】 (put) in prison. 【小题7】, the struggles never stopped. The British government had to give in and India won 【小题8】 (it) independence in 1947. Unfortunately, Gandhi was shot by an Indian 【小题9】 opposed (反对) his views and died 【小题10】 January 30^th, 1948.

In 1910, Chairman Mao had his first contact with English when he entered 【小题1】 new-style school. By 1913, when he enrolled in Hunan First Normal School, formal English courses 【小题2】 (be) already in place.

During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, Chairman Mao seized opportunities to practice spoken English when interacting with foreign journalists. Despite inaccurate pronunciation, he had managed 【小题3】 (grasp) some simple English expressions.

In the Liberation War period, Chairman Mao’s English communication skills improved to con duct basic daily dialogues. He also 【小题4】 (create) translated “paper tiger” into English.

After the establishment of New China, in 1954, Mao began to systematically self-study English 【小题5】 the aim of directly reading original works. He insisted in reading English newspapers and magazines, learning vocabulary, as well as making comments while reading the 【小题6】 (origin).

In his later years of illness, Chairman Mao persisted in learning English and used simple English vocabulary to express 【小题7】 (he) when meeting foreign guests. Throughout his life, Chairman Mao never ceased 【小题8】 (learn) English, which witnessed different stages of his revolutionary career. 【小题9】 (drive) by determination and practical needs, Chairman Mao’s progress in English demonstrated the spirit of struggle 【小题10】 defines a visionary leader.