He was pleased to learn that Chibi knew all the places where the wild grapes and wild potatoes grew. He was amazed to 1 how much Chibi knew about all the flowers in our class garden. He liked Chibi's black and white drawings and put them up on the wall to be. 2 He like Chibi's own handwriting, which no one but Chibi could read, and he put that up on the wall.

    But, when Chibi appeared on the stage at the talent show of that year, no one could 3 his eyes. "Who is that?" "What can that stupid do up there?"

    Until Mr. Isobe announced that Chibi was going to imitate (模仿). the voices of crows. "Voices?" "Voices of crows?"

    4 he imitated the voices of newly hatched (孵化的) crows. And he made the mother crow's voice. Then he imitated the father crow's voice. He showed how crows cry early in the morning. He showed how crows cry when the village people have some unhappy accidents. He showed how crows 5when they are happy and cheerful. Everyone's mind was taken to the far mountainside from which Chibi probably came to school.

    Chibi made very special 6 deep down in his throat to imitate a crow in an old tree in the end. Now everybody could imagine 7 the far and lonely place where Chibi lived with his family. Then Mr. Isobe explained how Chibi had learned those calls- leaving his home for school at sunrise, and arriving home at sunset, every day for six long years.

    Every one of us cried, thinking how much we had been8 to Chibi all those long years.

    He was a boy beyond our usual imagination!

    A "Gap Year" is a period of time when a student takes a break before going to university. It is often spent traveling or working. It can give young people useful learning experience and new skills.

    Gap years are popular with European and Australian students, but remain less popular in America. However, in recent years, more and more American students are preparing for college by taking a gap year. The advantages of taking a gap year are as follows:

    Learn about the World and Yourself

    Although you don't have to go abroad to experience gap years, most gap year students catch the chance to travel abroad. You are able to work out who you are and what you are for. The experience of different cultures offer you interesting lessons. You can learn more about the world and get to know yourself better.

    Face Challenges and Have Fun

    A gap year is not only a time to take a vacation, but also a time to face challenges. Gap year students usually work, volunteer or take service projects. You have to learn how to get along in the real world. This process isn't always easy, but it is an important part of growing up. Only in this way can you enjoy life and have fun.

    Save Money and Improve Your College Admission Chances

    There's a common thought that gap years are only for rich students, but it's not true. Actually, taking a gap year can save your money. Gap year students often take a par-time job. Besides, at the end of a gap year, students are much more likely to know what to study in college. Clear learning goals can keep the students working hard instead of wasting time and money playing.

    Imagine an admission officer trying to admit (录取) only one between two students. Both of them are excellent and have high grades. However, one student has much practical experience or has volunteered in his vacation.

    Who do you think the admission officer will choose?

    When I was 17, I read a magazine article about a museum called the McNay, once the home of a watercolorist named Marian McNay. She has requested the community to turn it into a museum upon her death. On a sunny Saturday, Sally and I drove over to the museum. She asked, "Do you have the address?'", but I'll recognize it, there was a picture in the magazine."

    "Oh, stop. There it is!"

    The museum was free. We entered, excited. A group of people sitting in the hall stopping talking and stared at us.

    "May I help you?" a man asked. "No," I said. "We're fine." Tour guides got on my nerves. What if they talked a long time about a painting you weren't that interested in? sally had gone upstairs. The people in the hall seemed very nosy (爱窥探的) ,keeping their eyes on me with curiosity. What was their problem? I saw some nice sculptures in one room. Suddenly I sensed a man standing behind me. "Where do you think you are?" he asked. I turned sharply. "The McNay Art Museum!" he smiled, shaking his head. "Sorry, the McNay is on New Braunfels Street." "What's this place?" I asked, still confused. "Well, it's our home." My heart jolted (震颤) .I raced to the staircase and called out." Sally! Come down immediately!"

    There's some really good stuff (艺术作品) up there." She stepped down, looking confused. I pushed her toward the front door, waving at the family, saying, "Sorry, please forgive us, you have a really nice place "Outside, when I told Sally what happened, she covered her mouth, laughing. She couldn't believe how long they let us look around without saying anything.

    The real McNay was splendid, but we felt nervous the whole time we were there. Van Gogh, Picasso. This time, we stayed together, in case anything else unusual happened.

    Thirty years later, a woman approached me in a public place. "Excuse me, did you ever enter a residence, long ago, thinking it was the McNay Museum?"

    "Yes. But how do you know? We never told anyone."

    "That was my home. I was a teenager sitting in the hall Before you came over, I never realized what a beautiful place I lived in. I never felt lucky before. You thought it was a museum. My feelings about my home changed after that. I've always wanted to thank you."

Should we allow modern building to be built next to older buildings in a historic area of a city? In order to answer this question, we must first examine whether people really want to preserve the historic feel of an area. Not all historical buildings are attractive However, there may be other reasons for example economic reasons — why they should be preserved. So, let us assume that historical buildings are both attractive and important to most people. What should we do then if a new building is needed?

    In my view, new architectural styles can exist perfectly well alongside an older style. Indeed, there are many examples in my own home town of Tours where modern designs have been placed very successfully next to old buildings. As long as the building in question is pleasing and does not dominate (影响) its surroundings too much, it often improve the attractiveness of the area.

    It is true that there are examples of new buildings which have spoilt (破坏) area they are in, but the same can be said of some old building too. Yet people still speak against new buildings in historic areas. I think this is simply because people are naturally conservative (保守的) and do not like change.

    Although we have to respect people's feeling as follow users of the buildings, I believe that it is the duty of the architect and planners to move things forwards, If we always reproduced what was there before, we would all still be living in caves. Thus, I would argue against copying previous architectural styles and choose something fresh and different, even though that might be the more risky choice.