My Friends' Experience in Learning Foreign Languages

    Last month my family and I travelled to Egypt.

First we went to the Great Pyramids. They were built for the 1 of ancient Egypt. When a king 2, people put him inside a pyramid. They believed that their king would live a 3 life in a pyramid. They put many of the king's things in the pyramid, 4 they thought the king would need them in his new life.

Next, we went 5 the Sphinx (狮身人面像). It has the body of a lion and the head of one of 6 kings of Egypt. I felt sorry7 the Sphinx because its face was broken and it was not as 8 as it was a long time ago. People believed that the Sphinx protected their city by asking visitors questions. If the visitor 9 answer the questions, they could enter the city.

Finally we tried to read the ancient language of Egypt. The language is made of some small pictures.10 could understand these pictures until an Englishman and a Frenchman learned how to read them about 200 years ago.

An old man lived in a village with his little grandson. The old man liked reading books. Every day he got up early to read books. One day, the boy asked, "Grandpa, I read books as you do, but I always forget what I've read very soon. Why do we read? What are the 1 of reading books?"

The old man didn't 2 him but pointed to an old basket and said, "Take this basket to the river and bring me back some 3 with it." The boy did as his grandpa said, but all the water leaked(泄漏) out 4 he got back home. His grandpa laughed and said, "You'll have to run 5 next time."

The boy did again, but the result was the same. "Grandpa, I can't carry water with a basket." "I don't think you are trying your best. Why do you give up so easily?" The old man replied and then he asked the boy to have the last try.

This time the little boy ran as fast as he could and he was very 6. However, there was still 7 left in the basket before he returned home. "Look, Grandpa! It doesn't work! The basket can never be filled with water!" The boy cried, out of breath.

"Really?" The old man said, "Look at the basket 8." The boy looked at the basket and he found that it was a little 9. It was cleaner than it was before.

"That's what happens to you when you read books. You might not understand or 10 everything. But when you go on reading, you will be changed little by little."

Events from Newspapers

    The water hyacinth(水葫芦) is one of the fastest growing water plants and it grows in many countries. It has beautiful purple-blue flowers but most people don't like it.

Millions of water hyacinths grow in rivers and lakes. Sometimes the plants become so thick that people can walk on them. People can't travel on boats on the water and they cannot fish in it. The plants also stop the water from moving. Then the water carries germs(细菌）that may make people and animals get ill. Farmers cannot use it to water their crops, either.

But now scientists think that water hyacinths can be useful. It is easy for these plants to grow. No one has to take care of them. They just grow and grow. So what can farmers use them to do? Some fish like to eat them. Farmers can grow these fish in the lakes and rivers with water hyacinths. Workers can collect and cut the plants with machines. Then they can use them to make their crops grow better. They can also feed their farm animals with them.

What's more, we know methane gas (沼气) can be made from plants. So it will be possible to make methane gas with water hyacinths. Then some poor countries will not have to buy the expensive petrol(石油).

Maybe in the future, people will love the water hyacinth instead of hating it.

    These days, people often donated(捐赠）blood, but do you know that you can also donate your organs(器官）in order save lives?

    Every year, millions of people all over the world in hospital while they are waiting for organs. Ordinary people like you can easily help change this. You can help save lives by becoming an organ donor(捐赠者）when die. Organ transplants have a long history. first successful transplant was in 1954. And organ transplants have a high success rate today.

    Some patients need new, for example. Their hearts no longer strong enough to keep sending blood around the body, and without an organ transplant, they have only a weeks or months left. , if they get new hearts, they will continue to live for fifteen years or more.

    To donate your organs, you can get a donor card at your local hospital, and then one day your organs could save a person's . Today, 1.5 million people in China need a organ. They need your help. When you agree to donate your organs, you agree to continue to help people even after you are gone.

On my recent trip to Sydney with my parents, we visited the Wildlife Park.

The Wildlife Park has lots of different animals and birds. Some are native to Australia and can only be found there. There are over 600 animals there, including kangaroos, koalas and crocodiles. They are kept in their natural environment. I like the Wildlife Park better than a zoo because most animals are in cages in the zoo.

We first spent some time with the kangaroos. We were allowed to touch and feed them. It was very exciting to be so close to them. There were koalas there too. They looked very lovely. Although we were not allowed to carry them, I got to take a photo with one. It is a wonderful souvenir（纪念品）of my holiday in Sydney.

The Wildlife Park has plenty of fresh water and saltwater crocodiles. Some of them are really scary with huge teeth! I didn't want to get too close to them.

I watched a bird show as well. The keepers showed us different species they had. I saw an old parrot which could "talk". It made a great impression on me.

There was so much to see. I felt so excited about the trip.

要点提示：

①描述你曾去过的地方（时间、地点等）

②游玩期间参加的活动（2-3个）

③你的感受

Dear Mark,

I'm glad to hear from you.

Yours,

Li Hua