A festival for the Dead is held once a year in Japan. This is a traditional festival in Japan and many {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(celebrate) are held. This festival is a cheerful occasion. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}this day, the dead are said to return to their homes and they are welcomed by the living. As they are expected to be {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(hunger) after their long journey, food is laid out for them. Specially-made lanterns are hung outside each house {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(help) the dead to find their way. All night long, people dance and sing. In the early morning, the food that has been laid out for the dead is {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(throw) into a river or into the sea as {#blank#}6{#/blank#}is considered unlucky for anyone living to eat it. In towns{#blank#}7{#/blank#}are near the sea, the small lanterns hung in the streets the night before are placed into the water when the festival is over. Thousands of lanterns slowly drift（漂）out to sea {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(guide) the dead on their return journey to the other world. At {#blank#}9{#/blank#}same time, crowds of people stand on the shore watching the lanterns drifting away  {#blank#}10{#/blank#}they can be seen no more.

    Nowadays, there are a lot of reminding days in the world. World Read Aloud Day is celebrated each year on the first Wednesday of March. It{#blank#}1{#/blank#}(start) by the LitWorld.org website in 2010 and has now reached 65 countries.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}aim is to encourage people worldwide who cannot read to enjoy the benefits of a book. The website asks everyone{#blank#}3{#/blank#}(celebrate) the day by taking a book, finding an audience and reading out aloud. It is about taking action to show the world that the right to read and write{#blank#}4{#/blank#}(belong) to all people. The website asks visitors to join in the movement to reduce the number of illiterate(不识字的) people in the world. It is{#blank#}5{#/blank#}(absolute) necessary to help those{#blank#}6{#/blank#}cannot read. The website says, “It's time to start by reading aloud to{#blank#}7{#/blank#}might like it. Share a book with a child who might need it, share a story with someone who would treasure it, listen patiently{#blank#}8{#/blank#}someone else's story as they share with you.” The United Nations says, ”Literacy involves a{#blank#}9{#/blank#}(vary) of learning in{#blank#}10{#/blank#}(enable) individuals to achieve their goals, to develop their knowledge and to participate fully in society.” In that way, World Read Aloud Day does help make a difference.

    Here, let me share one of my experiences with you. When I was a ten-year-old girl, I was once asked to deliver a speech titled “A Real Test in My Life” before the whole class! Just imagine how {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(terrible) shy I was the moment I thought of that with so many eyes {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(fix) upon me. I had no other {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(choose), though. First I was to draft the speech and that was just a piece of cake for me, because I was a good writer — something to pride myself in. But the hard part {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(lie) in my oral presentation; to read from {#blank#}5{#/blank#} paper was not allowed; I had to give the speech from my memory and in front of such a big audience ! A real trial began when I stood on the platform with my legs trembling and my mind blank. How much time had passed by, I didn't know. My listeners were still waiting, patiently and without any signs of rushing me. Gradually I found {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (I) back，giving out my speech with difficulty. Finally I finished. After {#blank#}7{#/blank#} seemed to be a hundred years, I found my audience applauding. I made it! From then on, my fear of talking before an audience disappeared. Actually with my confidence building {#blank#}8{#/blank#}， I now turn out to be a great speaker.{#blank#}9{#/blank#} (Look) back, I know the greatest difficulty on our way to success is our fear; overcome it，{#blank#}10{#/blank#} we will be able to achieve our goals.

People eat rice all over the world

    Rice is believed to have been first grown in China or possibly somewhere else in eastern Asia around 10,000 years ago. The earliest evidence of rice farming comes from a 7,000-year-old site near the lower Yangtze River village of Hemudu in Zhejiang province in China.

    Rice is a kind of food which requires much labor. In developed countries, the planting and harvesting is done {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (most) with machines.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}, in much of the world, these things are still largely done by hand. It takes one farmer 1,000 to 2,000 working hours {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (raise) a rice crop on 2.5 acres of land. The fact that rice {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (need) so much labor means {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (keep) a lot of the population on the land.

    Rice is also a crop{#blank#}6{#/blank#} need of lots of water. The wet rice {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (grow) in most of Asia needs hot weather after a period of rain and conditions provided by the Asian {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (rain) seasons affect many places {#blank#}9{#/blank#} rice is grown.

    Rice straws (稻杆) {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (leave)in the fields add nutrients (营养物) to the soil after rice is harvested. For the next crop, rice farmers can often enjoy a good harvest by adding little or no fertilizer (肥料).