What {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(be) English for? Some people seem to think it's for practicing grammar rules and {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(learn) lists of words—the {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(long) the lists, the better. That's wrong. Many students know hundreds of grammar rules, {#blank#}4{#/blank#} they can't speak correctly or {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(fluent). They are afraid of making mistakes. English is the working language. It is widely {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(speak) and used in the world. Businessmen and tourists often come to China without being able to speak Chinese. Chinese businessmen, taxi drivers and students talk with them using English. English is also the language of global culture. You can listen to English songs {#blank#}7{#/blank#} the radio {#blank#}8{#/blank#} use English to communicate with people around the world through the Item. With so many people {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(communicate) in English every day, {#blank#}10{#/blank#} will become more and more important to have a good knowledge of English.

    Once there lived a rich man,{#blank#}1{#/blank#} wanted to do something for the people of his town. But first he wanted to find out {#blank#}2{#/blank#} they were worth his help or not.

    In the center of the main road into the town, he placed a very large stone. Then he {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (hide) behind a tree and waited. Soon an old man came along with his cow. “Who put this stone in the centre of the road?” said the old man, but he did not try to remove the stone.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}, with some difficulty he passed around the stone and continued on his way. Another man came along and did {#blank#}5{#/blank#} same thing; then another came, and another. All of them complained {#blank#}6{#/blank#}the stone but none tried to remove it.

    Late in the afternoon a young man came along. He saw the stone,{#blank#}7{#/blank#} (say) to himself, “The night will be very dark. Some neighbors will come along later in the dark and will fall against the stone. ” Then pushing and pulling with all his {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (strong), the young man began to move the stone ... How {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (surprise) he was! There was a bag of money under{#blank#}10{#/blank#}.

    Crows(乌鸦) are remarkably intelligent birds. Now these feathered geniuses are given a job: Six crows have been trained to pick up rubbish in the Puy du Fou historical theme park in western France. Whenever the six crows put cigarette ends or other small {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (piece) of trash in a special container, it offers a treat to reward the crows {#blank#}2{#/blank#} their efforts.

    The idea came from one of the park's employees, Christophe. In 2012, the theme park held a show during which the crows picked up roses and brought them to a “princess”. It was the show {#blank#}3{#/blank#} inspired him. Since then, six crows {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(raise) and trained to do the same with rubbish. The training system is similar to the one for testing crows' intelligence, {#blank#}5{#/blank#} a food dispenser(分发器) gives away a food reward when a crow {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (correct) performs a task. Christophe also introduced other species of birds to go through the training. {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (compare) with other birds, crows are much cleverer.

    The purpose of {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (train) the crows is to educate the people to reflect on themselves. Since the birds are able to protect the environment, we need to care about it too. “It is {#blank#}9{#/blank#} funny way to remind people not {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(throw) the rubbish everywhere,” said Christophe.

    The astronauts will spend 30 days on the Tiankong-2. They plan to perform {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(science) and spacecraft-related experiments and test systems for a future space station. In{#blank#}2{#/blank#}words, the Tiankong-2 laboratory will not be part of that space station. Its main goal is to practice the techniques and the{#blank#}3{#/blank#}(technology) that they will be{#blank#}4{#/blank#}(use)to build and operate that final space station.