I was raised in New York City where it's very cold every winter. In the sixth grade, a teacher offered {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (bring) some students to a homeless shelter after school. I went with my friends and the teacher for several weeks. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}, I continued to volunteer to help when they stopped going together. Because I was good {#blank#}3{#/blank#} sewing, I was told to help out with the sewing kit when any guests needed some repairs. Throughout high school I continued to come each week after school, setting up my sewing kit which {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (grow) larger and larger. I got to know the guests who came {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (regular).

    Later on, I started {#blank#}6{#/blank#}sewing club with my friend and we taught {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (we) fellow students how to sew. We made heart-shaped pillows for sick {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (child) and the elderly. Every time it rained I would think about the umbrellas {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (design) before. In the future I hope to continue helping others as much as I can. It is the most important thing I{#blank#}10{#/blank#} (do) ever since.

Woman: Our design class is really interesting. Don't you think so?

Man: Yeah, I like Professor Vargas, {#blank#}1{#/blank#} sometimes he goes too fast, and I feel like I'm missing something. There's a lot we have {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (remember).

Woman: True. There are a lot of details about all the different styles.

Man: Yeah, there are Art Nouveau, and Art Deco, and Art Moderne... I have a hard time {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (keep) it all straight.

Woman: I know what you mean.

Man: For example, it seems to me {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Art Deco and Art Moderne are the same things.

Woman: Well, it's somewhat confusing. They were both popular in {#blank#}5{#/blank#}1930s although Art Deco came a little before Moderne. I think Professor Vargas {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (say) Art Deco started at an exhibition in Paris in 1925. Let me check out my notes. Right, Art Deco was a popular international art design movement from 1923 until the 1940s, {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (affect) the decorative arts such as architecture and {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (industry) design, as well as the visual arts such as fashion, painting, the graphic arts and film.

Man: So, they were about the same time. It's one thing that gets confusing. {#blank#}9{#/blank#} thing is, they seem so similar that it's hard to see why they're {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (consider) different styles.

    Mr. James owns a company. He put an advertisement {#blank#}1{#/blank#}a newspaper for a boy to work in his office. Out of nearly fifty people {#blank#}2{#/blank#}came to apply, the man selected one and dismissed {#blank#}3{#/blank#}others.

    “I would like to know,” said a friend, “the reason you preferred that boy, who brought neither a single letter, {#blank#}4{#/blank#}a single recommendation.”

    “You are wrong,” said the gentlemen. “He had many. He wiped his feet at the door and closed the door behind him, {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(mean) that he was careful. He gave his seat immediately to an old man, showing that he was kind and {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(thought). He took off his cap when he came in and answered my questions quickly, showing that he was a polite gentleman. Everyone else stepped over the book that I {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(put) on the floor purposely. He picked {#blank#}8{#/blank#}up and placed it on the table, and he waited quietly for his turn instead of pushing and crowding. When I talked to him, I {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(notice) his tidy clothing, his neatly brushed hair, and his clean finger mails. Can't you see that these are excellent recommendations? I considered them to be more significant than {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(letter).”

    Hearing the words, the friend nodded in agreement.

    I have even wondered if money buys happiness. It seems that money will allow me to buy the things {#blank#}1{#/blank#}make me happy. But one day I sat down and made a list of the things I wanted{#blank#}2{#/blank#}(do) in my life. I realized I'd never put much thought into it. I'd written down these things —like taking a photo on the mountain and staying at a hotel in Dubai, but I didn't really plan to do it, {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (simple) because I didn't have the time.

    My life consisted {#blank#}4{#/blank#} heading to the office, running on the road, working some more …It didn't matter if my salary doubled; the life would stay {#blank#}5{#/blank#}same. Sure I'd probably drive a {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (nice) car, move into a bigger place, and have a bigger TV than my friends, but that wasn't helping me realize any of my goals. Six months after{#blank#}7{#/blank#} (create) that list, my belief has changed. I'd keep working on my list, for {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (experience) were much more important than any of the material items. It's not hard to create opportunity for {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (you). All it {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (take) is a little creative thinking.

    Keeping a diary in English is a{#blank#}1{#/blank#}(use) way to improve our English writing abilities. Compared with other forms of writing, it is shorter and take{#blank#}2{#/blank#}(little) time. It can help us to develop the habit of thinking in English. If we insist on this practice, gradually we'll learn how to expresses {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(we) in English. Keeping a diary in English, we certainly run up against many difficulties. In the first place, it often happens that we have trouble {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(find) proper words and phrases to give{#blank#}5{#/blank#}(express) to our mind. Secondly, there are many idiomatic(惯用的)words in Chinese. And{#blank#}6{#/blank#}is extremely hard for us to put them into English{#blank#}7{#/blank#}(proper).

    As far as I am concerned, my suggestion is{#blank#}8{#/blank#}we should always have a notebook and a Chinese-English dictionary{#blank#}9{#/blank#}easy reach. Whenever something beats us, we can first put it down in our notebook and then consult our dictionary. We can also turn to our English teacher for help, if necessary. In short, I believe that it is of great use to keep a diary in English for the development of our writing{#blank#}10{#/blank#}(skill).