I will never forget that at the age of 9 I was asked to deliver a speech entitled A Challenge in My Life before the whole class! You can 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 could do nothing but {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (prepare) for it, though. First, I was to draft the speech, which was just a piece of cake for me, a good writer. But the hardest part {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (lie) in my oral presentation from my memory, for to read from the paper was not allowed. The real moment began {#blank#}5{#/blank#} I stood on the platform with my legs trembling and my mind blank. But my {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (listen) were waiting patiently without any signs of rushing me. Gradually I found myself back, giving out my speech tongue-tiredly. 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 {#blank#}8{#/blank#}big audience disappeared. Actually with my confidence building up, I now turn out to be a great speaker. Looking back, I know the greatest difficult on our way {#blank#}9{#/blank#} success is our fear. Overcome it, {#blank#}10{#/blank#} you will be able to achieve your goals.

    Qigong,{#blank#}1{#/blank#} (call) “Life Energy Cultivation” in China, is a practice of focusing on breath, movement, and awareness for exercise, and healing(愈合). If you have taken Chinese lessons, you must be familiar with Confucius, according to {#blank#}2{#/blank#}qigong provides a means to become a Junzi(gentleman) through awareness of morality. Taoism considers qigong to be able to provide a way to achieve spiritual improvement. Qigong is{#blank#}3{#/blank#}(traditional) viewed as a practice to balance qi (inner life energy), which is now practiced throughout China and worldwide.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}a form of gentle exercise, qigong is made up of movements that are typically repeated, strengthening the body. Qigong {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(believe) to help develop human potential, allow access to higher degrees of awareness, and awaken{#blank#}6{#/blank#}(one) “true nature”.

    What makes qigong special is that it can be done {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(lie), sitting , or standing; thus it is {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(access) for disabled persons, seniors, and people recovering from injuries. As a healing art, qigong practitioners focus on prevention and self-healing, which has been widely used in China as part of traditional Chinese medicine, and is included in the curriculum of Chinese{#blank#}9{#/blank#}(university). Besides, qigong is practiced for self-cultivation as a means to get rid of {#blank#}10{#/blank#}complexity of the earth.

    California is the third {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(large) state in the USA and it is the most multicultural state. About 15,000 years ago, the first {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(settle) crossed the Bering Strait and arrived in California. The Native Americans suffered {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(great) after the arrival of the Europeans in the 16th century. In the 18th century, California{#blank#}4{#/blank#}(rule) by Spain until 1821 when the people of Mexico gained their independence{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Spain. California then became part of Mexico. But after the American-Mexican war in 1846, California was given to the USA.

    In 1848, gold was discovered in California，{#blank#}6{#/blank#}attracted people from all over the world to arrive there{#blank#}7{#/blank#}(achieve) their dreams of becoming rich. In 1850, California became{#blank#}8{#/blank#} 31st state of the USA as a multicultural society.{#blank#}9{#/blank#} (attract) by the climate and lifestyle, more and more people from different parts of the world have been immigrating to California{#blank#}10{#/blank#}(include) Asians, Africans and Europeans.

(Near the school gate, a woman driver was stopped by a traffic officer.)

Officer: Madam, do you know how fast you were going just now?

Driver：(looking at the record) Uh, well, no! I didn't think I was going that fast...

Officer：This is a 25 mph zone，Madam. You see that school over there? You {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (go)35 mph.

Driver: {#blank#}2{#/blank#} today is Sunday, sir. There is no school today.

Officer: That doesn't matter, madam. There{#blank#}3{#/blank#} (be)signs that say what the speed limit is. Besides, children often come to school on the weekend {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (play)sports. You see all those kids over there? What {#blank#}5{#/blank#}you hit one of them by accident?

Driver: I'm {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (terrible)sorry, officer, I won't do it again. Could you please let me off with {#blank#}7{#/blank#} warning?

Officer: I'm afraid I can't do that, madam. In school zones，I'm required to give tickets to all drivers {#blank#}8{#/blank#} break the rules. It's the law in this county.

Driver: Oh, dear! {#blank#}9{#/blank#} is this going to cost me?

Officer: I don't know, madam. Usually, these things can be taken care of for {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (little)than $ 100.Now please sign here at the bottom.

Driver: OK.

    Nowadays, millions {#blank#}1{#/blank#} lonely singles are now going online instead. The World Wide Web is quickly becoming{#blank#}2{#/blank#} world's most popular matchmaker(媒人).

    Singles are flocking(涌向) to the Internet {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (main) because their busy lifestyles leave them little time to look for a significant other. Using dating sites(约会网址) is quick and convenient. Many singles say the regular dating scene {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (lead) them from one bad experience to {#blank#}5{#/blank#} and are ready to try something else. Dating sites also make {#blank#}6{#/blank#} easy to avoid someone {#blank#}7{#/blank#} you are not interested in. In the real world, {#blank#}8{#/blank#}, ignoring someone you don't like can be difficult.

    Despite all the advantages, online dating also presents its own set of problems. People aren't always those who they declare to be in their online {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (describe). Safety is another concern. You are just {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (like) to find a criminal online as you are Mr. Or Miss Right.