During my first year in China,I spent the summer holiday{#blank#}1{#/blank#}my family at the seaside in Beidaihe.The hotel {#blank#}2{#/blank#}we were staying in was near the sea,so we used to spend most of our time{#blank#}3{#/blank#}(swim).Now,my wife is from Switzerland and when she was at home,she bought me a watch as{#blank#}4{#/blank#}present.The watch she bought{#blank#}5{#/blank#}(be) waterproof（防水的）and I never took it off,even when I was having a bath.When I went swimming at Beidaihe,I didn't take my watch off either.On the last day of our holiday,I went swimming and{#blank#}6{#/blank#}(come) out of the sea without my watch.As I was leaving,the manager of the hotel said,“Leave your address and phone number so that we can send your watch to you if we can find it.”I did so but I wasn't very{#blank#}7{#/blank#}(hope).One week later,I got a phone call from the hotel.The man who{#blank#}8{#/blank#}(find) my watch was a PLA man.He picked it up when he was out{#blank#}9{#/blank#}(walk) on the beach one day and handed it in at the police station.After several{#blank#}10{#/blank#}(day),I got my watch back and it was still working.

    Most Americans think of New Year as a single day on January lst. However, Chinese-Americans and people from other{#blank#}1{#/blank#}(culture) that use different calendars each have another celebration as well. A good example of this is the Chinese New Year celebration in San Francisco, which is similar to{#blank#}2{#/blank#}we do in Shanghai.

    The most famous part of Chinese New Year in San Francisco is the parade, which{#blank#}3{#/blank#}(watch) by over three million people every year. Over a hundred entries take part in the parade{#blank#}4{#/blank#}(march) through downtown and Chinatown. In the course of the parade, cheering from the crowd is mixed {#blank#}5{#/blank#}music as local community groups wave banners, flags, and carry lanterns. Chinese themed floats will “float” by, including {#blank#}6{#/blank#}long Golden Dragon float that {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(take) one hundred people to operate. Local kung fu schools will perform lion dances when firecrackers explode around their feet.

    For many Americans, celebrating{#blank#}8{#/blank#}(they) ancestral culture is as {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (importance) as American culture, and they celebrate both. If you have a chance {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (visit) the United States, you may have the chance to see some of the celebrations yourself.

One day, Mary was working in her office in London {#blank#}1{#/blank#}she received an email from her friend Joan. In Joan's email, she persuaded Mary {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(look) for a flat in London for her. As she had {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (little) money than before, the flat had to be cheap, but it had to be modern, with elevators and gas lines. Though Mary found {#blank#}4{#/blank#} difficult to find such a flat, she still went from one block to another, looking for a flat {#blank#}5{#/blank#} would meet Joan's requirements(要求). Having tried too many times, Mary came up {#blank#}6{#/blank#} her boss and asked him for advice {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (polite). It was the first time that she {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (talk) with her boss about her personal problems. It happened that the boss just had such a flat for rent, so they quickly reached {#blank#}9{#/blank#} agreement. But to her surprise, when she emailed Joan, telling her the good news, Joan said that she had changed {#blank#}10{#/blank#} mind— she was not going to London.

    When I was in high school our physics teacher gave us a challenge {#blank#}1{#/blank#} involved making a paper airplane of any shape. The only objective was to get it to fly as far as possible. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (stand) at the starting line, one of my classmates took a piece of flat paper, crumpled (把…捏成一团) it up, and {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (throw) it down the way. He beat the class with ease. Some of the students got mad and said that he cheated, but the physics teacher {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (clear) explained it could be any shape and that a paper ball was indeed a shape.

    Students are busy. Between classes, work, homework and family, there can be a lot to balance. So why would we suggest that you add another thing to that list by {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (join) a student organization? First of all, it presents many opportunities to learn more about {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (you), your goals, and your strengths. You can also find out what you're good at, whether that's listening, staying organized, or serving others. This self-awareness {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (be) beneficial in your future career.