One fresh sunny day, while I was swimming in the water, I felt something special going through my gills(鳃).It was a different kind of water. I also found many of my friends became sick. Some of them were dying. I was starting to worry because I didn't want to get sick or die. I was also thinking about what I should do to save my friends, so I decided to do some research for my underwater life.

    My research started. At first, I noticed there were many bottles, cans and other kinds of rubbish in the water. Then I went on… I got closer and then I tasted many different kinds of liquid(液体).(A)To my surprise, I noticed a man pouring some liquid into the water. Others also saw him doing so and they decided to follow him. I hated it! I wish I could have told them that it was killing us!

    I think it is so stupid for people to do this to the earth that they are living on! I can't understand (B)      they are doing this. Humans should stop throwing waste into the lakes or rivers. I want to have a normal life with my friends. People should stop being so selfish and care about the environment. If they do that, everyone will be fine and will have nothing to worry about. I suggest they follow my words. If so, I believe everyone will be able to live a happy life.

    China had one of the earliest civilizations(文明) in the world. ⑶We know the Chinese had a written language as early as 1500 BC. You can see that Chinese writing is very different from the writing in other countries. The Chinese use a different character for each word. People in many countries have to learn only 26 letters but people in China have to memorize about 600 characters before they can do even basic reading and writing.

    A man in China, named Confucius(孔子), was teaching the people of China what they should and should not do. He was a great wise man. His teachings filled several books and became a way of life for the Chinese, and many other people in Asia. Confucius taught that people should listen to their kings, and also that rulers should take care of their people. He taught people to listen to their parents and teachers and to be kind to others. He said, “⑷Don't do to others what you would not want others to do to you.”

    Many inventions were made and used in China before the rest of the world even heard of them. By 600 AD the Chinese had invented printing. After a few centuries, they made the compass, which was a great help to sailors. A compass can tell north from south. The Chinese were the first to discover how to make explosive powder(火药).

    From all this, you can see that the Chinese were very busy making things that the rest of the world found really exciting and helpful when people learnt about them.

⑴⑵根据短文简要回答问题；⑶⑷将短文中划线的句子译成汉语；⑸请给短文拟一个适当的标题。

    On a Wednesday night, a young man was playing the guitar at the station. Some people stopped and put some money into his hat.

    The next day, the young man came to the station again. There was a large piece of paper next to his hat. It said, "Last night, a kind man named Henry put something important into my hat. Please come to get it back soon."

    About half an hour later, an old man came and the young man said, "Yes, I knew you would come back."

    "What did you lose?" asked the young man. "$800, 000," answered the old man. Then the young man took out a check（支票）and gave it back to the old man. The old man was so happy that he danced with the young guitar player.

How to be a better student

    Maybe you are a common student. You probably think you will never be a top student. This is not necessary so, however. Anyone can become a better student if he or she wants to. Here's how:

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    When you plan your week, you should make a list of things that you have to do. After making this list, you should make a schedule of your time. First set your time for eating, sleeping, dressing, etc. Then decide a good, regular time for studying. Don't forget to set aside enough time for entertainment. A weekly schedule may not solve all your problems, but it will force you to realize what is happening to your time.

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    Look around the house for a good study area. Keep this space, which may be a desk or simply a corner of your room, free of everything but study materials. No games, radios, or televisions! When you sit down to study, concentrate on the subject.

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    Take advantage of class time to listen to everything the teachers say. Really listening in class means less work later. Taking notes will help you remember what the teacher says.

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    When you get home from school, go over your notes, review the important points that your teacher is going to discuss the next day, read that material. This will help you understand the next class. If you do these things regularly, the materials will become more meaningful, and you will remember it longer.

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    The purpose of tests is to show what you have learned about a subject. They help you remember your new knowledge. The world won't end if you don't pass a test, so don't be too worried.

There are other methods that might help you with your studying. You will probably discover them after you have tried these,

⑴{#blank#}1{#/blank#} Alice: I want to get some pictures of Jay Chou,

⑵{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Kate: I hope to buy some Christmas cards online.

⑶{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Tom: I need some information on pollution(污染).

⑷{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Harry: I would like to have some information about basketball.

⑸{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Dick: I will go to America. I want to know the famous places and the weather there.