A female swimming athlete once set a goal（目标）for herself. She decided to swim across the English Channel before she retired. If she could succeed, she would be the first person in the world {#blank#}1{#/blank#}  did it. On that day, she jumped into the sea without any hesitation（犹豫）and swam towards the opposite bank without any {#blank#}2{#/blank#}  . In the journey, she faced heavy fog, heavy rain and heavy waves. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} she was tired, she still carried on swimming. But in the end, she gave up. And she didn't know that the opposite bank was only one mile away when she gave up.

    Later she {#blank#}4{#/blank#} about the reason. And she said, “The reason why I gave up is that I could not see the place which I was going to reach {#blank#}5{#/blank#}” It was a great pity that one mile broke her dream.

    Since we were young {#blank#}6{#/blank#} too many success stories have been telling us about courage and persistence（坚持）. But they never told us where {#blank#}7{#/blank#} courage and persistence. You can only have courage when you know where your goal is. You can only manage to persist when you know where your goal is.

    And that's because when you know where your goal is, you can only prepare {#blank#}8{#/blank#} well in the mind. Courage and persistence never{#blank#}9{#/blank#} from the sky. They come from weighing between input and output.

    A life without goal is {#blank#}10{#/blank#}a ship without a compass. It goes nowhere. There is no courage or persistence in a life without goals.

    The British Museum is the biggest one in the world. Inside, you feel smaller than usual. There are about a hundred things in the museum to see: {#blank#}1{#/blank#} which have been telling the time for six hundred years, Roman money, some of the earliest books in the world, including Shakespeare's own works…

    The British Museum was set up nearly 300 years ago by a doctor, Sir Hans Sloane. The man liked to {#blank#}2{#/blank#} such things as books, drawings, clothes, money, animals, flowers, and also hoped that his things would be well {#blank#}3{#/blank#}  and so visited by people after his death.

    His wish came true, and the museum opened in 1759, six years after Sir Hans Sloane died.

    Later, more antiques(古董) arrived at the museum, more books, old and new, came to it, and more people wanted to visit it. The museum had a famous round Reading Room. There was {#blank#}4{#/blank#}  unusual in the room. Cool air came up {#blank#}5{#/blank#} small holes in the tables. Hot air flowing under the floor kept readers' feet {#blank#}6{#/blank#}. Since its opening, many famous men have written and studied there, like Karl Marx. And the library is growing faster and faster--there are four kilometers of new shelves each year,{#blank#}7{#/blank#} it attracts increasing number of tourists each year.

    It is now open every day of the year, except for two holidays (New Year's Day and Christmas). Entrance (入场) is free. There are lots of special exhibitions and every day there are different films and talks, some of {#blank#}8{#/blank#}for children. Small machines tell you about the museum and as you walk around it, you can look and listen at the same time. So if you are one of the British Museum's two {#blank#}9{#/blank#} visitors this year, don't try to see it all too {#blank#}10{#/blank#} . There is a lifetime of looking in the British Museum.

    How are you spending your next vacation? No plans? Then {#blank#}1{#/blank#} going to an English language school, in the United States or the United Kingdom? Many schools have short lessons for {#blank#}2{#/blank#} of all ages, from seven to seventy years old!

    Foreign students can stay in school buildings or with {#blank#}3{#/blank#} there. Living with a family can be fun and can really help you learn.

    Just think you'll get two hours a day of breakfast and dinner conversation with English-speaking people! That will help you {#blank#}4{#/blank#} your English a lot.

    Classes are usually small with eight to ten students. For most afternoons you can go swimming, play soccer and do{#blank#}5{#/blank#} outdoor sports. You'll have fun at the same time!