“How can I learn English well?” “This is a 1 many students may ask. In my opinion, the most effective(有效的) 2 is to learn lessons by heart. If you can recite the text and write it out, you will learn it pretty well. And if you can tell 3 your own words about 4 the lesson says, you are a very successful learner indeed. Your English will be quite perfect.

    This is a difficult task. However, if you try to learn by heart only part of each lesson, you'll find it not so hard 5 you might have thought.

    Learn this way, and you will 6 fast progress. Of course, writing is also necessary. It helps you a lot on your way to 7 in English studies.

    It's equally(同样地) important to feel the language. You should laugh at English jokes and be 8 at bad news. When using English, try to 9 your mother tongue(母语). 10 helping you, your own language gets in your way. So, never try to learn English through putting every word into Chinese.

    I will never forget an accident that happened in my own childhood. When I was a boy of twelve, something happened to me that made me never1any birds in a cage.

    We lived on the edge of a2in South Carolina, and every evening many mockingbirds would come and rest in the trees and sing. There isn't any sound that can be3 than the song of the mockingbird.

    I decided to catch a young bird and keep it in a cage, 4in that way, I could have my own musician. I finally caught one and put it in a cage. The bird was5and fluttered about the cage, but finally it became quiet in its new home. I felt pleased with6 and looked after my little musician carefully.

    On the second day, the bird's mother flew to the cage7food in her mouth. The baby bird ate up8she brought. I was pleased to see this. Certainly his mother knew better than I how to feed her baby.

    The following morning when I went to see9my little bird was, I found it on the floor of the cage, dead. I was very surprised! What had happened! I had taken great10of the little bird, or so I thought.

    Arthur Wayne, a famous scientist, happened to be in the forest where we lived at the time. Hearing me crying over the11of my bird, he told me what12. "A mother mockingbird, finding her young in a cage, will sometimes bring it poison(毒药) food. She thinks13better for her young to die than to live in a cage."14I have never caught any birds or put them in a cage. All the birds have the right to15in the sky .

    Every year, a magazine called Executive Travel organizes a competition to find the best airline of the year. Travelers from all over the world are invited to vote for the most punctual(准时的), the safest and the friendliest airline. The competition also invites them to tell their most frightening stories during their travels. Now let's read some travelers' tales of1 flying experiences.

    One traveler shared his story which happened on an African airline. The flight had been overbooked(超额预定).The flight staff picked the2 out by saying that all passengers with boarding cards run around the plane twice; the 3 getting the seats.

    Another overbooked flight that was going from Heathrow Airport to America gave a traveler a bit of a shock. Dressed only in trousers, a shirt and socks, the traveler had been allowed to leave the plane to see 4 he could get a friend aboard. But when he 5a few minutes later, he found the plane closed up and about to start moving—with his shoes, wallet, passport and luggage on board. Striking heavily on the door, he was allowed to get back inside.

    Luggage is also a rich source of horror stories. There was the unlucky traveler who left Chicago where the temperature was-11℃. He was going to attend an important meeting in Dallas where the temperature was as 6 as 26.7℃. Unfortunately, his suitcase had gone to Los Angeles and wasn't able to be sent to him before the meeting. So he had to attend the meeting in a thick suit, a heavy overcoat and a fur hat.

    The Black family like to do things together. Each Saturday they1each other with the work.

    Today Peter and Jean cleaned their2. They made the bed, swept the floor, cleaned the windows and took out the3. Then Jean put some beautiful flowers on the table. Dad went to the store to4food for next week. He knew about everyone's5food in the family. He was6he would make everyone glad. Mom washed the clothes of all the family. That made her tired,7happy. Then Jean helped Mom water the flowers in the8.  Peter helped Dad fix his bike. Soon they finished9the work.

    "Now we can have some fun," said Dad. "What will we do or10will we go?"

    Everyone had an idea. They decided to ride bikes to the seaside. It is wonderful that the family like to work and play together.

    Have you ever eaten a dandelion (蒲公英)? Me neither. Have you ever blown it to make a wish? Me, too.

    "Time to pick dandelions, Athena, "Mum opened the car door and I entered with a 1. My hometown is in Greece (希腊), where dandelions are 2 on the menu. But I didn't eat dandelions. Why did I have to 3 them with my family every spring?

    Then I said goodbye to my new friend Brigid, whose family had 4 moved in our neighborhood in New York. I was 5 Brigid didn't ask where we were going. Nobody in America ate dandelions. I always worried that 6 would notice us picking dandelions.

    We 7 into a wild field. Hundreds of lively yellow flowers appeared everywhere. Then we stopped our car. Dad went over to cut dandelions and put them in his bag. But I just hid in the book. "8 do we cat dandelions? "I asked. "The best food in the world. "Dad answered, shaking a handful of greens. 9 we were ready to leave, we had enough dandelions. On the way home, Mum and Dad talked about hosting a dinner party for the new neighbors to try our 10 Greek food.

    The night of the party, Brigid arrived with her parents. Mum served 11 different。Greek foods. Our guests ate everything. Finally came the dandelions. "Wait!" I said to Brigid. But it was too 12. "You ate the dandelions! "I told her. We both 13, and she ate another bite. "14, "she said.

Mum was smiling at us. After dinner. Brigid and I went to the backyard and lay on the grass. The stars reminded me of dandelions in the soft field. I closed my eyes and made a 15: to be as open-minded as my family and my new friend.