When I was ten, my parents went to another town to look after my sick grandfather. So I was, all by myself for twenty-four {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. At first, I was a little afraid because I had never been home{#blank#}2{#/blank#}before. But soon I forgot about it because I{#blank#}3{#/blank#}myself into an interesting book. I spent the whole morning{#blank#}4{#/blank#} it. At noon, I took the food out of the {#blank#}5{#/blank#}and heated it. Mum cooked a lot of food before she{#blank#}6{#/blank#}. In order to prove(证明) that I could take care of myself, I washed my {#blank#}7{#/blank#}in the afternoon. In the evening, I finished my homework and{#blank#}8{#/blank#} two movies on TV. Then I went to bed at 10：30. Being home alone was not as {#blank#}9{#/blank#}as I had thought. I really felt {#blank#}10{#/blank#}of myself and thought I was a big girl.

English

    World language

    Once people {#blank#}1{#/blank#} a language that everybody in the world could understand. Now, for the {#blank#}2{#/blank#} time in human history, perhaps there is one -- English It is the official language in more than 50 countries and 250-300 million people {#blank#}3{#/blank#} it as a second language. Some say that half the world will be speaking it in the year 2050.

    Difficult to master?

    English is not the {#blank#}4{#/blank#} language to learn -- most of its common verbs are irregular and it has a large vocabulary -- at least 200, 000 words are in common use.

    User-friendly

    But some things make {#blank#}5{#/blank#} easy. For example, nouns don't have gender ( 性别) and the usages of verbs are simpler than other languages. There is {#blank#}6{#/blank#} one form to speak to someone directly -- "you". Adjectives don't agree {#blank#}7{#/blank#} nouns, and many nouns are often also verbs.

    English Is Everywhere

    Some other languages may have more speakers, like Chinese. But English {#blank#}8{#/blank#} in many different areas. It is the language of transport: most airline pilots and air-traffic controllers use it. At {#blank#}9{#/blank#} English is the international language of communication.

    The Future of English

    What is the future of English as a global language? Will {#blank#}10{#/blank#} language ever replace it? Many think not -- it is already too popular.

Andy: John, students call Friday “Fulai Day” in China. What's the {#blank#}1{#/blank#}?

John: Because the next day is Saturday, and we don't {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. “Fu” comes!

Andy: Oh, I see. So they don't need to{#blank#}3{#/blank#} early the next morning.

John: Yes. And they can {#blank#}4{#/blank#} after watching their favourite TV shows in the evening.

Andy: You're right. Do you think Friday is really “Fulai Day”?

John: Of course. I can {#blank#}5{#/blank#} on Friday evening. What about you?

Andy: I like “Fulai Day”, too.

    A few weeks ago, I visited Sydney, a perfect place to surf (冲浪). I knew I couldn't {#blank#}1{#/blank#} the city without going surfing myself. I booked a group surf lesson when I was in Byron Bay. Byron Bay is a really {#blank#}2{#/blank#} place for professional surfers to go!

    We first were asked to learn how to read the sea conditions and what to expect in the water. Then we did a warm-up by {#blank#}3{#/blank#} along the beach. Next, it was time to {#blank#}4{#/blank#} how to stand on the surfboard. We did it on the sand. After a lot of practice, we were {#blank#}5{#/blank#} to go out into the sea and try it out on the water. I have to say, surfing is much {#blank#}6{#/blank#} than it looks. When you watch people from the beach, they make it look so easy! I failed many {#blank#}7{#/blank#} to stand up. Then one of the coaches came to {#blank#}8{#/blank#} me and held my board steady (平稳的).

    {#blank#}9{#/blank#} I learned how to do that and by the end of the lesson I had managed to "walk on water". It was a pretty amazing feeling and I felt so proud of {#blank#}10{#/blank#}!