Students at Shanming Middle School in Jiangsu often take part in activities{#blank#}1{#/blank#} (hold) by nearby communities. Does it sound fun? Well, students have mixed feelings. They enjoy the time outside school. But they don't find the activities  {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (interest).

Why not design{#blank#}3{#/blank#}  (they) own activities? Some students got this idea and soon students joined the project.

     They first thought about activities ideas and listed them in an “activity menu”. They included: visiting science museums and companies; watching movies and basketball competitions.

    “The menu looked great, {#blank#}4{#/blank#}  we soon found problems,” said Wang Ziming, one of the{#blank#}5{#/blank#}   (designer).

      First they needed a place to hold the activities. The students decided to talk to the local government to let them use the district stadium.

 “We first presented the benefits of these community activities to them,” said Wang. “ Then we promised we'd use the stadium {#blank#}6{#/blank#}  (careful ) and clean it afterwards”.

     The local government agreed that they could use the stadium and some sports equipment once{#blank#}7{#/blank#}  month.

     The students also designed a virtual (虚拟的) bank to encourage volunteering.

     Students{#blank#}8{#/blank#}   volunteered as librarians or cleaners would be rewarded with “gold coins”. A certain amount of coins gave you free entry to entertainment events such as{#blank#}9{#/blank#} (watch) a movie.

     Now, this special activity menu {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (become) popular in Wuxi communities. The students are happy with this.

    I had a great winter vacation last year. I went to the mountains {#blank#}1{#/blank#} my family and we stayed with some friends. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (they) house was really big, with lots of trees around it. You could get lost very {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (easy).

    Last year, the weather was very bad. It was windy, wet and snowy. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}, the mountains were beautiful. I love climbing, so we climbed every day. I took quite a few {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (photo), usually of different animals.

    The countryside was very quiet, but across from the house there was {#blank#}6{#/blank#} farm. The farmer had many cows, and they were {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (loud) than cars! Every day we walked to the farm to get milk. It was so delicious!

    There was a village that I {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (ride) my bike to. It was very small. There wasn't anywhere to go shopping, but it was the best place {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (go) on vacation! I even met two women from Canada. We are now friends. In {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (fact), we are the same in many ways.

—Two.