{#blank#}1{#/blank#} is well known, optimism(乐观)plays an important role in one's life. Although we are facing many difficulties, we should keep optimistic. Optimism is a mental(精神的)attitude or world view and it means expecting {#blank#}2{#/blank#} best possible result from any given situation.

    I did {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (poor) in English in the past, but I never gave up struggling(搏斗). All my families, teachers and friends encouraged {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (I) and they taught me a lot of {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (use) ways of learning English. I {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (keep) practicing as they told me to do. I listened to English news and songs and I read interesting English stories. At weekends, watching some English movies was another good way to make my English better. {#blank#}7{#/blank#}difficulties I came across, I tried my best to work them out. I believe in myself, {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (believe) that hard work would finally pay off. Gradually, I make progress in my English. Nowadays, I can remember English words {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (easy) and use them freely when communicating with foreigners.

    Thanks to optimism, I have become one of the top English {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (learn) in my school now.

    There is a wonderful story about Jimmy Durante, one of great singers. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (ask) to be part of a show for some old World War II soldiers, he told them he was very busy and he could afford only a few minutes, {#blank#}2{#/blank#} he would come if they wouldn't mind his singing one short song and immediately leaving for his next appointment. Of course, the show's director agreed43．{#blank#}3{#/blank#} (happy).

    But when Jimmy got on stage, something surprising happened. He went through {#blank#}4{#/blank#} short song and then stayed. The applause grew louder and louder and he kept {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (stay). Pretty soon, he had been on stage {#blank#}6{#/blank#} fifteen, twenty, and then thirty minutes. One of his {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (assist) behind the stage stopped him and said, “I thought you had to go after a few minutes. What happened”

    Jimmy answered, “I did have to go, but I can show you the reason why I stayed. You can see for {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (you) if you look at the front row.” In the front row were two men, both of {#blank#}9{#/blank#} had lost an arm in the war. One had lost his right arm and the other had lost his left. Together, they were able to clap, and that was exactly what they{#blank#}10{#/blank#} (do) , loudly and cheerfully.

    Old Tom had four sons. He wanted them{#blank#}1{#/blank#}(learn) not to judge things too quickly. So he sent them to look at an apple tree in different seasons. The first son went in winter, the second in spring, the third in summer, and the youngest in autumn. When they all came back, he called them together to describe{#blank#}2{#/blank#}they had seen. The sons had different{#blank#}3{#/blank#}(opinion). Tom then told them that they shouldn't judge a tree, or a person, by only one season.

    We could learn vocabulary while we are asleep. Researchers showed it is possible {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (learn) new information while sleeping deeply, and recall this information later. They did tests to see {#blank#}2{#/blank#} a person could remember new words and their translations while sleeping. The answer is yes. The language areas of the brain remember vocabulary during sleep, especially during deep sleep. While sleeping, our brain switches on for about half a second and then switches{#blank#}3{#/blank#} for half a second. The active state {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(call) "up-state". This is how our brain could learn new vocabulary.

    Newton made important contributions to every area of the scientific and mathematical concept to his generation. Born in {#blank#}1{#/blank#} rural English village on Christmas Day, 1642, he was so small that no one thought he would survive. During his childhood he spent much of his time inventing and building toys, and did not do particularly {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (good) at school. So his mother, who was {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (will) to pay for his education, brought him home to look after the sheep. However, he was always so busy {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (build) small devices that the sheep would often escape. Eventually his uncle persuaded his mother {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (send) him to the University of Cambridge, {#blank#}6{#/blank#} he became so absorbed in his studies that he often forgot to eat or sleep.

    When Cambridge was closed for two years due to the plague(鼠疫), Newton went home to work on his studies. He {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (bury) himself in mathematics and began developing a mathematical theory that would later become calculus(微积分). It is a popular belief {#blank#}8{#/blank#} on one occasion he was sitting under an apple tree {#blank#}9{#/blank#} an apple fell on his head, which helped him to understand the laws of gravity. It is now thought that perhaps he invented this story in later field to explain how he drew his {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (inspire) from everyday events. 

    Once there lived a rich man {#blank#}1{#/blank#}wanted to do something for the people of his town. But first he wanted {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (find) out whether they deserved his help.

    In the centre of the main road into the town, he placed{#blank#}3{#/blank#} very large stone. Then he {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(bury) himself behind a tree and waited. Soon an old man came along with his cow.

    "Who put this stone in the centre of the road?" said the old man, but he did not try to remove the stone. Instead, with some difficulty he passed around the stone {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (slow) and continued on his way. Another man came along and did the same thing ; then another came, and another. All of them complained about the stone but not tried to remove {#blank#}6{#/blank#}. Late in the afternoon a young man came along . He saw the stone, {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(say) to  himself ,"The night will be very dark. Some {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(neighbor) will come along later in the dark and will fall against the stone."

    Then he began to move the stone. He pushed with all his {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(strong) to move it. How great his surprise was at last! He found a bag of money {#blank#}10{#/blank#} the stone.