In many countries, unusual names for children are becoming more popular, especially when more and more stars give their children special names. In Britain, you can call a child almost anything you like except dirty words.
Some parents choose names which come from popular culture. Because of the film the Lord of the Rings(指环王), six boys were named Gandalf. Names about sport are very common, too. Since 1984, 36 children have been called Arsenal after the football team.
Other parents like to make up names, or combine(合并) two names to make a special one. A mother in Britain invented the name Tiaamii for her daughter. She combined the names Thea and Amy (the two grandmothers).
In China, there are some rules about names ―- you can't use foreign letters or symbols(符号) in a Chinese name. For example, parents are not allowed to name their baby @. In New Zealand, a name beginning with a number is not allowed. Other countries have stricter rules about calling children. For example, Japan, Denmark, Spain, Germany and Argentina have a list of names. Parents must choose the names in the lists for their children.
In Britain, some old-fashioned(过时的) names have become popular again, such as Maisie or Ella for a girl, and Alfie or Noah for a boy. But the most popular names are not the strange ones. The top names are very traditional--Jack and Thomas for boys, or Grace and Jessica f6r girls.

    The Notting Hill is only a small area in west London, but the Notting Hill Carnival (诺丁山狂欢节) attracts millions of people from all over the world to have fun. The carnival is at the end of August each year, and the main days are Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday.

    The festival started as a local West Indian event, but from a small procession (游行) through the streets of Notting Hill, it's a huge multi-cultural arts festival now. In fact, it is the largest street carnival (嘉年华会; 狂欢节) in Europe. Only the Rio Carnival in Brazil is bigger.

    At the heart of the festival is a spectacular (壮观的) parade (游行). The carnival route (路线) is three miles long and hundreds of groups move along it. There's music, decorated floats, elaborated costumes and dancing. There are also live stages where artists from all over the world perform, but there is a lot more to the festival than just music. There are 300 food stalls selling international food so you can't get hungry. There's theatre, arts and crafts, too.

    You can sing and dance or you can just watch. But there's no need to be quiet.

    You can buy whistles and blow them to make lots of noise! The Notting Hill Carnival welcomes visitors and tourists.

A little weed (野草) grows in a field. All around it stand tall and beautiful flowers. The weed didn't like them, because its own flower was tiny and 1 .

Children like to play in the 2 all year round. And spring is their favorite season because they can pick beautiful flowers. They come and go, singing and laughing.

One day, two sisters came to pick flowers for their grandma. They picked many and soon almost all the flowers were 3 " What about that one?" One said, pointing at the weed.

" 4 it!" said the other." That's just a useless(无用的) weed!"

It made the weed feel 5 " Am I really useless?" It asked itself." Why was I even put on this earth?" With all the nearby flowers gone, the weed felt lonely. Even though it didn't like them, it liked having them around.

The wind of 6 blew over the field, and it was soon followed by the snow of winter. The weed stood alone in the wild. Just then, it noticed some birds flying high above the field.

" We' re hungry!" They said." Where can we find 7 ?"

The weed felt sorry for the 8 birds and said to them," Down here! I have delicious seeds(种子) that you can eat!" The weed scattered(撒播) its little seeds across the 9 . The birds ate the seeds and 10 the weed." You' re so kind!" They said as they flew away. The weed was happy to help its new friends.

When I was young, my family lived a hard life in the countryside. One evening we were visiting some friends and the weather was very bad. It began to rain on {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (we) way back home. Dad carried me on his back. Mum {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(give) her coat to my brother. We walked together in the rain for more than an hour. 

I was fat at that time and Dad must be tired to carry me {#blank#}3{#/blank#} such a long time. He almost fell down many {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(time). I tried to get down and walk myself,{#blank#}5{#/blank#} I did nothing well since I was just a little kid. 

After arriving home, we found the inside of our house was covered with water. The rain had come through the{#blank#}6{#/blank#} (break) roof and water was everywhere. Mum put bowls all around the house {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (catch) the rain. Then she put my brother and me to the dry place on the bed. I fell asleep soon.{#blank#}8{#/blank#} I opened my eyes, I found Dad and Mum were sleeping in chairs, each having caught {#blank#}9{#/blank#} bad cold. 

It happened more than twenty years ago. And now I'm a mother too. I can remember neither the beginning nor the end, but I{#blank#}10{#/blank#} (real) understand what the parents' love means. Whenever I think of it, tears run down my face from my eyes. 

A man in Shanwei in eastern Guangdong Province rented 12 trucks to protect his restaurant against typhoon Saola, which became a piece of hot news.

The restaurant is just over 100 {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(metre) away from the sea,but it did not experience any loss from Saola, according to Southern Metropolis Daily. "The tall, huge and strong trucks can protect the restaurant from the typhoon,"said the restaurant owner, Mr Lin. Lin even loaded mud（装载泥浆）onto the trucks to make {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(they) heavy enough to keep strong when the typhoon came. Typhoon Saola resulted in a rainstorm in Shanwei. 68{#blank#}3{#/blank#}(lucky),it did not do any harm to his restaurant.

These trucks cost Lin {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(much) than 20,000 yuan. Some people thought it was unnecessary to protect the restaurant by {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(spend) so much money on the trucks. However, Lin {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(believe) it was valuable. This was not {#blank#}7{#/blank#}first time for Lin to use trucks to protect his restaurant. Lin also saved his restaurant with 12 trucks during the earlier typhoon Doksuri {#blank#}8{#/blank#}August. He said he would do the same {#blank#}9{#/blank#}next typhoon comes.

After learning that Saola was gradually leaving, Lin decided to return the trucks {#blank#}10{#/blank#} reopen the restaurant.

 When the Spring Festival comes, red flowers bloom(开) on the windows of my home. Of course, these wonderful flowers bring1 to us. They are made by my grandma 2 is now aged 70. With a few cuts, she changes a piece of paper into a beautiful work of art.

 When my grandma was young, she3 clumsy(笨拙的) in the village. But4 a cold winter night, she saw some beautiful red paper art works on her new neighbor's windows. She was so interested in it and decided 5 from her neighbor.

6 of paper was wasted, and her fingers were cut many times. But she kept on 7 .

 It took 10 years 8 my grandma could make paper art skillfully (娴熟地) . The red flowers, blooming like burning fire, light up 9 world. Now, everyone in the village respects her. My grandma's story has shown me what10 to realize one's dream.