Nowadays more and more Chinese teenagers find life more difficult without their parents. They don't know how {#blank#}1{#/blank#}housework. Because their parents do almost everything for them at home. This is a big problem.

    Joy is 14 years old. One day her parents{#blank#}2{#/blank#}away on business(出差), so they asked Joy {#blank#}3{#/blank#}home alone. At first she thought she would be happy {#blank#}4{#/blank#}her parents were not in. She could do what she liked. But it was six o'clock {#blank#}5{#/blank#}the afternoon, she felt hungry.“Oh, it's time {#blank#}6{#/blank#}supper. Where can I get my food?”she said to herself.Later she found some food in the fridge, but she didn't know how to cook.At that moment, she missed her{#blank#}7{#/blank#}very much. At last she could only go to the supermarket and{#blank#}8{#/blank#}some food to eat.

    Many teenagers are the {#blank#}9{#/blank#}as Joy. So I think they should learn some basic life skills,{#blank#}10{#/blank#}as cooking, cleaning their rooms or dressing themselves properly. They shouldn't depend too much on their parents.

    Pumpkins are a symbol of Halloween. Making {#blank#}1{#/blank#} out of pumpkins is a Halloween custom. Halloween is great fun for children. Small children go "Trick-or-Treating". They wear costumes (特定场合穿的服装). They {#blank#}2{#/blank#} ghosts, witches（女巫）or black cats. They knock on doors, and shout, "Trick or Treat!"

    The trick might be something like, "I'll spill all the trash out of your trash can if you don't give me a treat." People {#blank#}3{#/blank#} always choose to give them candies as a treat, {#blank#}4{#/blank#} choosing to receive a trick from the children. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} sometimes "trick or treat" their friends, too. Usually the "treat" is a glass of wine or some small gifts.

    2.26-meter-tall Yao Ming played his first game on October 23, 2002 and got 6 points for the Houston Rockets in the{#blank#}1{#/blank#}. The next day, he scored 16 points in another game.

    Yao Ming, 22, has been a star in China for some time, but it is still under question as to whether he can play{#blank#}2{#/blank#}in the NBA. Yao Ming said, "When you watch it on TV, it{#blank#}3{#/blank#}very easy. But when you are playing in the NBA, it is really difficult. "He said that joining the Houston Rockets was a new start and a new challenge. "I hope that through very hard work I can{#blank#}4{#/blank#}everyone happy and help the Rockets win more games," he said.

    Yao Ming speaks some English. Both he and his teammates can understand{#blank#}5{#/blank#}. They don't think there is a language problem. They say that Yao Ming is one of the best players in their team. They all like him.