Lao She is one of the {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (great) Chinese writers of the 20th century. He is {#blank#}2{#/blank#} excellent writer, he is also a great modern novelist and dramatist（剧作家）. He is named "the People's Artist".

    Lao She was born in a poor family in Beijing. He worked his way through college. After {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (finish) school, he started {#blank#}4{#/blank#} （work）as a teacher in primary and middle schools. He liked writing since he was a child. He didn't write his first novel until 1933.

    He is famous {#blank#}5{#/blank#} his novel Camel Xiangzi and one of his most famous plays {#blank#}6{#/blank#} Teahouse. Teahouse shows the {#blank#}7{#/blank#} of the Chinese people between 1898 and 1945. It makes people {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (think) about society. Most people like to see it. 

   Like {#blank#}9{#/blank#} famous intellectuals (知识分子) in China, he experienced lots of bad things in the middle 1960s. He killed himself in a lake in 1966. {#blank#}10{#/blank#} unlucky he was!

    All over the world people enjoy sports. Sports help people {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (keep) healthy, happy and to live longer. People play different games in winter and summer. Summer is good for swimming. And in winter people often go skating. Some sports are very {#blank#}2{#/blank#} and people everywhere like them. For example, football is very popular. In China, most people, men andwomen, boys and girls, like to watch football games. They often talk about them. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (run) and jumping began long, long ago. But basketball and volleyball are rather new. People began to play them not long ago. And people are playing new sports or games all the time. Water skiing is one of {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (new) sports. People from different {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (country) may not be able to understand each other, but after a game they often become friends.

All About "A-thons"

    A marathon is a long-distance running race. Now it is not only a competition, but some people organize marathons for charity. Runners get friends, families and other people to support {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (they). They promise to provide a certain amount of money for every race. For example, {#blank#}2{#/blank#} the runner runs one kilometer, the providers will each give the runner $1 for the charity. Much of money can be raised this way. However, not everyone can run, {#blank#}3{#/blank#} people in the USA have thought of other ways to raise money, {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (use) the idea of marathon.

    Walk-a-thons: A walk-a-thon is similar {#blank#}5{#/blank#} a marathon, but people walk instead of running. This is one of the most popular {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (way) for people to raise money.

    Read-a-thons: Many schools organize read-a-thon to raise money. Students can get money {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (easy) for the number of books they read in a given amount of time. Little kids can also get money according to how many pages they read. The read-a-thons {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (hold) not only to raise money, but also to encourage teenagers to read.

    Bowl-a-thons: Bowling is an interesting sport for many {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (America). In a bowl-a-thon, people raise money for every point they get in the game. The {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (high) the score is, the more money they make for the charity.

    A farmer had a donkey and a dog. Both the donkey and the dog {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (help) their master in many ways. One night, two thieves broke in the farmer's {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. The dog heard them and started barking. The farmer got {#blank#}3{#/blank#} and so did the neighbors. So they caught the two thieves.

    The farmer said, "I'm glad I had this dog." The neighbors also thought so.

    From that day, the donkey decided to show his master that he could also be {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (use) just like the dog.

    One night, the thieves again entered the farmer's house. As the thieves looked in, they saw the dog {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (sit) just outside the main door. "It seems the dog is quite watchful," said one thief.

    "We {#blank#}6{#/blank#} better go at once," the other thief said and then the two thieves went away. But unknown to the thieves, the donkey was watching all this. He thought, "It is a good chance for me to show {#blank#}7{#/blank#} master that I can be useful. The thieves have run away. If I start {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (shout), the master will thank me." So the donkey started braying(驴叫) {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (loud).

    When the farmer heard the donkey, he {#blank#}10{#/blank#} angry. He came out with a stick and hit the donkey hard. "This will teach you not to bray at night," he thought.