I am fond of my sister but she has one serious shortcoming. She can be really {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. Although she didn't know the best way of getting to places, she insisted that she {#blank#}2{#/blank#} the trip properly. Now I know that the proper way is always her way. I kept asking her, “When are we leaving and when are we coming back?” I asked her {#blank#}3{#/blank#} she had looked at a map yet. Of course she hadn't; my sister doesn't care {#blank#}4{#/blank#} details. So I told her that the source of the Mekong is in Qinghai Province. She gave me a {#blank#}5{#/blank#} look—the kind {#blank#}6{#/blank#} said she would not change her mind. When I told her that our journey would begin {#blank#}7{#/blank#} an altitude of more than 5,000 metres, she seemed to be excited about it. When I told her the air would be hard{#blank#}8{#/blank#} (breathe) and it would be very cold, she said it would be an interesting experience. I know my sister well. {#blank#}9{#/blank#} she has made up her mind, nothing can change it. Finally, I had to give {#blank#}10{#/blank#}.

Dear Tom,

    How is everything going?I feel{#blank#}1{#/blank#}(terrible) sorry for missing the chance of{#blank#}2{#/blank#}(answer) your letter in time. You know,I have been preparing for the final exams these days,so I forgot{#blank#}3{#/blank#}(write) back.In your letter,you asked me{#blank#}4{#/blank#}I would spend my summer vacation.Now,I am writing to tell you some details.

    Totally,three things will make my summer vacation{#blank#}5{#/blank#}(mean).To start with,doing a part-time job is my dream and I intend to work as a salesman because not only can{#blank#}6{#/blank#}earn money by myself,but{#blank#}7{#/blank#}it will broaden my horizons（视野）.In addition,it is a good{#blank#}8{#/blank#}(choose) to visit some famous scenic spots{#blank#}9{#/blank#}I will have a good time. What is more,doing voluntary work,I think,will make a great contribution to the society,which is able to enrich my life.

    I apologize again for my mistake{#blank#}10{#/blank#}the way,what's your plan to spend your summer vacation?I am looking forward to your reply.

Yours sincerely,

Li Hua

    Some years ago,writing in my diary used to be{#blank#}1{#/blank#}usual activity. I would return from school and spend half an hour {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(record)the day's events, feelings, and {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(impress)in my little blue diary. I did not really need {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(express) my emotions by way of words, but I gained a certain satisfaction from {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(see) my experiences forever recorded on paper, After all, isn't accumulating(积累）memories a way of preserving the past?

    {#blank#}6{#/blank#} I was thirteen years old, I went on a long journey{#blank#}7{#/blank#} foot in a great valley{#blank#}8{#/blank#}(equip) with pens, a diary, and a camera. During the trip, I was busy recording every incident, name and place I came across. I felt {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(pride) to be spending my time productively, dutifully preserving for future generations a detailed description of my travels. On my last night there, I {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(walk)out of my tent, diary in hand.

The Best Book I've Ever Read

    Frankly, I have read nearly all of the great works of literature, but no book has ever impressed me as deeply or directly {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Joel Stein's Man Made: A Stupid Quest for Masendinity.

    Haven't we all, on some level, been Jewish boys in New Jersey in {#blank#}2{#/blank#} 1970s with only female friends, an Easy-Bake oven and a strong preference for show tunes? Haven't we all had a panic attack {#blank#}3{#/blank#} learning we're going to have a son, since that means we're going to have to figure out how to throw footballs, watch other people throw footballs and decide {#blank#}4{#/blank#} to be happy or sad about the results of football throwing? Haven't we all then tried to correct our lack of maleness by becoming a man, fighting fires with firefighters, {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (drive) a Lamborghini and doing three days of Army training camp? I know I have.

    The only parts I didn't fully enjoy were {#blank#}6{#/blank#} in which the author suffered horribly. After just three hours of training camp, he fainted weakly into the arms of a soldier. The film rights to Man Made have already been sold to Fox, and I hope it gets {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (turn) into a movie with George Clooney playing the Stein role, since they remind me so much of each other.

    {#blank#}8{#/blank#} this is only Stein's first book, I would already consider him as someone like David Sedaris, Dave Barry, James Thurber, Mark Twain and Abraham Lincoln. I {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (recommend) Man Made not just to all my friends and family but also to strangers on Twitter over and over again. My one fear is {#blank#}10{#/blank#} after this great achievement, Stein will lose his ability to be a cruel critic of our shallow times.