Dear Sally,

    How are you? It's Saturday today. My sister Rose, my brother Bill and I don't go to school. My parents don't go to work, {#blank#}1{#/blank#} （也）. We are all at {#blank#}2{#/blank#} （家）. Now what are we doing? Mom and Rose are in the {#blank#}3{#/blank#} （厨房）. Mom is making dinner. Rose is helping her {#blank#}4{#/blank#} （洗） the vegetables. Dad is in the living room. He is reading {#blank#}5{#/blank#} （报纸）. Where is Bill? He is {#blank#}6{#/blank#} （听）to music in his room. Bill loves music and he plays the {#blank#}7{#/blank#} （吉他） well. What about me? Ha, I'm using the computer. I'm {#blank#}8{#/blank#} （写） an e-mail to you. What are you doing now? Are you having a good time in {#blank#}9{#/blank#} （澳大利亚）? Please send an e-mail to {#blank#}10{#/blank#} （告诉） me.

    What are some tips on becoming a writer?

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    Most writers read whatever books they can find because they love to lose themselves in them. They like the sounds of language and the way that reading a good description can feel as satisfying as winning a baseball game or eating a banana split.

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    It's easy to forget a good idea if you do not write it down immediately. If you get in the habit of carrying a notebook with you everywhere you go, you can write down anything you want to remember. When you are talking to friends in the cafe or waiting for the bus, something might spark an idea for a character or a scene in a story.

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    Nearly all writers agree that writers must write. It doesn't matter if you feel like you have nothing to say; the important thing is that you write every single day. Sometimes, you need to give yourself permission to write things which won't be your best work.

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    Do you have any friends who enjoy writing? Think about starting a writing group with other people who have similar interests. It helps to have the support of other writers. You will also receive valuable feedback, or suggestions, about how to make your work better.

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    If you decide that you would like to send your work for publication, make sure to do your research. If you are sending your writing to a magazine, look through old ones. Does it seem like your writing fits in with the other stories or articles? That is the homework for you after writing.

A. Join or start a writing group.

B. Read everything you can.

C. Write every day.

D. Keep a notebook.

E. Stay active.

F. Do your homework.

    At present, people use money every day. It is very important in our life{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Long ago, people didn't need money{#blank#}2{#/blank#} As time passed, people learned to raise home animals and plant crops(庄稼). Sometimes, families produced more than they needed, so they started to trade with other families. Later, people began to use money as a way of exchange(交换).{#blank#}3{#/blank#} They used shells, salt and large stones.

    During the 7th century B．C.(公元前), people began using coins as money. They were easier to carry{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    The Chinese were the first to use paper money, as early as the 11th century. The Italian traveler Marco Polo saw the Chinese using money when he visited China in the 1200s{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Today, we have many ways to pay for things. Often, a bank card is used for paying. It is safer and quicker than using a lot of paper money. Besides, proudly, Chinese always use Internet and mobile payment, such as Alipay and WeChat.

A．Do you know the history of money?

B．Instead, people still use paper money.

C．They were similar to the money at present.

D．Later, countries began to make their own coins.

E．However, it was not the kind of money we use today.

F．They lived on wild animals, fruits and other plants.

G．European countries started using paper money in the 1600s.

    When it comes to the letter grade on your test or homework, you might notice that there is no letter E. Have you ever thought about why that is so?

    In the A, B, C, D and F grading system, the first four letters are typically considered passing grades. An F in this system simply stands for“fail”.The word“fail”happens to start with the letter F, which seems to leave out the letter E. The fact”．Some schools have U grade for“unsatisfactory”,or I grade for “incomplete”.

    Even with all this said, we should also point out that E grade actually has been used pretty commonly throughout the history of letter grades in the US.

    The first college in the US to use a letter grading system like the ones we use today is Mount Holyoke College. In 1897, they began to use the following grading scale:

A: 95-100%(excellent)       B: 85-94%(good)      C: 76-84%(fair)

D: 75%(barely passed)       E: below 75%(failed)

    We can see the inclusion of E instead of F.

    Gradually,the letter grading system became more popular throughout the US. However, many schools decided to drop the E grade and go straight to F.There is no evidence(证据) to really support this, but one possible explanation is that teachers were worried that some students and parents might mistake E for “excellent”.

    Why do we have letter grades? Well, part of the reason is that they made grading simpler during a time of great change for schools. As the 20th century began,growing cities and an increase in immigration led to larger school classrooms. Most teachers at that time thought this new letter grading system was an easy, fair and clear way to grade students.

    Today, more and more people argue that letter grades don't fully reflect(反映) student learning. However，as teachers try to improve grading methods, many parents continue to favor the letter grades they got as kids, they are familiar(熟悉) and easy for parents to understand. So while they might not be perfect, the letter grades probably aren't going away any time soon.