Sixteen years ago a boy gave me an important gift. It was a smile.

    It was the early autumn of my first year at a middle school, and my old school was far away. As a result, no one knew who I was. I was very lonely, and afraid to speak to anyone.

    Every time I heard the other students talking and laughing, I felt my heart break. I couldn't talk with anyone about my problems.

    Then one day, when my classmates were talking happily with their friends, I was sitting at my desk unhappily as usual. At that moment, a boy entered the classroom. I didn't know who he was. He passed by me and then turned back. He looked at me, with a smile.

    Suddenly, I felt the touch of something bright and friendly. It made me feel happy and warm. That smile changed my life. I started to talk with other students and made friends. Day by day, I became closer to everyone in my class. The boy with the lucky smile has become my best friend now.

    One day I asked him why he had smiled, but he couldn't remember doing so!

    It doesn't matter because all the dark days have gone. I believe that the world is what you think it is. If you think it is lonely, you might always be alone. So smile at the world and it will smile back.

    Mr White works in an office. He is very 1 and has no time to have a good rest. Every evening, when he comes back from his office, he's always tired and wants to go to bed early, 2 his wife often has a lot of interesting things to tell him after supper. She doesn't stop talking until he falls 3. But it's usually too late and Mr White has to 4 early in the morning when she is asleep.

    One day the man felt terrible and couldn't go to work. He decided to go to 5. And Mrs White went with him. Before her husband said 6 was the matter with him, the woman had told the doctor all and the doctor said to her, "The bottle of medicine is for your husband and the pills are for you." "For me?" the woman said in surprise, "I'm fine. I don't need 7 medicine."

     "I don't think so, madam," said the doctor. "They are sleeping pills. Your husband will soon be all right if you take them."

    In Britain you're allowed to drive a car when you're seventeen. You have to get a special two-year driving license before you start. When you're learning, someone with a full license always has to be in the car with you because you aren't allowed to drive the car on the road alone. You don't have to go to a driving school—a friend can teach you. The person with you isn't allowed to take money for the lessons unless he's got a teacher's license. 

    Before you're allowed to have a full license, you have to take a driving test. You can take a test in your own car, but it has to be fit for the road. In the test, you have to drive round for half an hour and then answer a few questions. If you don't pass the test, you're allowed to take it again a few weeks later. In 1970, a woman passed her fortieth test after 212 driving lessons! When you've passed your test, you're allowed to go on driving if you like, and you must be healthy. Britain's oldest driver was a man who drove in 1974 at the age of 100. 

    Before 1904, everyone was allowed to drive, even children. Then from 1904 car drivers had to have a license. But they didn't have to take a test until 1935. In the early days of car driving, before 1978, cars weren't allowed to go faster than four miles an hour, and someone had to lead the car with a red flag.

Henry is {#blank#}1{#/blank#} American businessman. One day, when he was sailing (航行) on a boat near San Francisco, he was carried out into the sea by a strong wind. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (luck), he was discovered and picked up by a London-bound( 开往伦敦的) ship. So he {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (land) in London by accident. Alone and {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (hunger), he walked on the streets of the city. Unexpectedly, he {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (call) into a big house. There two rich{#blank#}6{#/blank#} (brother), Oliver and Roderick, gave him a letter and told {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(he) not to open it until two o'clock of the day. Henry didn't know it was a million-pound (百万英镑) bank note. He left the big house and went into a cheap restaurant to get something to eat. Everyone was impolite and impatient to him. Why? {#blank#}8{#/blank#}he was in rags (衣衫褴褛) and looked dirty. Then, {#blank#}9{#/blank#} everyone's surprise, he handed the owner a million-pound bank note to pay for the meal. On seeing the note, all the people in the restaurant became friendly and tried their best {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (please) Henry. Don't you think it's the most unbelievable story in the world?

Environmental protection is one of the hottest topics nowadays. It was also something that ancient Chinese paid great attention to. In fact, the world's earliest environmental protection idea, ministry （部门） and law were all born in China. How did the ancient Chinese protect the environment?

The world's earliest idea of "managing state affairs（政事）through environmental protection"

Xunzi, a famous thinker in the Warring States Period, came up with the idea of "managing state affairs through environmental protection". He wrote in his book that vegetation（植被）should be protected well by humans.

Guan Zhong, a government officer 400 years ahead of Xunzi, was also an environmental protection expert. He said "a king who cannot protect his vegetation is not doing a good job".

The world's earliest environmental protection ministry"

Nine ministries set up by Shim, an ancient Chinese emperor, included "Yu"（虞） , an environmental protection ministry. Hie first " Yu'' leader was Boyi, an environmental protection expert. He invented wells so people could drink clean water. He knew a lot about animals and also called for animal protection.

The world's earliest "environmental protection law"

Over 4, 000 years ago, Dayu, an ancient Chinese water-control expert and also an emperor, made a rule, not allowing people to cut down trees in March or catch fish in June, because it was the time when they grew quickly.

Almost 3,000 years ago, Tianlv, the first environmental protection law, appeared in Qin. It recorded many ancient environmental protection rules. Two of them were interesting: firstly, rivers should not be blocked（堵塞）; secondly, grass and trees should not be burned to be fertilizer （肥料）except for summer. The second one is inspiring even for today. It can help to keep air clean and fresh.

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Videos of the granddaughter of American President Trump showing her Chinese speaking skills became very popular on the Internet. In the video, Arabella {#blank#}1{#/blank#}a popular Chinese song and recited two Chinese poems by a Tang poet.

More and more kids try to learn Chinese just {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Arabella. About 50. 000 American students {#blank#}3{#/blank#} now studying Chinese." Because of China's fast growth, Chinese is more useful {#blank#}4{#/blank#}other languages, "said Scott Mcginnis, {#blank#}5{#/blank#} language expert(专家).

For example, in 1999, only three Chicago schools had {#blank#}6{#/blank#}classes. This year more than thirty do. In many US cities. students take Chinese lessons during holidays or on weekends. But Chicago schools teach Chinese during the school days. Last year China gave them 3.000 textbooks {#blank#}7{#/blank#}they had done a good job.

Although Chinese classes are becoming popular, it is still {#blank#}8{#/blank#}of the most difficult languages. It {#blank#}9{#/blank#} an English speaker about 1,320 hours all to become good {#blank#}10{#/blank#} Chinese, but 480 hours to learn French, Spanish or Italian.