One day, Bill went to the beach with his friends Jim and Bob. After playing for a while, Bill fell {#blank#}1{#/blank#} （sleep） on the comfortable beach. After an hour, he woke up. He found his friends {#blank#}2{#/blank#} volleyball. Bill walked towards them and b{#blank#}3{#/blank#} to play with them.     

    Bob hit the ball too hard and it {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (fall) into the sea. Just as Bob was going to pick up the ball, a strong {#blank#}5{#/blank#} blew it away. Bill wanted to show off (炫耀) his swimming skills, so he decided to get the {#blank#}6{#/blank#} back for them.

    After swimming for about ten minutes, Bill became tired. He r{#blank#}7{#/blank#} it was impossible for him to get the ball. But he tried his best to swim to it. At that moment, some black clouds appeared in the sky！Oh, what strange weather it was！It started to rain {#blank#}8{#/blank#}.  

    At that time Jim and Bob were completely surprised because they couldn't see Bill. They didn't just stand on the beach in s{#blank#}9{#/blank#} anymore. They shouted for help.

    {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (luck), a young man saved Bill.

    One day a man bought a lot of coconuts（椰子）and put them all on his horse. He was moving them to his {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(friend) house. On the way, the man met a boy.

    "How long would it take to get to the house?" he asked the boy.

    "If you go{#blank#}2{#/blank#} (slow)," the boy said, "you will get there very soon. But if you go fast, it will take you all day."

    "What a funny reply!" said the man. He did not listen to the boy. He made his horse run as fast as possible. Some coconuts fell off. He had to stop{#blank#}3{#/blank#}(pick)them up. Then he made his horse run fast again. But the coconuts fell off again, and he{#blank#}4{#/blank#}(stop) again.

    He did this many{#blank#}5{#/blank#} (time), and it was night when he finally got to the place.

Dear Laura,

    Thanks for your message. Yes, I'm having a great time on my exchange program in France. I was a bit nervous before I arrived here, but there was no reason to be. My host family is really nice.

    They go out of their way{#blank#}1{#/blank#}(make) me feel at home. The grandmother has a teenage granddaughter about my age {#blank#}2{#/blank#} is really kind. She always talks to me in French to help me practice. And you wouldn't believe how quickly my French has{#blank#}3{#/blank#}(improve)! I'm very comfortable speaking French now. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}I still make lots of mistakes, it doesn't worry me as it used to.

    My biggest challenge is learning how to behave at the dinner table. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}you can imagine, things are really different from the way they are at home. For example, you shouldn't put your bread on your plate. You{#blank#}6{#/blank#} (suppose) to put it on the table! I thought that was pretty strange at first, but now I'm used to it. You shouldn't eat{#blank#}7{#/blank#}(something) with your hands except bread, not even fruit. You have to cut it up and eat it with a fork. Another thing is that it is very{#blank#}8{#/blank#}(polite) to say you're full. If you don't want any more food, you should just say, "It was delicious." Also, you shouldn't put your elbows on the table. I have to say that I find it difficult to remember everything, but I'm{#blank#}9{#/blank#}(gradual) getting used to it. I don't find French customs so strange any more.

    Dear Laura, I'll write again soon and tell you more about my life in France. Hope you are having{#blank#}10{#/blank#}good school year.

Yours,

Lin Yue