I was nine years old when I learnt to ride a bike. The bike was a birthday present from my uncle. You can imagine how  {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(excite) I was when I saw the bike, and I begged my uncle to teach me how  {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(ride)it right away. However, before I got on the bike, I felt  {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(extreme)nervous and I was afraid that I would fall off and hurt {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(me). My uncle held onto the seat andhelped me to get  {#blank#}5{#/blank#}the bike. While I was riding, he wasrunning along beside me, holding the seat so I would not fall over. I was so {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(grate) to him for his help.

      As I was practicing, I became more and more confident. Then, Iheard my uncle shouting, “You are riding it by yourself now!” I was bothexcited and scared. I was really riding by myself, but  {#blank#}7{#/blank#}if I fell off? Could I use the brakesto stop? As I was wondering about this, my uncle ran after me and got hold ofthe bike. I  {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(slow) down and came to a stop. Myheart was still beating fast when I got off the bike. {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (late) that day, having learnt how to get onthe bike and get off it, I felt like I was walking on air! I am still thankfulto my uncle for teaching me to ride a bike on my {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (nine) birthday.

By the time Jill got to a little town, every hotel room {#blank#}1{#/blank#}（take）. “You've got to give me a room somewhere,” he said to the manager at the hotel, “{#blank#}2{#/blank#}just a bed — I don't care where.”

    “Well, I do have a double room with one guest,”{#blank#}3{#/blank#} (admit) the manager, “and he might be glad to split（分担）the cost. But to tell you {#blank#}4{#/blank#}truth, he snores {#blank#}5{#/blank#}loudly that people in the next room have complained {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(late). I'm not sure if it would be worth it to you.”

    “No problem.” Jill assured him, “I'll take {#blank#}7{#/blank#}”

The next morning Jill came down to breakfast bright-eyed.

    “How did you sleep” asked the manager.

    “Never better.”

    The manager was impressed. “No problem with the other guy snoring, then?”

    “No, I shut him up{#blank#}8{#/blank#}no time,” said Jill.

    “How did you manage that?” asked the manager. “Did you give him some medicine to stop the snoring?”

    “No, I didn't. But here is {#blank#}9{#/blank#}I did. He was already in bed when I went into the room,” Jill explained. “I went over, gave him a kiss on the forehead, and said, ‘Good night, beautiful,' and he sat up all night {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(watch) me.”

    Once there was a cowboy, Niulang,{#blank#}1{#/blank#}lived with his elder brother and sister-in-law. But she disliked and abused him, and the boy was forced {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (leave) home with only an old cow for company.

    The cow, however, was a former god who had broken royal rules and {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (send) to earth in bovine（牛的）form.

    One day the cow led Niulang{#blank#}4{#/blank#}a lake where fairies took a bath on earth. Among them was Zhinu{#blank#}5{#/blank#}most beautiful fairy and a skilled woman tailor.

    The two fell in love at first sight and were soon married. They had a son and a daughter and their happy life was held up as an example for hundreds of {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (year) in China. Yet in the eyes of the Jade Emperor, the Supreme Deity in Taoism, marriage between a mortal and fairy was{#blank#}7{#/blank#}(strict) forbidden. He ordered the heaven troop to catch Zhinu back.

    Niulang grew desperate when he discovered Zhinu had been taken back to heaven{#blank#}8{#/blank#} (drive) by Niulang's misery, the cow told him to turn its hide into a pair of shoes after it died. The magic shoes whisked（匆匆带走）Niulang,{#blank#}9{#/blank#} (carry) his two children in baskets strung from a shoulder pole, off on a chase after the empress. Even the Jade Emperor was touched, and allowed Niulang and Zhinu to meet once a year on the{#blank#}10{#/blank#} (seven) night of the seventh month.

    The colors red, white and blue, along {#blank#}1{#/blank#} the stars and stripes on the American flag, all represent different things. Red represents {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (strong) and bravery, white means virtue, and blue stands for hard work and {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (just). There are fifty stars on the flag, one for each state,{#blank#}4{#/blank#} (represent) the union of fifty states {#blank#}5{#/blank#} one country in a federal system. The thirteen stripes are {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (remind) people of the thirteen colonies that {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (join) together to fight for independence from Britain. Each year on 4 July, the USA celebrates Independence Day,{#blank#}8{#/blank#} the Stars and Stripes {#blank#}9{#/blank#} be seen all over the country,{#blank#}10{#/blank#} (light) by fireworks in the night sky.

    Confucius(孔子) is honored {#blank#}1{#/blank#} setting the tone for much traditional Chinese music for thousands of years. He {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (think) to be a music teacher and a {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (talent) musician who was able to play several instruments expertly. Perhaps for other people around the world, music was meant mainly for amusement.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} during the time of the Zhou Dynasty about 500 BC, music had an important role in making society stable.

    How music was used and performed is expressed in several main Confucian books. Confucius taught that {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (educate) somebody, you should start with poems, emphasize ceremonies, and finish with music.

    Musical knowledge was {#blank#}6{#/blank#} matter of higher learning. It is said that he thought of the six most important {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (subject) to study, ranking music higher than the other five necessary subjects like writing and mathematics.

    Music was so important because the ideal society was to be governed by ritual (礼制) functions, but not by law. In a culture {#blank#}8{#/blank#} people function according to ritual, music is used to help govern them. So music wasn't really {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (entertain), but a means for musicians to accomplish political and social goals. Music is {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (eventual) a means for social happiness.