Every society has {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (it) special words, expressions and ways of saying things. One of the popular expressions in the United States is "Hitting the books". It {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (mean) studying a subject with great effort(努力).

    One of the great challenges for students {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (be) taking tests. Students spend long hours {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (prepare) for a test. They read all their books carefully, and then read them {#blank#}5{#/blank#} second time and a third time. They prepare for every possible question. They study every night. They are "hitting the books."

    In the United States, most children go to school {#blank#}6{#/blank#} they are five years old. Public education is free and most children go to schools near their homes. School in these early years is fun. Children learn {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (read) and write, but they also play games and go on trips. There is no reason at such an early age for them to hit the books.

    This situation changes as children become older. The subjects become {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (difficult). Students must learn {#blank#}9{#/blank#} world history, algebra(代数) and life sciences. Tests become more common.

    Pressure is growing to hit the books, study hard, and advance(升级). {#blank#}10{#/blank#}, most students only really begin hitting the books for long hours when they reach high school.

Knowledge is a prize that is not easy to gain.

    Children today have many things to play with. They can watch television, surf {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Internet, or play video games. But what do you think children {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (do) for fun long ago? They read books.

    Some of you might ask, "Are books {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (real) fun?" Believe it or not, books provide many things that television or computers cannot. Since books use only words {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (tell) a story, they can improve your imagination. You can picture the characters and background in your head and you can also imagine {#blank#}5{#/blank#} the characters feel.

    The words and sentences that are used in storytelling are also very interesting and usually cannot be found often on television or on websites. They are sometimes so beautiful and touching {#blank#}6{#/blank#} they can bring tears to your eyes.

    Books also help us to think harder and {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (deep). As we continue {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(read), we ask questions to {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(our) and try to find answers.

    These are some of the {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(reason) why books are so fun to read.

    Remember: the more you read, the more you grow.

    Anna comes{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Russia. She is 17 years old. She is going{#blank#}2{#/blank#}(stay) with the Black family for a year. Anna comes to England{#blank#}3{#/blank#}she wants to study English. She helps Mrs. Black{#blank#}4{#/blank#}housework and goes to English{#blank#}5{#/blank#}(class) every Wednesday and Friday afternoon.

    Anna is now in London. Everything is new(新的) to her. She finds life is different from that in Moscow. Some things are nice in London,{#blank#}6{#/blank#}many things are not so nice. The shops are bigger in London than those in Moscow. So it's very expensive to enjoy{#blank#}7{#/blank#}(live) in London.{#blank#}8{#/blank#}is expensive to have a meal at a restaurant or go to the cinema.

    Now Anna gets used to (习惯于) many{#blank#}9{#/blank#}(thing), but she can't get used to the breakfast in England. "You eat so much{#blank#}10{#/blank#}the morning," she often says, "Fruits, porridge, eggs, tea and bread. How can you face (面对) all that food so early in the day?"

    Trying to stay healthy seems to be a difficult thing for us. To have  {#blank#}1{#/blank#}healthy lifestyle, there is no {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(good) way than to encourage the whole family to have a healthy lifestyle.

    When others do the same {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(activity) as us, we can encourage each other to keep doing. If {#blank#}4{#/blank#}get your family to be interested in doing exercise and eating {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(healthy), you will be fit and healthy quicker than you think.

    When you go shopping, only buy healthy food. Buy vegetables and fruit rather than junk food like chips. Try different kinds of foods and try {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(eat) more at home.

    Don't think {#blank#}7{#/blank#}food as some kinds of entertainment（娱乐）. We may often meet our friends for lunch. In fact, there are many other things you can do with friends. How about {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (meet) friends for a football game rather than meeting for lunch? You can still eat, {#blank#}9{#/blank#}the activity doesn't have to focus（集中）on food. The food is less important than the fun activity.

    Looking after your health should not be boring. {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(start) now.

    Mr White works in an office. He likes {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (read) in bed when he is at school. It is bad for his {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(eye) and now he is short sighted. But he doesn't want anybody else {#blank#}3{#/blank#} know about it and he never wears a pair of glasses. It often brings him some trouble.

    One winter morning he {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(go) to a village school on business. He gets off a bus at a stop in {#blank#}5{#/blank#} small town. Then he has to walk there. The road to the village isn't smooth(平坦的). There are stones here and there. He falls over(跌倒) several times {#blank#}6{#/blank#} it makes his clothes very dirty. At last he gets to the village. Suddenly (突然) it begins to blow

{#blank#}7{#/blank#}(strong) and it gets much colder.  His hat is blown off while he is{#blank#}8{#/blank#} (look) for the school. He has to run after it but he can't catch it. He{#blank#}9{#/blank#} (not know) why his hat runs into a house. And then he runs into the house too.

    A big woman stops {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(he) by shouting angrily, "What are you running after my hen for?"

    Shlander (外星人) is a man from space. He {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (think) the people and things on {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Earth are very strange. He is now {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (write) a letter to his friend at home. Here is part of his letter, Read it and answer the questions.

    Now I am in a strange world. It is very {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (well). There are many new things here, There are many earth monsters (怪物) here, too. The earth monsters look very funny. They have just one head, {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (second) arms and two legs. They have thin black strings on {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (they) heads. Some earth monsters have brown or yellow strings. The earth monsters have {#blank#}7{#/blank#} hole in their face. Every day, they put nice things and balls from the trees {#blank#}8{#/blank#} the hole. They put water into the hole, too. The earth monsters {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (not walk) very fast. They move from place to pace in tin boxes.

    At night, the earth {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (monster) like to look at a square window box. This box has very small earth monsters in it.