When I was young, my parents and I {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(move) to New York from China. Although we now live in the US, we follow the customs and {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (tradition) of China. I have learned to speak several languages, English {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (include). I eat all kinds of foods and celebrate different holidays {#blank#}4{#/blank#} have something to do with culture.

    However, there {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(be) many disadvantages of being part of two cultures. Sometimes, speaking a language at home {#blank#}6{#/blank#} speaking another language in school can get confusing. Sometimes, I have trouble {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (express) my thoughts in English because they don't understand me well. Sometimes, my culture does make me feel far away from others because I feel too {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (difference).

    I am closer to the culture of China than that of the US. I don't listen to English music as {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(frequent) as I listen to Chinese music. Therefore, I feel very far away {#blank#}10{#/blank#} my friends when I don't know what song they talking about.

    The young artist and potter Allan had a wife and two fine sons. One night, his older son developed a severe stomachache. Neither Allan nor his wife took the condition very {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (serious), but the boy died suddenly that night.

    Knowing the death could {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (avoid) if he had only realized the seriousness of the situation, he always felt he was guilty. Worse still, his wife left him a short time later,{#blank#}3{#/blank#} (leave) him alone with his 6-year-old younger son. Unable to stand the hurt and pain, he turned to alcohol and became{#blank#}4{#/blank#} alcoholic.

    As the alcoholism {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (progress), Allan began to lose everything he possessed and finally died alone in a small bar. Hearing of his death, I thought, “{#blank#}6{#/blank#} a complete failure!”

    As time went by, I began to revalue my {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (early) rough judgment. I knew Allan's now adult son, Ernie, one of the kindest and most caring men I've ever known. I hadn't heard him talk much about his father. One day, I worked up my courage to ask him what {#blank#}8{#/blank#} earth his father had done so that he became such a special person. Ernie said quietly, “As a child until I left home at 18, Allan came into my room every night, gave me a kiss and said, ‘love you, son'.”

    Tears came to my eyes as I realized what I had been a fool to judge Allan {#blank#}9{#/blank#} a failure. He had not left any material{#blank#}10{#/blank#} (possess) behind. But he had been a kind loving father, and left behind his best love.

    Last summer, as soon as school was over, I thought maybe I could spend the summer {#blank#}1{#/blank#} a way different from previous ones. But how? Perhaps I could take{#blank#}2{#/blank#}part-time job and make some money. I {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (offer) an interview soon after I filed my application to Kentucky Fried Chicken. The interview was three days ahead. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (prepare) for it, I went through Interview Skills, a book {#blank#}5{#/blank#} prepares readers for job interviews. My mom and dad tried to help by {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (give) me simulated (模拟的) interviews one after {#blank#}7{#/blank#}I was all ready the day before the interview.

    I answered all of the manager's questions {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(perfect). After all, my mom and dad had expected all of them and I just needed to repeat the answers I had prepared. Besides, I had carried myself well through the interview. My facial {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(express), my voice, my…… all were excellent. I felt the job was already mine. That night I calculated how {#blank#}10{#/blank#} money I would make, and I planned the ways I would like to spend it.

    I was staying in Destin for a few days with my family. One morning, I got up early{#blank#}1{#/blank#}(go) for a walk on the beach. As I was walking, I noticed at least a hundred or more empty beer cans which{#blank#}2{#/blank#}(leave) in one concentrated area in front of a hotel. I was{#blank#}3{#/blank#}(fascinate) by the beach, woods and nature so I wanted to keep{#blank#}4{#/blank#}(they) clean. Naturally, I picked up a few to take to a nearby rubbish can. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}my way back to the hotel. I saw {#blank#}6{#/blank#}man walking down the beach with a rubbish bag picking up the cans. I helped him get the rest and walked back to my place, but I couldn't help {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (think) about that man and how we need more people like that in the world. It really gave me some {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(inspire).

    In the following days when I stayed in Destin, I always went for a walk with a rubbish bag. The rubbish bag was {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(total) full by the time I got back to my hotel. I did not want to get any thanks but I hoped {#blank#}10{#/blank#}I did could inspire someone to do the same as well.

    Daisy is a girl who cares about our environment. She always longs to help {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(endanger) species of wildlife. One day, she {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(wake) up and found a flying carpet which took her to many{#blank#}3{#/blank#}(place) to experience something amazing. In Tibet, Daisy saw an antelope looking sad and it told her the species was being killed. Then the carpet showed her a place {#blank#}4{#/blank#}there was some wildlife protection. There she came across {#blank#}5{#/blank#}elephant, from whom she knew they used to be hunted {#blank#}6{#/blank#}mercy. But now good things are being done to save local wildlife. Knowing that, Daisy burst into {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(laugh) in relief. At the end of the journey, she met a monkey {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(rub) itself to protect himself from mosquitoes. The monkey asked her to pay {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(much) attention to the rainforest. Finally, Daisy {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(full) understood the meaning of no rainforest, no animals, no drugs.