Once upon a time, there was a man from the State of Chu who loved his sword very much. One day, he was sitting in a boat preparing {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(cross) a river, when he accidentally {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(drop) his sword into the water. The people on board reminded him that he should go into the water to find his beloved sword back. The man felt {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(anxiety), too.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}, he turned a deaf ear to that. And instead, he {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(immediate) took out a knife and made a notch(刻痕) on the side of the boat {#blank#}6{#/blank#}his dear sword fell. The people wondered why he did so. He said proudly the notch could help get his sword back. Shortly after the {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(arrive) at the shore, he entered the water just beneath the notch he made. After rather a long time, he returned empty-handed. Without doubt, he was laughed at in public and his story became {#blank#}8{#/blank#}well-known joke in China.

    Today the idiom {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(relate) to the story is used to describe a person who stick {#blank#}10{#/blank#}strict rules without considering a changing environment.

    The First World War postcard has{#blank#}1{#/blank#}(final) been sent after many years. It is a very old postcard. This postcard was from a 19-year old soldier, Alfred, during the First World War. He{#blank#}2{#/blank#}(write) this postcard and sent it to his lovely sister Nell{#blank#}3{#/blank#}January 1916. The postcard is dated 1916 and{#blank#}4{#/blank#}is a cartoon picture of a new solider on the front.

    Alfred has written to his sister, “Dear Nell, just{#blank#}5{#/blank#}postcard to let you know I have not forgotten you. On the other side you will see our orders for next week. I will need your pity. Write to me, your brother Alfred.” Sadly, Alfred{#blank#}6{#/blank#}(kill) in a flight in 1918 before the card arrived.{#blank#}7{#/blank#} (year) later, his sister died in 1964.

    The postcard is marked 1916 and again September 2010 when it was stamped to arrive. But the postman couldn't find the{#blank#}8{#/blank#}(receive) any more. The post office said it was out of the question that the card was with{#blank#}9{#/blank#}(they) all the time. They regularly cleaned out their offices and post boxes. The{#blank#}10{#/blank#}(postcard) history for the last 94 years is still a mystery.

    This weekend I was delighted to show my parents around Seville, as they {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(come) for a short but sweet visit. Although the weather wasn't the best, we still made {#blank#}2{#/blank#} best of our time together.

    Being reunited with the people you love in a new place {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(bring) excitement. Showing them around the new city makes you{#blank#}4{#/blank#} (extraordinary) happy. For example, as Seville is known for flamenco (弗拉门科舞), I took them to see a famous {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(perform) my friends recommended to me, which gave us such a wonderful visual feast. Furthermore, getting to show your visitors the places {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (appeal) to you is a pleasant feeling, because you are eager to let them know where you love to spend your time. You are letting them get involved{#blank#}7{#/blank#} your new life. Also you have the opportunity{#blank#}8{#/blank#} (show) your beloved ones the new places that they may fall in love with.

    So, after a two-day trip, I feel pleased to have had the time to explore those {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(attraction) with my parents. I am already looking forward to their next visit {#blank#}10{#/blank#}I can show them more of what Seville offers and what I am still yet to discover.

    Over the past few days, a young adult, maybe in his early twenties, has been sleeping on the sidewalk in front of a postbox. As {#blank#}1{#/blank#} matter of fact, every time I {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (drive) by, I would see him there; one time he seemed {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(lose) in thought. I've offered him a couple of drinks from Starbucks one time and Jamba Juice the other. He {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (polite) accepted both but said very little. For the past two mornings, I {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(make) him breakfast at my home and then dropping it off to him {#blank#}6{#/blank#} he slept. This morning, besides food, I added a You Matter card and left him a note just {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (let) him know that someone cares about him. I hope to talk with him some day and hear his story.

    I told my own son about giving the man breakfast. I said, “I hope someone would be kind to you if you were in his position.“ My son responded {#blank#}8{#/blank#} “Thank you.” For me, life is about trying to see others as family, or even as {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (I). Even if we are not very {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (wealth), we can help others with our efforts.

    Few people I know seem to have much desire or time to cook. Making Chinese {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (dish) is seen as especially troublesome. Many westerners {#blank#}2{#/blank#} come to China cook much less than in their own countries once they realize how cheap {#blank#}3{#/blank#} can be to eat out. I still remember {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (visit) a friend who'd lived here for five years and I {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (shock) when I learnt she hadn't cooked once in all that time.

    While regularly eating out seems to {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (become) common for many young people in recent years, it's not without a cost. The obvious one is money; eating out once or twice a week may be {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (afford) but doing this most days adds up. There could be an even {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (high) cost on your health. Researchers have found that there is a direct link between the increase in food eaten outside the home and the rise in {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (weigh) problems.

    If you are not going to suffer this problem, then I suggest that the next time you go to your mum's home {#blank#}10{#/blank#} dinner, get a few cooking tips from her. Cooking food can be fun. You might also begin to notice the effects not only on your health but in your pocket.