In life, everyone once struggles for a dream, whether it's successful or not. I still clearly remember one day when I was in high school. I saw on a website that China's. Got Talent's mass-election（海选）for the best singers was going on. I was very excited and decided to go and try out. But it wasn't as easy as I had thought. When I got there, I saw at least 100 people already waiting in line. My hands started to sweat and shake as my turn got close. I got up and started singing, but I sang so badly that I stopped before I even finished the song. Afterwards I quickly said goodbye to my friends and walked home crying. I thought that I would never be able to show my face in public again.
    However, after about a year, that terrible experience became a funny memory. I realized that I didn't need to care about losing that dream, because I made a new and more realistic one. I'm good at English, as well as other subjects. I made it my goal to get accepted into Columbia University. Columbia is hard to get into, and about 1,300 students from all over the world are accepted every year. Though it is hard to get into, I think my dream will come true someday by working hard.

    It was a sunny winter day. I had gone down the tower when a blind man came toward me. He kept close to the wall, touching it lightly with his arm. I stood still and looked at him walking toward the tower.

    "What does a blind man want to climb up the tower for?" I wondered (疑惑). "Not the view(景色) certainly, perhaps he wants to jump. "Thinking of some terrible reasons, I thought I should 1 him.

    He went up slowly and 2 from time to time. I followed him a few steps behind. When he got to the first corner of the bell tower, I came close to him. "Excuse me, "I said as politely as I could, "but I wonder 3 you came up."

    He smiled, "Perhaps climbing up the tower. You have noticed — and yet, not being blind, perhaps you won't — how the sun shines into the tower 4 the windows here and there, so that one can 5the cool steps suddenly become quite warm, even in winter. But behind the wall there is shade(阴影). There is no place so good as this for feeling the difference between light and darkness. Though I'm blind, I also want to feel the 6 brought by the sunlight. In fact, it isn't my first time to be here." He said and seemed as    7 as a child.

    I had never thought that even a blind man could have his way to 8 the beautiful life. But we often paid no attention to its value because we never 9 it.

    We went down the 10 together and I left him. From then on, I began to treasure what life has given me.

    Hello! I'm Alex. I often get up at 6:30 am. Half an hour later(之后), I have my breakfast. At 7:30 am, I take a bus to school. We have Math, Chinese and English classes from 8:00 am to 11: 30 am. I have lunch and talk with my classmates at school. We have three classes from 1:40 to 4:10 in the afternoon. After school, I often play with my classmates. We often play soccer, tennis and ping-pong. I go home at about 5:00 pm. I usually have dinner at 6:00 pm. Then I do my homework and watch TV. At about 10:30 pm, I go to bed.

    Our monthly talks start at 19: 30 on the first Thursday of each month except August. Admission is at normal charges and you don't need to book. They end around 21: 00.

    November 7th The Canal(运河)Pioneers(先驱者), by Chris Lewis. James Brindley is recognized as one of the leading early canal engineers. He was also a major player in training others in the art of canal planning and building. Chris Lewis will explain how Brindley made such a positive contribution to the education of that group of early "civil engineers".

    December 5th Ice for the Metropolis, by Malcolm Tucker. Well before the arrival of freezers, there was a demand for ice for food preservation and catering.

    Malcolm will explain the history of importing natural ice and the technology of building ice wells, and how London's ice trade grew.

    February 6th An Update on the Cotswold Canals, by Liz Payne. The Stroud water Canal is moving towards reopening. The Thames and Severn Canal will take a little longer. We will have a report on the present state of play.

    March 6th Eyots and Aits—Thames Istands, by Miranda Vickers. The Thames had many islands. Miranda has undertaken a review of all of them. She will tell us about those of greatest interest.