A ceremony（仪式）where boys become crocodile（鳄鱼）men

    When does a teenager grow up and become an adult? In many countries, it happens on your 18^th {#blank#}1{#/blank#}（生日）, but in some parts of the world, you have to do something special to {#blank#}2{#/blank#} （进入）the world of grown-ups.

    On an Oceanian island, some people live near the Sepik River, which is {#blank#}3{#/blank#}（充满的）of crocodiles. They believe that crocodiles made the {#blank#}4{#/blank#}（地球）and its people. When it is time for teenage boys to become men, a "crocodile ceremony" takes place.

    The boys are taken to small house {#blank#}5{#/blank#}（叫作）the "Crocodile Nest". In the house, the boys are told to think of their crocodile "fathers and mothers". Old people in the village say that if the boys think of their crocodile parents, they will be stronger and {#blank#}6{#/blank#}（勇敢的）because the ceremony will cause great pain. To take their minds off the pain, the boys tell jokes in the house, rather than just stay {#blank#}7{#/blank#}（沉默的）. Surprisingly, some of the boys even sleep {#blank#}8{#/blank#}（在……期间）the most painful parts of the ceremony! It will be {#blank#}9{#/blank#}（八）weeks before they leave the house.

    When the boys {#blank#}10{#/blank#}（最后）leave the crocodile house, there is singing and dancing in the village to welcome the new crocodile men.

    Once, {#blank#}1{#/blank#} old lion loved a girl, so he went to the girl's parents with many {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (present) and asked them to marry (嫁）her to him.

    The parents didn't like the idea of {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (give) their daughter to the lion but they didn't want {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (make) the lion angry.

    Finally, the father said, "We are glad to marry {#blank#}5{#/blank#} daughter to you, but can you promise {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (move) away your claws (爪子) and teeth? "The lion loved the girl very much, {#blank#}7{#/blank#} he moved away his claws and teeth.

    On the {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (two) day, when he came to the parents, they just laughed at him and drove him away.

    The lion was angry, but he didn't have claws and teeth. He {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (realize) that he shouldn't believe (相信）them {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (easy) and give up his claws and teeth.

    I was studying in Los Angeles , the USA . It is a big city with {#blank#}1{#/blank#} people living in it than in my whole country . I come from Singapore . It is one of the smallest {#blank#}2{#/blank#} in the world . We rented（租）a flat in a community near a favela（贫民窟）.

    For several months I did not have a car , so three times a week I used public transportation（交通）to go to the city centre . During these trip . I would ride with the people who took the {#blank#}3{#/blank#} bus from the favela to work .

    When I got on the bus , all the seats were already taken . But when people saw that my bag was very heavy , they offered to hold it on their lap（范围）to{#blank#}4{#/blank#} me feel lighter（轻松）. At first , I was{#blank#}5{#/blank#}. Then I realize that these people did not want to steal（偷盗）from me they only wanted to help me .

    Once , on my way back , I had to wait {#blank#}6{#/blank#} a long time at a bus stop . I was alone , expect for a woman who was very poor . She carried a small paper bag of popcom and nothing else . While we were waiting , she walked over and gave me some popcom . I thank her , but did not want to help{#blank#}7{#/blank#} to it . She then insisted（要求）that I should take some from what was evidently（明显地）her only food .

I wonder {#blank#}8{#/blank#} it is true that the more you have, the more difficulties you will have to share anything with others .

    Most people sleep at night, but Frank sleeps during (在……期间) the day and works at night. His work is to guard（守卫） a big {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. Frank likes his work. He knows that it is {#blank#}2{#/blank#} to guard the building at night. If he hears any noise, he goes {#blank#}3{#/blank#} to see what it is. Most of the time he walks around inside the big building, but he also walks around outside. When he is {#blank#}4{#/blank#} he can sit on a chair by the door (门). It is very cold in winter. He always {#blank#}5{#/blank#} a warm coat when he is working.

    Frank used to feel lonely (过去感到孤独) because no one {#blank#}6{#/blank#} with him in the evening. One night when Frank was walking outside, he {#blank#}7{#/blank#} a noise. He went very quietly to the noise to see if someone was there, {#blank#}8{#/blank#} he only saw a small dog. Frank talked to the dog. It {#blank#}9{#/blank#} cold. He took the dog inside the building, and the dog followed {#blank#}10{#/blank#} around happily.

    Now Frank is not lonely. The dog is his good friend.

    What is the highest mountain on earth? Most of us think the {#blank#}1{#/blank#}is Mount Qomolangma. But there is something that is three hundred and four {#blank#}2{#/blank#}taller than Mount Qomolangma. However, it is mainly underwater. It begins at the{#blank#}3{#/blank#} of the Pacific Ocean. Its {#blank#}4{#/blank#}is Manna Loa. In the Hawaiian language, Mauna Loa{#blank#}5{#/blank#}"Long Mountain". It is the {#blank#}6{#/blank#}and most active volcano(火山)on earth．It has produced liquid (液体的)rock more than thirty{#blank#}7{#/blank#}. Liquid rock is also called lava(熔岩). Today, Mauna Loa is{#blank#}8{#/blank#}. It doesn't produce lava．However, volcano expels say it is only a matter of time before this happens once again.