In 1990, when I{#blank#}1{#/blank#}(be) nine years old, I wanted very much to find{#blank#}2{#/blank#}pen friend. I found Ashley's address in a magazine, and decided{#blank#}3{#/blank#}(write) to her.

    I sent off my letter with a little hope. Very quickly, I received her letter.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}my surprise, Ashley was only one month {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (old) than me. I learned some new expressions from her. I {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(real) liked this new friend.

    Letter after letter, year after year, Ashley and I continued to write to one another. A letter would be received and I'd write back right away. We would send each other birthday and Christmas {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(gift).

    Eight years later, my parents decided it was time{#blank#}8{#/blank#}me to meet this friend. They drove me down to Mississippi for a few days. We{#blank#}9{#/blank#}(have) a fun time together. We did the things that teenage girls love to do.

    Twenty-five years after the{#blank#}10{#/blank#}(one) letter, Ashley and I still have an amazing friendship. Although we don't write letters now, we communicate through mobile phones and the Internet.

    Patricia was born in Michigan and grew up in California. When she was a little girl, she often stayed with her grandparents who lived in Union City, Michigan. One summer day, a meteorite (流星){#blank#}1{#/blank#} (fall) from the sky, right into her grandparents' backyard! Before that, her grandparents had lived a {#blank#}2{#/blank#}['kwaət] life on their farm. Now things were {#blank#}3{#/blank#}from before. They had so much to do. People came to see the meteorite. The professors from the {#blank#}4{#/blank#}[juːnɪ'vɜːsɪtɪ] came to study it and analyze (分析) it. Her grandparents had never talked to so many people in{#blank#}5{#/blank#}(they) lives! Everything changed.

    As you can guess, no one in the town had ever{#blank#}6{#/blank#}(see) a meteorite before! They were confused (困惑) and didn't know{#blank#}7{#/blank#}to do. Some people thought it would bring them good{#blank#}8{#/blank#}(lucky) if they touched it.

    Patricia loves to tell the story about her meteorite and even today, she carries a piece of the meteorite with her{#blank#}9{#/blank#}[weər'evə] she goes. When I met her, she let all of us touch it and make a{#blank#}10{#/blank#}. What might you wish for if you could meet Patricia and see her meteorite?

    It{#blank#}1{#/blank#}(be)Saturday yesterday. I{#blank#}2{#/blank#}(have)no lessons. I{#blank#}3{#/blank#}(get)up at six. After breakfast I{#blank#}4{#/blank#}(go)to a farm by bus with my classmates to help the{#blank#}5{#/blank#}(farm)with the apple harvest. As soon as we{#blank#}6{#/blank#}(arrive)there, we began to pick apples. But some of the apples are too high for me to reach. So I{#blank#}7{#/blank#}(climb)up the ladder(梯子)and{#blank#}8{#/blank#}(pick)them. Some of us{#blank#}9{#/blank#}(take)baskets of apples to the truck and some put baskets of{#blank#}10{#/blank#}(apple)onto the truck.

    It was hard work, but we all felt very happy.