Do you know what a resolution is? It' a kind of promise. Most of the time, we make promises to other people. (“Mom, I promise I'm going to tidy my room when I get back from school.”) However, promises you make to yourself are {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(resolution), and the {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (common) kind is New Year's resolutions. The start of the year is often a time for making resolutions. When we make resolutions at the {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (begin) of the year, we hope that we are going to improve our {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (life). Some people write down {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (they) resolutions and plans for the coming year. This helps them to remember their resolutions. {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (other) tell their family and friends about their wishes and plans.

    There are different kinds of resolutions. Some are about physical health. For example, some people promise themselves they are going  {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (start) an exercise program or eat less fast food. Many resolutions have to do with self-improvement. These are about {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (make) yourself a better person. Some people might say they are going to take up a hobby like painting or taking photos, or {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (learn) to play the guitar. Some resolutions have to do with better planning, like making a weekly plan for schoolwork. For example, a student may have to find more time to study.

    Although there are differences, most resolutions have one thing in common. People hardly ever keep them! There are good reasons for this. Sometimes the resolutions may be too difficult {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (keep). Sometimes people just forget about them. For this reason, some people say the best resolution is to have no resolutions! How about you—will you make any next year?

    At around 9 pm Thursday, April 11^th2019,the rainstorm {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(hit) Shenzhen, {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(lead) to floods that washed away the workers who {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(work) at different river areas in the districts(区) of Luohu and Futian.

    Eleven people {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (kill) in floods. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(make) sure the workers were safe, the government {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(stop)all water projects in the two places on Saturday.

    Every year there {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (be) many events across the country. As a student, it's necessary for us to learn how {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (protect) ourselves when we face different situations, such as earthquake, fire, rainstorm. We {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (act) quickly and properly. We {#blank#}10{#/blank#}always {#blank#}11{#/blank#} (remember) the heroes like Zhang Chengpeng forever for what they have done for us. Tanks to them, we can live safely and happily.

    Next time you hold a book in your hands, stop and think. Like most other things in the modern world, it is the result of thousands of years of human invention.

    First came the invention of writing, {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (probable) about 5,500 years ago. With writing, people did not have to remember everything in their heads. They could communicate with people that they never {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (see) and share their knowledge with future generations.

    Later, the Greeks were well-known for their literature (文学) and science, but their "books" looked very different f {#blank#}3{#/blank#} the books of today. They were called scrolls (卷轴).They were difficult to use and took a lot of space in a library. About 2,000 years ago, books with lots of pages {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (invent).

    For more than a thousand years, the pages of books were made from animal skin. That changed in t{#blank#}5{#/blank#} thirteenth century, when Europeans learned about a very {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (use) Chinese invention: paper.

    But the biggest change for books in Europe came in 1439, when Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press. Before that, books in Europe were copied by hand, so they were very expensive. Many more people could afford the books {#blank#}7{#/blank#} were produced on a printing press.

    These days it is difficult {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (imagine) a world without books. But human invention does not stop. Every year, more {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (story) are bought as e-books and read on a screen.

    Will anyone turn the pages of a traditional book in the future, {#blank#}10{#/blank#} will books, like scrolls soon disappear?