When my wife and I went to live in an Arab(阿拉伯) country, we didn't know much about our future. _______. Later, we realized that the advice given to us by our friends were right.

    ______ Here, the burning sun can cook an egg in a minute. The hot weather made us feel so tired that we were falling asleep at midday!

    _______ We worked from Saturdays to Wednesdays, including Sundays. It was also strange to see people praying (祈祷) in a certain direction. _________ They don't let people see their faces in public. They are not allowed to drive cars, either. All dresses worn by women have to cover the body completely. They believe that women can't be seen in public.

    At the weekend, we went camping in the desert. I will never forget watching the sun setting over the desert. We also enjoyed riding on the camels.

    Though their culture is very different from the American culture, ________.

    Fresh off his MasterChef Junior run, Evan Robinson, who is only 12 years old, is using his kitchen skills to raise money for Puerto Rico. The TV show contestant wanted to offer help after hurricanes(飓风) hit the country last September.

    “I've been seeing, all over the news, people struggling,” Evan said. “They can't get fresh water, electricity; they can't get really anything. I know I'm just a kid, but I think if a lot of people do something, a lot of things will get better.”

    He raises money by baking and taking online orders for homemade empanadas(馅 饼). He started cooking on a recent Friday night. By the next Sunday evening, he had filled orders for 420 empanadas — — roasted chicken, cheeseburger and vegetarian — — getting $18 for six empanadas and $30 for a dozen.

    His mom, Veronica Robinson, helped him send the empanadas around the city. “We've never done anything like this before,” she said. “But it's a great idea, so I want to help him make it work.”

    For Evan's out-of-town friends and supporters, he has set up a crowdfunding(众筹) page. Through it, he's hoping to raise $1, 500 in “virtual (虚 拟 的) empanadas”. This is because he heard on the news that it could take Puerto Rico years, maybe  even 10 years, to recover(复 原) from the hurricanes. And he said, “Fruit pies are up next. And my baking will continue as well.”

    It's a difficult job, especially for a kid with homework and Boy Scouts and friendships to tend to. But he doesn't seem worried.

    “It's what we're supposed to do.” he said. “I'm a human. They're humans. Why shouldn't I help them?”

    Indeed.

    Jerry, 30 years old, owned a pizza restaurant. He lived in a flat about one mile north of the restaurant. He walked to and from work. When it was raining, he took the bus.

    Jerry loved gangster（匪徒）movies. When a new on came out, he would go to the theater and watch the new movie three or four times. Then, when it went to video, Jerry would buy the video at Tom's Video Store. Jerry had a home collection of over 1, 000 gangster videos. Old ones, new ones; coloured, black and white; English, Spanish, Japanese-he loved them all. He could tell you the name of the movie, the director, the stars, and the story.

    Jerry finally decided that he would like to own a gun, just like the gangsters. So he saved his money and one day he went to a gun store and bought one for $300. On Saturday morning, he went to the gun club to practise shooting 射击）. He was in the club for only 10 minutes when he accidentally（偶然）dropped his gun. The gun went off, and the bullet（子弹）went into Jerry's right knee（膝盖）.

    Jerry now walks with a walking stick, just like some gangsters.

Do you have a friend with an interesting background? Today, I'd like to tell you about a friend of m{#blank#}1{#/blank#} with it. I'll tell you a bit about her, such as where she's from and why we're good friends.

You know, I didn't use to do s{#blank#}2{#/blank#}. However, a couple of years ago, I j{#blank#}3{#/blank#} a fitness club. There, I met Linda. After the exercise, we had coffee together and b{#blank#}4{#/blank#} good friends soon. I think we have a lot in c{#blank#}5{#/blank#} —we both like to keep fit and love trying different food. And we love the ocean; in summer, we like to play at the b{#blank#}6{#/blank#} and go swimming there. Linda was b{#blank#}7{#/blank#} in London, but has lived in China for ten years. So she can s{#blank#}8{#/blank#} both Chinese and English. That's something different about us. Another d{#blank#}9{#/blank#} is her background—Linda has experience and knowledge of two cultures.

So, now you know a bit about my friend Linda. Although we might not always live in the same city in the f{#blank#}10{#/blank#}, I think we'll stay friends forever.

What kind of homework do your teachers usually give you {#blank#}1{#/blank#} the summer holiday? When Sheng Zeqi was a 7th- grade r at Hangzhou No 1 Middle School, her teacher asked her to tell the story of Journey to the West by {#blank#}2{#/blank#} pictures.

Sheng didn't just draw random pictures. She of a game she played with her parents when she was young. She decided to turn Journey to the West into a roadmap. Her map has 81 different locations. They tell the story of the classic novel. She {#blank#}3{#/blank#} some interesting conversations for the novel's characters. She even" borrowed" the character Mei Chaofeng from The Legend of the Condor Heroes {#blank#}4{#/blank#} her tell the story.

Sheng really did a good job in turning the novel into pictures." My parents are both {#blank#}5{#/blank#} and I' ve also enjoyed painting since I was little," Sheng told Xinhua.