Who's the {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (popular) cartoon character in China right now? It might be Peppa Pig. Peppa is 6 years old. She {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (wear) a red dress. Her favorite thing to do is to jump in muddy puddles (泥坑). She can spend all day {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (do) this. Her favorite toy is a bear named Teddy. Mummy Pig is a beautiful lady and she takes care of her family. Daddy Pig is an architect who is very cheerful and plays with Peppa and George a lot. Peppa often makes fun of his big belly (肚子).They are {#blank#}4{#/blank#} main characters on the British TV show Peppa Pig.

    The show has been on TV in 40 languages in more than 180 {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (country) and regions. It's about the everyday lives of the Peppa Pig family members. The show is {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (main) for preschoolers. But many older kids and even adults have become fans of the show {#blank#}7{#/blank#} well.

    “I think its popularity is partly because of it being ageless,” Richard Ridings, a voice actor {#blank#}8{#/blank#} plays Peppa's dad, told the Mirror.

    The show's stories are simple，but {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (it) humor is not too childish. Both kids and adults are always made {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (laugh) as soon as they see Peppa.

    In 1914, Thomas Edison, at the age of 67, lost his factory, {#blank#}1{#/blank#}was worth a few million dollars, to a fire. It had very little insurance. No longer a young man, Edison watched his lifetime effort {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(go) up in smoke and said, “There is great value in disasters. All our mistakes are burnt up. Thank God we can start anew.” In spite of disasters, three weeks later, {#blank#}3{#/blank#} invented the phonograph(留声机). What {#blank#}4{#/blank#} attitude!

    Below are more examples of successful people {#blank#}5{#/blank#} had failed before succeeding.

    Thomas Edison failed {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(approximate) 10,000 times while he worked on the light bulb. Henry Ford fired Lee Iacocca {#blank#}7{#/blank#} the age of 54. Young Beethoven {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(tell) that he had no talent for music, {#blank#}9{#/blank#} he gave some of the best music to the world.

    Setbacks(挫折) are inevitable in life. A setback can act as a driving force and also teach us humility. In grief you will find the courage and faith {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(overcome) the setback.

    People have all turned to sad music to make themselves feel better at some point in their lives,

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}why does the music with double or even triple(三倍) sadness help drag people out of low spirits?

    A new study throws light on what's going on inside people's brains when they match their music to their feelings, and it looks as if sad music can be enjoyable, rather than{#blank#}2{#/blank#}(simple) depressing. Music of this sort can arouse positive memories in people's life, thus {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(lift)their mood.

    Psychologist Adrian North from Curtin University in Australia says there{#blank#}4{#/blank#}(existence) two groups of possible explanations for why people enjoy listening to sad music like this——one from social psychology, and the other from cognitive neuroscience(神经学).

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}terms of social psychology, one idea about this is that people will feel{#blank#}6{#/blank#}(good) about themselves if they focus on someone who's doing even worse. Everything's going to be okay, because this person is having {#blank#}7{#/blank#}even worse day than they are.

    Another idea from social psychology is that people like to listen to the very music {#blank#}8{#/blank#} shows their present life circumstances, because this kind of music makes them feel they are understood. With their emotions{#blank#}9{#/blank#} (share), they definitely get a certain amount of comfort.

    So, the{#blank#}10{#/blank#} (conclude) again—sad music does cheer people up, and it works far better than happy music, in most cases.

    I recently became friends with a young man {#blank#}1{#/blank#} had just migrated to Australia to escape war in his homeland. He was unskilled and was finding life difficult as he was unemployed. I {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (work) for a company in Australia for more than ten years before I found a better job. I knew that the manager would be disappointed when I was leaving.

    The manager asked me to introduce someone who I thought could do the job just as well as me, so I took this opportunity {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (arrange) an interview for my new friend. However, in the end, he was not offered the job after the interview.

    Later, I asked the manager why my friend was turned {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. The manager thought that his English was not good enough for the position, but I suggested that my friend should be a {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (suit) choice for the company since I could train him. I believed that once {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (give) the time to learn, he could do the job. After a {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (week) training, he was employed and was happy with his position.

    I knew how the terrible war had forced him to leave his homeland and {#blank#}8{#/blank#} price he had paid for doing so. I appreciate {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (be) able to live in Australia and believe that this {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (appreciate) is best proved by offering acts of kindness to people in need of help.

    One Sunday morning in August I went to a local music festival. I left it early because I had an appointment{#blank#}1{#/blank#}(late) that day. My friends walked me to the bus stop and waited with me{#blank#}2{#/blank#} the bus arrived. I got on the bus and found a seat near the back，and then I noticed a man{#blank#}3{#/blank#}(sit) at the front. He {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(pretend) that a tiger toy was real and giving it a voice. He must be{#blank#}5{#/blank#}(mental) disabled.

    Behind him were other people to {#blank#}6{#/blank#} he was trying to talk，but after some minutes {#blank#}7{#/blank#} walked away and sat near me，looking annoyed.

    I didn't want to be laughed at for talking to him but I didn't like leaving him {#blank#}8{#/blank#} his own either.

    After a while I rose from my seat and walked to the front of the bus. I sat next to the man and introduced myself. We had {#blank#}9{#/blank#} amazing conversation. He got off the bus before me and I felt very happy the rest of the way home.

    I'm glad I made the choice. It made {#blank#}10{#/blank#} of us feel good.

    My computer was broken so I couldn't read your two {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (e-mail) until today. I'm so sorry {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (hear) about your problem, but I'm glad you're feeling better and are recovering.

    You are right. We shouldn't be embarrassed about our weight. I think you look great as you are, {#blank#}3{#/blank#} you're a wonderful person. I know that the pressure to stay slim is a problem, {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (especial) for an actress. However, your mother {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (know) best: nothing is more important {#blank#}6{#/blank#} health.

    It's the same in China-many people, some of {#blank#}7{#/blank#} are not overweight at all, are always going on a diet or {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (take) weight-loss pills, which are often {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(danger). I hope they can learn {#blank#}10{#/blank#} your story.

Love

Zhou Ling