Life as Chopsticks

Right now, more and more people are digging into their food with {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (二) sticks which are called chopsticks. Even people eating with knives and {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (餐叉) begin to love them. What's so special about them? Because they have deep influence in many people's ways of life.

Simplicity. There's{#blank#}3{#/blank#} (几乎不) anything simpler than chopsticks. With new technology developing every day, there is {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (仍然) something that has just one use —simply to eat. Also the chopsticks don't {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (花费) much. In real life, we don't need to keep improving things all the time.

 Aim. When using chopsticks,you can not pick up everything in one go. Know what you want and just do it. Sometimes, a little bit of focus makes the difference {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (在…之间) failure and success.

Practice. Using chopsticks doesn't come naturally. You have to learn to use them and practice it. Most would {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (同意) that there's no better way than to practice. In real life, you may have many things you want to do, but it will just be a {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (梦想) if you don't try doing it.

Slowing down. A healthy way to eat is to eat with chopsticks. It slows you down and it {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (允许) your stomach to tell your brain you are full before you overeat. In our life, we sometimes need slow down to have time to think, to realize that we're actually full and don't have to rush full {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(速度) through life.

A is not allowed;    B hot;       C slowly;     D before      E stopped the car;   F enjoyed themselves;     G until    H took off  their clothes      I  in the countryside           J crowded;

        Linda and Betty were both nineteen years old. In June, after a school year was over, they decided to take a vacation{#blank#}1{#/blank#} . They went to several towns and villages, visited some places of interest, saw and heard a lot of interesting things. They{#blank#}2{#/blank#}   very much.

One afternoon, they were going to stay overnight in a small town. It was too {#blank#}3{#/blank#}  to go further and they wished they could find a river and swim in the cool water. They were driving the car{#blank#}4{#/blank#}  while they were looking around. Suddenly Linda saw a lake not far away. They drove there fast and{#blank#}5{#/blank#} by the lake. They looked around and found a woman sitting on a stone and fishing there. After they {#blank#}6{#/blank#} and were going to jump into the water, the woman came up to them and shouted, "Sorry, madams. Swimming  {#blank#}7{#/blank#}  in the lake!"
"Why didn't you tell us about it{#blank#}8{#/blank#}   we took off our clothes?" Betty said angrily.    "But it isn't forbidden to take off clothes by the lake," said the woman.

    Jenny is an English girl. She is {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (九) years old. Today is {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (三月) 16th. It's her birthday. She wants to have a birthday {#blank#}3{#/blank#}（晚会）. It is {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (在) seven this evening. But her uncle and aunt are{#blank#}5{#/blank#} (迟到的).She {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (见面) five of her friends. They buy her a big birthday cake，two boxes of{#blank#}7{#/blank#} (牛奶), a basket of fruit, and {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (一些) school things. Jenny wears a{#blank#}9{#/blank#} ( 绿色) sweater and brown trousers. She looks very nice. They all {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (度过) a good time.

    Paper is {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (到处). We use it for homework, money, books, letters and cards. We have paper {#blank#}2{#/blank#} （杯子）, paper bags, paper plates and so on. It was first made in China. The Chinese made the first {#blank#}3{#/blank#} （真正的） paper in the year AD 105. And the Chinese kept it as a secret for hundreds of years. By the end of the {#blank#}4{#/blank#} （十二）century, paper-making reached Europe. The first paper made in Europe was in Spain in 1151. Later people improved the way of producing paper again and again.

    Because paper is made from wood, many people are {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (担心)that more and more trees are cut down to produce paper. Trees are an important part of the environment. {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (因此)many paper factories are using old paper instead of {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (新的) wood to make paper. The way of using old products again is called recycling. Recycling paper helps {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (节省) a lot of trees every year. Many people also try to use {#blank#}9{#/blank#} （更少） paper in their lives. For example, they use both sides of every piece of paper instead of just one. They also use computersto store information. Perhaps one day in the {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (将来)people will not use paper to write at all.