Lesson 36 NCE Book 3

    We are {#blank#}1{#/blank#} than we used to be. In the nineteenth century, a novelist would bring his story to a conclusion by presenting his readers with {#blank#}2{#/blank#} —most of them wildly improbable. Readers happily {#blank#}3{#/blank#} that an obscure maidservant was really the hero's mother . A long-lost brother, who {#blank#}4{#/blank#} , was really alive all the time and wickedly plotting to bring about the hero's downfall. And so on. Modern readers would find {#blank#}5{#/blank#} totally unacceptable. …

    Once a group of 50 people was attending a seminar. Halfway{#blank#}1{#/blank#} his talk, the speaker stopped and decided{#blank#}2{#/blank#}(create) a group activity. He went around the hall and gave each person a balloon. Each one was asked to write his or her name on the balloon{#blank#}3{#/blank#}(use) a marker pen. Then all the balloons{#blank#}4{#/blank#}(collect) and put in another room.

    The speaker then led the group to the room full of balloons and asked them to find the balloon that had their name{#blank#}5{#/blank#}(write) on within five minutes.  Everyone was{#blank#}6{#/blank#}(hurry) searching for their name, bumping into each other, pushing each other around. It was chaos. At the end of the five minutes no one could find their own balloon.

    Now each person was asked to randomly collect{#blank#}7{#/blank#}balloon and give it to the person whose name was on it. Within two minutes everyone had their own balloon. When everyone quieted down, the speaker began to talk, saying that this is exactly{#blank#}8{#/blank#}was happening in our lives.

    We may like to think of{#blank#}9{#/blank#}(us) more important than others, but our happiness sometimes lies in the happiness of other people. Give them their happiness {#blank#}10{#/blank#}you will get your own happiness.

    No one knows what would happen in the future for sure. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} we often think of the future and wonder what the world would be like {#blank#}2{#/blank#} a hundred years' time.

    Think of space. By that time perhaps {#blank#}3{#/blank#} permanent station on the moon will have been set up. Perhaps people {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(be) able to visit the moon as tourists. Cheap rockets for space travel will have been developed, {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(permit) long journeys throughout the solar system. When that time comes, people will be taking holidays in space and visiting other planets, such {#blank#}6{#/blank#} the Mars Colony and the Venus Exploration outpost.

    Scientists of the future will almost certainly find other ways to make life last{#blank#}7{#/blank#}(long). They will {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(probable) find cures for most diseases. Hospitals will may have “body banks” {#blank#}9{#/blank#} can give you almost any new part you need to keep on {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (live). People in the future may live to be a lot older than 100 years.

    Keeping a diary in English is one of the effective ways to improve our English writing ability.

    Compared with other forms of writing, it is shorter and takes {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(little) time. It can help us to develop the habit of thinking in English. If we persist in this practice, gradually we'll learn how {#blank#}2{#/blank#}（express）ourselves in English. In keeping a diary in English, we certainly run up against many {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(difficult). In the first place, it often happens that we have trouble in {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(find) appropriate words and phrases to give expression to our mind. Secondly, there {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(be) many idiomatic ways of saying things in Chinese. And it is extremely hard for us to put them into English {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(proper).

    As far as I am {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(concern), my suggestion is {#blank#}8{#/blank#}we should always have a notebook and a Chinese-English dictionary within easy reach. Whenever something beats us, we can first put it down in our notebook and then consult our dictionary. We can also ask our English teacher {#blank#}9{#/blank#}help, if necessary. In short, I believe that it is of great use to keep a diary in English for {#blank#}10{#/blank#}development of our writing skills.

    Many weight loss programs seem attractive to people. But for most people {#blank#}1{#/blank#}are overweight, the results are so {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(limit) that they will give up long before achieving any realistic results. It turns out that the programs are practically of no use. You lose weight for a while, only {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (gain) back more weight when you stop your weight loss program. This is {#blank#}4{#/blank#}such programs are not natural. Is there a natural weight loss solution?

    A sure way of achieving natural weight loss is to increase {#blank#}5{#/blank#}amount of exercise you get every day.  {#blank#}6{#/blank#} , this doesn't necessarily mean spending hours at the gym {#blank#}7{#/blank#} in front of a weight loss video. Increase your weight levels {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(nature) by walking or biking short distances instead of driving, or by taking the stairs instead of the elevator. There are even exercise that you can do while {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(sit) at your desk. All of these activities can burn extra calories {#blank#}10{#/blank#}taking up too much time.

    When your dream is to become a footballer, nothing should get in your way—even if you are disabled.

    Gabriel Muniz, an 11-year-old Brazilian kid, was born without {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. Although his family thought he would have trouble {#blank#}2{#/blank#} a normal life, he started walking before he was one year old. His mother would go after him, expecting him to keep falling, {#blank#}3{#/blank#} he never fell. He took a while to make the jump from walking to playing football. In fact, there' s nothing he loves more than playing football. In his school, Gabriel not only does {#blank#}4{#/blank#} than other players in his school team but also is the captain of his gym team.

    He knows that his disability means he will never be able to play for a {#blank#}5{#/blank#} football team. So Gabriel is hoping that football {#blank#}6{#/blank#} a Paralympics (残奥会) event one day. He proved to everyone there he could go neck and neck with any other boy {#blank#}7{#/blank#}. Watching him play is unbelievable. In the past few years he {#blank#}8{#/blank#} a number of football skills. He does everything he can to copy Messi who he admires most. Luckily, he {#blank#}9{#/blank#} to go to Spain to meet his idol Messi and showed his talent in the Barcelona Football Club last year.

    Besides his talent, several achievements of {#blank#}10{#/blank#} were also surprising. His coach said he is proving that the disability only lies inside our heads and he is challenging the social rules.