I was raised in New York City where it's very cold every winter. In the sixth grade, a teacher offered {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (bring) some students to a homeless shelter after school. I went with my friends and the teacher for several weeks. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}, I continued to volunteer to help when they stopped going together. Because I was good {#blank#}3{#/blank#} sewing, I was told to help out with the sewing kit when any guests needed some repairs. Throughout high school I continued to come each week after school, setting up my sewing kit which {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (grow) larger and larger. I got to know the guests who came {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (regular).

    Later on, I started {#blank#}6{#/blank#}sewing club with my friend and we taught {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (we) fellow students how to sew. We made heart-shaped pillows for sick {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (child) and the elderly. Every time it rained I would think about the umbrellas {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (design) before. In the future I hope to continue helping others as much as I can. It is the most important thing I{#blank#}10{#/blank#} (do) ever since.

    Once upon a time, a blind man was sitting at the roadside with a hat by his feet. There was a sign beside him, {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (say), “I am blind. Please help me.” {#blank#}2{#/blank#} good many passers-by walked by him, but few of them helped him.

    A creative young man named Tom was going to his office. While walking by the blind man, he stopped {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(see) that the man only had a few coins in his hat. He bent down and put a few of his own coins in the hat. Without asking for the blind man's {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(permit), he took the sign, turned it around and wrote a new message. Then he put the sign by the feet of the blind man, and left.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (late) that afternoon, when Tom returned to the blind man, he saw the hat {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(fill) with bills and coins. The blind man recognized his footsteps and asked if {#blank#}7{#/blank#} was he who had changed his sign. He also wanted to know {#blank#}8{#/blank#} the man had done to the sign.

    Then the young man told the blind man that he {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (write) something like this on the sign, “It is spring now, but I can't see it.” {#blank#}10{#/blank#} （hear）what the young man said, the blind man expressed his gratitude to him and went home happily.

    No one knows {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(exact) how the earth began, as it happened so long ago. However, according to a widely {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(accept) theory, the universe began {#blank#}3{#/blank#}a “Big Bang” that threw matter in all {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(direction). For several billion years after the “Big Bang”, the earth was still just a cloud of dust.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} it was to become was {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(certain) until between 4.5 and 3.8 billion years ago when the dust settled into a solid globe. The earth became so {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(violence) that it was not clear {#blank#}8{#/blank#}the shape would last or not. It exploded loudly with fire and rock. They were in time {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(produce) carbon dioxide, nitrogen, water vapour and other gases, which were to make the earth's atmosphere. What is even more important is that as the earth cooled down, water began to appear on {#blank#}10{#/blank#} surface.

Theme Parks

    Parks provide people{#blank#}1{#/blank#} a place to amuse{#blank#}2{#/blank#} for a while. In recent decades, {#blank#}3{#/blank#}, many parks have been designed to provide{#blank#}4{#/blank#} (entertain). We call them theme parks. Then new parks are usually huge places and have a {#blank#}5{#/blank#} of things to see and do. Theme Parks have a certain theme—that the whole parks are based {#blank#}6{#/blank#}. The {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (old) theme park in the world is Disneyland. It seemed like a magical world which can make your dream come true. But if you are interested in traditional culture and history, go to Dollywood, {#blank#}8{#/blank#} you can have fun {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (learn) all about America's historical southeastern culture, then you can go to Camelot Park, {#blank#}10{#/blank#} world of fantasy about ancient England.

Perhaps the most extraordinary building of the nineteenth century was the Crystal Palace, {#blank#}1{#/blank#} was built in Hyde Park for the Great Exhibition of 1851. The Crystal Palace was different from all other buildings in the world, {#blank#}2{#/blank#} it was made of iron and glass. It was one of the {#blank#}3{#/blank#} buildings of all time and a lot of people from many countries came to see it. A great many {#blank#}4{#/blank#} were sent to the exhibition from {#blank#}5{#/blank#} parts of the world. There was also {#blank#}6{#/blank#} great deal of machinery on display. The most wonderful piece of machinery on show was Nasmyth's steam hammer. Though in those days, travelling was not as easy as it is today, steam boats {#blank#}7{#/blank#}thousands of visitors across the Channel from Europe. {#blank#}8{#/blank#} arriving in England, they were taken to the Crystal Palace by train. There were six million visitors in all, and the profits from the exhibition {#blank#}9{#/blank#} to build museums and colleges. Later, the Crystal Palace was moved to South London. It {#blank#}10{#/blank#} one of the most famous buildings in the world until it was burnt down in 1936.

Son {#blank#}1{#/blank#} approaches the table in the living room when Grandfather and Father were playing chess, and asked Father {#blank#}2{#/blank#} with him. Father agreed, {#blank#}3{#/blank#} soon Father became angry, for Son planned not to go to college but to focus {#blank#}4{#/blank#} music. Therefore, a {#blank#}5{#/blank#} discussion happened between them. Father wanted Son to be a {#blank#}6{#/blank#}, which could make Son {#blank#}7{#/blank#} and have a good income. However, Son refused Father's advice. At that time, Grandfather told them to calm {#blank#}8{#/blank#} and suggested that Son think carefully before {#blank#}9{#/blank#} in with both feet. Son took Grandfather's advice and wanted to have {#blank#}10{#/blank#} try.