Hangzhouhua (杭州话)：use it or lose it
   There are about 6.000 languages in the world and some experts say that as many as half of these languages will disappear(消失) in the next one hundred years. Will Hangzhouhua be one of {#blank#}1{#/blank#} ? It's a {#blank#}2{#/blank#}  that more people are asking.
   In China, Putonghua is the official language. That {#blank#}3{#/blank#}  it's the language of government, business and the media (媒体). And it's also the language that is{#blank#}4{#/blank#}  in schools.
   Hangzhou is a special city. It used to be the capital of Wu and Yue States in the 10th century during the Five Dynasties period. Now it is modern, fashionable and also beautiful. And Hangzhouhua shows that by being modern, fashionable and beautiful.
   Young people still speak Hangzhouhua but not as {#blank#}5{#/blank#}  as their parents and grandparents. They are under more and more pressure to speak Putonghua. So the language is being used{#blank#}6{#/blank#}  often in everyday life. Some people want to keep the language from disappearing completely {#blank#}7{#/blank#}  building museums and having cultural festivals to save it. But a language isn't a painting {#blank#}8{#/blank#} a book. It's a living thing and you {#blank#}9{#/blank#}  use it or lose it.
   If people {#blank#}10{#/blank#}  using it in their daily lives, a museum or a festival will not help. It will be lost forever, like the Yangtze River dolphin.

Hi! My n{#blank#}1{#/blank#} is Linda. I am 12 years o{#blank#}2{#/blank#}. I s{#blank#}3{#/blank#} at No. 2 Middle School. I go to school f{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Monday to Friday .My favorite day is F{#blank#}5{#/blank#}. We have art and P.E. lessons and we have beef for lunch. Beef is my favorite f{#blank#}6{#/blank#}. My favorite t{#blank#}7{#/blank#} is Miss White. She is our E{#blank#}8{#/blank#} teacher. She has 1{#blank#}9{#/blank#} hair. She loves m{#blank#}10{#/blank#}. She often sings for us.

    My mother is very nice. She is a {#blank#}1{#/blank#} （work） in a clothes store. She usually gets up at 6: 30. Then she cooks breakfast for me. After {#blank#}2{#/blank#}（have） a bowl of porridge and some broccoli, she goes to work at 7: 30. There {#blank#}3{#/blank#} （be）usually many people in her clothes store. So she is very busy.

    My mother's work in the morning is over at 11: 45, and starts again at 1: 30 in the afternoon. So she has to have lunch in the store. Her work in the afternoon {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (end) at 5: 30, and she goes home at 6: 30. Then she has dinner with {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (we）at home. After dinner we watch TV together.

    If you are in the UK, you'll probably meet people who never talked to you before. They may{#blank#}1{#/blank#} you "dear", "darling" or" love" There is no need{#blank#}2{#/blank#}Why? Because those people are just{#blank#}3{#/blank#} to be polite.

    Just like "sir" and "madam'.', there are many other{#blank#}4{#/blank#} for the British to call the people they may not know well. It is{#blank#}5{#/blank#} for a shop assistant (店员) to call you "darling", "dear" or "love". Don't{#blank#}6{#/blank#} shy.

    The British also use words like "petal", "duck" "son" and so on. It all depends on (取决于) your age and where you are. For example, if you{#blank#}7{#/blank#} your seat (座位) to an old lady on the bus, she will say "Thank you, petal". If you are in a bar (酒吧) in the West Midlands and try to ask for a(n){#blank#}8{#/blank#} the barman will say. "What'll it be, duck?"

    Next time you are called a strange name in {#blank#}9{#/blank#} in the UK, just accept it and {#blank#}10{#/blank#}. Remember to say "please'! and "thank you".

    My brother Larry is not outgoing, {#blank#}1{#/blank#}he is not very popular at school. He has{#blank#}2{#/blank#}friends. He hardly {#blank#}3{#/blank#} talks to others. On weekdays, Larry goes to school{#blank#}4{#/blank#}bus and goes home alone. Sometimes he helps his mom with the housework, {#blank#}5{#/blank#}as cleaning the floor and washing clothes. Larry loves{#blank#}6{#/blank#}candies and his teeth are not good. Every month, he goes to see the{#blank#}7{#/blank#}. Last weekend Larry tried something different. He went to{#blank#}8{#/blank#}farm with his mom. They{#blank#}9{#/blank#}bikes there. Larry fed some hens and some baby pigs. Larry thought he enjoyed{#blank#}10{#/blank#}on the farm.