Learning dances sounds interesting. But if you really want to become a dancer, read1following guide for new dancers.

    If you want to become a dancer, you should first2a dance style. There are some skills in each kind of dance. And we need to practise3a lot. And knowing which dance style you just want to learn can help you practise harder.

    Find a dance class. When you have decided4dance classes, it is important to choose your dance teacher 5. It is easy to get into some bad habits, and you may find it hard to correct (改正) them later on. And what is the6is to choose a teacher and you really love his or her dance style.

    Different styles of dance clothing are7for different styles of dances.

    8example, we need special dance shoes for most dance styles. And your dance teacher will probably have some requirements on other things. Ask him or her for more about9to wear.

    Besides, the floors of dance classrooms should be soft,10you may be injured when you dance on hard floors.

With only one yuan, could you live in a city for one day? It may sound impossible.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

On April 10th, more than 60 students from a middle school took part in the One Yuan Metropolis Survival(一元城市生存). A charity organization(慈善组织) for teenagers held this activity.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} And it is going to four others, including Beijing.

In the activity, students had to live and deal with difficult tasks. To make money, many students looked for part-time jobs and saw how hard life was. A 14-year-old girl asked more than 10 restaurants for a job and finally got one. "{#blank#}3{#/blank#} But gradually, we got used to it," she said. After being a waiter for an hour, she got 25 yuan.

Living was hard, but finishing the tasks wasn't any easier. The students went to different places to finish tasks in a short time. The most amazing one was when they had to exchange things worth a thousand yuan with only a piece of paper in half an hour. "{#blank#}4{#/blank#} From a balloon to a cake to a bottle of yogurt...after almost 20 tries, we got an expensive ring," a student said. "We will give all of the money we have raised to poor schools in Tibet."

    As is known to all of us, Beijing Opera is one of the most important opera styles in China. It is an art on the stage which has about 200 years' history. It is not only a treasure of the Chinese nation but also a cultural symbol of China. Similar to western operas, Beijing Opera is a combination of singing, dancing, martial arts, music and literature, so it is also called the "Oriental (东方的) Opera" by western people.

    Beijing Opera uses special imagery in creating the characters. All roles are divided according to sex, personality, age and profession and social status. Hangdang is the general term for role in Beijing Opera. There are four types of roles in Beijing Opera today. They are sheng, dan, jing and chou. The sheng is the male protagonist (主角), the dan the female protagonist, the jing (painted face) a male supporting role with a different characteristics, and chou (clown) a comic or negative figure. Each kind of role has their own face-painting and dressing to indicate their identities.

    The Opera's performance requires not only the gentle voice but also the proficiency (熟练) of martial actions. A successful opera actor must suffer from the tough practicing period. In the old time, the children of poor families were sent to the opera group in order to earn a living. While now, the real opera artists are well respected by opera lovers.

    Mei Lanfang, one of the most remarkable performing artists in Beijing Opera, was born in Beijing into a poor family. His life was bitter and he had no opportunity to go to school, so he went to the troupe (戏班子) when he was 8 years old to learn Beijing Opera. Mr. Mei was on the stage when he was 11 years old to perform the plays of Beijing Opera. He has been an opera actor for more than 50 years, performing hundreds of traditional plays and over 30 modern plays. He portrayed many bright and lifelike female figures on the stage and became the model in Chinese Beijing Opera and even within the entire artistic circle.

    What is the hardest sport in the world? Some people say it's boxing (拳击), because boxing is dangerous and boxers have to be strong and fast. Other people say the hardest sport is soccer.

    However, most people say the hardest sport is the triathlon (三项全能运动). A triathlon is a race that includes three sports. First, racers swim. After that they ride bicycles and finally they run. In the most common triathlon, racers swim 1.5kilometres, bike 40 kilometres, and run 10 kilometres. The winner is the person who finishes the race first.

    There is another kind of triathlon too. It is called the "Ironman Triathlon (铁人三项)". This triathlon is much longer. People who finish this triathlon are called "ironmen" or "ironwomen". This is because these people are so strong that their bodies are just like iron (铁).

    In the past, there were other races including three sports. However, they didn't use the word "triathlon". That word was first used to describe a race in California in 1974.

    Triathlon racers have to train very hard for their races. Many of them swim and run. A lot of people also do things like yoga (瑜伽). They have many different ways to prepare, but they all have the same goal. They want to be in perfect shape.

    To be an ironman or an ironwoman, you have to be strong and smart. You should know how to save energy during the race.

    America is a mobile society. Friendship between Americans can be close and real, yet disappears soon if situations change. Neither side feels hurt by this. Both may exchange Christmas greetings for a year or two, perhaps a few letters for a while, then no more, If the same two people meet again by chance, even years later, they pick up the friendship.

    This can be quite difficult for us Chinese to understand, because friendship between us flows more slowly but then may become lifelong feelings, extending (延伸) sometimes deeply into both families.

    Americans are ready to receive us foreigners at their homes, share their holidays and their home life. They will enjoy welcoming us and be pleased if we accept their hospitality (好客) easily.

    Another difficult point for us Chinese to understand Americans is that although they include us warmly in their personal everyday lives, they don't show their politeness to us if it requires a great deal of time. This is usually the opposite of the practice in our country where we may be generous with our time. Sometimes, we, as hosts, will appear at airports even in the middle of the night to meet a friend. We may take days off to act as guides to our foreign friends. Americans, however, express their welcome at home. But they truly cannot manage the time to do a great deal with a visitor outside their daily routine. They will probably expect us to get ourselves from the airport to our own hotel by bus. And they expect that we will phone them from there. Once we arrive at their homes, the welcome will be full, warm and real. We will find ourselves to be treated hospitably.

    For Americans, it is often considered more friendly to invite a friend to their homes than to go to restaurants, except for purely business matters. So accept their hospitality at home!

Nowadays more and more people prefer to go fishing or hiking in the woods. Experiencing nature is {#blank#}1{#/blank#}, but when you're doing this, always keep yourself safe. It's important to remember several basic rules if you don't want to turn a pleasant outing into a {#blank#}2{#/blank#}.

First, be fully prepared for different weather. Before you set out, always get warm clothes and raincoats ready, just in case! This is especially true in the {#blank#}3{#/blank#} of travelling in the mountain areas. The weather is really {#blank#}4{#/blank#} in high mountains. Sometimes you can experience two or three seasons in one day.

Second, {#blank#}5{#/blank#} a map, a compass, and a flashlight in your bag. Even experienced travelers get lost. Before you start your trip, study the map to get familiar with the area you are going to. The flashlight is important if you do get lost. Many trips that start out in daylight will {#blank#}6{#/blank#} become nighttime adventures when people can't find their way.

Third, bring a first-aid kit and know how to use it. Small cuts can be more serious when there is no doctor {#blank#}7{#/blank#}.

Finally, tell people where you are going and when you plan to come back. That way, someone will go search for you if troubles {#blank#}8{#/blank#}. This will increase your chance of being found quickly.