At first my new {#blank#}1{#/blank#} were difficult to tolerate. The air seemed thin, as though  its combination of gases had little oxygen left.  Hit by a {#blank#}2{#/blank#} of fresh air, my head ached. Just as I tried to make the necessary {#blank#}3{#/blank#} to this new situation ,Wang ping handed a mask to me and I felt better in {#blank#}4{#/blank#} time. Soon I was {#blank#}5{#/blank#} on my feet again and following him to collect a hovering carriage driven by computer. Wang Ping fastened my safety belt and showed me how to use it. Soon I could fly as fast as him. However, I lost {#blank#}6{#/blank#} of him when we reached what looked like a large market because of too many carriage flying in all directions.

    During the Renaissance, new ideas and values gradually {#blank#}7{#/blank#} those held in the Middle Ages. People began to {#blank#}8{#/blank#} less on religious themes and adopt a more humanistic attitude to life. … Rich people wanted to {#blank#}9{#/blank#} their own paintings, so they could {#blank#}10{#/blank#} their superb palaces and great houses.

    Many people travel during the holiday season but do not make sure that their houses and homes {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (protect). Crime goes up {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(rapid) during the winter and summer holiday seasons. Here are some things that you should keep in mind when you go on a holiday.

    Always give {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(strange) the feeling that you are at home. Have the snow {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(clean) off your stairs or out of your driveway during the winter season. You might ask someone to park {#blank#}5{#/blank#} car in your driveway.

Tell your newspaper deliverer that you are not at home. {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(have) a pile of newspapers and other mail on your doorsteps tells people that are not at home, so you could also have a neighbor {#blank#}7{#/blank#} a relative get your mail every day.

    Fix a timer in some of your rooms {#blank#}8{#/blank#} turns lights on and {#blank#}9{#/blank#}during different time of the day. Some TVs also comes with a timer that you could set to be turned on during certain time. Have a sensitive light outside your house that {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(keep) thieves away when you are not at home.

English Around the World

    There are more than 3,000 languages {#blank#}1{#/blank#}（speak）in the world. Of all these languages, English is the most {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(wide) used. Recent {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(survey) show that more than 500 million people speak English as their mother tongue.

    From its roots in England, the language was spread around the world {#blank#}4{#/blank#}English traders and English governments in new lands. One of these new lands {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(become) the United States of America. The population of the United States is 309 million,{#blank#}6{#/blank#} (make) it the country with the {#blank#}7{#/blank#}large) number of native English speakers.

    About 300 million people speak English as their second language. There are even more people, like some in Europe as well as in China and Japan,{#blank#}8{#/blank#} study English as a foreign language.

    English has become the base language for international business, for the world's airlines and even for the Internet. Whatever language people speak, they need  {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(know) some English if they work in these fields.{#blank#}10{#/blank#} is clear that the English language is becoming more important.

    The Dragon Boat Festival is a {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(tradition) holiday that commemorates the life and death of the famous Chinese scholar Qu Yuan.

    It is a day when many people eat zongzi and race dragon boats. In ancient  China,  the festival {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (celebrate) as "Poets' Day" in honor of Qu Yuan,  {#blank#}3{#/blank#} was known as China's first poet.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} is commonly believed that the local people began {#blank#}5{#/blank#} tradition of throwing sacrificial cooked rice into the river for Qu Yuan, while others hoped that the rice would prevent Qu Yuan's body from being eaten by the fishes in the river. At first, the locals decided {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (make) zongzi in hopes that it would sink into the river and reach Qu Yuan's body. However, the tradition of wrapping the rice in bamboo {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (leaf) to make zongzi began the following year.

    A dragon boat, usually made of wood to various designs and sizes, is a human-powered boat. They often have brightly decorated designs that range anywhere from 40 feet in length {#blank#}8{#/blank#} 100 feet, with the front end shaped like open-mouthed dragons, and the back end with a scaly tail. The boat can have up to 80 rowers to power the boat, {#blank#}9{#/blank#}depend) on the length. A sacred ceremony is performed before any competition in order to "bring the boat to life" by painting the eyes. The first team {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (gain) a flag at the end of the course wins the race.

    Last Monday, some Australian students came to our school for a visit. They {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(show) to visit various optional courses. One of our teachers taught them something about calligraphy. As a volunteer, I explained {#blank#}2{#/blank#} English when necessary. They were impressed by the amazing Chinese art, and some of them even tried writing some characters successfully. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (remember) the enjoyable moment, we took photos together and this was really a memorable and rewarding event.