The Laba Festival which is celebrated on the eighth day of the {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(twelve) month of the lunar Chinese calendar is a traditional Chinese holiday. “La” is the name of the month and “ba” has the same {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(pronounce) as that of 8 in Chinese.

    There are several {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(story) about the origin of this festival and it's difficult for us to tell which one is true. But today {#blank#}4{#/blank#}we do know is that this festival began as a way to honour ancestors. It was also {#blank#}5{#/blank#} time for the ancient Chinese to pray for a good harvest.

    The majority of Chinese have long followed the tradition of {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(eat) Laba porridge during the Laba Festival. {#blank#}7{#/blank#} general, the porridge contains eight ingredients, including some beans and rice. {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(traditional), Laba porridge is the most important part of the festival. Also, it is important that family members eat the porridge together.

    {#blank#}9{#/blank#} custom is soaking Laba garlic(蒜），{#blank#}10{#/blank#} is the best seasoning for the dumpling feast at the Spring Festival.

    I was once asked to deliver a speech titled “A Real Test in My Life” before the whole class! You can imagine how {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (terrible) shy I was with so many eyes fixed upon me. I had no choice but {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(prepare) for it, though. First of all, I was to write the speech,{#blank#}3{#/blank#}was just a piece of cake for me, a good writer. But the hardest part {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (lie) in my oral presentation from my memory— for to read from the paper was not allowed. The real moment began when I stood in the classroom with my legs {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(tremble) and my mind blank. But my listeners were waiting patiently without any signs of rushing me. Gradually I found myself back, {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (deliver) my speech with difficulty. After{#blank#}7{#/blank#}seemed to be a hundred years, I found my audience satisfied — I made it! From then on, my fear of talking before an audience disappeared. Actually with my{#blank#}8{#/blank#}(confident) building up, I now turn out to be a great speaker. Looking back, I know the greatest difficulty on our way{#blank#}9{#/blank#} success is our fear. Overcome it and we {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(achieve)our goals.

    “Traveling to China seems like traveling to another world. Its many famous scenic attractions impressed me {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (great),”an American said. The following is {#blank#}2{#/blank#} he wrote on his website.

    My friends and I had a family visit in Xi'an,{#blank#}3{#/blank#} old city with a long history in China. The hosts were retired or stayed at home without a job, and they were friendly to {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (visit) from different countries coming their homes.

    We {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(taste) the true home-cooked dishes in the home of the family that we visited. For in-homing dinner, the host would prepare a list of menus in advance (提前). Our tour guide asked {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (we) for advice about the food, so the host would try to cook what we wanted {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (eat) at his home. We just enjoyed the locally cooked dishes. It was quite a different and exciting experience.

    Many foreigners enjoy {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (learn) how to make Chinese dumplings. We were also {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (offer) a general cooking class in the local family. The host taught us to make dumplings step by step with lots of patience. And we didn't need to pay any money {#blank#}10{#/blank#}this. Travel China Guide offers this kind of service free of charge.

    The family visit in Xi'an was a good chance for us to get to know Chinese people's daily life.

    Recently I failed an exam. However, {#blank#}1{#/blank#}I came out of my teacher's office, I told myself, "Smile! It's not so serious."

    I smiled a big smile and it {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (work) a little, really.

    Everyone gets {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (frustrate) sometimes. I used to be always influenced by pressure and I was often in low spirits. But one day I came {#blank#}4{#/blank#}a sentence in the Bible, "Do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself, let the day's own trouble be sufficient for the day." It suddenly struck me，"{#blank#}5{#/blank#}(worry) about a problem doesn't help. Why not just {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(give) a big smile and face up to the trouble？"

    Now every time I want to cry, I remind myself that{#blank#}7{#/blank#} (laugh) is better than tears and anger. I {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (convince) that there's something magical about a smile. A smile helps me recover confidence and gives me the courage to move on.

    Remember, whenever you're faced with a setback, whenever you've been treated {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (fair), all it takes is determination and you can feel happy again. Smile at life, {#blank#}10{#/blank#}it will shine on you.

    Skin is not only large, but it is important. One of its jobs is to protect us, {#blank#}1{#/blank#} keeps bad things out. But sometimes it fails. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (extreme) small bugs, called mites, can get under our skin. And when they do, they cause itching and great discomfort. So, to get under someone's skin means to annoy them or to bug them. That's just one definition of the {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (express) "to get under someone's skin." It can also mean that someone is very {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (attract) to you. You can't stop thinking about them. You might even be obsessing （着迷）about them.

    There are many ways {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (describe) people using the word "skin." If someone is thick-skinned they are not easily hurt emotionally. You can criticize them or be unkind to them and it simply rolls off their back. Thin-skinned people, {#blank#}6{#/blank#}, are easily hurt by criticism, even if it is not too severe. You have to be careful about {#blank#}7{#/blank#} you say to thin-skinned people so as not to hurt their feelings.

    If someone is suddenly very {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (scare), you can say they nearly jumped out of their skin! For example, one day I saw my friend Sierra {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (wait) at a bus stop. She was wearing headphones and did not hear me come up behind her. So, when I {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (touch) her shoulder, she nearly jumped out of her skin!