{#blank#}1{#/blank#} (exact) when the first people arrived in what we now know as California，no one really knows. However, {#blank#}2{#/blank#} is likely that Native Americans were living in California at least fifteen thousand years ago.

Scientists believe that these first settler {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (cross) the Bering Strait in the Arctic to America {#blank#}4{#/blank#} means of a land bridge which existed in prehistoric times. In the 16th century, after the {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (arrive) of Europeans, the native people suffered greatly. Thousands were killed or forced into slavery. In addition, many died {#blank#}6{#/blank#} the diseases brought by Europeans. However, some survived these terrible times, and today there are more Native Americans {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (live) in California than in any other state.

    In the 18th century, California was ruled by Spain. Spanish soldiers first arrived in South America in the early 16th century. Two centuries later, the Spanish had settled in most parts of South America and along the northwest coast of {#blank#}8{#/blank#} we now call the United States. Of {#blank#}9{#/blank#} first Spanish to go to California, the majority were religious men, whose ministry was {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (teach) the Catholic religion to the natives.

—I have no idea. But just a minute, I {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(check) it for you.

    There are about 100 million middle-aged women dancing in parks and on squares in China, and Deborah Roundy,{#blank#}1{#/blank#} U.S retired school teacher, is one of them.

    Mrs. Roundy is the only foreigner on the Shanghai dance team at Tongji University, where she is {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (current) teaching English.

    Mrs. Roundy ran upon a dozen or so middle-aged women dancing {#blank#}3{#/blank#} the tunes of Chinese songs in 2012. At the time, she didn't feel used to the new environment and wanted to have some fun in her life. She {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (invite) to join the dancing team.

    At first, Mrs. Roundy communicated with her teammates by{#blank#}5{#/blank#}(exchange) notes to help translate for her. Now she uses a translation app on her iPad.

    {#blank#}6{#/blank#}the Chinese language is not the most difficult thing for her, mastering Chinese dance is. Mrs. Roundy used to do ballet. She said {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(dance) in the U.S. always dance facing the audience. But in China, they change directions all the time, and {#blank#}8{#/blank#} was very confusing for her at first.

    They have developed good personal relations. Mrs. Roundy says they also go out to eat and on field trips together, which are{#blank#}9{#/blank#}(forget ) experiences for her.

    Square dancing opens a window for her {#blank#}10{#/blank#}（understand） China, Mrs. Roundy said: Besides dancing, she and her husband have been active in community life, teaching English, and helping elderly neighbors.

    French artist Dufresne has turned to Chinese characters to explore art.

    His ongoing show at Yishu 8, a nonprofit and art space in Beijing, has installations (装置) on which some characters{#blank#}1{#/blank#} (paint) and visitors can play word games by moving them around to make new characters. Each Chinese character has different parts. Separating or {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (combine) these parts creates new things. For example ,the character of lin (forest), when put on the top of xi (dusk) becomes meng (dream).

    He {#blank#}3{#/blank#} ( produce) them by first asking Chinese people he met in the streets, at parks and tourist spots,{#blank#}4{#/blank#}(write) different characters with ink brushes on paper, and then painted them onto large wooden boards, trying to make the characters look {#blank#}5{#/blank#} close to their original handwritten forms as possible.

    “Each character{#blank#}6{#/blank#} (vivid) reminds me of the person who wrote it. To me, the writer and the character seem to share the same personality,” says Dufresne. He sees the characters as the human body in motion. An ancient character {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (photograph) by himself at a Chinese museum appears to him like “a person walking”.

    Christine Cayol,{#blank#}8{#/blank#} is the founder of Yishu 8, says the young artist has provided “poetic viewpoint” his work by trying to create a {#blank#}9{#/blank#} ( connect) between Chinese characters {#blank#}10{#/blank#} the human body.

When we talk about paper, we think of newspapers and books. But there is some paper{#blank#}1{#/blank#}(use) in many other ways. Only half of{#blank#}2{#/blank#} world's paper is used for books and newspapers. Paper , on{#blank#}3{#/blank#}we usually write and draw , is very good for keeping you warm. You have perhaps seen homeless men asleep on a large number of newspapers. In Finland, it is sometimes -40℃ in winter. The farmers wear paper boots in the snow. Nothing could be{#blank#}4{#/blank#} (warm).

    Each year, more and more{#blank#}5{#/blank#} (thing) are made of paper. We have had paper cups and plates for a long time. But now we hear that chairs, tables, and even beds can{#blank#}6{#/blank#}(make) of paper. With paper boots and shoes, you can also wear paper hats, paper dresses, and paper raincoats{#blank#}7{#/blank#}you have used paper cups once, you throw them away and buy new{#blank#}8{#/blank#}(one).

    The latest use of paper seems to be paper houses. These are not small houses for children {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(play) in, but real, big houses for people to live in. You can buy a house with three rooms for about 500 dollars. You can put it up by yourself in a few hours{#blank#}10{#/blank#}you can use it for about five years.

    Keeping a diary in English is one of the {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (effect) ways to improve our English writing ability. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (compare) with other forms of writing, it is shorter and takes {#blank#}3{#/blank#} time. It can help us to develop the habit of thinking in English. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} we insist in this practice, gradually we'll learn how to express {#blank#}5{#/blank#}in English. In keeping a diary in English, we certainly come across many {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(difficult). In the first place, {#blank#}7{#/blank#} often happens that we have trouble finding proper words and phrases to give expression to our mind. Secondly, there are many idiomatic ways of saying things in Chinese.

    As far as I {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(concern), my suggestion is that we should always have a notebook and a Chinese-English dictionary within easy reach. We can also turn to our English teacher for help, if necessary. In short, I believe that it is {#blank#}9{#/blank#} great use to keep a diary in English for {#blank#}10{#/blank#} development of our writing skills.