Keeping a diary in English is one of the effective ways to improve our English writing abilities.   

{#blank#}1{#/blank#} (compare) with other forms of writing, it is shorter and takes {#blank#}2{#/blank#} time. It can help us to develop the habit of thinking in English. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} we persist in this practice, gradually we'll learn how to express ourselves in English. In keeping a diary in English, we certainly run up against many difficulties. In the first place, it often happens {#blank#}4{#/blank#} we have trouble finding appropriate words and phrases to give expression to our mind. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (second), there are many idiomatic ways of saying things in Chinese. {#blank#}6{#/blank#} it is extremely hard for us to put them into English properly.

    As far as I am concerned, my {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (suggest) is that we should always have a notebook and a Chinese-English dictionary within easy reach. Whenever something {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (beat) us, we can first put it down in our notebook and then consult our dictionary. 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.

    Macao, {#blank#}1{#/blank#} lies to the south of Guangdong, is a small city with  Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai and Hong Kong as its neighbors. It has {#blank#}2{#/blank#} population of 550,000, 96% of which {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (be) Chinese. It is a clean and {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (beauty) city with trees, flowers, and green grass everywhere. There are lots of cars {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (run) in the narrow streets. {#blank#}6{#/blank#} all people obey the traffic rules. Macao is also famous {#blank#}7{#/blank#} its gambling, and several million {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (visit) come to tour every year.

    Macao, which used to belong to China but {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (take) away by the Portuguese in 1887 from the Qing Dynasty, returned to our motherland {#blank#}10{#/blank#} December 20th, 1999.

    Last Friday a storm swept through two villages in the New Territories,{#blank#}1{#/blank#} (destroy) fourteen homes. Seven others were so badly damaged{#blank#}2{#/blank#}their owners had to leave them, and fifteen others had broken windows or roofs. One person was killed, several were {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (serious) hurt and a number of other people were slightly injured. Altogether over two hundred people were homeless after the storm.

    A farmer, Mr. Tan, said that the storm began early in the morning and {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (last) for over an hour.

    “I was eating with my wife and children,” he said, “{#blank#}5{#/blank#} we heard a loud noise. A few minutes later our house fell down{#blank#}6{#/blank#} top of us. We tried our best to climb out but then I saw that one of my children was{#blank#}7{#/blank#} (miss). I went back inside and found him, safe{#blank#}8{#/blank#} very frightened.”

    Mrs. Woo Mei Fong {#blank#}9{#/blank#} husband had just left for work said that she felt her house was moving. She ran outside at once with her children.

    Soldiers helped to take people out of{#blank#}10{#/blank#} flooded area and the welfare department brought them food, clothes and shelter.

    Shark attacks can be deadly, but they are not common. Each year, sharks usually kill fewer than 10 people worldwide, and about 100 people {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (injure). You are more likely to be attacked in parts of the sea {#blank#}2{#/blank#} tourists throw in food to bring in sharks. However, people are dangerous to sharks, too. 60 million sharks are killed {#blank#}3{#/blank#} food and medicine every year. As a result, some kinds of sharks may die out completely. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (protect) these wonderful animals, some countries have made programs to help them survive.

    When an important holiday comes, I usually think of what gifts to buy or prepare for my family members. It is the act itself rather than the thing you buy that {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(matter). Either a small present, a text message or a phone call can mean a lot to the receivers. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}, I had never got anything from my son, who is a university student. Parents never forget to celebrate their children's birthday, but their children seem to be very {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (forget). They seldom do something in return.

    Life is unpredictable, and you never know what will happen tomorrow. When my son came back during the summer vacation, my wife and I, as usual, {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (meet) him at the station. On arriving home, much {#blank#}5{#/blank#} my surprise, my son took out a wrist watch and gave it to me, {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (say) it was a birthday gift for me. It is a very fashionable watch, {#blank#}7{#/blank#} shows not only hours, minutes and seconds but days as well. You can imagine how surprised and excited I was at that moment.

    Some people say children get too much care and love from their parents and just take them for granted. It is natural for people to have such concerns and {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(worry), but things may not turn out as badly as{#blank#}9{#/blank#} (expect). We need to look more at the positive side of life, as a famous writer once said, "Life is {#blank#}10{#/blank#}best classroom one can never get."