I was on my way to the Taiyetos Mountains. The sun was setting when my car {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (break) down near a remote and poor village. Cursing my misfortune, I was wondering where I was going to spend the night when I realized that the villagers who had gathered around me were arguing as to {#blank#}2{#/blank#} should have the honor of receiving me {#blank#}3{#/blank#} a guest in their house. Finally, I accepted the offer of an old woman who lived alone in a little house. While she was getting me {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (settle) into a tiny but clean room, the head of the village was tying up his horse to my car to pull it to {#blank#}5{#/blank#} small town some 20 kilometres away {#blank#}6{#/blank#} there was a garage.

    I had noticed three hens running free in my hostess's courtyard and that night one of them ended up in a dish on my table. {#blank#}7{#/blank#} villagers brought me goat's cheese and honey. We drank together and talked {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (merry) till far into the night.

    When the time came for me to say goodbye to my friends in the village, I wanted to reward the old woman {#blank#}9{#/blank#} the trouble I had caused {#blank#}10{#/blank#}.

    Facebook CEO Zuckerberg just had a baby girl named Max, and to honor the occasion, he's giving away the majority of his wealth. In the letter{#blank#}1{#/blank#}(write) by Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, to{#blank#}2{#/blank#}(they) new baby girl, he announced the birth of his first child and the{#blank#}3{#/blank#}(create) of the Chan Zuckerberg Fund，{#blank#}4{#/blank#}will focus on curing disease, connecting people and{#blank#}5{#/blank#}(build) strong communities.

    “For your generation to live in{#blank#}6{#/blank#}better world, there is so much more our generation can do,” Zuckerberg wrote. “Today your mother and I are committing to spend our lives doing our small part to help solve these challenges.” The couple{#blank#}7{#/blank#}(donate) nearly all of their Facebook stock to the cause. “We will give 99% of our Facebook shares-currently about $45 billion-to advance this{#blank#}8{#/blank#}(value) mission,” he wrote. “We know this is a small contribution compared{#blank#}9{#/blank#}all the resources and talents already working on these issues. But we want to do{#blank#}10{#/blank#}we can, working along with many others.”

Food from the air

    Everyone has seen plants growing, but have you ever thought {#blank#}1{#/blank#} they get their food? In the seventeenth century, a European scientist {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (call) Van Helmot asked this question. Like most people, he thought that plants must get their food from soil. However, Van Helmot decided {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (test) the theory with experiments.

    First, he dried some soil, put it into a pot and weighed it. Next, he weighed a small tree, planted it in the pot and added rain water. Then, he watered it {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (regular) with rain water.

    After five years, he removed the tree from the pot and weighed it again. He found that the tree had gained {#blank#}5{#/blank#} huge amount of weight. When he weighed the soil, however, it was almost exactly the same as it had been five years {#blank#}6{#/blank#}. So Van Helmot drew the {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (conclude) that the tree grew by drinking water. Though it turned out to be wrong, he showed the importance of the use of scientific evidence to support ideas.

    We now know that plants and trees make their own food. Their leaves, when exposed {#blank#}8{#/blank#} the air and sun, are like factories {#blank#}9{#/blank#} can change the energy from the sun into chemical energy. During this process (过程), oxygen and sugar {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (produce). The oxygen is released back into the air, and the sugar is used by the plant as food.

    Red Nose Day is one of Britain's most successful {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (event) to raise money for good causes. It {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (organize) by Comic Relief and takes place in March. Many well-known comedians take part, as well as actors, musicians and other famous people. All these people in the public eye {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (brave) take on usual challenges, from learning to sing to {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (sit) in a bath full of cold beans.

    In addition to a great evening's entertainment(娱乐)on TV on the day itself, there are {#blank#}5{#/blank#}great number of programmes and live events in the weeks leading up to Red Nose Day. At schools and colleges, students do silly things for cash and many workplaces organize similar money-raising stunts (噱头). Shops and supermarkets sell the famous red noses and other products.

    Through short documentary films, TV viewers learn how the money {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (collect) in previous years has helped Comic Relief to make a real {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (different) to people in need, both in Britain and in Africa. Some of the stories {#blank#}8{#/blank#} are shown are shocking. It is extremely moving to see {#blank#}9{#/blank#} people's lives can be changed. Comic Relief has been able to achieve a great deal {#blank#}10{#/blank#} making people laugh.

    Earth Day, {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (mark)on 22 April, is an annual event aiming to raise public awareness about environmental protection. First celebrated {#blank#}2{#/blank#} 1970, the Day now includes events in more than 190 countries and regions (地区). No matter what you like to do, there is a way to get involved in various {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (activity) on Earth Day. You can plant a tree, make a meal with locally grown vegetables, or save power—the possibilities are endless.