The first foreign language I studied was French, and I learnt it at a secondary school between the ages of 11 and 18. It was a compulsory subject for the first three years and I{#blank#}1{#/blank#} (choose) to continue studying it afterwards because I enjoyed it, found it {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (interest) and was quite good at it. Outside class I practiced {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(listen) to the French language radio and reading French books.

    Before going to university, I spent three months working on {#blank#}4{#/blank#}farm in southern France. This helped me become pretty fluent{#blank#}5{#/blank#} French and acquire a rich farming-related vocabulary.

    My French has also been {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(help) on holiday on Morocco and Portugal. French {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (use) as a second language in Morocco and in other countries quite a few people speak French in places {#blank#}8{#/blank#}a lot of tourists visit.

    In September 2009 I joined a couple of French conversation {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(group) in Bangor and I have been going to them ever since. It has resulted in my{#blank#}10{#/blank#}(improve) in my spoken French.

    Now I can still speak French fluently and can also read it well, but my written French is not so good.

    Beijing was once a city of bikes, known as the Bicycle Kingdom{#blank#}1{#/blank#} cars were reserved for official business and the politically powerful. However, decades of economic{#blank#}2{#/blank#} (grow) led to a huge flowing of cars in the city. Owning one became not just a marker of reaching the middle class but also a requirement for marriage. As the economy developed, autos pushed bikes off the roads{#blank#}3{#/blank#} (create) heavy pollution and miserable traffic.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(fortunate), now Beijing may he returning to its roots. Thanks to about 20 technology companies, brightly colored shared bikes {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(flood) into Beijing in the last two years. Many local residents welcome the shared bikes{#blank#}6{#/blank#}the flexibility and freedom they offer. They pick up the bikes and then ride and drop{#blank#}7{#/blank#} off anywhere they like, locking the back wheel, with no need to find a fixed place.

    Analyses in China say it is three factors that contribute to bikes {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(increase) rapidly: a lot of cash looking for a home, a good idea and government support. “As the city s population grew, traffic jams got {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (bad).” Cai, the Ofo spokeswoman, said, “Shared bikes could solve the 'last mile' problem in {#blank#}10{#/blank#} environmentally friendly way.”

    I have a muscle disease but I don't look any different from other people. Sometimes, I was too weak{#blank#}1{#/blank#}go to school so my education suffered. Every time I returned after an{#blank#}2{#/blank#} (absent), I felt stupid because I was behind the others.

    My life is a lot easier at high school because few fellow students make me{#blank#}3{#/blank#} (annoy). My ambition is to work for a firm{#blank#}4{#/blank#}develops computer software when I grow up. Last year I invented a computer football game and a big company has decided to buy it from me. I have a very busy life with no time to sit around{#blank#}5{#/blank#} (feel) sorry for myself. As well as going to the movies and football matches with my friends. I spend a lot of time looking after my pets{#blank#}6{#/blank#} (proper) but I find it worthwhile.

    In many ways my disability has helped me grow stronger psychologically and become more{#blank#}7{#/blank#} (independence). I have to work hard to live a normal life but it has been worth it. If{#blank#}8{#/blank#} (have) a chance to say one thing to healthy children, it would be this: having a disability does not mean your life is not satisfying. So don't feel sorry for the disabled or make fun{#blank#}9{#/blank#}them, and don't ignore them either. Just accept them for who they are, and give them encouragement to live{#blank#}10{#/blank#}rich and full a life as you do.

    Once there lived a rich man {#blank#}1{#/blank#}wanted to do something for the people of his town. But first he wanted {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (find) out whether they deserved his help.

    In the centre of the main road into the town, he placed{#blank#}3{#/blank#} very large stone. Then he {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(bury) himself behind a tree and waited. Soon an old man came along with his cow.

    "Who put this stone in the centre of the road?" said the old man, but he did not try to remove the stone. Instead, with some difficulty he passed around the stone {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (slow) and continued on his way. Another man came along and did the same thing ; then another came, and another. All of them complained about the stone but not tried to remove {#blank#}6{#/blank#}. Late in the afternoon a young man came along . He saw the stone, {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(say) to  himself ,"The night will be very dark. Some {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(neighbor) will come along later in the dark and will fall against the stone."

    Then he began to move the stone. He pushed with all his {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(strong) to move it. How great his surprise was at last! He found a bag of money {#blank#}10{#/blank#} the stone.

    To celebrate his sixtieth birthday, Devon's father organized a family vacationto Alaska. On the long northward flight, Devon {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (think) that she would have preferred a tropical (热带的) island. But she changed her mind on their third day, {#blank#}2{#/blank#} they hiked out onto Root Glacier (冰川) with a guide. Standing inside an ice cave beneath the glacier's surface, Devon stared in amazement at the glowing neon (氖) blue of the glacial ice surrounding her. This was {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (definite) worth the trip!