A: Mary, tomorrow is your Mum's 50th birthday, do you know?

B: Of course I do. Do you have any idea about how {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (celebrate) it, Dad?

A: Of course, first of all, a birthday present. What about {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (buy) her a beautiful skirt?

B: That's a good idea. It'll make her look {#blank#}3{#/blank#}（young）. and a big birthday cake, too, with fifties {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (candle).

A: That's right. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}we have a special dinner?

B: How about a Chinese dinner?

A: Fine, where will we have it?

B: Dad, we can have it at home . I {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (learn) to cook a few Chinese dishes from a Chinese friend, {#blank#}7{#/blank#} I am sure Mum would like {#blank#}8{#/blank#}.

A: All right. Will you do {#blank#}9{#/blank#}shopping too?

B: {#blank#}10{#/blank#} don't we go together, Dad?

A: OK.

—Have you been watching the Euro 2012 football tournament?

—Just a bit. Why, {#blank#}1{#/blank#} you?

—Of course！I've really started to like football since I came to London. Just think, a year ago, I was still in Montreal and didn't know anything about it.

—Well, I'm from New Jersey. Americans aren't so into football. Actually, we call it soccer.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Americans say “football”, what we mean is American rules football. I've {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (be) here two years now, and I still get {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (confuse) when people call soccer “football”.

—I know all about America. For you, “football” means the sport {#blank#}5{#/blank#} those big guys wear helmets and violently run into each other.

—Yeah. Americans prefer {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (watch) sports that are fast, like basketball. I think basketball players are the greatest athletes on earth. {#blank#}7{#/blank#} they can do just amazes me. But when I watch a soccer match, I just get bored. There aren't enough goals.

—Well, I see what you're saying, {#blank#}8{#/blank#} there's so much {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (much)to “soccer”, {#blank#}10{#/blank#}  you call it, than goals. There're a lot of strategies involved. And in a tournament like the Euro 2012, it's fascinating to see how the different countries have different styles of playing.

    Harry is an American businessman. His job requires him to do a lot of traveling. In the past six months he has made nine trips, {#blank#}1{#/blank#}purpose is to attend meetings and make presentations. Harry loves to travel and feels each country has a charm of its own. After graduation, Harry decided to make travel part of his career. He wanted to experience different cultures of other {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(country). He was dreaming of{#blank#}3{#/blank#}(work) for an international company. Then his dream came true. Now he's working for a German hi-tech company.

    I was staying in Destin for a few days with my family. One morning, I got up early{#blank#}1{#/blank#}(go) for a walk on the beach. As I was walking, I noticed at least a hundred or more empty beer cans which{#blank#}2{#/blank#}(leave) in one concentrated area in front of a hotel. I was{#blank#}3{#/blank#}(fascinate) by the beach, woods and nature so I wanted to keep{#blank#}4{#/blank#}(they) clean. Naturally, I picked up a few to take to a nearby rubbish can. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}my way back to the hotel. I saw {#blank#}6{#/blank#}man walking down the beach with a rubbish bag picking up the cans. I helped him get the rest and walked back to my place, but I couldn't help {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (think) about that man and how we need more people like that in the world. It really gave me some {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(inspire).

    In the following days when I stayed in Destin, I always went for a walk with a rubbish bag. The rubbish bag was {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(total) full by the time I got back to my hotel. I did not want to get any thanks but I hoped {#blank#}10{#/blank#}I did could inspire someone to do the same as well.

    When you {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(hurt) deeply by someone, you may feel it very difficult {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(remove)your anger. But forgiving is possible and it can be {#blank#}3{#/blank#}great benefit to your health. Up to now, a research {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (show) that people who forgive have more energy, better appetite and better sleep. "People who forgive show {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (little) anger and more hopefulness," says Dr. Frederic Luskin, {#blank#}6{#/blank#} wrote the book Forgive for Good. "So it can help reduce the tiredness and allow people to feel more {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (energy)."

    So when someone hurts you, cool down first. Take a couple of breaths and think of something that gives you pleasure. Don't wait for an apology. "Many times the person who hurt you may escape {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (apologize)," says Dr. Luskin. "They may have wanted to hurt you or they just don't see things in same way."

    Next keep in mind that forgiveness does not necessarily mean accepting {#blank#}9{#/blank#} the person has done to you. Finally, try to see things from that person's opinions. To achieve it, just put {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (you) in that person's place.

    On arriving in the United States, I felt everything was different. There were many new things I had to adapt to. One thing that really {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(take) me a long time to adapt to was speaking the language.

    I remember {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(clear) that I had to struggle to learn English because I couldn't even write a short paragraph to introduce myself at the first day of my English class. The teacher asked me {#blank#}3{#/blank#}it was difficult for me. If it was, I could change to level one!

    However, I was stubborn and swore that I was going to succeed. I started to spend many {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(hour)per day, even though it was stressful, because I wanted to take advantage {#blank#}5{#/blank#}this special chance to study English in the USA.

    I felt depressed because I couldn't understand {#blank#}6{#/blank#}people were saying even though I made great efforts. However, I still kept {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(try) and never gave up.

Now, I can tell you that I have improved a lot, but sometimes it is still easy for me to get{#blank#}8{#/blank#}(confuse) if I don't know what topic people {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(talk) about. To adapt to this new language, I had to tell {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(I) that I could do it. I really believe I can!