Many people believe small talk is very{#blank#}1{#/blank#}(bore).Although that is true,there are many places where small talk is very important.In Western culture,strangers talk to other strangers{#blank#}2{#/blank#}(frequent).On the other hand,small talk is not so common in Eastern culture.Strangers are{#blank#}3{#/blank#}(friend)to one another in Western culture,and small talk is very important to English learning.One other place where small talk is important is in{#blank#}4{#/blank#}interview.Besides,the best way to learn small talk is to provide many examples.Here are some{#blank#}5{#/blank#}(suggest)about how to use examples.Small talk{#blank#}6{#/blank#}(involve)many different topics.In other words,students can learn several lessons,{#blank#}7{#/blank#}(cover)other subjects,such as sports,jobs,schools,etc.Once we have started the small talk,{#blank#}8{#/blank#}is your responsibility to keep the conversation{#blank#}9{#/blank#}(focus)on your work and study.In order to do so,you can talk about anything{#blank#}10{#/blank#}is not too personal.

    I work in a big factory in a town {#blank#}1{#/blank#} is quite far from my home. One day, after a whole day's work, I {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (go) back home by bus. That day was {#blank#}3{#/blank#} long, hard one for me as the stress from work weighed heavily on my mind.

    A girl, who I didn't know, sat next to me. She asked me some questions {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (casual) and we had a short conversation. I thought to myself that she was just a {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (strange) to me and didn't take much interest.

    After a while, she suddenly handed me some chocolates and said that it was {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (she) birthday. I immediately responded with a smile and my heart felt free {#blank#}7{#/blank#} the stress that I had been carrying. In a single moment I felt the heaviness of the day {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (transform) into lightness of a feather. Her simple act gave me joy {#blank#}9{#/blank#} I didn't particularly enjoy the chocolates as much. The only thing I could do was to wish her a long life. I can't remember her face now but {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (recall) the incident makes me happy.

    I gain a lot of rewarding experiences from some social activities. Our local Community Youth Club is a very popular organization with young people in my town. I have been a member for four years now and I've taken part in a lot of interesting projects,{#blank#}1{#/blank#}include fun activities such as holiday camps and discos. We have organized sports competitions and we have even made a video.

    But it isn't all just enjoyment, we have also started doing social work to help people in our neighborhood. We{#blank#}2{#/blank#}(organize) activities for small children during the holidays. We have also formed a special support group to help young people stop{#blank#}3{#/blank#}(smoke).

    We are particularly proud of the most recent group we have created. It organizes regular visits{#blank#}4{#/blank#}the local old people's home. My class spent an afternoon at a home and everyone found the visit very rewarding. The old people there were{#blank#}5{#/blank#}(talk) and they told us their personal stories{#blank#}6{#/blank#}(cheer) .

    During our visit, the home was filled with {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(laugh). But we realized that life wasn't always easy .Some of them were in poor health and were very

{#blank#}8{#/blank#} (happy).

    Many young people like me do not live with our grandparents and we have little contact with elderly people. As a result, many young people don't know{#blank#}9{#/blank#}

    they are like. After this visit, my friends and I decided that we should do{#blank#}10{#/blank#}to help improve the quality of their lives.

    E-commerce（电子商务）has changed the lives of people across the world. With fewer people {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(leave) home for shopping, physical stores are having a more {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(difficulty) time. It seems that one kind of physical store is not being hit—the convenience store.

    Convenience store sales in 2016 in China increased by 13 percent {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(compare) with that of 2015, according to China Daily. There are now{#blank#}4{#/blank#}(near) 100,000 convenience stores in China. And in Japan, there are 11,000 more convenience stores in 2017 than in 2010.

    Why are these 24-hour stores with {#blank#}5{#/blank#}average area of 110 square meters enjoying such rapid {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(develop)?

    One reason is that young people have grown into the habit of shopping at convenience stores, noted Convenience Store News. Convenience {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(store) not only have everything for daily use, but also fresh food like sushi, bread and salads,{#blank#}8{#/blank#} are all quite popular among young people.

    What's more, different {#blank#}9{#/blank#} supermarkets, many convenience stores sell things they make themselves, like bread and cakes. As these products can only{#blank#}10{#/blank#}(find) in these stores, many people go there just to buy them.

Hollywood filmmakers visit Mulan's roots

    Hollywood filmmakers, including creators of the 1998 Disney film Mulan, will start {#blank#}1{#/blank#}"discovery trip" to Mulan's birthplace —Huangpi District in Hubei Province this week.

    During the two-day visit, they will see a number of Mulan-themed{#blank#}2{#/blank#} (perform), such as the horse lighting show and the local opera. They will also visit places of historical interest, {#blank#}3{#/blank#}the Mulan Mountain and the General's Temple.

    In the 20 years since the Disney film came out, {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (it) director Tony Bancroft hasn't been to the land of Mulan's roots. "For me, it's a full circle tour of where my favorite character was born. I'm also doing my homework for the next film," he said.

    "China used to be closed off to Westerners, thus {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (create) a mystery, but in the last few years, U. S. films {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (explore) the Chinese culture and environment, {#blank#}7{#/blank#} has opened audiences to a whole new world. I believe the tale of Mulan appeals to Westerners mainly {#blank#}8{#/blank#}  it's about a daughter's respect for her family, {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(especial) her father," Bancroft added.

    A live-action remake of the 1998 film is expected to hit theaters in 2019. The Walt Disney Studios has announced that Chinese actress Liu Yifei, also{#blank#}10{#/blank#} (know) as Crystal Liu, is going to star in the classic Chinese tale.