Spring Festival is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It is often inaccurately {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (call) “Lunar New Year”, because—as part of the lunisolar Chinese calendar (农历)-the date is partially determined based on lunar phase (月相). The festival traditionally {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (begin) on the first day of the first month in the Chinese calendar and ends with Lantern Festival{#blank#}3{#/blank#} is on the 15th day. Chinese New Year's Eve, a day when Chinese families gather for their annual reunion dinner, is known as chú xī. It literally means “Year-pass Eve”.

    According to {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (tale) and legends, the beginning of Chinese New Year started with the fight against {#blank#}5{#/blank#} mythical beast (神兽) called Nien (年). Nien would come on the first day of New Year to devour livestock (牲畜), crops, and even villagers,{#blank#}6{#/blank#} (especial) children. To protect {#blank#}7{#/blank#}the villagers would put food in front of their doors at the beginning of every year. It was believed that after the Nien{#blank#}8{#/blank#} (eat) the food they prepared, it wouldn't attack any more people. One time, people saw that the Nien was scared away by a little child wearing red. The villagers then understood that the Nien was afraid {#blank#}9{#/blank#} the colour red. Hence, every time when the New Year was about to come, the villagers would hang red lanterns and red spring scrolls on windows and doors. People also used fireworks {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (frighten) away the Nien. From then on, Nien never came to the village again.

Dear Sir or Madam,

    I have{#blank#}1{#/blank#}(recent) read about your organization in the local newspaper. In my opinion, you are doing a great job and {#blank#}2{#/blank#}（give）a great opportunity to people with a desire to help people living in absolute poverty.

    I have just graduated from the Pedagogical University and got{#blank#}3{#/blank#}bachelor's degree（学士学位）. My aunt left me fifteen thousand dollars in her will(遗嘱) and in memory {#blank#}4{#/blank#}her I have decided to share my knowledge and volunteer to teach English to people{#blank#}5{#/blank#}can't afford it.

    Moreover I also speak French well and I once{#blank#}6{#/blank#}(teach) both English and French in school.

    It{#blank#}7{#/blank#}(mention) in the article of your newspaper that the work of Cultural Expeditions covers countries in Africa. If it is{#blank#}8{#/blank#}(possibility) I would like to work in Nigeria for one year from September 15th.

    I am sending my CV(个人简历) where you can find all the information about my {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(educate) and references.

    If you have any{#blank#}10{#/blank#}(question) you can get in touch with me by email or phone number written in my CV.

    I am looking forward to your reply.

Yours sincerely,

Mary

    I recently became friends with a young man {#blank#}1{#/blank#} had just migrated to Australia to escape war in his homeland. He was unskilled and was finding life difficult as he was unemployed. I {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (work) for a company in Australia for more than ten years before I found a better job. I knew that the manager would be disappointed when I was leaving.

    The manager asked me to introduce someone who I thought could do the job just as well as me, so I took this opportunity {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (arrange) an interview for my new friend. However, in the end, he was not offered the job after the interview.

    Later, I asked the manager why my friend was turned {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. The manager thought that his English was not good enough for the position, but I suggested that my friend should be a {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (suit) choice for the company since I could train him. I believed that once {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (give) the time to learn, he could do the job. After a {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (week) training, he was employed and was happy with his position.

    I knew how the terrible war had forced him to leave his homeland and {#blank#}8{#/blank#} price he had paid for doing so. I appreciate {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (be) able to live in Australia and believe that this {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (appreciate) is best proved by offering acts of kindness to people in need of help.

    "Carnival" comes from tow Latin words, {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(mean) "No more meat". In Europe, {#blank#}2{#/blank#} it began, people saw carnival as the last chance to have fun at the end of the winter season. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(have) fun meant eating, drinking and dressing up. The most famous carnival was in Venice. At first, it lasted for just one day. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}time passed, the carnival period was extended. People walked around the street wearing masks, doing {#blank#}5{#/blank#}they wanted without {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(recognize).

    Later, wearing masks was limited by law. Finally, at the end of the 18th century, masks {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(ban) completely. But in {#blank#}8{#/blank#}late 1970s, the tradition was revived by students and the festival was developed for tourists. Today, carnival in Venice is celebrated for five days in February. Hotels are {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(full) booked and the narrow streets are crowded {#blank#}10{#/blank#}wonderful costumes. If the key to Rio is music and movement, then in Venice it is the mystery of masks.