Since the one-baby policy {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (carry) out in China, Chinese families have been shrinking from one with over 10 members to the other with only three including parents and one baby. Things are usually out of our expectation. Apart from the benefits {#blank#}2{#/blank#} have been mentioned enough, small families are now beginning to have {#blank#}3{#/blank#} own problems. Because parents are having fewer children, they increasingly feel the need {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (control) the lives of those children. As a result, many children are becoming less {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (depend), determined and ambitious than in the past.   

Parents today discourage their children from doing housework, extracurricular activities and socializing {#blank#}6{#/blank#} they fear it will interrupt their education. For example, when I was younger I wanted to learn the guitar {#blank#}7{#/blank#} my parents wouldn't allow me because they believed it would distract me from my studies. They are happy as long as I perform {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (wonder) in my exams but don't seem concerned about how I develop {#blank#}9{#/blank#} a person.

To some extent, I understand parents' concerns, but I think they should love their children for {#blank#}10{#/blank#} they are, not what they want them to be. We deserve the chance to chase our own dreams and learn on our own. Even if we fail, we can learn from those failures.

    Like many new graduates, I left university full of hope for the future but with no real idea of what I wanted to do. My degree, with honors, in English literature had not {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(real) prepared me for anything practical. I knew I felt like {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (make) a difference in the world somehow, but I had no idea{#blank#}3{#/blank#} to do that. That's when I learned about the Lighthouse Project.

    I started my journey {#blank#}4{#/blank#} a Lighthouse Project volunteer by reading as much as I could about the experiences of previous volunteers. I knew it would be a lot of hard work,{#blank#}5{#/blank#}that I would be away from my family and friends for a very long time. In short, I did not take my {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(decide) to apply for the Lighthouse Project lightly. {#blank#}7{#/blank#} did my family.

    Eventually, however, I {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(win) the support of my family, and I sent in all the paperwork needed for the application. After countless interviews and presentations, I managed to stand out among {#blank#}9{#/blank#} candidates and survive the test alone. Several months later, I finally received a call{#blank#}10{#/blank#}(ask) me to report for the duty. I would be going to a small village near Abuja, Nigeria. Where? What? Nigeria? I had no idea. But I was about to find out.

    This weekend I was delighted to show my parents around Seville, as they {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(come) for a short but sweet visit. Although the weather wasn't the best, we still made {#blank#}2{#/blank#} best of our time together.

    Being reunited with the people you love in a new place {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(bring) excitement. Showing them around the new city makes you{#blank#}4{#/blank#} (extraordinary) happy. For example, as Seville is known for flamenco (弗拉门科舞), I took them to see a famous {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(perform) my friends recommended to me, which gave us such a wonderful visual feast. Furthermore, getting to show your visitors the places {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (appeal) to you is a pleasant feeling, because you are eager to let them know where you love to spend your time. You are letting them get involved{#blank#}7{#/blank#} your new life. Also you have the opportunity{#blank#}8{#/blank#} (show) your beloved ones the new places that they may fall in love with.

    So, after a two-day trip, I feel pleased to have had the time to explore those {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(attraction) with my parents. I am already looking forward to their next visit {#blank#}10{#/blank#}I can show them more of what Seville offers and what I am still yet to discover.

    The Agricultural Feast {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (fall) after the Independence Day. It is not a worldwide celebration. Only Christians in Mexico look forward to its arrival for its {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (religion) origin.

    Long ago, man's ancestors were bad. They fooled and played tricks on each other and never kept their word. So annoyed was God {#blank#}3{#/blank#} he turned up and drowned all their crops. Consequently, many people starved to {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (die). In order to gain God's forgiveness, a woman poet set off {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (see) God, and made apologies, which moved God. With God's permission, human beings finally had good harvests again. Thus to wipe sadness and remind {#blank#}6{#/blank#} of the belief in God, people celebrate the festival. On the festival, people gather in the open air, such as playgrounds and parking lots, and have fun with each other energetically all night long, as though they were never tired. When a beauty {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (dress) in lovely clothing reads poems in memory of {#blank#}8{#/blank#} poet, everyone holds his breath. Then, it is the custom that the bone of a rooster head is given to her {#blank#}9{#/blank#} an award.

    Obviously, the story may not be true, {#blank#}10{#/blank#} the festival is interesting.

    Man Kaur started running in 2009, {#blank#}1{#/blank#}she was in her 90s and began racking up medals. At 103, Man Kaur is not only going strong, she's getting others to follow in her footsteps as well.

    India's oldest female athlete is spending her summer {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(coach) 30 young athletes. Kaur and her 81-year-old son and trainer, Gurdev Singh, {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (invite) for two weeks to several universities, {#blank#}4{#/blank#}their methods made such an improvement in the students' performance that they were asked {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(stay) through September.

    This invitation came on the heels of Kaur's participation in the World Masters Athletics Championships in Poland earlier this year, where she {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(win) gold in all four events. Though she was the only {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(compete) in her age category for all four events, for the 60-meter dash, she had company from other categories: two 85-year-olds and three 90-year-olds. Though they weren't competing for the prize in her age bracket, they ran alongside her and {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (eventual) ahead of her.

    Ten years after she first started running, Kaur still loves it, according to her son. "She enjoys {#blank#}9{#/blank#}company of her admirers," her son adds. "Every time she participates, she feels proud that people around the world feel {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(inspire)."

Chinese New Year, {#blank#}1{#/blank#} starts on the first day of the Chinese lunar calendar (阴历), is considered as China's most important holiday. It {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (know) as the Spring Festival.

The Spring Festival starts at the beginning {#blank#}3{#/blank#} the new moon. It often happens between January and February. It usually {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (last) about one month until the Lantern Festival (元宵节), which gives everyone plenty of time for celebration.

{#blank#}5{#/blank#} (traditional), red envelopes with money in are gifted during the Spring Festival celebrations. It's a custom which goes back to ancient times. However, when the tradition {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(start) is unknown. Whatever the reason is, the red envelope is an important part of Chinese New Year to this day.

The firework is another big part of Chinese New Year. A {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (write) shared the following story on a website. An old man saved a town from a terrible monster (怪兽)by throwing many bamboo {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (stick) into the fire. The explosion caused by the bamboo frightened off the monster. As {#blank#}9{#/blank#} result, Chinese people set off fireworks (爆竹)during Chinese New Year celebrations {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (avoid) the evil spirits of the past.