July 20, 1969 was an important day. Two {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (美国) astronauts planted the first human footstep on the moon. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (他们的) names were Armstrong and Aldrin. They went into a spaceship whose name was Apollo. As Armstrong reached his left foot {#blank#}3{#/blank#} （touch） the moon's surface, he said, "That's one small step for a man, but one big leap for mankind."

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} two hours and twenty-one minutes, the man carefully at first and then {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (勇敢), walked on the moon, {#blank#}6{#/blank#} （take）photos and picking stones.

    After eight {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (day) stay in space, Apollo returned to the earth successfully. People everywhere were {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (excite) by this moon trip. "This is the {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (伟大) week in the history of the world since the Creation(创世)," President Nixon told the travelers. "{#blank#}10{#/blank#}（多亏，由于）what you have done, the world has never been closer together before."

    Mandarin(普通话) is the most {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (use) non-European language for children to learn, the UK parents believe. It will boost(促进) their children's career prospects (前景),according to 55% of parents, while 56% felt it would open their children's minds {#blank#}2{#/blank#} an “exciting and dynamic（动态的）” culture. Arabic and Japanese, {#blank#}3{#/blank#} were both picked by 14% of parents, were the other key non-European languages. The figures were gained after 1,138 UK adults with children aged under 18 {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (be) questioned in a survey {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (conduct) by the Mandarin Excellence Programme (MEP).

    French, Spanish and German were the top choices overall for young people in the UK     {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (learn) after being picked by 57%, 54% and 40% of parents respectively.

    Mark Herbet, of the British Council, said: “With the global economy {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (become) more interconnected and the drive to boost exports, language skills are increasingly important for work and life. Mandarin is one of the {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (language) that matter most to the UK's future prosperity (繁荣).If the UK is to remain competitive on the world stage, we need far more of our young people leaving school with a good grasp of Mandarin in order to {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (success) work abroad or for businesses here in the UK. Learning Mandarin is also a fascinating process that brings {#blank#}10{#/blank#} valuable understanding of Chinese culture.”

    The MEP aims to help at least 5,000 young people in England to speak fluent Mandarin by 2020.

    The information I {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(collect) over the last few years leads me to believe that speed reading may be less {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(use) than most people think. The claim that you can read and comprehend over 30,000 words per minute is overstated. One researcher proved this in a study where irrelevant and illogical sentences were added to a text. The “speed readers” {#blank#}3{#/blank#} were tested didn't notice the irrelevant lines — the non-speed readers spotted them immediately.

    I've interviewed people who have attended the introductory sessions {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (offer) by some speed reading courses. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (them) stories indicate that improper methods are sometimes used to sell the courses. Here's how: First, you're asked to read a passage from a book {#blank#}6{#/blank#} which most persons would be unfamiliar. Your reading speed and comprehension are tested during this exercise. Then, after about half {#blank#}7{#/blank#} hour of instruction, another reading test is given. But this time the reading is one most educated Americans know well — such as Huckleberry Finn. Not {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (surprising), persons attending these introductory sessions find that their “exit” speed and comprehension are better than their “entry”{#blank#}9{#/blank#} (perform).

    I'm one of the fiction readers who appreciate the beauty in good writing. Occasionally I'll read a passage or sentence over and over just {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (let) the beauty of its construction soak(参透) in. Good writing must be read carefully and thoughtfully to be fully appreciated.