I was a British general for eighteen years, and I {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(serve) in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Sierra Leone, {#blank#}2{#/blank#} I never really enjoyed it. I just enjoyed the respect that it gave me. The whole time I was just pretending to be a soldier.

    The problem is {#blank#}3{#/blank#}I was good at it, and it's {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(extreme) difficult to walk away from something that you're good at. I guess that was one reason {#blank#}5{#/blank#}I stayed for so long. And ironically (讽刺的是),{#blank#}6{#/blank#} (like) what you think, the military life is actually quite secure. Every one of your needs {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(take) care of finances, medical, housing. I was used to the military life. Even though I always had a dream of {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (become) a great actor, I was {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(terrify) to start the life I really wanted. Anyway, I finally did it. I spent the last two years in {#blank#}10{#/blank#}acting school in California. And you know what? I'm doing quite well. I think I've got the talent. I'm going to be a movie star. Wish me luck, mate.

    When {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (learn) to drive, we are told to obey the traffic rules and not to drive our vehicles too fast. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} surprises us is that some young people just enjoy the feeling of driving cars or motorcycles at a very high speed. Jack, {#blank#}3{#/blank#} 18-year-old boy, is {#blank#}4{#/blank#} exception.

    Recently, Jack's father has bought him a car, {#blank#}5{#/blank#} is quite admired by his friends. When he is out in the country, where there are a few people driving and the traffic rules are not strict, this {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (adventure) boy will drive {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (extreme) fast. In towns, however, there is a speed limit, that is, fifty kilometers an hour, but Jack often drives much faster.

    One day Jack was driving through towns when a young policeman, who was new to his work, {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (stop) him and said, "I'm afraid you were driving at a more than fifty kilometers an hour, Sir. Please give me your name and address." {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (look) at the policeman carefully, Jack said to him, "Well, sir, I started my journey less than an hour ago." On hearing this, he didn't know the answer {#blank#}10{#/blank#} Jack's excuse. He thought for a few seconds and then let Jack go.

Going out to Sun Peaks for Fun

    We went looking for some family ski fun, not too far from greater Vancouver, and we found it and more at Sun Peaks Resort, {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (locate) just 20 minutes outside of Kamloops. Pulling into the village, you feel like you've come along a mountainside wonderland {#blank#}2{#/blank#} two hills. Right away you feel at peace in the mountains.

    Sun Peaks has two mountains for skiing and boarding, with lots of lift and capacity {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (get) you around. Most accommodations throughout the village are ski-in/ski-out, so you can park your car once and walk or ski{#blank#}4{#/blank#} you need to go. Morrisey is on one side, and Todd Mountain on the other, connected by trails and a covered bridge, with skiable ground second in Canada only to Whistler. There is {#blank#}5{#/blank#} for everyone, from snow flying saucer and snowmobile, to mini golf and jungle live CS. During the two days of skiing on the holiday, we never met more than five minutes of lineup, and many times we {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (run) ourselves with fresh powder.

    Tubing is right there at the bottom of the main ski hill, perfect for parents who want to have some drinks at Bottoms Bar & Grill {#blank#}7{#/blank#} the kids keep the fun going into the evening. The village is small and quiet, so the kids {#blank#}8{#/blank#} have a lot of freedom to run around and play.

    Bring your skates! There is an NHL-sized outdoor rink (溜冰场), just a 10 minute walk from the main village. Skate rentals are available, and you can join a game of drop-in hockey, or enjoy a family skate during one of the open ice times {#blank#}9{#/blank#} go well into the evening, under the stars. Check with guest services to see if the rink is open, since it is weather dependent.

    In the summertime at Sun Peaks, the chairlifts switch up to accommodate mountain bikes and hikers. Downhill biking trails create adventure for those {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (look) for excitement, and the golf course at Sun Peaks provides hours of great scenic links.

    The Forbidden City in Beijing, home to the Palace Museum, houses more than 1.8 million cultural relics and is one of the world's most visited tourist {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (attract).

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (mark) the 600th anniversary of the Forbidden City, the Palace Museum will hold a series of events throughout 2020. Over 20 exhibitions will be held, {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (cover) different areas such as history, art, festivals, and so on. For the special occasion, Along the Bian River during the Qingming Festival, one of China's most {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (wide) known masterpieces, will go {#blank#}5{#/blank#} display in September 2020. For {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (it) best preservation, this treasured artwork is seldom fully exhibited. The painting {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (display) for the first time back in 2005 to celebrate the museum's 80th anniversary. Such {#blank#}8{#/blank#} rare sight is expected to draw huge crowds.  In addition, the museum will also display exhibits from other {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (country).

    During the past few years, the Palace Museum has been working hard to get the public familiar with the history and culture of the Forbidden City. And it seems that these efforts have been paying off, with its popularity reaching a new height. Over 17 million people visited the museum in 2018, of {#blank#}10{#/blank#} 40 percent were under 30 years old.

When the knife you're using cuts your finger instead of the tomato, you might think it is no big deal. A small cut will {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (usual) heal well without medical care but any time the skin gets broken, there is a risk of infection. Here's {#blank#}2{#/blank#} to care for cuts at home.

Stop bleeding by {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (press) a clean, soft cloth against the wound for a few minutes. If the wound is bleeding a lot, you'll need to keep up the pressure for a much {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (long) time (sometimes up to 15 minutes). If the wound is small, the bleeding should stop in a few minutes.

Clean the wound. Run warm water over the cut for 5 minutes. Then use soap {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(wash) the skin around the cut gently and thoroughly. If there's dirt in the wound, remove it if you can—a soft, damp cloth can be {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(help).Cleaning the wound helps get infection-causing bacteria out of the {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (injure) area. If you can't get all the dirt out, call your doctor's office.

Dry the area lightly and cover it with gauze (纱布) or some other type of bandage. A bandage helps prevent germs from getting into the wound, {#blank#}8{#/blank#}can help avoid infection. If the bandage gets wet or dirty, change it right away.

{#blank#}9{#/blank#} is also necessary to take off the bandage and gently wash the injury every day. Watch for {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(sign) of infection. If it appears to be worsening or becomes swollen or red, see a doctor right away to treat the infection.