What isthe hardest sport in the world? Some people say it's boxing (拳击), because boxing is dangerousand boxers have to be strong and fast. Other people say the hardest sport issoccer.

    However,most people say the hardest sport is the triathlon (三项全能运动). A triathlon is a race thatincludes three sports. First, racers swim. After that they ride bicycles andfinally they run. In the most common triathlon, racers swim 1.5kilometres, bike40 kilometres, and run 10 kilometres. The winner is the person who finishes therace first.

    There isanother kind of triathlon too. It is called the "Ironman Triathlon (铁人三项)". This triathlon is muchlonger. People who finish this triathlon are called "ironmen" or"ironwomen". This is because these people are so strong that theirbodies are just like iron (铁).

    In thepast, there were other races including three sports. However, they didn't usethe word "triathlon". That word was first used to describe a race inCalifornia in 1974.

    Triathlonracers have to train very hard for their races. Many of them swim and run. Alot of people also do things like yoga (瑜伽). They have many different ways to prepare, but they all have thesame goal. They want to be in perfect shape.

    To be anironman or an ironwoman, you have to be strong and smart. You should know howto save energy during the race.

Do you know about koalas? The koala is 1 Australian animal. It 2 gray and brown fur(皮毛). And the fur on 3 belly(腹部) is white. Koalas eat and sleep in eucalyptus trees(桉树). 4 almost never get down the trees so somebody thinks they are 5 . They are active 6 night and sleep all day. People often think that koalas are friendly animals 7 they look very cute. But they may scratch(乱抓) people if they are not happy. They have sharp claws(利爪). So please 8 friendly to them. In the past, koalas were often hunted(被捕获) because of their beautiful soft fur. Now they are a protected species(被保护的物种) and it's not right 9 them. We need koalas and other animals, because they are our dear 10 ! 

 Classical Chinese poetry is traditional Chinese poetry {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (write) in classical Chinese and is a symbol of traditional culture. Many poems come from particular historical periods, such as the poetry of the Tang Dynasty and the verse of the Song Dynasty. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(it) history dates back to at least as early as the publication of the Classic of Poetry or Shijing. There are {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(difference) combinations(组合) of forms and genres(体裁), {#blank#}4{#/blank#} mostly appeared at the end of the Tang Dynasty.

 The development of Classical Chinese poetry {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (active) continued up to 1919, when the May Fourth Movement {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(take) place, and it is still popular even today. Classical Chinese poetry created during this 2,500- year period has been developing continuously, producing

a great deal of diversity — classified by both major historical periods {#blank#}7{#/blank#} dynastic periods.

 One of the key parts of Classical Chinese poetry is its close {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(connect) with other forms of Chinese art, such as Chinese painting and Chinese calligraphy(书法). Classical Chinese poetry {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(consider) to have a strong influence {#blank#}10{#/blank#} poetry worldwide.

Do You Have a Soccer Ball?

Frank Brown

I don't have a soccer ball, but my brother Alan does. We go to the s{#blank#}1{#/blank#} school and we love soccer. We play it at school with our friends. It's r{#blank#}2{#/blank#}.

Gina Smith

Yes, I do. I have two soccer balls, three volleyballs, four basketballs and five baseballs and bats. I love s{#blank#}3{#/blank#}, but I don't play them—I only watch them on TV! 

Wang Wei

No, I don't. Soccer is d{#blank#}4{#/blank#} for me, so I never play it. I like ping-pong. It's easy for me. I have three ping-pong balls and two ping-pong bats. A{#blank#}5{#/blank#} class, I play ping-pong with my classmates.

Christmas is one of the happiest times of the year. It's time we spend with family members，giving gifts to each other and eating lots of delicious food. However，at the same time it can also be a nervous time. You have to spend much time and money planing and buying presents for everyone. You need to clean the rooms or even clear some of them out and put up the Christmas tree，the decorations and the balloons. And you have to communicate with your friends and relatives whom you perhaps wouldn't usually spend so much time with. So what can we do to deal with these things to enjoy the happy time to the fullest?

Usually，you have to face the busy shops to do your Christmas shopping during this holiday. That can make you stressed out. To stay calm(冷静的) during this holiday，you can start your shopping early. In other words，you can buy presents for people before Christmas comes so that you can save yourself some money. What's more，you can buy your presents on the Internet，which means that you can find anything you can think of，and you can do it in your living room. It's much cheaper，so you can save money. 

Did you once drink more than usual，eat cakes you didn't want or do something else which left you feeling tired? Remember that it's your right to enjoy Christmas in the way you want and that you should take no notice of those who tell you that you're not being Christmassy. 

Finally，you'd better have low expectations. If your expectations are high，you will make yourself upset. Don't let yourself be pressured into making the Christmas perfect. So，just be satisfied to have a pleasant evening with your family and let what happens happen.