Before the day I stepped into junior high school, I had always thought that as long as I could read, speak, and listen well, English will be a "no problem" 1 for me, and that English grammar was a piece of cake. My father 2 to tell me the importance of grammar but I just wouldn't listen. I didn't understand what's so important about the whole "grammar" thing.

    This misunderstanding didn't last long. Something unexpected happened. It was only 3that day, and I would never forget that day. I was just a young and seventh grader when our English teacher 4 to give us a quiz on English grammar. We had to fill in blanks. After I read the sentence in question number one, different kinds of answers which I thought were possible came into my mind. All of them seemed right and made sense to me, but there was only one 5 answer to it, but I didn't know which one exactly. I was shocked, but I said to myself "never mind", and went on to question number two. Unexpectedly, the same trouble that just happened, appeared right in front of me again, and it just kept happening again and again until I heard our teacher say 6"Time's up." I had to turn in my answer sheet 7 so many unsure answers on it.

    I was really sad about the whole thing. And since then, I've 8 that in English, writing grammar is quite different from spoken grammar. My father had been trying to tell me the important role grammar plays in learning English. Well, it's 9 too late to learn anything, including ENGLISH! So, I started to work on my grammar skills, and thanks to that bad 10, I really learned a lot from it! Now, I'm still on my journey of learning grammar, and I am enjoying it.

December 22. a special day, is the shortest day of the year. Chinese people call it Dongzhi. The name means "the coming of winter"-the{#blank#}1{#/blank#} (cold) days in a year. On this day, people in northern China eat dumplings. They usually fill the dumplings {#blank#}2{#/blank#}different vegetables and meat. Sometimes, people put a coin inside.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} you happen to get the coin, you will have good luck. People consider eating dumplings {#blank#}4{#/blank#}a way to stay healthy. As the old saying goes, "Eating dumplings on Dongzhi can help {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(keep) the ears from frostbite (冻疮)."

In {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(south) China, people eat tangyuan on the day of Dongzhi. The little tangyuan balls {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(make) from rice. They have different {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(kind) of sweet fillings (馅料). People hope eating tangyuan can bring them {#blank#}9{#/blank#}happy and sweet life. In some places, people also make a special kind of rice wine. The drink brings the body {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(warm) on cold days.

Do you like a small plant? The study shows that a small plant can improve our memory (记忆力) and make us happier. Even the small plants on your desk may have a more effect on you than you might realize. The small plants can help you to think more clearly. Studies have shown that the small plants could improve your concentration (注意力) by up to 20% and improve your ability to remember information by 15-20%. Plants can also reduce CO₂ and improve air quality.

"CO₂ should not pass 1,000 parts per million in the classroom." Doctor Zhang in the Health and Safety Center said. He said this level can cause headache and even lead to poorer decision-making. Studies have shown that sometimes indoors plants can reduce CO₂ from 2,000ppm to about 480ppm in less than one hour. Plants can increase happiness because there is endorphins (内啡肽) in humans. The shape, color, smell, feel and taste of plants can cheer us up and improve our memories.

Do you know the grass in the picture ? It is a kind of grass for cats. It is good for your cat. Are you a cat lover? Do you want your cat to be healthy? Then you can plant this kind of grass at home. Please find the following steps.

What you need: A small planter(花盆) Potting soil (盆栽土) Water

Seeds (种子) (You can buy them at any plant store. )

▲:

Fill the planter with the soil. Water the soil until it is a little wet. Throw seeds across the top layer (层) of the soil, and then press (按)them into the soil. Water the soil again. Keep the soil wet until the seeds begin to sprout (发芽)-about one or two weeks. Then water is needed. When your seeds grow tall enough, you can invite your cat to taste it.

For many people, their first plane trip is not very good. The following will help you have a good trip.

The first and most important thing is to be EARLY! Call the airport 4 hours earlier and make sure that the flight (航班) is still on time. Get to the airport 2 hours early. This will give you much time to get your boarding pass (登机证) and pass the security check (安检).

Be sure to take something to chew (咀嚼) when you are in the air. Taking a book with you can help you kill your flight time. You also need to take some special things like glasses or medicine, because you may need them on your trip. Take the ID card and enough money with you. Because you need them when having a trip.

When you get on the plane, make sure that you are in the right seat. Don't be afraid when the plane is taking off (起飞). Take-off may be a difficult part of your trip. When it is over, you can release (解开) your seat belt (安全带), and you can go to the lavatory (卫生间) if you want.

Wish you a happy flight!