It is not a secret {#blank#}1{#/blank#} trees are vital to our life. They provide us with food, wood and most {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (important), oxygen. Now there is one more thing we can add to this list—blocking out harmful bacteria from water.

    The discovery {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (make) by a team {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (consist) of scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and high school students {#blank#}5{#/blank#} were seeking a natural water filter(过滤)—one that would help communities in developing countries that do not have {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (accessible) to modern water filter systems.

    The {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (research), led by Professor Rohit Karnik, decided to turn{#blank#}8{#/blank#} trees for help, because they could allow liquid to flow through, while blocking out air bubbles.

    They began by cutting 1.5-inch-wide sections of tree bark from the branches of a white pine tree. The people related then tested the wood's filtering ability by pouring water containing red dye particles of different sizes through. To their {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (amaze), they found that it was effective in trapping all the particles. Greatly {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (encourage), the team conducted another experiment, this time with water that contained bacteria. Sure enough, the sapwood held back 99% of the bacteria, allowing only 1% to flow through.

    Many teachers believe that the responsibilities for learning lie with the student. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} a long reading assignment is given, instructors expect students to be familiar with {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (inform) in the reading even if they do not discuss it in class or take an examination. The ideal student is considered to be one who is motivated to learn for the sake of learning, not the one interested only in getting high grades. Sometimes homework is returned {#blank#}3{#/blank#} brief written comments but without a grade. Even if a grade is not given, the student is {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (responsibility) for learning the material assigned. When research {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (assign), the professor expects the student to take it actively and to complete it with minimum guidance. It is the student's responsibility to find books, magazines, and articles in the library. Professors do not have the time to explain {#blank#}6{#/blank#} a university library works; they expect students, {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (especial) graduate students, to be able to exhaust the reference origins in the library. Professors will help students who need it, but prefer that their students should not be too dependent on them. In the United States, professors have many other duties {#blank#}8{#/blank#} teaching, such as administrative or research work. Therefore, the time {#blank#}9{#/blank#} a professor can spend with a student outside of class {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (limit). If a student has problems with classroom work, the student should either approach a professor during office hours or make an appointment.

    Brenda Bongos was an enthusiastic girl {#blank#}1{#/blank#} dream was to play the drums in a band. But one big problem {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(lie) in her way.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} (be) good enough to play in a band, she had to practice a lot,{#blank#}4{#/blank#} she lived next-door to a lot of old people who she could not afford to annoy. One day, while she {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(watch) a science program on TV, Bongos learned that sound cannot travel in space, because there's no air. She {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(immediate) decided to become a sort of musical astronaut.

    With the help of a lot of time, books and work, Bongos built a big glass ball connected to a machine which sucked out all the air inside so that no sound could escape {#blank#}7{#/blank#}it.{#blank#}8{#/blank#} (wear) the special space suit, she entered the glass ball and played those drums like a wild child. Months {#blank#}9{#/blank#}, her invention was so famous that the government even suggested she {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(take) part in a real space journey.

    From the first day I arrived in Kunming, I had my understanding of China {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(change). Far from being narrow-minded and hostile to {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(foreign), people came up to talk to me the first time I went out on the street. It happened to be all in Chinese, so I didn't understand much, {#blank#}3{#/blank#}it did cause me to rethink my assumptions.

    As my Chinese improved, this continued throughout my stay, from my landlord introducing me to people who could help us learn Chinese to {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(get) to know the couple who ran a noodle restaurant nearby.

    If you're interested in other people, their culture, and their language, they'll be{#blank#}5{#/blank#}(friend) to you. China isn't {#blank#}6{#/blank#}exception.

    Don't judge a country by its media coverage, {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(especial) some Western media, which have much prejudice.

    I saw a very different kind of China with my own eyes. Kunming, {#blank#}8{#/blank#} I lived for most of my stay, wasn't much polluted. I had frank conversations with Chinese people about almost everything.

    Still China {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(develop), but the economic growth means that most people {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(see) their living standards improve rapidly in the last 20 years. People I spoke with were generally optimistic about the future.

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.

    There are all kinds of {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(festival)throughout the world，festivals to satisfy and please the ancestors，to honour some famous people {#blank#}2{#/blank#} important events，and to express people's gratitude to the God for bringing them a year of plenty. For example，Japanese observe Obon, when people go to clean graves and light incense in memory of their ancestors. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} India，October 2 is a national festival to honour Mohandas Gandhi，who helped India become an {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(depend) country. And in China the Spring Festival, {#blank#}5{#/blank#} is celebrated in January or February，is the {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(much)energetic and important because it is a festival that {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(look) forward to the coming of spring. Why are all these festivals everywhere？Because during the festivals，people can get together {#blank#}8{#/blank#}( eat), drink and have fun with each other, {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(forget) all the {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(day) struggles and demands for a while.