Keeping a diary in English is one of the effective ways to improve our English writing ability.

    Compared with other forms of writing, it is shorter and takes {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(little) time. It can help us to develop the habit of thinking in English. If we persist in this practice, gradually we'll learn how {#blank#}2{#/blank#}（express）ourselves in English. In keeping a diary in English, we certainly run up against many {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(difficult). In the first place, it often happens that we have trouble in {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(find) appropriate words and phrases to give expression to our mind. Secondly, there {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(be) many idiomatic ways of saying things in Chinese. And it is extremely hard for us to put them into English {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(proper).

    As far as I am {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(concern), my suggestion is {#blank#}8{#/blank#}we should always have a notebook and a Chinese-English dictionary within easy reach. Whenever something beats us, we can first put it down in our notebook and then consult our dictionary. We can also ask our English teacher {#blank#}9{#/blank#}help, if necessary. In short, I believe that it is of great use to keep a diary in English for {#blank#}10{#/blank#}development of our writing skills.

    Success never comes easy. How many of you have heard of successful people who haven't made any effort? People often have to overcome failures {#blank#}1{#/blank#}they can accomplish something great. They usually don't find success from the very beginning.

    Van Gogh sold only one painting during his lifetime, but this didn't stop him from completing over 800 painting. Thomas Edison {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(fire) from his first two jobs for lack of competence. Later, as an inventor, he tried 1,000 times {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(create) the light bulb, without success. He was confident in {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(he), and{#blank#}5{#/blank#}(eventual) he did success. When {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (ask), “How did it feel to fail 1,000 times?” Edison replied, “I didn't fail 1,000 times. The light bulb was {#blank#}7{#/blank#} invention with 1,000 steps.

    These successful people have set good {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(example) to us. They wouldn't have achieved their success if they{#blank#}9{#/blank#}(abandon)their dreams. Believe in yourself and try your best, and success will not be far{#blank#}10{#/blank#} you.

    As is known to all, a positive parent-child relationship is {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (benefit) to the physical and mental{#blank#}2{#/blank#} (grow) of children, but keeping a healthy parent-child bond {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (need) the efforts of both parties.

    Parents should take the responsibility {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (improve) their relationship with the children. What matters is spending quality time with their children, {#blank#}5{#/blank#}tight their schedule is. For instance, they can eat {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (meal) together, go to sporting events together or watch their children's favorite

TV shows together, {#blank#}7{#/blank#} can contribute greatly to making their children feel safe and {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(love).

    Children, on the other hand, should let their parents know they appreciate what their parents {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(do) for them. If possible, they can give their parents a gift on a special day or help with housework {#blank#}10{#/blank#} a regular basis. The healthy parent-child relationship is without conflict. But as long as parents and children make joint effort, they can settle the conflict and enjoy their time together.

Brown: When are you the happiest?

Angelia: I think I'm the happiest when I'm singing. I love singing so much. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} I sing I feel free. How about you?

Brown: I'm the {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (happy) when I play basketball. When I'm playing basketball I'm not thinking about anything. When I {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (play) basketball, everything is simple. What else do you love?

Angelia: I love my family, especially my grandmother who is so kind and always wants to help others. When I'm {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (worry) she always tells me stories to make me laugh.

Brown: Yes, I also love my family very much. My parents make every {#blank#}5{#/blank#} to make me happy. {#blank#}6{#/blank#}, I will always love them and take care of them.

Angelia: What do you hate?

Brown: I hate wars and fighting. In history we learn about many wars, and {#blank#}7{#/blank#} make me angry. I think people {#blank#}8{#/blank#} be kind to each other and not fight with each other. What about you?

Angelia: I hate {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (feel) sick. When I'm sick I feel helpless, and I can't do {#blank#}10{#/blank#} activities I enjoy or spend time with my friends.

    It's so close, and yet it always seemed so far away. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(get) to the rural district just a few hundred {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(meter) away on the other side of the bay, native people used to have to jump on a boat or drive about 160 kilometers－part of that journey on {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(dust) road.

    Now anyone wanting to get from downtown Maputo, capital of Mozambique, to Katembe, or vice versa, can do so easily, and in a matter of minutes, thanks to the longest twin­tower suspension bridge in Africa, {#blank#}4{#/blank#} hangs over Maputo Bay.

    "Mozambique had long planned to build a bridge linking the north and south of the bay, but nothing came of them because {#blank#}5{#/blank#} a lack of money and technology,"  said Wang Lijun, vice­president of China Road and Bridge Corporation (公司), which built {#blank#}6{#/blank#} bridge.

    The Maputo­Katembe Bridge, {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(open) in November after four years of construction, is part of the Maputo Bridge and Link Roads project which {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(build) by CRBC. It {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(be) 187 kilometers long and serves as an important highway that directly links Maputo to the border with South Africa, to the south.

    "By night, when the lights are on, it's {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(especial) impressive," Wang said, and as a landmark it could help develop tourism and attract overseas investment for Mozambique.

    One day, a father and his son were walking with their horse. An old man saw them and said, "You {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(suppose) to ride a horse, not to walk it!" The father then put his son on the horse.

    Soon they passed a group of people, {#blank#}2{#/blank#}said, "That's a lazy boy! He gets to ride the horse while his father walks." The father decided to take his son off and get on the horse himself. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}they kept going, they came upon two {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(passer-by). One said, "You are a {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(self) man! Your son has to walk while you get to ride!" The man then reached down and put his son on the horse with him.{#blank#}6{#/blank#}a while, they entered a town. Everyone started to laugh at them,{#blank#}7{#/blank#}(say), "You are too heavy for that horse!" The father and his son didn't know what {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(do).

    Finally, they decided to carry the horse. When they came to a bridge, the horse {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(fall) to the water. "If you try to please {#blank#}10{#/blank#}," the father told his son, "in the end, you will please no one." Then they went home.