Michael had taught us English for two years before he moved to New York. He worked very hard and was patient with his students, so we all 1 him very much since he left. It was not long before Michael came back to Los Angeles 2 a short visit. The teachers and students held a small party for 3.

    At the party, people walked 4 and talked with each other. I certainly would not give up the good 5 to learn English. I tried to think of all kinds of topics 6 with another English teacher, Mrs. Green.

    Just before I was going to run out of my 7, suddenly I heard Michael say to others loudly, “I dig New York!” I asked Mrs. Green at once, “Is it really 8 to find a job in New York? Why does Michael have to do 9 work since he is such a good teacher?”

    Mrs. Green didn't seem to understand 10 I said. “Why do you think of that?” she asked.

    “Haven't you heard him say that he is digging New York? Is he 11 an underground passage(地下通道)?” I asked.

    When Mrs. Green finally 12 what I meant, she laughed to tears. Then she asked us whether we knew the 13 of “I dig New York”. All of us shook heads and said “14“. Michael told us that “I dig New York” means “I love New York” in American slang(俚语). 15 few people say that now, we still hear it sometimes.

B

    Hannah Taylor is a schoolgirl from Canada. One day, when she was five years old, she was walking with her mother in downtown. They saw a man 1 out of a rubbish can. She asked her mother why he did that and her mother said that the man was homeless and hungry. Hannah was very 2. She couldn't understand why some people had to live their lives without houses or enough food. Hannah started to think about how she could 3, but, of course, there is not a lot one five-year-old can do to solve the problem of homelessness.

    Later ,when Hannah attended school, she saw another homeless person. It was a woman, 4 an old shopping trolley（购物车）which was full of 5. It seemed that everything the woman owned was in them. Hannah 6 to do something. She had been talking to her mother about the lives of homeless people 7 they first saw the homeless man. Her mother told her that if she did something to change the problem, she wouldn't 8 so bad.

    Hannah began to speak out about the homelessness. She hoped to 9 her message of hope. She started the Ladybug Foundation(基金) and began to raise money.

    Hannah is one of many examples of young people who are making a 10 in the world. You can, too!

    A man feared his wife wasn't hearing as well as she used to and he thought she might need some hearing aid (助听). Not quite sure how to 1 her, he called the family doctor to discuss the problem. The doctor told him there was a simple test the husband could do to give the doctor a better 2 of her hearing loss.

    "Here's what you do," said the doctor. "Stand about 40 feet away from her, and in a 3 conversational speaking tone (音调) see if she hears you. If not, go to 30 feet, then20 feet, and so on 4 you get a reply."

    That evening, the wife was in the 5, and he was in the yard. He said to himself, "I'm about 40 feet away, and let me see what will happen." Then in a usual tone he asked, "Honey, what's for dinner?"

    No 6.

    So the husband moved closer to the kitchen, about 30 feet from his wife and asked, "Honey, what's for dinner?"

    7 no reply.

    Next he moved into the dining room where he was about 20 feet from his wife and 8, "Honey, what's for dinner?"

    Again he got no reply. He walked up to the kitchen door, about 10 feet away. "Honey, what's for dinner?" Again there was no reply.

    So he 9 right up behind her. "Honey, what's for dinner?"

    "Chicken! James, for the 10 time I've said that."

    One day a little mouse was thirsty. She looked everywhere for water to drink. She climbed up onto a table. And she saw a bottle on the table. The mouth of the bottle was1. The little mouse looked inside the bottle. "Aha, there is2milk in it. That's great!" She went into it and began to drink.

    She drank and drank. After a moment she had drunk enough. Her stomach was too big and she couldn't come 3 the bottle. She cried for help. Just then a cat camp up to the table. When the cat4 the cry he jumped onto the table so5, and said, "You'll be my nice lunch!" The little mouse was very clever and she6 for a moment and said. "Brother Cat, you mustn't roll the bottle."7?" asked the cat. "I would get dizzy (头晕目眩的)", said the mouse. The cat said that he would let her8 soon. So he began to roll the bottle. Suddenly the bottle fell down onto the floor and broke into9. The little mouse ran10  as fast as she could. When the cat jumped off the table and ran after her, the mouse had already gone into her home.

For many middle school students, leaving their home towns and studying in a foreign country may sound mad. For me, it's different.

Since the first day I came to school, all the teachers and classmates have been very nice. With their help, I've made much {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (进步) in Chinese learning and got better scores in maths {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(测验;考试). My host families are kind and loving. They regard me as a member of their family instead of a {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(客人;宾客), so I'm very satisfied with my host family. They not only {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (提供) me with delicious meals — Oh, I've put on much {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

(重量), haha! — and a comfortable bed, but take trips with me at weekends. We have {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (形成) close friendships. Besides, they invite me to {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(庆祝) festivals together. Because of these, I have a better understanding of Chinese {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(文化).

I'm going {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(回到;返回) to my home town this summer, but it's certain that I'll stay in touch with all the people in my {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(名单). I'm sure I'll return one day.

As the spring comes, the world comes back to life. Chinese people call this time Jingzhe, or the Awakening of Insects. It's one of the 24 solar terms (节气) in the Chinese lunar calendar. When Jingzhe comes, it begins to thunder(打雷) and everything in the nature begins to 1 . As the temperature rises and more rain starts to fall, insects appear. Not just insects, 2 also show changes—grass breaks ground and out, flowers 3 .

Chinese farmers put a high value on Jingzhe, 4 it means the start of spring plowing (春耕). Farmers gets even 5 than before. They are busy plowing fields.

Here are some fun 6 about Jingzhe. In some old Chinese stories, a white tiger, always bites (咬) people during Jingzhe. People draw the white tiger on paper, and then put some meat in its mouth. The purpose of 7 the white tiger is to prevent the tiger from biting people. Peope in some areas eat pears on Jingzhe. Pears are sweet and juicy. They think 8 eating pears can stop us coughing. What's more, it is said that the god of thunder beats his 9 to make spring thunder during Jingzhe. To 10 him, people on the earth also beat the drums.