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

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(compare) with other forms of writing, it is shorter and takes {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(little) time. It can help us to develop the habit of thinking in English. If we persist in(坚持) this practice, gradually we'll learn how to express {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(we) in English. In keeping a diary in English, we certainly run up against many{#blank#}4{#/blank#}(difficult). In the first place, it often happens that we have trouble in {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(find) appropriate words and phrases to give expression to our mind. Secondly, there {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(be) many idiomatic ways of saying things in Chinese. And it is {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(extreme) hard for us to put them into English properly.

    As far as I am concerned, 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.

    Last weekend our school held a sports meeting. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (realize) it was our last high school sports meeting, we decided to make {#blank#}2{#/blank#} an unforgettable experience for all of us.

    We first attended the opening parade, for {#blank#}3{#/blank#} our class had made a lot of {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (prepare). To our excitement, our parade performance was a great success. After the parade, the games started. My classmates attended {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (vary) events such as running, high jump and long jump. Due to the hard training they {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (do) before, their performances were very {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (impress). On the stand, my classmates applauded and cheered for the athletes, some raising their cameras to capture the exciting moments. Finally, the result{#blank#}8{#/blank#} (announce). It was{#blank#}9{#/blank#} (amaze) that our class won the second place. Our efforts paid off! Cup in hand, we took a picture together.

    I believe this sports meeting will remain a precious memory for all of us {#blank#}10{#/blank#} time goes by.

    Typhoon Mangkhu attacked the Pearl River Delta on Sunday,{#blank#}1{#/blank#} (leave) a trail of damage, flooding and injuries in its wake and forcing the closure of schools, markets and most public s{#blank#}2{#/blank#} across the area.

    After claiming at {#blank#}3{#/blank#}29 lives in the Philippines, the {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(destroy) storm has caused 4 deaths in Guangdong.

    Hong Kong Observatory kept its highest No 10 Hurricane Signal（十号风球） in effect for 10 hours from morning to evening on Sunday.

    In the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, strong winds and heavy rain left more than 213 people{#blank#}5{#/blank#}(injure) , and over 1,200 people sought refuge（应急避难） in temporary government shelters.

    According to the Guangdong Meteorological Observatory, Mangkhut will c{#blank#}6{#/blank#}to cause heavy rain and bring strong winds to the province{#blank#}7{#/blank#}Thursday.

    E{#blank#}8{#/blank#} said the warm seawater in the South China Sea helped Mangkhut maintain its strength after an {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(early) landfall in the Philippines.

    P{#blank#}10{#/blank#}, firefighters and other members of government departments worked overnight to clean and repair damaged public facilities.

    As we all know, Columbus was a great explorer. He left Spain in September 1492,{#blank#}1{#/blank#} (look) for gold. Native Americans greeted him, offering gifts of corn. Columbus found little gold on that trip, but he collected many {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (plant), including corn, to bring back to Spain.

    Columbus didn't know it, but the corn was much {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (valuable) than gold. Farmers from Europe to Asia accepted it {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (immediate). They grew it on cold mountainsides and in rainforests. So it {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (feed) millions of people all over the world today.

    On his second trip, Columbus brought back a few chocolate beans to make chocolate. Europeans and Asians loved this new drink, and soon they were paying a great deal of money for the beans. Chocolate beans became so valuable in Central America {#blank#}6{#/blank#} they {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (use)as cash for 200 years.

    Tomatoes and potatoes took some time to become popular. Eventually, {#blank#}8{#/blank#}, they became the basis of a lot of popular foods. {#blank#}9{#/blank#} is hard to imagine life without fried potatoes or chocolate. Thanks{#blank#}10{#/blank#} native American culture, many people are able to enjoy lots of tasty food.

    Should naps(小睡) actually {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (take) during the day? Well, we certainly know from {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (evident) in the sleep center and that of many other scientists that naps can give you benefits for both your brain {#blank#}3{#/blank#} your body. But naps can actually be {#blank#}4{#/blank#} double-edged sword because while we're awake during the day, we're building up sleepiness or sleep pressure. So when you try to fall asleep at night, you'll fall asleep quickly and then you'll stay asleep. And when we sleep, we actually release that sleepiness so that we wake up the next morning feeling {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (refresh).

    So if you take a nap during the day, especially if you take it too late in the afternoon, you will actually release some of that sleepiness and it will make it much {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (hard) to fall asleep and stay asleep soundly throughout the night. So the advice would be if you don't struggle with your sleep and you can nap{#blank#}7{#/blank#} (regular), then naps are just fine.

    But if you do find it difficult {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (fall) asleep or stay asleep at night, then you should avoid naps and try to build up that healthy sleepiness in the evening.

    The ideal nap depends on {#blank#}9{#/blank#} you want from that nap. Different stages of sleep actually give you different types of brain and body  {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (benefit).