I was nine years old when I learnt to ride a bike. The bike was a birthday present from my uncle. You can imagine how  {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(excite)I was when I saw the bike, and I begged my uncle to teach me how  {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(ride)it right away. However, before I got on the bike, I felt  {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(extreme)nervous and I was afraid that I would fall off and hurt {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(me). My uncle held onto the seat and helpedme to get  {#blank#}5{#/blank#}the bike. While I was riding, he wasrunning along beside me, holding the seat so I would not fall over. I was so {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(grate) to him for his help.

As I was practicing, I became more and more confident. Then, Iheard my uncle shouting, "You are riding it by yourself now!" I was bothexcited and scared. I was really riding by myself, but {#blank#}7{#/blank#}if I fell off? Could I use the brakesto stop? As I was wondering about this, my uncle ran after me and got hold ofthe bike. I {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(slow) down and came to a stop. Myheart was still beating fast when I got off the bike. {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (late) that day, having learnt how to get onthe bike and get off it, I felt like I was walking on air! I am still thankfulto my uncle for teaching me to ride a bike on my {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (nine) birthday.

    Last Friday, my friend David called me and invited me and our friend Tom to a party in his university. Tom and I are in{#blank#}1{#/blank#} same class. We both wanted to go to the party, but there was a problem—we'd have a final exam on the {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (come) Monday.

    “Don't worry. We can come back on Sunday and won't miss the exam,” really{#blank#}3{#/blank#} (want) to go to the party, Tom said. So I decided to go{#blank#}4{#/blank#} him.

    The party was great and we{#blank#}5{#/blank#} (true) enjoyed ourselves there. However, we stayed up late on Saturday night and slept all day on Sunday and didn't make it back to our university until Monday morning. We missed the exam. Then we went to our professor's office and explained{#blank#}6{#/blank#} we missed the exam. We lied that there was a flat tire（车胎漏气）on our way back to the university. Our professor {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (agree) that we could take the exam the following day.

    When it was time to take the exam, Tom and I{#blank#}8{#/blank#} (take)to different rooms. After we opened the test paper, we saw only one question, “Which tire?”

    Neither Tom nor I answered the question. Instead we told our professor the truth. Luckily, he later gave {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (we) the real test paper. And both Tom and I made a{#blank#}10{#/blank#} (decide): never to lie again.

    This is the first time John{#blank#}1{#/blank#}（visit）Xiao Li's hometown-Xiamen. It has been 6 years {#blank#}2{#/blank#}John and Xiao Li last saw each other and John thinks that this is one of the most{#blank#}3{#/blank#}．(attract) places that he has been to in China. Xiao Li says he feels fortunate living a city{#blank#}4{#/blank#}the coast in spite of so many{#blank#}5{#/blank#}(tour) in the summer.

    There are some shopping malls from {#blank#}6{#/blank#} John could buy a few presents and a huge apartment block , but the rent for an apartment is very{#blank#}7{#/blank#}. After{#blank#}8{#/blank#}(leave)the business district , they approached the harbor.

    Gulangyu Island is a gorgeous island with some interesting{#blank#}9{#/blank#}（architectural）.When they stopped, they had lunch in a fish restaurant because John is{#blank#}10{#/blank#} (starve).

    Keeping a diary in English is one of the {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(effect) ways to improve our English writing ability.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(compare) with other forms of writing, it is shorter and takes less time. It can help us to develop the habit of thinking in English. If we persist in this practice, gradually we {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(learn) how to express ourselves 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 {#blank#}5{#/blank#} we have trouble finding and phrases to give expression to our mind. Secondly, there are many idiomatic ways of saying things in Chinese. And it is {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(extreme) hard for us to put them into English properly.

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

    The Silk Road was a route that connected people from the East to West for hundreds of years and allowed {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (they) to trade valuable goods with each other. But there's more to the story. The Silk Road should {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (real) be called the Silk Roads. The Silk Road, {#blank#}3{#/blank#} started in China, went west and branched out into many routes.

    The Silk Road has been around for nearly 3,000 years. Most people know that valuable goods traveled along the route: silk and spices from China; jewels and wood from India; gold and animals from East Africa. These goods {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (trade) in cities along the route or ended up as far west {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Europe.

    But the people {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (travel) along the Silk Road were carrying something far {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (valuable) than their goods. They were carrying ideas and technology. European travelers returned home with stories of huge Chinese ships they had seen. The compass is an example of a(n) {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (invent) that came west from China. Europeans learned from Korean maps, which were advanced for the 1400s.

    {#blank#}9{#/blank#} was the 11, 000 km Silk Road that shaped the world we know today. The many routes were a way for different people {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (meet) each other and talk about the developing world.