The task of being accepted by a university begins early for some students.Long before {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(graduate) from high school,these students take special courses to prepare for advanced study.They may also take one or more examinations to test how well prepared they are for the university.In the final year of high school,they complete {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(apply) and send them to the universities {#blank#}3{#/blank#}interest them most.Some high school students may be required to have {#blank#}4{#/blank#}interview with people from the university.Neatly {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(dress) and a little bit frightened,they are determined {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(show) that they have a good attitude and the ability to succeed.

    If the new students {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(accept),many universities will offer an instruction programme for them to get to know the procedures for students advising,university rules,the use of the library and all the other major services of the university.

    Beginning a new life in a new place can be very {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(confuse).The more knowledge students have about the school,the {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(easy) it will be for them to adapt to the new environment.However, {#blank#}10{#/blank#} takes time to get used to college life.

    Since a university education in the United States {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(be)very expensive, most students work in addition to studying. Students {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(usual)work part-time, but some students take full-time jobs.

    A typical job for a students would be working {#blank#}3{#/blank#}a waiter or waitress. Other typical off-campus jobs would include being a clerk in a store or delivering pizza. Sometimes students also find jobs on campus such as cleaning, working in a cafeteria or library or answering {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(telephone). Most student jobs are entry-level and low paying, but have flexible schedule{#blank#}5{#/blank#}(allow) students to attend classes.

    Sometimes students also hold more responsible positions such as managers, or if they are lucky, positions in their area of study,{#blank#}6{#/blank#}they hope will help them find employment after they graduate.

    {#blank#}7{#/blank#}double responsibilities of working and studying result in a very busy,{#blank#}8{#/blank#} (stress)life for some students.{#blank#}9{#/blank#}, it is the only way for many people to finance their college educations. Some Americans believe that the work experience is good for the students {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(they)since it gives them a taste of “the real world” outside the school.

In 1990, over 100 countries signed {#blank#}1{#/blank#} international agreement to make it illegal to buy or sell ivory, which is mainly used for jewelry. Most ivory is made from the tusks(象牙) of African elephants. These tusks are {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(terrible) valuable—one pair is worth more than three times the income of an African farmer or a factory worker in a year.

    Hunting elephants was so profitable {#blank#}3{#/blank#}from 1979 to 1989 the number of elephants in Africa fell from 1.3 million to 600,000. It was feared that by the year 2020 there would be none {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(leave). However, thanks{#blank#}5{#/blank#} the international agreement, there {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(be) much less illegal hunting since 1990.

    But considering {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(vary) of aspects, it costs a lot of money to preserve elephants. Games wardens (看守人) must be hired to protect them. Land must be set aside for them, and when they destroy a farmer's crops, the farmer must {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(pay) compensation.(赔偿金)

    Zimbabwe and four other African countries say that some of the elephants should be killed legally. This would help keep the population stable, and selling the ivory would help pay for preserving the elephants. But conservationists say that {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(make) ivory legal to sell would lead to even more illegal hunting. Others say {#blank#}10{#/blank#}is wrong is to kill elephants because they are sensitive animals that feel emotional pain at the death of other elephants.

    Dujiangyan was built over 2,200 years ago in what is now Sichuan Province in Southwest China. It is {#blank#}1{#/blank#} oldest man - made water system in the world. This amazing engineering achievement is still used today to irrigate over 6,000 square kilometers of farmland, take away floodwater and provide water for fifty {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (city) in the province.

    In ancient times, the region in {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Dujiangyan now stands suffered from regular floods {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (cause) by the overflow from the Minjiang River. Li Bing, the governor of the region, together with his son, decided to find a way to solve the problem.

    The simplest way was to build a dam, {#blank#}5{#/blank#} this would ruin the Minjiang River. So Li designed a series of channels that would take away the floodwater while leaving the river flowing {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (free). Better still, the extra water could be directed to the dry Chengdu Plain, making it {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (suit) for farming.

    Once the system was finished, no more floods occurred and people were able to live peacefully. Today, Dujiangyan {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (admire) by scientists from around the world because of one feature. {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (like) modern dams where the water is blocked with a huge wall, Dujiangyan still lets water flow through the Minjiang River naturally, making it possible for ecosystem and fish populations {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (exist) in harmony.

    Are you facing a situation that {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(be) impossible to fix?

    In 1969, the pollution was terrible along the Cuyahoga River Cleveland, Ohio. It was unimaginable that it could ever be cleaned up. The river was so polluted that it {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(actual) caught fire and burned. Now, years later, this river is one of {#blank#}3{#/blank#} most outstanding examples of environmental cleanup.

    But the river wasn't changed in a few days {#blank#}4{#/blank#} even a few months. It took years of work {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(reduce) the industrial pollution and clean the water. Finally, that hard work paid off and now the water in the river is {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(clean) than ever.

    Maybe you are facing an impossible situation. Maybe you have a habit {#blank#}7{#/blank#}is driving your family crazy. Possibly you drink too much or don't know how to control your credit card use. When you face such an impossible situation, don't you want a quick fix and something to change immediately?

    While there are {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(amaze) stories of instant transformation, for most of us the {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(change) are gradual and require a lot of effort and work, like cleaning up a polluted river. Just be {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(patience).