n America hitching a ride(搭便车) is very common. Many people there love hitching a ride during{#blank#}1{#/blank#}(they) trips. I also once hitched a ride when I was traveling in America.

    I{#blank#}2{#/blank#}(drive) on the road when my car stopped. I was going to a town which was farther than I had expected. My tank(油箱) became empty{#blank#}3{#/blank#}I got there. Standing there, I didn't know what to do. I just knew that I needed help. But I could see nobody around. Who could I turn{#blank#}4{#/blank#}? Then I thought of scenes that I had seen in Hollywood{#blank#}5{#/blank#}(movie). I remembered that people in America loved hitching a ride. I told I myself that I could do that, too.

    So when a car was coming. I tried to hitch a ride. To my joy, the car really stopped in front of me. The driver was{#blank#}6{#/blank#}old man. After{#blank#}7{#/blank#}(know) my problem, he said he could help me out. He took me to the{#blank#}8{#/blank#}(near) gas station. But then he left as he had something important to do.

    I couldn't walk all the way back to my car. Therefore, I tried to hitch a ride again and I{#blank#}9{#/blank#}(help) out once again. I was{#blank#}10{#/blank#}(great) moved.

    Confucius(孔子) is honored {#blank#}1{#/blank#} setting the tone for much traditional Chinese music for thousands of years. He {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (think) to be a music teacher and a {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (talent) musician who was able to play several instruments expertly. Perhaps for other people around the world, music was meant mainly for amusement.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} during the time of the Zhou Dynasty about 500 BC, music had an important role in making society stable.

    How music was used and performed is expressed in several main Confucian books. Confucius taught that {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (educate) somebody, you should start with poems, emphasize ceremonies, and finish with music.

    Musical knowledge was {#blank#}6{#/blank#} matter of higher learning. It is said that he thought of the six most important {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (subject) to study, ranking music higher than the other five necessary subjects like writing and mathematics.

    Music was so important because the ideal society was to be governed by ritual (礼制) functions, but not by law. In a culture {#blank#}8{#/blank#} people function according to ritual, music is used to help govern them. So music wasn't really {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (entertain), but a means for musicians to accomplish political and social goals. Music is {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (eventual) a means for social happiness.

One day, an old wise man was going to teach people in a village. The villagers there were very  {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(interest) in the wise man's ideas. Each person in the village had prepared well, thinking about  {#blank#}2{#/blank#} questions they might ask the wise man.

The wise man finally arrived and  {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(take) into a large room in the village, in {#blank#}4{#/blank#} people got together to ask their questions. There was great  {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(expect) and excitement.

The wise man walked silently around the room and sang a sweet song. One by one, people took up the song. Before long, everyone started to sing along with the wise man. As people became comfortable with  {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(he) song, the wise man started to dance  {#blank#}7{#/blank#} the music. He danced everywhere in the room, and one by one, people danced with him. Soon everyone in the whole village was dancing  {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(wild) together. Everyone danced with such big smiles on their faces that they totally forgot their worries in life.

Later at night, the wise man slowed the dance and finally stopped {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(dance). He looked into everyone's eyes and said gently," I believe that I {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(answer) all of your questions."