Alice: Mr. Black, this is Alice {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (speak). I'm calling to ask you if I can take the afternoon off today.

Black: Well, of course. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} can you tell me what the problem is, Alice?

Alice: OK, Mr. Black. My son is going to take part in a singing competition {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (hold)  in Washington tomorrow. He's got so many things to take {#blank#}4{#/blank#} he can't go there alone.

Black: So you want to take {#blank#}5{#/blank#} there in your minibus?

Alice: Yes. And as soon as I put him up in the hotel, I {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (drive) back.

Black: Well, that would be a {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (tire) journey. It's nearly 300 kilometers away and it will take you at least six hours {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (travel) to and from Washington. Why don't you stay there until you  {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (see) your son perform?

Alice: But I have two {#blank#}10{#/blank#} tomorrow morning.

Black: Don't worry. I'll tell Mary to take your classes instead. She's always willing to help.

Alice: That'll be nice. Thank you and give my thanks to Mary.

Black: You,re welcome.

    Long, long ago, a Frenchman traveled to a small Italian town. He was staying with his wife at the best hotel there. One night, he went out for {#blank#}1{#/blank#} walk alone. It was very late and the small street was dark and quiet. Suddenly he felt someone behind him. He turned his head and saw an Italian young man {#blank#}2{#/blank#} quickly walked past him. The man was {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (near) out of sight when the Frenchman suddenly found his watch {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (go). He thought that it must be the Italian who had taken his watch. He decided to get back the watch.

    Soon the Frenchman caught up {#blank#}5{#/blank#} the Italian, but {#blank#}6{#/blank#} of them understood the other's language. The Frenchman frightened the Italian with his fist and {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (point) to the Italian's watch. {#blank#}8{#/blank#} the end, the Italian gave up his watch to the Frenchman.

    As soon as he returned to the hotel, the Frenchman told his wife {#blank#}9{#/blank#} had happened. He was greatly {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (surprise) when his wife pointed to the watch on the table. Then he realized that he had robbed the Italian's watch by mistake.

    When your dream is to become a footballer, nothing should get in your way—even if you are disabled.

    Gabriel Muniz, an 11-year-old Brazilian kid, was born without {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. Although his family thought he would have trouble {#blank#}2{#/blank#} a normal life, he started walking before he was one year old. His mother would go after him, expecting him to keep falling, {#blank#}3{#/blank#} he never fell. He took a while to make the jump from walking to playing football. In fact, there' s nothing he loves more than playing football. In his school, Gabriel not only does {#blank#}4{#/blank#} than other players in his school team but also is the captain of his gym team.

    He knows that his disability means he will never be able to play for a {#blank#}5{#/blank#} football team. So Gabriel is hoping that football {#blank#}6{#/blank#} a Paralympics (残奥会) event one day. He proved to everyone there he could go neck and neck with any other boy {#blank#}7{#/blank#}. Watching him play is unbelievable. In the past few years he {#blank#}8{#/blank#} a number of football skills. He does everything he can to copy Messi who he admires most. Luckily, he {#blank#}9{#/blank#} to go to Spain to meet his idol Messi and showed his talent in the Barcelona Football Club last year.

    Besides his talent, several achievements of {#blank#}10{#/blank#} were also surprising. His coach said he is proving that the disability only lies inside our heads and he is challenging the social rules.

    The lion is a special animal to Chinese people. A pair of stone lions, a male and a female, are {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (common) seen in front of the gates of traditional buildings.

    The lion {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (regard) as the king in the animal world so it represents power. The stone lions are also used to indicate the ranks of {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(official).

    It is interesting to note that China had no lions originally. The earliest stone lions were sculpted{#blank#}4{#/blank#} the beginning of Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220 AD) with{#blank#}5{#/blank#}introduction of Buddhism into ancient China. In the Buddhist faith, the lion{#blank#}6{#/blank#}can protect the Truth and keep off evils, is considered a holy animal of nobleness and dignity. In Chinese folk tales, the lion has become a symbol of {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(brave), power and good luck.

    It was also popular{#blank#}8{#/blank#}(decorate) bridges with sculpted stone lions for the same reason. The {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(well)known of this is the Lugouqiao (also as Marco Polo Bridge){#blank#}10{#/blank#} (build) from 1189 to 1192. A famous proverb says, “The lions on the Lugouqiao are uncountable.”

    I'm Alexandra Grace, Educator at New Zealand Embassy Beijing. Today I will give you a brief introduction of New Zealand's higher education. Small {#blank#}1{#/blank#} it may be, New Zealand offers quality higher education opportunities, with two {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (three) of its higher education institutes within the top 10 of QS World University Rankings 2014. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} makes New Zealand's universities stand out is their abilities {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (provide) high-end education.

    Though Chinese students form the largest international student group in New Zealand, the country only ranks the 7th on Chinese students' most {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (desire) overseas destination list. The size of the country prevents it {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (become) a hot study destination. But it draws students with its {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (safety) and multi-cultural environment.

    While it attracts mainly wealthy students, higher education in New Zealand is also affordable for many common Chinese families. Chinese students can get {#blank#}8{#/blank#} British-based education with the school fee being some of the lowest in the world. {#blank#}9{#/blank#} average, the school fee was about 25, 000 dollars per year, and the living costs were about 20, 000 dollars a year. Besides, students can do some part-time jobs. The money {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (earn) in those jobs is enough for them to travel around the country and enjoy its breath-taking scenery.

News From The World of Medicine

SHORT ON SLEEP? DON'T FORGET TO DRINK WATER

    In a Pennsylvania State University study involving more than 20,000 participants, people who said they got only six hours of sleep regularly ran a greater risk of dehydration (脱水) than {#blank#}1{#/blank#} who got eight hours. The reason might lie with a hormone (荷尔蒙) called vasopressin, {#blank#}2{#/blank#} helps control the body's fluid levels. It's let out in larger quantities later in the sleep cycle, {#blank#}3{#/blank#} people getting less shut-eye might not have the best amount of it. If you know you're short on slumber, {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (make) a point of drinking water.

TEN-MINUTE CANCER TEST

    Australian researchers have developed a test {#blank#}5{#/blank#} can discover cancer cells in ten minutes with 90 percent accuracy. Healthy DNA and cancer DNA, it turns out, stick to metal surfaces differently. When cancer DNA {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (add) to water mixed with gold nanoparticles (纳米颗粒), the water remains its rosy color, when healthy DNA is added, the water turns blue. {#blank#}7{#/blank#} the test is cheap and simple, it could be used at your primary care physician's office, with follow-up if necessary.

EXERCISE PREVENTS FALLS

    Each year, at least a third of people {#blank#}8{#/blank#} the age of 65 fall downwards. Research found that there's one factor related to notably reduced risk: exercise. People who took part in Tai Chi fell 19 percent {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (often), while those who did balance and functional exercises, such as step-ups, chair rises, or standing on one leg, fell 24 percent less often. Most useful of all was {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (combine) different types of exercise, including lifting weights and balance exercises.