It was a summer afternoon and some boys were playing together in a park. They knew each other well, as they  {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (spend) the last three years of school together and tomorrow was the start of a new term, about  {#blank#}2{#/blank#} they were excited and nervous.

    The first day of school came, and all the boys from the park the day before were put in the same class  {#blank#}3{#/blank#} coincidence. They jumped for joy all morning long. After lunch, the teacher came into the classroom with a boy and it was evident {#blank#}4{#/blank#} they had never seen him before.

    All the children were quiet, {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (wait) for the teacher to speak. And she said: “Hello everyone, this is Mei Pei from China, our newest class member. Mei Pei knows some English so I hope you will treat him as if he {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (be) your brother.”

    Then one child said to Mei Pei: “How come you speak {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (different)?” Meipei answered: “In my country, we all talk this way. On {#blank#}8{#/blank#} other hand, we're just the same as you. I wish I {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (speak) English as well as you in three months.”

    The children in the class understood this, and that it also didn't matter what he looked like, or what colour his skin was, or that he didn't speak perfect English.

    So the new {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (add) to the class helped everyone learn how to respect new people. And the boys stayed in the same class for another two years, with Meipei as one of their best friends.

    Night after night, she'd lean down and push my long hair out of the way, then kiss my forehead. I don't remember {#blank#}1{#/blank#} it first started annoying me —her hands pushing my hair that way. But it did annoy me, for {#blank#}2{#/blank#} felt work-worn and rough against my young skin. Finally, one night, I shouted {#blank#}3{#/blank#} her, “Don't do that any more— your hands are too rough!” she didn't say anything in reply. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} never again did my mother close out my day with that familiar expression of love. Now, my own children are {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(grow) and gone. It was late on Thanksgiving Eve, as I slept in the bedroom of my youth, {#blank#}6{#/blank#} familiar hand hesitantly run across my face to brush the hair from my forehead. Then a kiss {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(gentle) touched my brow. In my memory, for the thousandth time, I recalled the night my young voice complained, “Don't do that any more — your hands are too rough!” {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(catch) Mom's hand in hand, I blurted out {#blank#}9{#/blank#} sorry I was for that night. I thought she'd remember as I did. But mom didn't know what I {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (talk) about. She had forgotten — and forgiven — long ago. That night, I fell asleep with a new appreciation for my gentle mother and her caring hands.

    High-speed railways, electronic payments, shared bicycles and online shopping are China's four new ways of life. They are most appealing to youths from 20 countries participating {#blank#}1{#/blank#}the Belt and Road Initiative. The new four great inventions are all related to China's high-tech innovation,{#blank#}2{#/blank#}has improved the quality of people's lives, “My wallet is no longer in use. I can buy and eat whatever I want {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(simple) with a tap of my phone,” said Lin Jinlong, an overseas Chinese student from Cambodia,{#blank#}4{#/blank#} (add) that even pancake sellers are using Alipay (mobile payment).

    In {#blank#}5{#/blank#}word, China is leading in many ways. Bike sharing, for example, is not new itself. But China has made it much more convenient and {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (enjoy) both in China and overseas. Leading Chinese bike-sharing {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(company) Mobike and Ofo are now operating in foreign countries such as Singapore and Britain. Users in the countries felt excited and {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(post) photos of themselves riding the Chinese bikes on social media. A growing number of foreigners hope {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (promote) economic development in {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (they) home countries by paying more attention to the achievements of China.

    Last year the empty land across from my bus stop was a sad, empty, ugly space, with dead bushes and one short tree. Then some{#blank#}1{#/blank#} (gardener) changed that. They were tired of looking at the sad space while they were waiting {#blank#}2{#/blank#} the bus, so they made it into a beautiful garden. Now you can see colorful vegetable plants and sweet-smelling flowers. Yellow butterflies fly from plant to plant{#blank#}3{#/blank#} (happy), and tiny birds sing in the green trees. I love taking the bus now.

    Sugar sculpture blowing is {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Chinese folk art where artists blow and sculpt hot sugar to create 3D {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (figure). The finished sculptures not only look good，but also have a good taste, {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (make) them popular among children.

    The main raw material for sugar sculpture blowing is malt sugar (麦芽糖).The malt sugar {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (use) in sculpture blowing has to be heated to high temperatures. It can only be used after several steps, {#blank#}5{#/blank#} include the sorting and cooking of the malt sugar followed by the firing and melting of it.

    Sugar sculpture blowing is {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(careful) made. It can be divided {#blank#}7{#/blank#} two methods—one uses molds (模子)；the other does not，and involves sugar figures taking shape through a combination of blowing air into the processed malt sugar and the artist's flexible hand skills.

    The complex process may explain why there are fewer people making sugar sculpture. To protect and promote this {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (tradition) craftsmanship, the government of Hebei Province founded a sugar figure art {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(organise) in 2011. Now it {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (consist) of over 90 artists recognized as the inheritors (继承人)of the technique.

    Stories from History

    Around the end of the first century AD，a Roman writer {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (call) Pliny wrote about a terrible volcanic eruption that he {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (witness)as a young man. The eruption had occurred on August 24th, 79 AD. The tragedy left {#blank#}3{#/blank#} deep impression on Pliny {#blank#}4{#/blank#} had lost an uncle in the eruption. However，more than 1,600 years later，some scientists found the lost towns that {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (bury) under the ashes of Mount Vesuvius. Pompeii is like a "time capsule" preserving a frozen moment in history. {#blank#}6{#/blank#}  the eruption occurred, {#blank#}7{#/blank#}  had been a booming Roman city with temples，markets，restaurants and theatres. Today you can visit these buildings by walking along the {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (origin) streets of the city. And {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (many) than 250 years since excavations started，thousands of tourists and hundreds of scientists visit Pompeii every year {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (learn) more about the ancient world.