{#blank#}1{#/blank#} is well known, optimism(乐观)plays an important role in one's life. Although we are facing many difficulties, we should keep optimistic. Optimism is a mental(精神的)attitude or world view and it means expecting {#blank#}2{#/blank#} best possible result from any given situation.

    I did {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (poor) in English in the past, but I never gave up struggling(搏斗). All my families, teachers and friends encouraged {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (I) and they taught me a lot of {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (use) ways of learning English. I {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (keep) practicing as they told me to do. I listened to English news and songs and I read interesting English stories. At weekends, watching some English movies was another good way to make my English better. {#blank#}7{#/blank#}difficulties I came across, I tried my best to work them out. I believe in myself, {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (believe) that hard work would finally pay off. Gradually, I make progress in my English. Nowadays, I can remember English words {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (easy) and use them freely when communicating with foreigners.

    Thanks to optimism, I have become one of the top English {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (learn) in my school now.

    I work in a big factory in a town {#blank#}1{#/blank#} is quite far from my home. One day, after a whole day's work, I {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (go) back home by bus. That day was {#blank#}3{#/blank#} long, hard one for me as the stress from work weighed heavily on my mind.

    A girl, who I didn't know, sat next to me. She asked me some questions {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (casual) and we had a short conversation. I thought to myself that she was just a {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (strange) to me and didn't take much interest.

    After a while, she suddenly handed me some chocolates and said that it was {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (she) birthday. I immediately responded with a smile and my heart felt free {#blank#}7{#/blank#} the stress that I had been carrying. In a single moment I felt the heaviness of the day {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (transform) into lightness of a feather. Her simple act gave me joy {#blank#}9{#/blank#} I didn't particularly enjoy the chocolates as much. The only thing I could do was to wish her a long life. I can't remember her face now but {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (recall) the incident makes me happy.

    Two brothers, Herbert and James, lived together with a cat named Edgar.

    James {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (be) particularly devoted to the cat, and when he had to leave town for several days, he left Herbert careful {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(instruct) about the cat's care.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} the end of his first day away, James telephoned his brother ,“How is Edgar ?”He asked.

    “Edgar is {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(die),” Herbert answered. Then James said, “Herbert, you're insensitive(漠不关心的). You know{#blank#}5{#/blank#} close I was to Edgar. You should have broken the news to me {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(slow). When I asked about Edgar tonight, you should have said, 'Edgar's on the roof, but I have called the first department {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (get) him down.' And tomorrow when I called, you could have said the firemen were having trouble{#blank#}8{#/blank#} (take) the pet down, but you were hopeful they would succeed. Then when I called the third time, you could have told me that the firemen have done their{#blank#}9{#/blank#} (good), but unfortunately Edgar had fallen off the roof and was at the vet's(兽医站). Then when I called the last time, you could have said that {#blank#}10{#/blank#} everything possible had been done for Edgar, he had died. That's the way you should have told me about Edgar.”

    In much of Asia, especially the so-called "rice bowl" cultures of China, Japan, Korea, {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Vietnam, food is usually eaten with chopsticks.

    Chopsticks are usually two long, thin pieces of wood or bamboo. They can also be made of plastic, animal bone or metal. Sometimes chopsticks are quite artistic. Truly elegant chopsticks might {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (make) of gold and silver with Chinese characters. Skilled workers also combine various hardwoods and metal {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (create) special designs.

    The Chinese have used chopsticks for five thousand years. People probably cooked their food in large pots, {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (use) twigs(树枝)to remove it. Over time, {#blank#}5{#/blank#} the population grew, people began cutting food into small pieces so it would cook more quickly.

    Food in small pieces could be eaten easily with twigs which {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(gradual) turned into chopsticks.

    Some people think that the great Chinese scholar Confucius, {#blank#}7{#/blank#} lived from roughly 551 to 479 B.C., influenced the {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (develop) of chopsticks. Confucius believed knives would remind people of killings and {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (be) too violent for use at the table.

    Chopsticks are not used everywhere in Asia. In India, for example, most people traditionally eat {#blank#}10{#/blank#} their hands.

    As everyone know s, it is Jingdezhen in Jiangxi province {#blank#}1{#/blank#} the local porcelain (瓷器) is highly desirable that is the center of world porcelain. Last year, my school {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (hold) a two-day research activity, guided by the slogan, "Exploring ceramic(陶瓷的)culture, traveling through ancient and modern times". The aim was to build students' {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (aware) of traditional culture.

    On our way to Jingdezhen, our guide introduced us to the basics of porcelain production. Our first stop was the Museum of Chinese Ceramics, which has {#blank#}4{#/blank#} unique and exquisite collection of porcelain made from materials such as clay(陶土)and stone.

    The guide told us of the great achievements in ceramics from ancient times until today. I listened carefully to everything. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (date) back to Neolithic(新石器时代)period, clay was used {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (make) pottery(陶器), which people used to carry water and food. Today, we still use porcelain but our pottery is far more beautiful than the products of those times.

    On the second day, the team leader took us to a small DI Y porcelain factory. Under the {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (guide) of the teacher, we {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (give) some clay and the chance to design a piece of pottery. Although our efforts were not as beautiful as the articles in the museum, they w ere our own work. The two-day activity was very {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (enjoy) and meaningful. I learned a lot about porcelain and made an item {#blank#}10{#/blank#} my own. It meant a lot to me.

When the knife you're using cuts your finger instead of the tomato, you might think it is no big deal. A small cut will {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (usual) heal well without medical care but any time the skin gets broken, there is a risk of infection. Here's {#blank#}2{#/blank#} to care for cuts at home.

Stop bleeding by {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (press) a clean, soft cloth against the wound for a few minutes. If the wound is bleeding a lot, you'll need to keep up the pressure for a much {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (long) time (sometimes up to 15 minutes). If the wound is small, the bleeding should stop in a few minutes.

Clean the wound. Run warm water over the cut for 5 minutes. Then use soap {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(wash) the skin around the cut gently and thoroughly. If there's dirt in the wound, remove it if you can—a soft, damp cloth can be {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(help).Cleaning the wound helps get infection-causing bacteria out of the {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (injure) area. If you can't get all the dirt out, call your doctor's office.

Dry the area lightly and cover it with gauze (纱布) or some other type of bandage. A bandage helps prevent germs from getting into the wound, {#blank#}8{#/blank#}can help avoid infection. If the bandage gets wet or dirty, change it right away.

{#blank#}9{#/blank#} is also necessary to take off the bandage and gently wash the injury every day. Watch for {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(sign) of infection. If it appears to be worsening or becomes swollen or red, see a doctor right away to treat the infection.