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.

    The story happened in ancient times. A king was so clever that he thought of a good way to test{#blank#}1{#/blank#}his men were reliable.

    One day, he had a huge rock{#blank#}2{#/blank#}(place) on a roadway at night. Then he hid {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (him) nearby and watched carefully to see if anyone would remove the big rock. Some{#blank#}4{#/blank#}(wealth) businessmen and high officials came by, but they simply walked around it. Many of them even loudly blamed the king for not keeping the roads clear, but none of them would bother{#blank#}5{#/blank#}(get) the big stone out of the way.

    Then a villager came along carrying a load of vegetables. On {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(approach) the big rock, he stopped and laid down his burden, trying hard to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing, he{#blank#}7{#/blank#}(final) succeeded. As the villager picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the rock{#blank#}8{#/blank#}(be). The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the king, saying that the gold was for the person{#blank#}9{#/blank#} removed the huge rock from the road.

    The villager learned a valuable lesson that many others would never understand: Every obstacle presents{#blank#}10{#/blank#} opportunity to improve one's condition.

    With the{#blank#}1{#/blank#}(invent) of personal computers, the Internet and cell phones, people now have more immediate access to others and information{#blank#}2{#/blank#}any time in history. Losing that access can lead to "disconnect anxiety'',{#blank#}3{#/blank#}is a psychological term used to describe the{#blank#}4{#/blank#}(anxiety) feelings that people experience when they are unable{#blank#}5{#/blank#}(use) their cell phones or cannot log on to the Internet. Some people{#blank#}6{#/blank#}(affect) by disconnect anxiety may start to feel upset when{#blank#}7{#/blank#}cannot reach their friends online. Others get really worried when they are not able to respond to emergencies, and this makes them feel {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(help). Still others are so dependent on their cell phones that they are frightened of missing any phone calls. Cell phones and the Internet {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(become) the most important technological tools to these people, who cannot afford to live{#blank#}10{#/blank#}these things.

    With the passing of 2018 and Spring Festival, we{#blank#}1{#/blank#}(start) a new important year already.

    This year is one of the final stepping stones to becoming a{#blank#}2{#/blank#}(moderate) prosperous society in 2020. Meanwhile, 2019 marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. To prepare for 2019, the government made{#blank#}3{#/blank#}(it) economic agenda (事项) clear at the Central Economic Work Conference,{#blank#}4{#/blank#} (attend) by the country's leaders in Beijing in December.

    Great attention will keep on{#blank#}5{#/blank#}(pay) to China's growth performance in 2019. To meet the target of doubling 2010 GDP by the end of 2020, it needs to average about 6.3 percent this year and next.

    Meanwhile, China will host the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in April. At this event, the Belt and Road Initiative,{#blank#}6{#/blank#}has huge potential to drive economic growth, will take greater shape.

    This year is also likely to pave the way for a number of technological{#blank#}7{#/blank#}(advance). China is expected to roll out 5G, the next generation of{#blank#}8{#/blank#}(wire) technology, next year. It's up to 100 times faster{#blank#}9{#/blank#}the current 4G technology.

    It will be a year for China to reflect{#blank#}10{#/blank#}its past and future direction,

    Celebrities(名人)like Olivia Munn, as well as fashion companies like Cucci and Versace , are among those who have been opposed {#blank#}1{#/blank#} wearing animal fur. Now, San Francisco has become the {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(large) city in the USA to ban retailers from selling new fur to their customers.

    The ban aims to send {#blank#}3{#/blank#} strong message to the fur industry {#blank#}4{#/blank#} the cruelty these animals endure for the purpose of {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (become) clothing is not consistent with the value of the city.

    As we all know, West Hollywood became the first American city {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(forbid)the sale of new fur items in 2011, and Berkeley passed a ban on the sale of fur clothing in 2017. Additionally, in 2000, the UK led the charge(打头阵), {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (follow) by Australia in 2004. More recently, the Netherlands, the European Union's main producer of fur , banned fur farming in 2012 and plans to end mink(貂) farming by 2024. In 2018, Norway banned fur farms and {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(end) fox and mink farming by 2025.

    Hopefully, only when efforts like these are made to encourage {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (consume) to stop buying real animal fur {#blank#}10{#/blank#} the lives of animals be further protected all over the world.