Imagine life as a game in which you are playing some five balls in the air. You name{#blank#}1{#/blank#} (they)—work, family, health, friends and spirit, and you're keeping all these balls in the air.

       You understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls are made of glass. If you drop one of them, it will be scuffed（磨损）, damaged or even broken into {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (piece). They will never be the same. You must understand the balance in your life. How?

        Don't compare yourself with others. It is because we are different and each of us{#blank#}3{#/blank#}(be) special. Don't set your goals by what other people consider important. Only you know {#blank#}4{#/blank#}is best for you. Don't give {#blank#}5{#/blank#} when you still have something to give. Nothing is really over until the moment you stop {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (try). Knowledge is weightless,{#blank#}7{#/blank#} treasure you can always carry{#blank#}8{#/blank#}(easy). Don't run through life so fast that you forget not only where you've been, where you are, but also where you{#blank#}9{#/blank#}(go).

        Life is not a race, but a journey to {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (enjoy) slowly each step of the way. Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift. That's why we call it—the present.

     One evening I was resting in a cafe.I wore a pair of newly bought white leather shoes,  {#blank#}1{#/blank#}  were rather expensive.Then a boy came to me.

     He was in {#blank#}2{#/blank#} old and not fit shirt, looking pale and about eleven.No sooner had I begun to speak than he opened the box in his hand and took out the tools of shoe­polishing.He was busy doing his work{#blank#}3{#/blank#}  heavy rain began to pour down.People rushed to the cafe for {#blank#}4{#/blank#}  (protect) from the rain.More and more people crowded in and gradually separated the boy {#blank#}5{#/blank#}  me.

     Hours passed，and it turned dark.I had no shoes on my feet and wondered where the boy had been.I thought I would have to go home on my bare feet. When it was near midnight, the cafe was to be closed.I had to move to the door，just as I went to the gate，I {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (surprise) found that a boy of about eleven, {#blank#}7{#/blank#}  (look) very familiar，was sleeping at the door with his head leaning  {#blank#}8{#/blank#}  a box.I shook him slightly and woke him{#blank#}9{#/blank#}  .He opened the package hurriedly, gave me my leather shoes, and apologized to me shyly.I paid him and wrapped him with his {#blank#}10{#/blank#}  (fit) shirt.On my way home, the image of the boy stayed in my mind.

    Percy Bysshe Shelley was an English poet of the early nineteenth century.He {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (know) as one of the most important poets in English literature.Some of his poems，like Ozymandias and Ode to the West Wind，are listed in {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (famous)poems in England.

    Shelley was born in Horsham，Sussex.He was the son of a member of Parliament.He attended the University of Oxford at the age of 17 {#blank#}3{#/blank#}  he was not popular with his classmates and teachers for being an atheist(无神论者).{#blank#}4{#/blank#} (final)，he was fired from the university.He married a kind girl，but he left his wife {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (make) trips in Europe.After his first wife's {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (die)，Shelley married Mary Godwin.She later became as famous as Shelley and she was {#blank#}7{#/blank#}  author of the novel Frankenstein.

    Shelley left England and spent much of his life {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (travel) in Europe，especially in Italy.He became a close friend {#blank#}9{#/blank#} the poet Lord Byron，who also left England and traveled in Europe because of argument at home.Shelley kept writing poetry throughout this time.

    About a month before his thirtieth birthday，Shelley died in a boating accident.After his funeral，his ashes were buried in Rome，a perfect resting place {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (think) by Shelley.

    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.”

    Chinese proverbs are rich and they are still widely used {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Chinese people's daily life. Behind these proverbs, there are often interesting {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (story). For example, the proverb "plucking up a crop to help it grow" is {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (base) on the following story.

    It is said {#blank#}4{#/blank#} a short-tempered man in the state of Song was very anxious {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (help) his rice crops grow up quickly. He was thinking about it day and night. But the crops were growing much slower than he expected.

    One day, he came up with an idea that he would pluck up all of {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (he) crops a few inches. He did so the next day.

    He was very tired after finishing doing this for a whole day, {#blank#}7{#/blank#} he felt very happy since the crops did "grow" {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (high).

    His son heard about this and went to see the crops. {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (unfortunate), the leaves of the crops began to wither (枯萎).

    This proverb tells us that we should let things go in their natural course. Being anxious to help an event develop often {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (result) in the contrary to our intention.