What is your favourite cartoon? It may be{#blank#}1{#/blank#}(difficulty) for you to decide. But for pianist Lang Lang, Tom and Jerry is the best one.

    When Lang Lang{#blank#}2{#/blank#}(be) two years old, he saw Tom playing{#blank#}3{#/blank#}piano. This was his first time to enjoy western music and this experience encouraged him{#blank#}4{#/blank#}(learn) to play the piano.His talent at the keyboard has taken him from Shenyang{#blank#}5{#/blank#}the world. Lang became a good piano student at three. Ever since, the boy has been doing bette{#blank#}6{#/blank#} better. In 1997, the 15-year-old boy studied at a famous American music college.

    Lang's performance are full of energy. He is well-known for{#blank#}7{#/blank#}(make) facial expressions and moving around while playing the piano.

    The road to {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(succeed) has never been easy. Lang's father stopped his job to look {#blank#}9{#/blank#}him, while his mother stayed in Shenyang to make money. But Lang considers {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (him)lucky and believes he should give something back. He has helped the children in poor areas a lot.

    According to a recent study, plants are able to make intelligent decisions. They are a lot{#blank#}1{#/blank#}(smart) than we thought. Scientists have discovered that the pea plant can make decisions on how{#blank#}2{#/blank#} (survive) best, even though it does not have a brain. Researchers grew several pea plants that had their roots {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (separate) between two pots. Each pot contained different amount of nutrients. One pot always had the same amount{#blank#}4{#/blank#}the other pot varied between a lot and a little. The plants turned out to be{#blank#}5{#/blank#} (amaze) consistent（一致的）at turning their roots to the pot with the most nutrients.

    Researcher Alex Kacelnik says the experiment raises a question, not about plants{#blank#}6{#/blank#} about animals and humans. He wonders whether the pea plant is more efficient in using its limited resources about {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(make) decisions than humans. He says, “We have a very wonderful brain, but maybe most of the time we're not using {#blank#}8{#/blank#}” Professor Kacelnik does not think that pea plants are intelligent in the human sense, but that they exhibit complex{#blank#}9{#/blank#} (behave) to efficiently take advantage of natural opportunities. It will be interesting to see how our lives would be different if we{#blank#}10{#/blank#} (adopt) similar strategies.

    For Nigel Portman, a love of travelling began with what's called a "gap year". In common with many other British teenagers, he chose {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (take) a year out before settling down to study for his degree. After doing various {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (job) to raise some money, he left home to gain some experience of life in different cultures, visiting America and Asia. The more adventurous a young person, the {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (great) challenge they are likely to set {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (them) for the gap year, and for some, like Nigel, it can result in a thirst for adventure.

    Now that his university course {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (come) to an end, Nigel is just about to leave on a three—year trip that will take him right around the world. What's more, he plans to make the whole journey {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (use) only means of transport which are powered by natural energy. In other words, he'll be relying {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (main) on bicycles and his own legs; and when there's an ocean to cross, he won't be taking a shortcut (捷径) {#blank#}8{#/blank#} flying aboard—he'll be joining the crew of a sailing ship, instead.

    As well as doing some mountain climbing along {#blank#}9{#/blank#} way, Nigel hopes to pass on to the people he meets the environmental message {#blank#}10{#/blank#} lies behind the whole idea.

   It was already late when we started for the next town, which, according to the map, was about fifteen miles away on the other side of the hill. There we felt sure that we  {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(find) a bed for the night. Soon darkness fell after we left the village,   {#blank#}2{#/blank#} unluckily we met no one when we drove fast along the narrow(狭窄的)road which  {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(lead)to the hill. As our car climbed {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (high), it became colder and the rain began to fall, making it difficult  {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(see)the road.

   After we had traveled for about twenty miles, there was still no sign(迹象)of the town which was  {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(poor)marked on the map. We were beginning to get anxious when the car suddenly stopped. A quick {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(examine) showed that we had used up(用完)the gas. Although we had little food left, we decided to spend the night in the car.  

   With our meals {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(finish), I tried to go to sleep at once, but John, {#blank#}9{#/blank#} was a poor sleeper, got out of the car after a few minutes and went  {#blank#}10{#/blank#} a walk up the hill. There, he found the lights of the town in a valley below.