I remember my first Christmas adventure with Grandma. I remember{#blank#}1{#/blank#}(tear) across town on my bike to visit her on the day my big sister dropped the bomb.“There is no Santa Claus.” She laughed. “Even dummies(傻瓜) know that!” I {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(flee) to Grandma because I knew she would be straight with me. She always told the{#blank#}3{#/blank#}(true).

“No Santa Claus?” she said. “Ridiculous!Don't believe{#blank#}4{#/blank#}. Put on yourcoat, and let's go.” “Go where, Grandma?” I asked.

{#blank#}5{#/blank#} we walked through the doors of the general store Grandma handed me ten dollars and Said, “Buy something for someone {#blank#}6{#/blank#}needs it. I'll waitfor you in the car.”

      I was only eight years old. Never had I shoppedfor anything all by myself. For a few moments I just stood there,{#blank#}7{#/blank#} (wonder) what to buy, and who{#blank#}8{#/blank#}(buy) it for. I thought of everybody Iknew. Then I thought about Bobbie Decker.

      He was my classmate with bad breath and{#blank#}9{#/blank#}(mess) hair, and he sat right behind me. He did not have a coat. I knew that because he never went out to play gamesduring the winter. I fingered the bill with growing {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(excite). I would buy Bobbie a coat.

    Long ago,there was a mother and a son living in a house.She worked hard every day,{#blank#}1{#/blank#}they were always poor.

    One day,her son stole his friend's bag.“Mom,what do you think of this bag?”His mother praised her son instead of scolding him.The next time,he stole{#blank#}2{#/blank#}overcoat.She praised him again.A few years{#blank#}3{#/blank#}(late),he grew up to be a young man.He stole jewelry and brought them to his mother.This time,she did not scold her son.Then,he started{#blank#}4{#/blank#} (steal) more expensive things.

    One day,the police caught him.Before he{#blank#}5{#/blank#}(put) in prison,he begged the police to meet his mother.They took him{#blank#}6{#/blank#}his mother.As soon as he saw his mother,he suddenly bit her ear.“Ouch!What is the matter with you?”She finally scolded him.Her son answered.“If you had given me a scolding like that when I stole the first bag,I could not {#blank#}7{#/blank#}a thief.”{#blank#}8{#/blank#} (look) at her son heading to prison,“If only I{#blank#}9{#/blank#}turn back time,I would scold him severely.”She said{#blank#}10{#/blank#}(regret).

    In China, the history of people planting and using bamboo can date back as far as 7000 years. As early as the Shang Dynasty, bamboo was being used in ancient peopled dally lives. It was used for food, clothing, housing, transportation,{#blank#}1{#/blank#} (music) instruments and even weapons.

The {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(apply) of bamboo in science and technology is thrilling. In 251 BC, Li Bing, in Sichuan,{#blank#}3{#/blank#} (lead) the local people in building the Dujiang Weirs, the first irrigation network in the world, in which bamboo played {#blank#}4{#/blank#}important role. The world's oldest water piper was also {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (make) of bamboo. During the Han Dynasty, the people in Sichuan {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(success) sank a 1600-metre-deep well with thick bamboo ropes. This technology did not spread to Europe{#blank#}7{#/blank#}the 19th century, and it was by using the technology {#blank#}8{#/blank#} the Americans drilled the first oil well in Pennsylvania in 1859.

    In Chinese culture, bamboo is well-known as {#blank#}9{#/blank#}of the “four gentlemen” in plants. To many distinguished men，bamboo is a symbol of goodness and honesty. It is always closely related to people of positive spirits. Bamboo culture contributes to encouraging People to hold on when {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(face) tough situations.

The history of air conditioners (空调) started in the early days with the need to preserve food. The food{#blank#}1{#/blank#}is kept at room temperature spoils easily due to the growth of bacteria. At temperature below 4℃, the growth of bacteria reduces{#blank#}2{#/blank#}(rapid). As a result of the development in food refrigeration, other following applications include air conditioning and manufacturing processes.

    The{#blank#}3{#/blank#}(discover) of the principles of the absorption type of refrigeration in 1824 showed that liquefied ammonia (液氨) could cool air. At first, the commercially available use of air conditioning applications was based on the need to cool air for industrial processes rather than {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(person) comfort. The first electrical air conditioning{#blank#}5{#/blank#}(invent) by Willis Haviland Carrier in 1902. He was also known{#blank#}6{#/blank#}the Father of Modern Air Conditioning.{#blank#}7{#/blank#} (he) invention was designed to improve the manufacturing process of a printing factory. By{#blank#}8{#/blank#}(control) the temperature, the process was made more efficient.

    The Carrier Air Conditioning Company of America was set up by him {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(meet) the demand of better productivity in the workplace. Today, Carrier Corporation is{#blank#}10{#/blank#}biggest air conditioner manufacturer and marketing corporation in the world in central air conditioning.

    Once a group of 50 people was attending a seminar. Halfway through his talk, the speaker stopped and decided {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (create) a group activity. He went around the hall and gave each person a balloon. Each one was asked to write his or her name on the balloon {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (use) a marker pen. Then all the balloons were {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (collect) and put in another room.

    The speaker then led the group to the room full of balloons and asked them to find the balloon {#blank#}4{#/blank#} had their name written on, within five minutes. Everyone was {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (hurried) searching for their name, bumping into each other, pushing each other around. It was chaos. At the end of the five minutes no one could find {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (them) own balloon.

    Now each person was asked to randomly collect {#blank#}7{#/blank#} balloon and give it to the person whose name was written on it. Within two minutes everyone {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (have) their own balloon. When everyone quieted down, the speaker began to talk, saying that this is exactly what was happening in our {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (life)．Everyone is hurriedly looking for happiness, and not knowing where it is.

    Our happiness sometimes lies in the happiness of other people. Give them happiness {#blank#}10{#/blank#} you will get your own happiness.

    Felicity Miller, a 32-year-old British woman, {#blank#}1{#/blank#} has a Chinese husband, still remembers the {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (excite) when she first learned to use the "red packet" function on WeChat in 2015. She sent and grabbed some red packets in her Chinese family's group. The rule in her family was that the person who grabbed the {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (high) amount sent the next.

    Attracted by the unique way of communicating, many foreigners {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (join) in sending and grabbing red packets so far. Usually, the money in each packet is random. Thus the amount of money one can grab {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (large) depends on his or her luck, from 0.01 yuan to less than 200 yuan. Many foreigners get more familiar {#blank#}6{#/blank#} Chinese culture through "red packets". Two years ago, when Felicity Miller was sent 5.20 or 8.88 yuan red packets, she had no clue about the {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (hide) meanings. Now, she has not only known about {#blank#}8{#/blank#}, but also has sent a few.

    However, the popularity of virtual red packets doesn't stop people sending paper red packets {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (contain) real cash during the Spring Festival. It is called lucky money. In Chinese tradition, people take giving children lucky money as {#blank#}10{#/blank#} blessing.