I had just visited my best friend in hospital with my mum，{#blank#}1{#/blank#}hadn't seen my friend since she'd gone into hospital six months earlier.

    I knew where she was coming from as she was{#blank#}2{#/blank#}(grave) ill, but as I'd been visiting her every week I had stopped seeing the obvious; my friend{#blank#}3{#/blank#}(lose) most of her body weight and her hair was falling out, it wasn't looking good.

    After the visit I took my mum to the station{#blank#}4{#/blank#}(see) her off on her train; the mood was understandably bleak but I stayed positive as well you do, don't you? I went to get{#blank#}5{#/blank#} (we) some coffee and my mum some food for the journey. I misread the amount of my purchase and didn't have enough money.

    {#blank#}6{#/blank#}some reason, this was the straw that broke the camel's back; I burst into uncontrollable{#blank#}7{#/blank#}(tear) as a massive queue was gathering behind me. A woman came up to me and offered to pay, putting an arm round my shoulder, no questions{#blank#}8{#/blank#}(ask).

    I could barely say thank you through the confusion and the flood of emotion that was pumping through me {#blank#}9{#/blank#} running off in embarrassment. After composing myself I ran round the station {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(try)to find this kind lady to thank her properly but never did.

    My first impression of Mrs. Li, {#blank#}1{#/blank#} kind and patient teacher，was that she was nervous and shy. But now，her characters and teaching styles such as explaining English grammar so {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (clear)， {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (avoid) making students feel stupid make the class like working {#blank#}4{#/blank#} her. Mrs. Chen，almost 60，is very strict. She's also very serious and doesn't smile much. Some of our classmates don't like her, {#blank#}5{#/blank#} most of us really appreciate her {#blank#}6{#/blank#} her teaching is so well organized and clear. Mr. Wu  {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (teach) us for two weeks and he's already very popular. The young teacher，about 28，has got so much energy that this is one class you do not fall {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (sleep) in！He's really amusing and tells jokes {#blank#}9{#/blank#}  he thinks we're getting {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (bore)．I respect him a lot.

    My interest in Chinese food started years ago, when I was a young reporter for the Washington Post. Our office wasn't far from Chinatown,{#blank#}1{#/blank#}I found some very good Chinese restaurants.

    That was the first time that I{#blank#}2{#/blank#}(notice) the fresh taste of the meat and vegetables of Chinese food.

    When I learned more about the food, I began to understand why{#blank#}3{#/blank#}has this special feature.

    Many years ago, china had{#blank#}4{#/blank#}energy crisis because it lost much of its wood due to over population and poor management of its forests. This{#blank#}5{#/blank#}(lose) was very bad for the country, of course, but it turned out to be very good for the food. Wood became very expensive and hard to get, so the Chinese had to either find a substitute for their{#blank#}6{#/blank#}(value) wood, or learn how to use it better. There weren't any substitutes so people found ways to economize.

    In order to economize in cooking, they had to use very little wood. So they started cutting their meat and vegetables{#blank#}7{#/blank#}small pieces before they put them in the hot oil. That way, the food cooked{#blank#}8{#/blank#}(fast) and they saved more fuel. The food{#blank#}9{#/blank#}(prepare) in this way kept its fresh flavor and it's this flavor{#blank#}10{#/blank#}attracts people from other countries to the art of Chinese cooking.

    Nowadays more and more people like to travel, {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (especial) when vacations come.A great number of people rush out of their homes or companies to {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (travel) spots. They either drive or take a bus, a train, a ship {#blank#}3{#/blank#} so on. Some even ride bikes.

    However, there {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (be) another way of travelling—poorism. People have a tour in {#blank#}5{#/blank#} poorest areas of the worlds Some people may take a one-day poorest tour, and some even pay to stay in very poor neighborhoods {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (experience) the lowest living standards in the worlds Poorism tours take place around the world, and not just in the third world {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (country).You can, for instance, tour New York neighborhoods in the Bronx. Such tours can take people into the heart of poor areas. These tours may awaken people to pay {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (much) attention to long-standing poverty, or the effects of war.

    Some think that tours in the poor areas can raise social care. And the money from the tour can {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (donate) to help the people {#blank#}10{#/blank#} live there.