—Not really, they are still looking for evidence to see whether Yetis really {#blank#}1{#/blank#}.

    Keeping a diary in English is one of the effective ways to improve our English writing ability.

    Compared with other forms of writing, it is shorter and takes{#blank#}1{#/blank#} (little) time. It can help us to develop the habit of thinking in English. If we persist in this practice, gradually we'll learn how{#blank#}2{#/blank#}(express)ourselves in English. In keeping a diary in English, we certainly run up against many{#blank#}3{#/blank#}(difficult). In the first place, it often happens that we have trouble in{#blank#}4{#/blank#} (find) appropriate words and phrases to give expression to our mind. Secondly, there{#blank#}5{#/blank#} (be) many idiomatic ways of saying things in Chinese. And it is extremely hard for us to put them into English {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (proper).

    As far as I am {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(concern), my suggestion is {#blank#}8{#/blank#}we should always have a notebook and a Chinese-English dictionary within easy reach. Whenever something beats us, we can first put it down in our notebook and then consult our dictionary. We can also ask our English teacher {#blank#}9{#/blank#} help, if necessary. In short, I believe that it is of great use to keep a diary in English for{#blank#}10{#/blank#} development of our writing skills.

    Many of us wake up {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (feel) tired in the morning. Many of us ignore the problem as the day goes on, forgetting that it might have a dangerous effect. Society even glorifies “burning the candle at both ends” as a sign of our {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(devote) to work and family.

    Believe {#blank#}3{#/blank#} or not, all this bad sleep has far-reaching consequences. We do not give ourselves enough chances to sleep. A survey of over 74,000 people found that 35% reported sleeping less than seven hours daily {#blank#}4{#/blank#} average. Furthermore, the quantity of sleep we allow ourselves {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (change) greatly over the past 15 years.

    This lack of sleep can lead to many serious {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (problem). One study found that {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (simple) limiting yourself to six hours of sleep a night for two weeks made performance on a timed attention task as poor as if you {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (stay) up all the night before.

    If you intend to try extending your sleep period, consider giving yourself a chance {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(sleep) longer for a full week. Your body clock might be programmed in a way {#blank#}10{#/blank#} keeps you from falling asleep quickly, but it might let you sleep longer.

    The traditional Chinese lunar calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms. Awakening of Insects (惊蛰) {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (fall) on Mar 6 and ends on Mar 20 this year.

Awakening of Insects signals a rise in temperature and increased rain fall. As the {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (three) solar term in the lunar year, {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (it) name suggests the fact that animals sleeping in winter are awakened {#blank#}4{#/blank#} spring thunder and that the earth begins to come back to life. It is the key time for spring agricultural {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (activity). It is also a good time for people to enjoy fun outdoors, especially for people living in the city. {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (drive) to the suburbs, fishing in a lake or enjoying the singing bird will make for a perfect weekend in spring. The most popular fruit in this season is pears.

    Eating pears around the Awakening of Insects {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (be) a widely-practiced custom in China. As the weather gets {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (warm) and the air becomes drier, people tend to feel their mouths and tongues are dry, {#blank#}9{#/blank#} can cause colds or coughs. A pear is sweet, juicy and cold, moistening (湿润) the lungs to arrest a cough. {#blank#}10{#/blank#}, pears are highly recommended during the Awakening of Insects.

    The Silk Road was a route that connected people from the East to West for hundreds of years and allowed {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (they) to trade valuable goods with each other. But there's more to the story. The Silk Road should {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (real) be called the Silk Roads. The Silk Road, {#blank#}3{#/blank#} started in China, went west and branched out into many routes.

    The Silk Road has been around for nearly 3,000 years. Most people know that valuable goods traveled along the route: silk and spices from China; jewels and wood from India; gold and animals from East Africa. These goods {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (trade) in cities along the route or ended up as far west {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Europe.

    But the people {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (travel) along the Silk Road were carrying something far {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (valuable) than their goods. They were carrying ideas and technology. European travelers returned home with stories of huge Chinese ships they had seen. The compass is an example of a(n) {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (invent) that came west from China. Europeans learned from Korean maps, which were advanced for the 1400s.

    {#blank#}9{#/blank#} was the 11, 000 km Silk Road that shaped the world we know today. The many routes were a way for different people {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (meet) each other and talk about the developing world.

    I never believed in lucky coins. But one day as I was mowing the lawn (修剪草坪), I noticed a shiny object some five yards away. I stopped the machine to go and see {#blank#}1{#/blank#} had caught my eye. Just as I bent over to pick up the object, the machine exploded behind me. I {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (stand) there, frightened but unhurt. I {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (save) by the shiny object—a coin. I now believe in lucky coins and stop to pick them up whenever I see them.