I was on a plane that was about to take off when my phone rang. It was my neighbor saying I needed to get to the hospital, for my wife Mary {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (take) to hospital, and when I arrived doctors were trying to make {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (she) come back to consciousness, but it was no good.

    I explained to my {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (child) that Mummy had died. Within hours they were running around the garden, {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (chat) with their grandad while I was in a deep sorrow. I went through the motions of being a dad—cooking, cleaning, washing—but inside I felt hollow. One of the hardest things {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (cope) with was that the boys had lost their mother. Mary and I were everyone's favorite couple. The physical loss of not having her around was {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (extreme) painful. For a year, I was in the {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (deep) of misery. Then I decided that we had to get through this. I began to date Emma, {#blank#}8{#/blank#} had been a childhood friend, and Mickey couldn't wait for us to get married so he could call her Mum. It wasn't long before George warmed to her, too—she is wonderful with them. Two years later we got married and life started to look rosy. Emma and I have had two boys to add {#blank#}9{#/blank#} our family.

    We all have the concept that our lives are following {#blank#}10{#/blank#} particular path, but sometimes it turns out it's not going that way.

    Ski touring is exactly that—touring on skis. It combines {#blank#}1{#/blank#} best bits of skiing and mountaineering and provides the perfect way {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (explore) the mountain in winter. The {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (advantage) of ski touring are that you can really escape the crowds, enjoy the peace of the mountains and {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (reward) with breathtaking views and exciting descents.

    Ski touring involves both going up and down the mountain; both of {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (they) present challenges and new skills are to be acquired. There is much to learn about getting up the mountain that improves efficiency and saves energy. {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (similar) ，you want to be prepared to enjoy going down, which means learning to deal with the variety of snow conditions you will face. Because all ski touring is very demanding, you must be {#blank#}7{#/blank#} good physical condition. The fitter you are, the {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (much) fun you will have.

    Rapidly changing conditions and the human factors are the primary reasons for accidents. The human factors include stress, poor {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (communicate), over-confidence and tiredness. You should always ski within the limits of your ability, and make sure you know {#blank#}10{#/blank#} to navigate (导航) properly with map and compass.

    All through history, people from many different countries and cultures have lived together in Britain. The English language {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (consist) of the grammar and vocabulary these people brought to Britain. That is {#blank#}2{#/blank#} English has so many difficult rules that confuse people.

    The development of English experienced three periods—Old English, Middle English and Modern English. From the 5th to the 9th centuries, Britain was occupied by different groups from other countries, which led to Old English {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (replace) Celtic. Old English, a {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (mix) of different languages, differs {#blank#}5{#/blank#} today's English. Middle English is the name {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (give) to the English used from approximately the 12th to the 15th centuries. During this period, French, though it didn't replace English, still made many {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (contribution) to Middle English. Modern English appeared in the 16th century, {#blank#}8{#/blank#} went through many changes during this period. The question of {#blank#}9{#/blank#} English will keep on changing in the future is easy to answer. {#blank#}10{#/blank#} is certain that this process will continue.

    Nowadays, millions {#blank#}1{#/blank#} lonely singles are now going online instead. The World Wide Web is quickly becoming{#blank#}2{#/blank#} world's most popular matchmaker(媒人).

    Singles are flocking(涌向) to the Internet {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (main) because their busy lifestyles leave them little time to look for a significant other. Using dating sites(约会网址) is quick and convenient. Many singles say the regular dating scene {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (lead) them from one bad experience to {#blank#}5{#/blank#} and are ready to try something else. Dating sites also make {#blank#}6{#/blank#} easy to avoid someone {#blank#}7{#/blank#} you are not interested in. In the real world, {#blank#}8{#/blank#}, ignoring someone you don't like can be difficult.

    Despite all the advantages, online dating also presents its own set of problems. People aren't always those who they declare to be in their online {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (describe). Safety is another concern. You are just {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (like) to find a criminal online as you are Mr. Or Miss Right.