Brenda Bongos was an enthusiastic girl {#blank#}1{#/blank#} dream was to play the drums in a band. But one big problem {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(lie) in her way.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} (be) good enough to play in a band, she had to practice a lot,{#blank#}4{#/blank#} she lived next-door to a lot of old people who she could not afford to annoy. One day, while she {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(watch) a science program on TV, Bongos learned that sound cannot travel in space, because there's no air. She {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(immediate) decided to become a sort of musical astronaut.

    With the help of a lot of time, books and work, Bongos built a big glass ball connected to a machine which sucked out all the air inside so that no sound could escape {#blank#}7{#/blank#}it.{#blank#}8{#/blank#} (wear) the special space suit, she entered the glass ball and played those drums like a wild child. Months {#blank#}9{#/blank#}, her invention was so famous that the government even suggested she {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(take) part in a real space journey.

    Are you facing a situation that looks impossible to fix?

    In 1969, the pollution was terrible along the Cuyahoga River Cleveland, Ohio. It{#blank#}1{#/blank#}(be) unimaginable that it could ever be cleaned up.The river was so polluted that it{#blank#}2{#/blank#}(actual) caught fire and burned. Now,ears later,this river is one of{#blank#}3{#/blank#}most outstanding（杰出的）examples of environmental cleanup.

    But the river wasn't changed in a few days{#blank#}4{#/blank#}even a few months. It took years of work {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(reduce) the industrial pollution and clean the water. Finally,that hard work paid off and now the water in the river is{#blank#}6{#/blank#}(clean) than ever.

    Maybe you are facing an impossible situation. Maybe you leave a habit{#blank#}7{#/blank#}is driving your family crazy. Possibly you drink too much or don't know how to control your credit card use.When you face such an impossible situation, don't you want a quick fix and something to change immediately?

    While there are{#blank#}8{#/blank#}(amaze) stories of instant transformation, for most of us the{#blank#}9{#/blank#}(change) are gradual and require a lot of effort and work, like cleaning up a polluted river. Just be {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(patience).

    During the teenage years, many young people can at times be difficult to talk to. They often seem {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (dislike) being questioned. They may be {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (willing) to talk about their work in school. This is a normal {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (develop) at this age, though it can be very hard for parents to understand. It is part of {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (become) independent. They try to be adult while they are still growing up. Young people are usually more willing to talk if they believe that questions {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (ask) out of real interest and not because people are trying to check up on them.

    Parents should do their best to talk to their sons and daughters {#blank#}6{#/blank#} their schoolwork and future plan {#blank#}7{#/blank#} should not push them to talk if they don't want to. As they try to be adult, {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (teenager) may experiment with drugs, alcohol or smoking, so parents should {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (careful) watch for any sign of unusual behavior {#blank#}10{#/blank#} may be connected with these and get help if necessary.

    Living beside an active volcano (火山) means that small earthquakes are not unusual. Everybody here knows {#blank#}1{#/blank#} they feel like, and they come {#blank#}2{#/blank#} no surprise to the local people. For me, they're a little different, though.

    What do you do when there's an earthquake? Most people would try to leave the building. I live on {#blank#}3{#/blank#} third floor of a flat with several more stores above me—nobody wants {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (trap) under that after an earthquake. I guess, if an earthquake came, I would probably just panic rather than think about what I need to do, such as hiding somewhere or {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (run) out of the building.

    I had never felt an earthquake until last week. There was a small earthquake {#blank#}6{#/blank#} could hardly even be called an earthquake. I was not really {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (frighten). To feel the earth move like that was just strange. Of course, it {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (last) only a few seconds. I have spoken to the local people since the event and {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (luck), there were no injuries or damage {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (do) by it. But if it had been a real earthquake, I think I would have felt quite differently.

    There are four people in my family. They are my parents, my elder brother and I. My mother is {#blank#}1{#/blank#} house wife, and she works the {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(hard) in my family. I {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(usual) help her with the housework on weekends. My father is a {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(teach). He has many lovely{#blank#}5{#/blank#}(student). And he loves his job very much. My brother is {#blank#}6{#/blank#}actor. He has{#blank#}7{#/blank#}(work) for five years and he lives in another flat{#blank#}8{#/blank#}(lonely)now. He often{#blank#}9{#/blank#}(invite) us to go to his home to have dinner. I am a middle school student. I enjoy{#blank#}10{#/blank#}(play) tennis in my spare time. My family members have a close relationship. I have a happy family.

Linqing City is connected to Beijing, over 400 kilometers away, through its tribute(贡品) bricks. Linqing tribute bricks, or Gong Bricks, were transported to the country's capital through the Grand Canal for the {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (construct) of historical buildings like the Forbidden City. Local people call the type of brick a legend {#blank#}2{#/blank#} flows from the Grand Canal. This "legend" {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(list) as an example of national cultural heritage on June 14, 2008.

Linqing sits at the confluence (交汇处) of the Weihe River and the Grand Canal, making transportation very {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(convenience) .

During the Ming and Qing (1368-1912) dynasties, Linqing was a large important city {#blank#}5{#/blank#}a population of over one million. Linging tribute bricks earned their reputation during the Ming Dynasty, when they were {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(wide) used for imperial buildings. Apart from the transport links, the quality of the brick is one factor to make {#blank#}7{#/blank#}famous.

The "Lianhua" soil in Linging is {#blank#}8{#/blank#}ideal raw material for bricks. The city is located in the plain of the Yellow River. So when the Yellow River floods, there will always be a layer of fine sandy soil {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(cover) the local soil. Over time, a layer of sandy soil and a layer of clay will form an overlapping structure, known as "Lianhua". Linging tribute bricks {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(make) of this soil will not be out of shape easily.