Ireland has had a very difficult history. The problems started in the 16th century when English rulers tried to conquer(征服) Ireland. For hundreds of years, the Irish people fought against the English. Finally, in 1921, the British government was forced to give independence to the south of Ireland. The result is that today there are two "Irelands". Northern Ireland, in the north, is part of the United Kingdom. The Republic of Ireland, in the south, is an independent country.

    In the 1840s the main crop, potatoes, was affected by disease and about 750,000 people died of hunger. This, and a shortage(短缺) of work, forced many people to leave Ireland and live in the USA, the UK, Australia and Canada. As a result of these problems, the population fell from 8.2 million in 1841 to 6.6 million in 1851.

    For many years, the majority of Irish people earned their living as farmers. Today, many people still work on the land but more and more people are moving to the cities to work in factories and offices. Life in the cities is very different from life in the countryside, where things move at a quieter and slower pace.

    The Irish are famous for being warm-hearted and friendly. Oscar Wilde, a famous Irish writer, once said that the Irish were "the greatest talkers since the Greeks". Since independence, Ireland has revived(复兴) its own culture of music, language, literature and singing. Different areas have different styles of old Irish songs which are sung without instruments. Other kinds of Irish music use many different instruments such as the violin, whistles, etc.

    Finland is perhaps the most beautiful and mysterious of the countries of northern Europe. Two-thirds of its surface is covered with thick forests. Relative to its size, Finland has more lakes than any other countries. The northern part of this country is inside the Arctic Circle, where almost no trees can grow because of its cold weather and the people use their deer to transport clothing and food.

    The Finnish history began in the Middle Ages. In about 1155, Finland was conquered (征服) by its western neighbor Sweden. After a period of rule by Denmark in the 14th century, the Swedes won back independence and power in 1523 under their brave king. During the Napoleonic Wars (1804～1818), Finland was finally passed from Sweden to Russia. The opportunity came in 1917 when the Russian Revolution brought foreign rule of Finland to the end. Shortly after Soviet Russia made peace with Germany, 1919 saw the founding of the Finnish Republic.

    The years between the First and Second World Wars were years of progress and growing development. Finland is the fifth largest country in Europe, and despite a relatively small population of 5.2 million, the market potential is much greater. Finland has no coal or oil, and the nation's wealth lies in the timber (木材) from its forests, which supplies material for paper and furniture making, and in the electric power from its water. Finland is an excellent gateway to trade with Russia and the Baltic States because of a long history of trading with these markets. Finland has also enjoyed a strong and long-standing trading relationship with Britain, a relationship which was further strengthened by Finland's accession (加入) to the European Union in January 1995.

    The following are some of the main commercial centres and towns:

    The cost of living in countries like the United States, Britain, Australia or France has skyrocketed in recent years, but, if you're willing to leave your country and explore life in other areas, there are many countries boasting an extremely cheap and low cost of living. So, if you have the flexibility of living wherever you please, and want to live in a country the cost of living is the cheapest in the world, check out these 3 countries when planning your next move.

    1 Cambodia

Cambodia may not be the first country that comes to mind when you think of a tropical paradise, but it's pretty close. The added bonus is that living here is insanely cheap, unlike some other tropical getaways. A luxury home with four bedrooms and a pool would only cost about $600 a month. A decent three bedroom vacation home can be purchased here for just $20,000. And, for only about $2,000 a year, you can also hire a gardener and housekeeper to take care of your property.

    2 Ecuador

    Ecuador is similar to the United States in many ways, and as a result, it has become a popular American getaway. They even use the US dollar for their currency. In this country, it's cheaper to eat out everyday than cook for yourself on a budget in the U.S. You can even buy a property for around 50,000 and hire someone to tend to it while you're away.

    3 Mexico

    Although the country is known for its poverty ridden streets, there are many wealthier areas that provide every amenity (便利设施) you might need. You can live off a mere $700 a month in Mexico, and this includes rent for a nice place, amenities, food, and any sightseeing.

   Germany is a highly developed country. Many people think its people lead a luxurious (奢侈的) life. One day，my friend and I 1a restaurant. We noticed that a young couple was having their meal. There were 2 two dishes and two cans of beer on their table. I wondered if such a (n)3meal could be fine and whether the girl would leave that4man.

    As we were 5 , my friend ordered more food for us. When we left, there was still about one third of the food we had ordered on the table. When we were leaving, the young man spoke to us in English. We 6that he was unhappy about us 7so much food. "We paid for our food. It is none of your 8how much food we left behind," my friend told him. The young man was so angry that he 9 took his phone out and made a call to someone.

    After a while, an officer from the Social Security Organization (社会保障组织) arrived. Upon knowing what had happened, he gave us a €50 fine (罚款), which10us.

    The officer told us in a 11 voice, " 12 is yours but resources (资源) belong to society. There are many 13 people in the world who are14hunger. We have no 15 to waste resources."

    Their attitude to eating put both of us to 16. We need to correct our wrong 17. We are from a country which is not very rich. To save face, we often think we should order more than we can eat, which 18our friends our generosity (慷慨). We should realize that resources don't belong to a (n) 19 person but they belong to everyone. We can't20 to waste them.

    If you are looking for a destination that is filled new sights and experiences, China is the best in the world. It is a destination where you can discover a country that's (difference) from your own. Here are some (reason) why China should be at the top of your visit list. China, with a history of over 5,000 years, is one of Four Ancient Civilized Countries. Kung fu and tai chi are (specially). You can also enjoy China's food, tea cultures, Chinese medicine as well as poetry and calligraphy(书法). China's ancient treasures are more famous  those in any other country in size and number-from ancient palaces to the Great Wall and city walls. Besides, the lovely giant panda (live) only in China. You can even go with (we) panda experts to meet wild pandas in their natural habitat(栖息地). What's more, with the (develop) of Chinese public transportation, it is easier (travel). Taking a smart phone in China, you can take a high-speed train from Beijing to Shanghai running at 250-350 km/h, buy a coffee with your e-wallet, and ride a shared bike to explore the city.

    It's reported that half of around 7,000 languages on the earth are in danger of disappearing by 2100. There are many reasons for such disappearance. Sometimes younger generations stop learning a language because parents want children to fit in modern society.  For instance, native American children of the late-19th century were required to attend boarding schools where educators forbade them from speaking their native languages.

    Endangered languages are ranked according to their risk level by the United Nations. A "critically endangered" language is one that even grandparents don't speak often. New York's Onondaga language is an example with only 50 speakers left. An "extinct" language has no speakers, which means it is gone forever. The last person who spoke it died in 2008. So this language doesn't exist any longer.

Various animals and plants benefit our environment. Saving these languages benefits our understanding of other cultures. Languages can show how a society looks at the world and what it values. The Endangered Language Alliance, a non-profit group, wants to save languages from disappearing.  However, its efforts are limited. If an endangered language is going to make a real comeback, it'll probably get its start in schools. Now students in Hawaii can keep learning Hawaiian from elementary schools to college and beyond.

     At least one did. In 1881, a Jewish linguist named Eliezer Ben-Yehuda brought the 3,000-year-old language Hebrew back to life. Today it is one of the official languages of the country of Israel, with more than 4 million speakers.

A．Alaska's Eyak language is one example.

B．Why should we save endangered languages?

C．With just five speakers left, it is absolutely endangered.

D．Can a language with zero native speakers come back to life?

E. Similarly, different languages contribute to cultural diversity.

F. Sometimes societies force minorities to give up their language.

G. The organization finds native speakers and records their stories.

1）巴黎是历史悠久的现代化城市；

2）埃菲尔铁塔是巴黎的象征，建于1889年，是为了纪念法国大革命100周年而建的；

3）其他名胜古迹，如凯旋门、罗浮宫等。

注意：1）词数100左右；

2）开头和结尾已经写好，但不计入总词数；

3）可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

参考词汇：埃菲尔铁塔Eiffel Tower 法国大革命100周年纪念the centenary of the French Revolution凯旋门the Arc de Triomphe罗浮宫the Louvre

Dear Tom,

    I have been in Paris for some days, and it leaves me great impressions.

Yours,

Li Hua