It was Christmas Eve. I was fifteen years old and feeling like the world was over for me. I didn't have enough money to buy myself the1 that I had wanted that year.

Dad came back in and there was ice in his beard（胡子)."You've been by widow（寡妇）Smith's house recently?"he asked. Widow Smith 2two miles down the road. Her husband died a year ago and left her with3children.

“I rode by just today,"Dad 4 “Little Jack was out looking for wood. They must have used up wood, Tom.”

We filled our sledge（雪橇）high with 5. Then we went to the store and Dad bought some food and a small pair of shoes. I tried to think about6Dad was doing. I knew we didn't have enough money, so why was Dad buying them so many things?

We 7 widow Smith's house and went in. "We brought you a few things, madam."Dad said, and 8 the bag of food on the table. Then Dad handed widow Smith the pair of shoes. At that moment, tears filled her eyes and started running down her face.

My throat seemed to be filled with 9, and there were tears in my eyes, too. Just then, my dream gift seemed very unimportant. Dad had given me the look on widow Smith's face and the smiles of 10three children. He had given me the best Christmas of my life.

    1970 was World Conservation (保护) Year. The UN wanted everyone to know that the world was in danger. They hoped something could be done.

    Here is one example of the problem. At one time there were about 1,300 kinds of plants, trees and flowers in Holland, but now only about 866 are left. The others have been destroyed by modern people and their science. We are polluting earth, air, water and everything around us. We can't live without these things. If things go on like this, we shall destroy ourselves.

    What will happen in the future? Perhaps it's more important to ask "What must we do?". More and more young people have known this. Many of them are helping to save our Earth. For example, they plant trees. In a small town in the United States, a large group of girls cleaned the banks of 11 kilometres of their river. Young people may hear about conversation through an album called "No One's Gonna Change Our World". It includes songs of Cliff Richard and other singers. The money from selling it will help to conserve tigers, elephants and pandas on Earth.

When I got the driving license last summer, Mom and I took our first trip around an empty car park. Then I found that my mother was not the best 1 for me. It wasn't because she shouted at me, or told me that I was doing2 . As you can imagine, my mother's "helpful instructions" only managed to make me more nervous. 

Since I could no longer3 with her, the job was placed in the hands of my father. I loved him,4 I just did not see Dad as someone I could be comfortable learning from. He almost never talked. We shared a（n）5 father-daughter relationship. He'd ask how school was, and I'd say it was fine. Unluckily, that was the most of our conversations. It was just like spending hours with a 6 silently. 

As we got into the car for the first time, I was not 7 at what happened. Dad and I drove around, saying almost 8 , besides a few instructions on how to turn. As my lessons went on, however, things began to change. Dad would 9 the radio so I could enjoy his favorite Stones music. And he gradually began talking. I was soon hearing about his first meeting with Mom, "basic body" gym class, and other 10 from his past. 

Dad's sudden talk was shocking until I thought about 11 he was telling me so much. In all the years, I always 12 why my father never spoke that much. I never considered it was because I had never spent time 13 . Homework, friends, and even TV had all called me away from him, and I never thought my 14 father had anything to say. 

Since I began driving with him, my driving ability has greatly improved. More importantly, the 15 between my father and I has also improved. Just living with him wasn't enough—it took driving with him for me to get to know someone who was a mystery. 

Good morning, my friends! Nice to meet you. 

{#blank#}1{#/blank#} I'm a middle school student in Hangzhou. My name is Jack Smith. Jack is my first name. What's my last name? My last name is Smith. It's my family name, too. 

{#blank#}2{#/blank#} What color is it?It's blue and white. I like it. But it isn't mine. I found it in my classroom. 

{#blank#}3{#/blank#} She is my sister. Her name is Mary Smith. Her first name is Mary. And her last name is Smith, too. What's her telephone number? It's 368-5689. 

{#blank#}4{#/blank#} They are Mike and Gina. Mike is my father's brother. Gina is Mike's wife. They have a son. His name is Eric. And he is my cousin. 

{#blank#}5{#/blank#} I can't find it. My grandparents,my parents and I are in the photo. I must find it. Can you help me?

Hello, I'm Anna Green. Sally is my 1 and John is my uncle. My cousin David is their son. My aunt is very 2 . Her things are always in the right3 . But my uncle and David aren't tidy. My uncle4 playing computer games. It's great 5 for him. His computer games are everywhere in the study(书房).In David's room, you can also see his 6 everywhere.

My aunt always 7 David put away (收拾)his things. 8 my uncle never(从不) does that. David can't find his things and always asks,"9 are my keys? Where's my bottle?" My uncle always says, "I don't10 . Ask your mother for help. She puts away your things, so 11 knows where they are."

One day, my uncle plays 12 games in the study. David 13 a map. He can't find his school on the map. He asks my uncle, "Where's my 14 ?"My uncle says, "I don't know. Go to 15 your mother. She puts it away."

A few years ago, I went to Italy as an exchange student. Before leaving, I asked my mother what gifts I should take to the teachers and the classmates there. Mom said that the Chinese fan was a good choice, for China is praised as"the Fan Kingdom". I agreed completely, because it is more than a tool for cooling. And it's also an important part of Chinese culture. 

I went shopping and bought three kinds of Chinese fans. The first kind was the feather(羽毛) fan for the teachers, which was made of bird feathers. It was the symbol of Zhuge Liang, a very smart man in ancient China. The fans I bought for the girls were silk fans. They were also called"round silk fans". Fans of this kind were made of silk with paintings of beautiful women, birds or flowers. They were very popular with women of all ages. As for the boys, I picked the folding fans from Rongchang, a place in the west of Chongqing. The folding fans were made of paper and bamboo. There were great paintings and calligraphy(书法) on them. 

 At the welcome party in Italy, my new friends were all ____ to get the wonderful fans. And they were amazed at the stories and culture behind them. They were eager(渴望) to visit China and explore Chinese culture.