Although it was autumn, the snow was already beginning to fall in Tibet (西藏). Our legs were so heavy and cold that 1 felt like big pieces of ice. Have you 2 seen snowmen ride bicycles? That's what we looked like! Along the way children who were 3 long wool coats stopped to look at us. In the late4 we found it was so cold that our water bottles froze (结冰).However, the lakes   5 like glass in the setting sun and looked wonderful.

    Wang Wei rode in front of me as usual. She was in high spirit and I knew I didn't need to

    6 her. To climb the mountains was hard work but as we7 us, we were surprised by the view. We seemed to be able to see for miles, and we were so high that we found ourselves cycling through clouds. After a while, we began going 8 the mountains. It was great fun especially as it slowly became much 9. At the foot of the mountains, colourful butterflies flew around us and we saw many sheep eating green grass. Then we had to 10 our caps, gloves and trousers for T-shirts and shorts.

    In the early evening we stopped to make camps. We 11 our tent（帐篷）and then we ate. After supper Wang Wei went to sleep but I stayed 12.  13 midnight the sky became clearer and the stars grew brighter. As I 14 below the stars I thought about how far we had already travelled.

    We will reach Dali in Yunan Province soon, where our cousins will join us. We 15 hardly wait to see them!

    Confucius lived in the Kingdom of Lu, part of today's Shandong Province. September 28^th is his birthday. 1 he was born over 2,000 years ago, people still remember him on this day.

    His childhood was sad. His father 2 when he was only 3 and he had to work to help his mother. But young Confucius didn't 3 studying. He visited many famous teachers and learned music, history, poetry and sports.

    Later, he became a teacher and started the 4 private school in Chinese history. At that time, only children from rich families could go to school, but Confucius believed 5 should go to school if they wanted to learn. He had about 3,000 students in his lifetime.

    Today, people still follow his 6. He told us that each person has something worthy to learn and teach. “When I am with three people, one of them must be 7 than me in some areas. I choose their good qualities（品质）and follow them. I take their bad qualities and change them in myself.”

    He also taught us that thinking is very important in study. “All study but no thinking makes people puzzled（迷惑）. All thinking but no study makes people 8.”

    Confucius is not only a great teacher but also a famous 9 with wise thoughts about the world and society. His most important teachings are about kindness and good manners. “A kind person should care for others. Be strict 10 yourself, but be kind to others.” He said.

    J.K Rowling is the writer of the Harry Potter series, the most popular books.

    J.K. Rowling was born in Bristol in 1965. She has one sister 1 is two years younger than her. Both girls loved listening to bedtime 2 . They loved stories about the magical (有魔力的) world. Rowling 3her first story, called rabbit at the age of six.

    4 she graduated from the university, Rowling worked in London. During that time, on a long train trip in the summer of 1990, the idea of a 5 who has magic but doesn't know it himself came to6 . In 1992, Rowling began to teach English. She lived with her daughter, Jessica, and7much time finishing the first Harry Potter book for young8. It came out in 1997. To her 9 , the book was very successful. The film came out in 2001. Now the Harry Potter series is 10with people of all ages.

    Why is the series so successful? Many other magic stories11place in faraway lands in the past or future times,12Harry lives in modern England. He 's also a very normal boy. When other 13 read the story about Harry, they can 14 being like him.

    J.K. Rowling is very happy with her success. She says she will go on 15 children's books.

A

    When people say “culture”, we 1art and history. But one very famous symbol in American culture is a cartoon. We all know and love the black mouse

2two large round ears—Mickey Mouse. Over 80 years ago, he first 3in the cartoon Steamboat Willie. When this cartoon4in New York 5November 18,1928,it was the first cartoon with sound and music. the man behind Mickey was Walt Disney. He became very rich and successful.

    Chrissy had only been in heaven for a few days. She was a (n) 1 angel there. Even though she was the newest angel, Chrissy had been given a very important task (任务). She was in charge of the 2 . Every Monday and every Thursday, she had to be 3 that the clouds get together and spread their raindrops all over the world. Every living thing on the 4 needed rain. Trees needed rain to grow 5 and strong. Grass needed rain to 6 green. All the animals had to have water to 7 and to take baths in. And of course flowers needed the rain to look lovely and smell wonderful. So making the rain come was a very important 8! But no one had told Chrissy how to make it rain, and she didn't know what to do at all.

    Chrissy asked one of the old angels if he could 9 her. "The angel that had the job before you used to tell sad stories to the clouds, and that made them cry," said the old one. But Chrissy was a very 10 little angel and she didn't know any sad stories. So she didn't think that would work.

Devon Gallagher, a college graduate from Philadelphia, wants the world to know where she's been during her great worldwide vacation in a(n) 1way.

    The traveler, who was 2 with a bone disease, had her right leg 3 at the age of four. 4 the amputation (截肢) caused hardships for Gallagher early on, she, at the age of 22 now, 5 it as an inspiration for making the 6 of her life.

To spread that 7, Gallagher has 8 to social media, 9 she shares photos of her travels across the world, but instead of 10 using a geotag (地理标签), she draws her location across her artificial leg before taking a picture.

    Now she has been taking pictures 11 Europe. "I get a new leg every two years and I can choose the design on it. One day I had a sudden 12 that my new leg could be used as a blackboard," Gallagher said. "My mum and grandmother weren't too 13 the idea, but my friends thought it was great and told me to go for it, so I did."

Gallagher said people often stare when she's 14 on her leg, but once she shares the photos, she 15 only praise and encouragement. "My leg hasn't 16 me from doing anything I've wanted to do," she said. "I don't know 17 it is my determination to prove to myself that I can do it, but anyhow, I've been able to 18 up with my peers and lead a pretty great life."

Gallagher shows us that you should never let anything stand in the 19 of your dream. And if you meet with an obstacle (障碍), get 20 with it— if life gives you an artificial leg, make art.