For some time, I had been thinking that I wanted to do something to make strangers smile. I decided that I {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (leave) small notes around shops and other public places with positive sayings or kind words for strangers {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (find).

    A friend on Facebook posted that she had received a lot of beautiful paper from an artist friend and was wondering what to do with it. I told her about my idea, and she {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (immediate) said that this must be what her paper was meant for.

    So two friends on opposite {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (side) of the world started leaving these random notes of kindness. I leave my notes without {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (expect) any particular result. It doesn't matter whether they are read {#blank#}6{#/blank#} thrown away. The main thing is that I did this act.

    I now carry around a notebook in {#blank#}7{#/blank#} I write down lovely and inspiring phrases that I find. And I buy packs of Post­ its to write notes on whenever I see {#blank#}8{#/blank#} opportunity to make a stranger smile. I only leave the notes when I am feeling in a {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (happily) mood, as I don't want to pass any negative energy on to someone else.

    I sign them all {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (say) that this note is left for you by a stranger to make you smile. Then, I add a heart.

    Chinese Kung fu is a{#blank#}1{#/blank#}(tradition) Chinese culture. It is probably one of the earliest sports that use both{#blank#}2{#/blank#}(strong) and brain.

    The theory of kung fu is based{#blank#}3{#/blank#}classical Chinese philosophy. Over its long history it has developed as a unique combination of exercise, practical self-defense, self-discipline, and art. It can date back to ancient times{#blank#}4{#/blank#}people used sticks to fight against wild animals and they gradually{#blank#}5{#/blank#}(gain) experience in self-defense.

    Chinese kung fu is a large system of theory and practice,{#blank#}6{#/blank#}(combine) techniques of self-defense and health-keeping. In sports like track and field and boxing, an athlete{#blank#}7{#/blank#}(usual) has to retire from full participation in his 30s. That is because{#blank#}8{#/blank#}(injury) suffered during years of active sport participation at a young age affect our ability to continue exercising in later life. In Chinese kung fu, however, a difference{#blank#}9{#/blank#}(make) between "external"(外部的) and "internal"(内部的) kung fu. It's said that in external kung fu, you exercise your muscles, bones and skin while in internal kung fu, you train your spirit, qi and mind. So the external body weakens later in life, but on{#blank#}10{#/blank#}contrary, internal kung fu continues.

    There were many great philosophers in ancient China. Confucius stressed the significance of {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (kind), duty and order in society, {#blank#}2{#/blank#} ideas influenced Chinese society for over 2, 000 years.

    Mencius was a student of Confucius's ideas. His teachings were similar to {#blank#}3{#/blank#} of Confucius. He {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (bring) up by his mother and had an important position in the government of {#blank#}5{#/blank#} state. He believed man is good, that people would be good if government was kind, and {#blank#}6{#/blank#} people were more important than rulers. Mencius wrote a book {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (call) The Book of Mencius in his last years.

    Mozi was also an {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (influence) thinker, whose beliefs were similar to Confucius's {#blank#}9{#/blank#} some ways. Born into a poor family, he became famous for his unusual clothes and behaviour. Because he considered that government was most important, he spent many years {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (try) to find a state where people would follow his teaching. He believed all men were equal.

The Creator of Middle Earth

    John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, better known as J. R. R. Tolkien, was born in 1892 in South Africa. His parents had moved there looking for {#blank#}1{#/blank#} better job for his father. Three years {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(late), his mother took him on a trip to England to visit family. While they were away, they received terrible news that his father had died.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(grow) up without a father must have been difficult for Tolkien. Worse still, when he was only twelve years old, his mother also passed away. As a child, he had a great passion for language and in 1908, he went to Oxford University {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(study) languages and literature. In 1915, he joined the army and fought in the battle against the Germans. But soon, he became too ill to fight and returned {#blank#}5{#/blank#} England the following year. He didn't have a {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(satisfy) childhood himself, so around in 1933, he spent much time telling his children fantasy {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(story) of a hobbit (霍比特人) called Bilbo. He first put it in writing in 1936, {#blank#}8{#/blank#} turned out to be a surprising hit. The publisher asked him to write another. He did so and in 1948 published The Lord of the Rings, which {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(publish) in three volumes between 1954 and 1955.

    Tolkien, {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(age) eighty­one, died in 1973.

    Keeping a diary in English is one of the effective ways to improve our English writing ability.

    Compared with other forms of writing, it is shorter and takes{#blank#}1{#/blank#} (little) time. It can help us to develop the habit of thinking in English. If we persist in this practice, gradually we'll learn how{#blank#}2{#/blank#}(express)ourselves in English. In keeping a diary in English, we certainly run up against many{#blank#}3{#/blank#}(difficult). In the first place, it often happens that we have trouble in{#blank#}4{#/blank#} (find) appropriate words and phrases to give expression to our mind. Secondly, there{#blank#}5{#/blank#} (be) many idiomatic ways of saying things in Chinese. And it is extremely hard for us to put them into English {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (proper).

    As far as I am {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(concern), my suggestion is {#blank#}8{#/blank#}we should always have a notebook and a Chinese-English dictionary within easy reach. Whenever something beats us, we can first put it down in our notebook and then consult our dictionary. We can also ask our English teacher {#blank#}9{#/blank#} help, if necessary. In short, I believe that it is of great use to keep a diary in English for{#blank#}10{#/blank#} development of our writing skills.

China will establish a new special economic zone in the {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (heavy) polluted province of Hebei to promote integration(一体化)with {#blank#}2{#/blank#} neighboring cities of Beijing and Tianjin, the government has announced.

The Xiongan New Area will be {#blank#}3{#/blank#} the same national importance as the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone, {#blank#}4{#/blank#} helped kick-start China's economic reforms in 1980, the official Xinhua news agency said, citing a circular released by the Chinese Cabinet.

The new special economic zone {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(locate) around 100 km south-west of Beijing, close to the Hebei provincial capital of Shijiazhuang and will house some of Beijing's relocated "non-capital functions". It is currently only 100 square kilometers in area {#blank#}6{#/blank#} will eventually be expanded to 2, 000 square kilometers.

Beijing, home to 22 million people, {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(try) to control population growth and relocate industries and other non-capital functions to Hebei in the {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(come) years as part of its efforts to prevent pollution and crowdedness.

The removal of non-capital functions from Beijing is part of a greater strategy to integrate the development of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei for a better economic structure, {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(clean) environment and improved public {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(serve).