All About "A-thons"

    A marathon is a long-distance running race. Now it is not only a competition, but some people organize marathons for charity. Runners get friends, families and other people to support {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (they). They promise to provide a certain amount of money for every race. For example, {#blank#}2{#/blank#} the runner runs one kilometer, the providers will each give the runner $1 for the charity. Much of money can be raised this way. However, not everyone can run, {#blank#}3{#/blank#} people in the USA have thought of other ways to raise money, {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (use) the idea of marathon.

    Walk-a-thons: A walk-a-thon is similar {#blank#}5{#/blank#} a marathon, but people walk instead of running. This is one of the most popular {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (way) for people to raise money.

    Read-a-thons: Many schools organize read-a-thon to raise money. Students can get money {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (easy) for the number of books they read in a given amount of time. Little kids can also get money according to how many pages they read. The read-a-thons {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (hold) not only to raise money, but also to encourage teenagers to read.

    Bowl-a-thons: Bowling is an interesting sport for many {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (America). In a bowl-a-thon, people raise money for every point they get in the game. The {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (high) the score is, the more money they make for the charity.

— How lucky you are!

My name is Jack. Let me tell you something about myself. Here is a photo 1 my room. My room is really tidy. And many things are in 2 room, like pens, books, shoes and so on. Look! My books 3 on the bookshelf. My shoes are under the bed. 4 are my pens? They are in my pencil box.

There 5 a bag and a tennis racket on the wall. You can see two pictures on the wall, 6 . I have a good eating habit. For breakfast, I eat some 7 and drink some milk. I eat some chicken and vegetables for 8 lunch. I never eat junk food 9 it's bad for our health. I often eat some salad and rice for dinner. After dinner, I usually 10 a walk with my parents. At ten o'clock, I go to bed.

I'm Ben from Moonlight Middle School. Peter is my best friend there. We 1 our school. Our favourite place is the 2 . We read books there every day. Peter also likes the playground. He loves 3 and he is a member of the school basketball team. 

Peter is a good student. He studies all the school lessons 4 . But I'm bad at maths. Peter often helps 5 with it. 

Peter likes 6 people. Today is the Open Day. Mamy 7 come to visit our school. Peter8 them at the school gate and takes them to the school hall to have the parents' meeting. After lunch, the parents watch a9 game. Peter is one of the players. 

Peter is so nice. I feel 10 to be his friend. 

The Eco-house

Simon Dale didn't want to live in a city's apartment building. So he made up his mind {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(build) his own house in the countryside. He moved to Wales with his family and built {#blank#}2{#/blank#} wooden eco-house. With the help of his father-in-law, a builder, he moved into a comfortable new home after only four months. It only cost $4, 700 to build the house — much {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(cheap) than an apartment. 

The eco-house is made of natural {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(thing). Simon Dale and his father-in-law {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(dig) into the side of a hill and then used the mud and stone to make the walls. The floors are {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(make) of wood from the nearby area. There is no central heating system, {#blank#}7{#/blank#} there's a wood-burner and solar panels(太阳能电板) on the top {#blank#}8{#/blank#} can provide power for lighting, music and computing. Drinking water is from a nearby spring. The fri dge stays cool, thanks {#blank#}9{#/blank#} the underground air. Simon Dale says, "We try to live in peace with the natural world. " He has {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(certain) done his best to achieve that.