Keeping a diary in English is one of the effective ways {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (improve) our English writing ability. Compared with other forms of writing, it is shorter and {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (take)less time. It can help us to develop the habit of thinking in English. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} we keep practicing, gradually we'll learn how to express ourselves in English. In keeping a diary in English, we {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (certain) run up against many {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (difficult). In the first place, {#blank#}6{#/blank#} often happens that we have trouble {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (find) suitable words and phrases to give expression to our mind. Secondly, there are many idiomatic ways of saying things in Chinese. And it is extremely hard for us to put them into English properly.

    As far as I am concerned, my {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (suggest) is that 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 look it up in our dictionary. We can also turn {#blank#}9{#/blank#} our English teacher for 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.

    Once there lived a rich man {#blank#}1{#/blank#} wanted to do something for the people of his town. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} first he wanted to find out whether they deserved his help.

    In the centre of the main road into the town, he placed {#blank#}3{#/blank#} very large stone. Then he {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (hide) behind a tree and waited. Soon an old man came along with his cow.

    “Who put this stone in the centre of the road?” said the old man, but he did not try to remove the stone. Instead, with some difficulty he passed around the stone and continued on his way. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} man came along and did the same thing; then another came ,and another. All of them complained about the stone but not tried to remove {#blank#}6{#/blank#}. Late in the afternoon a young man came along. He saw the stone, {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (say) to himself: “The night {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (be) very dark. Some neighbors will come along later in the dark and will fall against the stone.”

    Then he began to move the stone. He pushed and pulled with all his {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (strong) to move it. How great was his surprise at last! {#blank#}10{#/blank#} the stone, he found a bag of money.

    Longjing tea, also known as West Lake Dragon Well tea, is named  {#blank#}1{#/blank#} its production region—Longjing Village of West Lake in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province.

    West Lake Dragon Well tea has topped list of  {#blank#}2{#/blank#} ten most famous teas in China. The superior geographical environment and good quality water resources around West Lake have contributed much to the growth of Longjing tea.

    Legend has it that Emperor Qianlong  {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (visit) Lion Peak Moutain during his Hangzhou travels, and he saw several  {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (lady) picking the tea at the foot of the mountain. He was so interested in it that he decided to have a try himself.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} picking the tea, he received the news of his mother s illness, so he  {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (careless) put the leaves in his right sleeve and left Hangzhou for Beijing. He visited his mother immediately upon his  {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (arrive) in Beijing, and Empress Dowager smelt the fragrance of the leaves in his sleeve and wanted to have a taste. Emperor Qianlong ordered some tea for Empress Dowager, and she found  {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (she) completely refreshed after  {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (drink) a cup of tea, and she even praised it as a treatment for all ills. From then on, Shi Feng Longjing tea  {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (list) as the tribute tea (贡茶）especially for Empress Dowager.

    Last Friday a storm swept through two villages in the New Territories,{#blank#}1{#/blank#}(destroy) fourteen homes. Seven others were so badly damaged{#blank#}2{#/blank#}their owners had to leave them, and fifteen others had broken windows or roofs. One person was killed, several were{#blank#}3{#/blank#}(serious) hurt and taken to hospital, and a number of other people received smaller hurt. Altogether over two hundred people were homeless after the storm.

    A farmer, Mr. Tan, said that the storm began early{#blank#}4{#/blank#}the morning and lasted for over an hour.

    "I{#blank#}5{#/blank#}(eat) with my wife and children," he said," when we heard a loud noise. A few minutes later our house fell down on top of us. We tried our best{#blank#}6{#/blank#}(climb) out but then I saw that one of my children was{#blank#}7{#/blank#}(miss).I went back inside and found him, safe{#blank#}8{#/blank#}very frightened."

Mrs. Woo Mei Fong said that her husband had just left for work when she{#blank#}9{#/blank#}(feel) that her house was moving. She ran outside at once with her children.

    Soldiers helped to take people out of the flooded area and the welfare department brought{#blank#}10{#/blank#}(they) food, clothes and shelter.

    The Day After Thanksgiving (Friday) is known as Black Friday. This used to be unofficially or officially the start of holiday shopping season. Almost all stores come out with special early bird offers {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (attract) consumers to their shop. People stand in line hours before the stores are opened, to grab the bargains of the year. In the last few years, we {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (witness) a trend towards bringing those Black Friday Sales online before Friday.

    In the last few years (starting from 2013 to be precise), Black Friday Sales have started before Friday—with some stores {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (start) their Black Friday sales on Thanksgiving day or even on Wednesday and Monday. It would not be surprising to see Black Friday sale starting on Monday on the Black Friday week.

    The closest reason for {#blank#}4{#/blank#} it is known as Black Friday {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (give) in Wikipedia. Many retailers report some of {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (they) highest profits on Black Friday. The black portion of the name, “Black Friday” relates to businesses recording their {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (lose) in red ink and gains in black. This tradition lives on in modern accounting software.

    Deals websites like Dealsofamerica.com started to highlight “Black Friday sales” from 2003 {#blank#}8{#/blank#} then the retailers picked it up. {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (essential), Black Friday is an Internet term. But before it, people used to regard the sales {#blank#}10{#/blank#} “Day after Thanksgiving Sale”.