This Christmas, maybe different from previous years, a strong desire drives me to make my own Christmas gifts. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (honest) speaking, I've promised myself this more than once. As {#blank#}2{#/blank#} crafter (工匠), I've frequently thought I am {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (suppose) to turn it into action. However, this year I really plan to stick {#blank#}4{#/blank#} it. It's partly because I am short {#blank#}5{#/blank#} money. More importantly, recently I {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (return) from an inspiring trip around Britain, collecting some information about crafting for BBC's Newsnight.

    I was really struck by people's increasing {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (enthusiastic) for making things. When I asked some people {#blank#}8{#/blank#} they could sew(缝纫), only a few raised their hands. {#blank#}9{#/blank#} when I asked who wanted to learn, nearly everyone responded positively, {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (hope) to learn something practical.

    I can well remember that I was once asked to deliver a speech titled “A Real Test in My Life” before the whole class at the age of 9! You can imagine how {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (terrible) shy I was with so many eyes {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(fix) upon me. I had no {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(choose) but to prepare for it, though. First of all, I was to draft the speech, which was just a piece of cake for me, a good writer. But the hardest part {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(lie) in my oral presentation from my memory— for to read from the paper was not allowed. The real moment began {#blank#}5{#/blank#} I stood on the platform with my legs trembling and my mind blank. But my listeners were waiting patiently without any signs of rushing me. Otherwise, I {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(run) away from them. Gradually I found myself back, delivering my speech with difficulty. After what seemed to be a hundred years, I found my audience applauding— I made {#blank#}7{#/blank#}! From then on, my fear of talking before an audience disappeared. Actually with my {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(confident) building up, I now turn out to be a great speaker. Looking back, I know the greatest difficulty on our way {#blank#}9{#/blank#} success is our fear. Overcome it {#blank#}10{#/blank#} we will be able to achieve our goals.

    Qian Zhongshu was a Chinese scholar and writer, known for his wit and erudition(博学). Despite failing in mathematics, Qian {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (success) entered the Department of Foreign Languages under Tsinghua University in 1929 because of his {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (excellence) performance in Chinese and English languages. In Tsinghua, he met his wife Yang Jiang, who was to become a successful playwright and translator, and {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (marry) her in 1935. In the same year, Qian received government sponsorship {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (promote) his studies abroad. Together with his wife, Qian headed for the University of Oxford in Britain. After {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (spend) two years at Exeter College, he received a bachelor of literature. He studied for one more year in the University of Paris in France, and he didn't return to China {#blank#}6{#/blank#} 1938.

    Qian lived in Shanghai from 1941 to 1945, {#blank#}7{#/blank#} was then under Japanese occupation. At that time he devoted {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (he) to writing and many of his works were written or published then. A collection of short {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (essay), Writing in the Margins of Life, was published in 1941. His most celebrated work Fortress Besieged appeared in 1947. On the Art of Poetry, written {#blank#}10{#/blank#} classical Chinese was issued in 1948.