We are living in a time when the world is becoming a “village”. People travel around the world {#blank#}1{#/blank#} sightseeing, studying, working or volunteering. Perhaps in the near future, you will also become one of those people.

    Spending time in a foreign country is an{#blank#}2{#/blank#} (excite) and life-changing experience. You see different sceneries, taste nice food and meet people with all kinds of backgrounds. And {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (important) thing of all, you explore and even become a part of the local culture.

    Your stereotypes(成见) are broken down. You may find French people are not always “romantic”. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (America) don't eat McDonald's all the time. And you won't get malaria(疟疾) from a mosquito bite(蚊子叮咬) in Africa.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}, culture shock may hit you. Things you take for granted(认为理所当然) at home may no longer be that way in a foreign country. Not everyone thinks like you or does things the way you've always{#blank#}6{#/blank#} (do). Their tea tastes different. They don't talk{#blank#}7{#/blank#} (loud) in restaurants. Some might not care much about your life, {#blank#}8{#/blank#} you may even feel they are a bit cold. It is not better or worse. It is just different. {#blank#}9{#/blank#} you can do is to take in the differences, while trying to be respectful and humble(谦虚的). Each time you open up{#blank#}10{#/blank#} (you) mind a little more, you become a better person.

    A magician (魔术师) was working on a ship. The audience (观众) would be {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (difference) every week, {#blank#}2{#/blank#} the magician did the same tricks over and over again. There was only one problem: {#blank#}3{#/blank#} parrot saw the shows each week and began to {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (understand) how the magician did every trick. Once he understood, he started shouting, "Look, it's not the same hat", "Look, he is {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (put) the flowers under the table." The magician was {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (anger) but couldn't do anything. It was, after all, the captain's parrot. One day the ship had {#blank#}7{#/blank#} accident and sank. The magician found {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (he) on a piece of wood in the ocean {#blank#}9{#/blank#} the parrot. They stared at each other with hate, but did not say a word. This went on for some {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (day). After a week the parrot said, "OK, I give up. Where's the boat?"

    Trees are useful to man in three very important ways. They provide him with wood and other products, they give him shade, and they help him prevent droughts {#blank#}1{#/blank#} floods.

    Unluckily, in many parts of the world, man has not realized that the {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (three) of these services is the most important. In order to make money {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (quick) from the trees, he has cut them down in large numbers. Two thousand years ago, a rich and powerful country cut down thousands of trees {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (build) warships. It built up a strong empire (帝国). But without the trees, {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (it) soil became poorer and poorer. When the empire fell to pieces, the country {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (find) itself facing with floods and hunger.

    Even though a government realizes the {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (important) of trees, it is difficult to make the people realize this. They cut down trees but are too lazy to plant and look after new trees. So, unless the government has {#blank#}8{#/blank#} good system of control, or the people are educated, the forests may slowly disappear.

    This does not only mean that there will be fewer trees. The results are even {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (serious). If there are tree roots which break the soil up and allow the rain to sink in, the soil can be bound (受约束的).

    This prevents the soil {#blank#}10{#/blank#} being washed away. But if there are no trees, the soil will become hard and poor. This causes floods. And the rain carries away the rich topsoil (表层土) in which crops grow. When all the topsoil is gone, nothing remains but useless sand.

    A new term has begun. Teachers are worried about the new students, as they like to {#blank#}1{#/blank#} cellphones or MP3 players to school. What is {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (bad), some students even use cellphones to surf the Internet in class. Some other students listen to MP3 players when they are having a lesson that they are not interested"{#blank#}3{#/blank#}.

    Are these new students really so rude? Mrs Kirk, a professor at Drake University says it's not their fault. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} , the teachers should be blamed(责备). She first began thinking about students' manners six years {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. "In my first class, students were sleeping or talking to each other. It seemed that {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (learn) well had nothing to do with them." She says, "At first, I got worried about this. But then I said to {#blank#}7{#/blank#} , 'You're giving lessons, and you need to manage this kind of situation.  It's time to help them develop some good {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (habit). 'You know they shouldn't waste time doing nothing when they are young.

    Mrs Kirk also {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(make) a list of suggestions to help the new students:

    On the first day, tell students they will learn a lot by listening {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(careful) in class.

    Do not allow them to use cellphones or MP3 players in class.

    Tell them how to use cellphones or MP3 players properly(恰当地).