Seven years ago, I was a 16-year-old girl doing a part-time job at an aquarium (水族馆). My passion for the 1 and my dream of becoming a biologist made every day at the aquarium exciting. I also got along well with the other workers.
However, when "Shark Week" arrived, on the day of my duty, I suddenly fell 2 . My face appeared pale and I was about to 3 . My co-worker noticed and walked me to the office. Feeling really sick, I knew I had to take a 4 home.
As I made my way to the bus stop, I passed a cupcake shop. Considering the hot weather, I decided to 5 myself to an ice cream. The woman at the checkout did the usual customer service "How's your day?" Hearing this, I almost 6 in tears as I explained that I wasn't well enough to work and that I would end up missing Shark Week. She looked at me in sympathy and 7 asked if I wanted some chocolate on my ice cream. I said sure. As I 8 for my purse, the woman immediately told me that it was on her. I was so 9 that I thanked her a million times before leaving.
My memory isn't the best, but her act of kindness did make my terrible day better. Small kindnesses really make a 10 . The experience of that day has always reminded me to be a source of positivity for those around me, especially during difficult times.
Balanced on a rock in the middle of a river, a black bear lowers her head to the water and tries to catch a fish. She's spent the summer eating berries and roots. Now she's eating all the fish she can catch. She needs fat to put on weight and make milk for newborn bears this winter.
Black bears live throughout most of North America, including northern Mexico. They usually live in forests and are excellent tree climbers. Although they are called black bears, they can be blue-gray, brown, or even white. Black bears are not picky eaters. Their goal is to store up as much fat as possible before their winter sleep.
In late November and early December, black bears head to their caves to sleep away the winter, or hibernate (冬眠). Their body temperature is lowered, and their breathing slows down while they live off the huge amounts of body fat they stored up during the summer and fall. This way, they don'thave to go out and look for food in the cold.
Male black bears leave their caves around mid-March, but females stay a little longer. That's because they give birth around January and want to give their kids time to grow bigger before heading back outside in the early spring.
Little black bears stay with Mom for one to three years while she teaches them how to live in the wild. Then, when they're ready, they head off to survive in the woods alone—until they start a family of their own.
Dorothy lived with her uncle Henry and aunt Em who were both farmers. Their house had only four walls, a floor and a small space under the floor to protect them from powerful winds. The house was in the middle of poor land with strong sunlight and few plants. Aunt Em used to be young and cheerful, but the sun and wind had taken away her happiness. Uncle Henry also looked serious and strict. Only Toto, a little black dog with shiny hair and bright eyes, could bring laughter into Dorothy's life.
One day, they heard low sounds of wind from both the north and the south. Uncle Henry realized a strong wind was coming. He rushed to protect the animals while Aunt Em hurried Dorothy to the basement. Suddenly, the house began to rock and rise to the air. In the center, the wind blew loudly, but Dorothy found herself riding safely on the rising house.
Frightened, Toto ran around the room until Dorothy caught him and protected him from falling through the open door. She closed it carefully to avoid further danger. As hours passed, Dorothy slowly got over her fear. She finally fell asleep on her bed with Toto by her side. The wind had set Dorothy's house down gently in a beautiful country.
As she looked around, she saw green grass, fruitful trees, and colourful flowers. Birds with special feathers sang and flew around. As she stood enjoying the beautiful views, a group of strangely dressed people came near. They wore round hats that rose to a small point a foot above their heads. Three men were dressed in blue, and a little woman wore a white dress. They stopped and discussed in a low voice, as if afraid to come farther.
Encouraged by the 13th-century book "The Travels of Marco Polo", Italian physicist (物理学家) Alessandro Codello started his own Silk Road journey a few years ago from Italy. He traveled through countries including Greece, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, and finally China. During his trip, Codello carried "The Travels of Marco Polo" with him. "Every time I reached a new area, I tried to find ideas or places that matched Polo'swords… The most interesting thing was finding what he wrote in the book was right in front of my eyes." he shared.
Codello is very interested in the markets along the way, as lively trades and exchanges took place in those places. From time to time, he was invited to give speeches and attend meetings at universities. He mentioned that as a physicist, he couldn't wait to find anything related to science along the way. He talked about his trip to Khiva in Uzbekistan. It is the hometown of mathematician Al-Khwarizmi (780-850), from whom the word "algorithm (算法)" gets its name. "It's closely related with Shenzhen today," he said. "It is very important to many problems and technologies that engineers in Shenzhen meet."
When Codello finally arrived in China at the end of his journey, he felt the same curiosity as Marco Polo. "When I first arrived in China, I was not used to paying with a phone. I was amazed that banknotes were not commonly used. However, when Marco Polo was here, he was amazed that people in China were using paper money. Once again, I shared the same feeling with Marco Polo," Codello said.
A. You may really miss things sometimes. B. Always revisit areas where you have worked. C. Don't just put them back in the cupboard (橱柜). D. Try taking aphoto and see how it makes you feel. E. Even cleaning up a small area can give you big excitement. F. You maybe surprised that most things can be reused or recycled. |
Many people have old phones, computers, and cables that are just sitting in boxes or bags in their homes. Here'show you can tidy up your home by recycling these items (物品):
Get organised
Before you start, prepare rubbish bags, recycling bags, and a box for charity. You need to have different places for different things.
Small victories matter
It doesn't matter how much you can do at once. Start with one area and work on it until it's done. If you don't finish everything, that's okay.
Donate and recycle
Clothes, shoes, books, wood, toys, batteries... There's always a place for them. Look around your neighborhood for drop-off points.
Use photos to save space
Did you know that taking a photo of something can help you remember it without actually keeping the item? You keep things because you have memories with them. It may help you let go and clear the space.
People often get upset when they don't throw away as much as they hoped to. Don't worry if you feel like that. You'll probably find more things to go.
A. Zhangjiajie National Forest Park This wonderful tour will take you to the amazing mountains in the movie Avatar. Zhangjiajie also offers the world's longest and highest glass bridge for sightseeing. Walk it if you dare! B. Guizhou: Huangguo Waterfall Discover this mountainous province hidden in Southwest China. China's largest and most beautiful waterfall lies there. Take time to taste the delicious local food that you'll never forget. C. An Adventure of Lifetime in Tibet April is one of the best months to visit Everest Base Camp. The weather is at its best for viewing and photographing the Roof of the World. The Potala Palace in Lhasa is also a must-see. D. The Best of Japan This trip, scheduled from late March to early May, takes you to the most famous places of interest in Japan when the landscape is covered with pink cherry blossoms (花簇). E. Lively and Energetic Italy Italy in the spring is a wonderland of rebirth and warmth without the crowds. Snow melts and beautiful flowers are everywhere. Go and explore the artworks in the ancient cities! F. Maldives: Beaches & Sunshine From March through April, the final months of the Maldives' dry season, visitors will find great diving conditions, the start of surf season and clear skies ideal for walking. |
Alexis tired of heavy snowfall. He wants to have great fun in the sea.
Mike is a camping fan. He wants to take pictures of towering mountains.
Jane likes cartoons a lot. She wants to see the national flowers of Japan herself.
Kevin is learning filming in the USA. He is very interested in where Avatar was shot.
Nancy enjoys taking photos of waterfalls. She wants to try snacks in Southwest China.
29-year-old Yang Xu has taken up a new hobby: seal carving (篆刻), and has been taking classes at a local night school. "I used (spend) my free time staring at my smartphone," Yang said. "Now, I spend one and a half (hour) at the seal cutting class every day, finding achievement and peace in it."
Night classes were very popular in the 1980s, when many young Chinese people were learning new skills to make living. Today, these classes are becoming popular again among young people, though they now serve the purpose enriching cultural needs.
The night art school Yang attends (set) up by the local government in 2016. For those are interested, the school provides twelve 90-minute classes at a cost of 500 yuan. On average,the price for each hour of class is (near) the same as a bubble tea.
Before the night school was opened, young people had trouble (find) classes in traditional art. Today, the night school provides all these classes at a reasonable price, taught by (celebrate) teachers and artists.
For many young people, night classes are an escape from the busy city life. "The stress in city creates a lot of worries," Yang said. "People need a place to rest (they) minds, and night art classes can be that one."
注意：1 ．词数为 80 左右（开头和结尾已给出， 不计入总词数） ；
2 ．可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3 ．文章不能出现真实姓名及学校名称；
4 ．条理清楚， 语句通顺，意义连贯， 书写规范。
参考词汇： sprint (v.短跑；冲刺跑) martial arts (n.武术)
Dear Peter,
Hearing that you are very interested in the sports activities of our school, I'd like to
……
I'm looking forward to your arrival.
Yours,
Li Hua
