We sometimes want     1    (be) alone with our own thoughts, yet we have to be     2    (care) that we do not always escape into our own world. Social life is also important to     3    (we), and close friendships will help smooth out the rocky road that we may sometimes take.

    4    (general) speaking, close friendships have three “fruits”. The first fruit of friendship is the peace that     5    (come) from sharing with friends our joy, sadness, success and failure. The second fruit of friendship is     6     better understanding and judgment that may be achieved through conversations with trusted and wise friends. The third fruit of friendship is the help     7     a friend may offer in many different     8    (way).

It should be pointed out that     9    (enjoy) the company of a crowd is not the same as being with friends. Friends should be strictly chosen. In this way, we can better walk the “path of life”     10     the help, advice and support from our friends.

One Sunday morning in August, I went to local music festival. I felt it early because I had an appointment     1     (late) that day. My friends walked me to the bus stop and waited with me     2     the bus arrived. I got on the bus and found a seat near the back, and then I noticed a man     3    (seat) at the front. He     4     (pretend) that a tiger toy was real and giving it a voice. He must be     5    (mental) disabled.

Behind him were other people to     6     he was trying to talk, but after some minutes they walked away and sat near me, looking annoyed.

I didn’t want     7    (laugh) at for talking to him but I didn’t like leaving him     8     his own either. After a while I rose from my seat and walked to the front of the bus. I sat next to the man and introduced myself. We had     9     amazing conversation. He got off the bus before me and I felt very happy the rest of the way home.

I’m glad I made a choice. It made     10     of us feel good.

The Internet has made our lives more convenient. We no longer have to wait in line or carry cash around when we go shopping. We can get the most     1     (update) information from large databases. But the Internet has done much more for people than simply make life more     2     (convenience).

At age 50, Jan Tchamani suddenly developed     3     serious illness and had to quit her job,     4     (leave) her stuck at home with only her computer to keep her company. After a while, she discovered that surfing the Internet could help her feel less lonely and bored. She joined an online group     5     she could talk about her problems and get support and advice from others. She     6     (inspire) by the people she met online and she decided to start an IT club to teach older people how to use computers and the Internet. Many people     7     (help) since the club was set up. Jan has started taking online     8     (class) to learn more about how to use the Internet to make society better. She believes that it is     9     (high) important to bridge the digital divide and make sure that everyone has access     10     the Internet and knows how to use new technology.   Jan's life has been greatly improved by the Internet.

I was a smartphone addict. The first thing     1     I did when I woke up in the morning was reach for my phone. The smartphone took up too much of my time, and I could have done something more     2     (meaning) than just looking at a tiny screen all day, but     3     was not easy to quit the habit.

One day, I looked down at my smartphone when     4     (cross) the road, and I was nearly knocked off my feet. At that very moment, I made up my mind     5     (spend) a whole week without my smartphone. The first day was     6     hardest. Very soon, time slowed down. The empty hours stretched out in front of me, and I felt disconnected from everyone and everything. It was scary at first. Then somehow I began to feel free. Most     7     (important), I began to appreciate the       8     (beautiful) in life with my own eyes, instead of through my smartphone camera. My offline relationships     9     (benefit) as well. By the end of the week, I almost did not want to turn my phone back on. I cannot escape from the modern world, but I can cut back     10     the amount of time I spend on my smartphone every day, and I do. Life beyond smartphones is richer and more beautiful, and I am going to make full use of it.

The school where I’m working as a volunteer teacher is in a remote area. Life here is much harder than    1    (expect). Many students have to walk a long way    2    (get) to school. There’s no electricity or water and even no textbooks! I’m still trying to adapt    3     these conditions.

Science is my most challenging subject as my students have no concept of doing    4    (experiment). Sometimes I wonder how relevant chemistry is to these students, most of whom will be going back to their villages after Year 8. To be honest, I doubt    5    I’m making any difference to these boys’ lives at all. Anyway, I will do my best.

Today, much of the world’s ocean is still a mystery. Only 5 percent of it     1     (explore) so far. In fact, we know more about some areas of Mars     2     some parts of the world’s ocean.

New technology, however, is helping scientists explore these     3     (hide) worlds. For example, scientists are using     4     underwater vehicle called DeepSea to explore seamounts-underwater mountains.

Scientists have used DeepSea to study Las Gemelas, an area of seamounts near Costa Rica. A huge     5     (vary) of species live around Las Gemelas. Some of these species may have chemicals     6     can help people fight illnesses.

The     7     (deep) location of the earth is the Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean. The ocean floor there is     8     (approximate) 11,000 meters deep. In 2012, filmmaker and explorer James Cameron reached the Mariana Trench in a vehicle called DeepSea Challenger. He was the first     9     (complete) the journey alone. Cameron took photos and made videos on the ocean floor. Deep sea exploration also helps us     10     other ways. For example, we are learning how underwater earthquakes cause tsunamis. As Cameron says, “This is the beginning of opening up a new frontier.”

Inspired by the work of William Beebe, Dr. Sylvia Earle (1935) began her work as an oceanographer at the age of 3 when she was knocked off her feet by a wave. She     1     (fascinate) by the ocean and its creatures. Although she struggled     2     (balance) her studies and family, Earle earned her PhD from Duke University, becoming well known in the marine science community. Early in her career, and while she was four     3     (month) pregnant, Earle traveled 30.5m/100 ft below the surface in a submersible (潜水器). Her experience     4     (live) in an underwater marine habitat earned her celebrity status in the scientific community.

With the experience, Earle developed an interest     5     deep sea exploration, and in 1979 she broke     6     record for deep diving at 381 m/1,250 ft below the surface in a special suit called the Jim Suit designed to withstand (抵挡) the     7     (press). Earle decided to test the suit as part of her research on a book     8     (publish) by National Geographic, and the diving techniques only scratched the surface of the ocean. Following this adventure, Earle started two companies     9     produce deep sea exploration vehicles. The continued advancement in the technology of these vehicles has helped open up areas in the deep sea     10     (previous) unexplored.