Living Abroad

Moving abroad can be a challenging (有挑战性的) experience. You leave your family, friends and e    1     else you know. You enter a new culture where the customs and language are d    2    . However, it’s also exciting. It’s time to discover new things, make new friends and begin a new adventure.

I am working as a language helper in Lyon, France now. I’ve visited France many times b    3    , but this is the first time that I have lived here. To feel at home in France, I involve (积极参与) myself in the local culture as much as p    4    , but it is not e    5    .

Actually, it is hard to find other English speakers and make friends w    6     people who have different cultural customs.

So what are the best w    7     to involve yourself in the new culture while you are living abroad?

★Live with a native (当地的) speaker

There are many advantages of living with a native speaker. Firstly, you will have a friend! Living a    8     can be a lonely experience, especially when you’re far from home. Secondly, you can speak the local language every day. And thirdly, you will have someone to tell you about the cultural customs and interesting places in the area.

★Volunteer to do something

Volunteering is a great way to meet people of different ages. You can p    9     speaking the local language with the people there. Talking with homeless people about their stories has helped me with my French vocabulary and my understanding of French.

★Try the local food

The food in France is great and discovering new food is a fun experience. I’ve tried things that I’ve never tried in the past few years and my knowledge of different bread and cheese types has increased (增加) g    10    . So remember to try the local food.

If you were a little screw (钉子), could you stick to your post forever? Lei Feng answered this question with his service to his country.

Lei Feng was a     1     (China) soldier. During the 22 years he was alive, he helped many people. He carried luggage for the elderly and gave food to children. He once gave all his money to his     2     (friend) sick mother. He darned pants and socks for his fellow soldier.

Lei Feng seldom     3     (speak) about what he did. After he died in 1962, people found his diary and learned about him. He became     4     symbol of the giving spirit. “There is a limit (限度) to one’s life,     5     no limit to serving people,” Lei Feng said.

In 1963, Chairman Mao     6     (call) on the nation to learn from Lei Feng, and each year’s March 5th has been named as “Lei Feng Day”. On that day, students do all kinds     7     volunteer work to learn from the role model. This year, some     8     (five) graders in Shijiazhuang put the shared bikes along the road in order. Students from a primary school in Dalian told Lei Feng’s     9     (story) to others. “I learn from Lei Feng’s selflessness and want to help others by     10     (do) small things,” said one student.

There were two naughty (淘气的) boys called Ravi and Laksh. They went to school together every day.

One day, Ravi told Laksh he had     1     idea, and they wouldn’t have to attend the classes the next day. Laksh thought that was a     2     /dʒəʊk/. But Ravi pointed at three goats (山羊) and said, “After everyone leaves the school today, we will bring these goats into our classroom and hide (藏) them. When the class begins tomorrow, everyone will spend time     3     (look) for them. So we won’t have to take the classes.”

Laksh said, “    4     finding such big goats isn’t a difficult job. Also, there are only three goats.” Ravi smiled, “Just see what I’ll do.”

After everyone left the school, Ravi and Laksh     5     (catch) the three goats and brought them into the classroom. Ravi wrote the number 1 on the first goat, and the number 2 on the second and the number 4 on the t    6    . Then he hid the goats. “Let’s see what will happen tomorrow,” he said to Laksh.

The next day, when other students heard the     7     /nɔɪz/ of the goats, they began to look for the goats. They found the three goats very s    8    . But they still kept searching because they couldn’t find the goat with the number 3. Ravi and Laksh laughed, and then they told the teacher what they had done.     9     the end, the teacher criticized (批评) them.

Sometimes we keep looking for something and get     10     (worry). It’s possible that the thing we are looking for doesn’t exist (存在) at all like the goat with the number 3.

One day before my final exam, my dad gave me a gift. It completely     1     (change) my life.

Before the exam, I had a difficult time with studies. I got into a fight     2     my friends that day and I was very unhappy. Then I noticed     3     gift. I opened it and saw a DVD inside.     4     (it) name was THE SECRET. However, I was in no mood (心情) to watch it. I sat down to study, but the problems in my life— the fight, the sleepless nights     5     my poor health—all came to my mind. I wanted an answer but I wondered if there was any. Just then, I saw the DVD again. Maybe it would be     6     (help). I turned on my DVD player. I had no words to describe the feelings I experience while I was     7     (watch) it. I would not forget the moving (感人的) stories I watched that day.

Thanks to my father’s gift THE SECRET, I have known that everybody has     8     (difficult) in their lives. The important thing is that we should be honest enough to face them instead of     9     (run) away from them. I’ve also     10     (learn) how to get on well with my studies and my friends. And I’m in good health, too. I often hear people say, “What a perfect life you have!”

A hurricane (飓风) is a big storm that forms (形成) over warm ocean water. Hurricanes have winds that move in a circle. Hurricane winds     1     (be) very powerful, and can move at speeds from 120 kph to over 300 kph.

The center of hurricane winds is called the eye. Winds in     2     eye are not very strong. Around the eye is an area called the eye wall. The wall is where winds are the     3     (strong) and rain is the heaviest.

Strong winds and heavy rain can do a lot of damage (破坏) when a hurricane moves over land.

Hurricane winds can be strong enough     4     (break) windows into pieces. The winds can even knock over (撞倒) tall trees, which might fall on     5     (building) or cars. Strong winds can pick up things and send     6     (they) into the air.

Heavy rain     7     a hurricane can cause floods (洪水) in areas that are not close to a coast (海岸). The floodwater can be very deep. It sometimes     8     (reach) almost up to the top of houses. Water goes into the houses     9     (quick).

    10     there is no way to stop a hurricane, you can get prepared for it.