1 . The first astronauts

Since the earliest times, people have looked up at the stars, the moon and the planets. Today people use modern machines _______ at the sky. This is very different from the situation _______ years ago when people could only use their eyes. Perhaps they dreamed of exploring the universe. When did humans first go into space? The story began not so very long ago, _______ the first astronauts were not people—they were animals.

Scientists wanted to make travelling to space as _______ as possible for humans. So they decided to experiment with animals and test _______ in space flights. Insects, mice, frogs, dogs and monkeys were some of the animals _______ first went into space. Many of them _______, but they helped to make space travel safer for humans. For their great service, we _______ forget these animals.

Albert II was the first monkey to go into space in 1949. Sadly he died _______ his spaceship landed back on Earth.

__________, the result was different for Ham, the Monkey. His story ended happily when he returned to Earth __________ very good health.

Scientists wanted to know the answer __________ the important question: could __________ animal like Ham do the same things in space as he could do on Earth? The answer came when Ham __________ into space in 1961. Yes, he did everything well and lived for __________ 16 years.

2 . My cousin _______ a good friend. Her name is Liu Li. She lost her arms in a car accident when she was a child. What was worse, she lost her parents _______ the age of twenty. Her elder sister, who was ten years older than her, wanted to _______ her. However, Liu Li refused _______ with her elder sister, saying that she would like to look after herself. She managed to enter college and studied very hard. Four years later, she graduated and found a job. Once she wrote in her diary, “Facing hard lives, I am very _______. I lost my arms, _______ I still have my legs. Give me _______ more sunshine, my world will be even warmer.”

Liu Li chose to face her misfortune (不幸) in a hopeful (乐观的) way. Instead of _______ sad every day, she decided not to let it hold her back. While she _______ difficulties, she was brave. She has taught us a good lesson. Whenever something bad happens to us, we have two choices. One is to complain (抱怨), and the other is to face it wisely. We must _______ it.

John and Mary had two lovely children. Once they were asked to go on a business trip. So they found a babysitter(临时保姆) to take care ________ the children.

A week later, as they drove into their hometown, they noticed smoke and went to see ________. A house was on fire! Mary said, “Well, the house isn’t ________. Let’s go.”

But John kept driving close, “The house belongs to Fred.” “It has nothing to do with us, let’s go.” said Mary. But John drove up. A woman ________ in the street, “My children! Help! Help!” John asked her ________ him where her children were. “In the bathroom,” cried the woman.

But Mary didn’t agree, John hurried for the bathroom ________ was full of smoke and heat. He soon found two children. As he left, he could hear some other sound like crying. He quickly sent the two children to a safe place. But he ________ two more children were still inside. Mary shouted, “Don’t go back! That house ________ down in any second!”

John went back by feeling his way down into the room. It seemed a century had passed before he found both the children ________ the return way. As he walked up the endless steps, the thought went through his mind that there was ________ strangely familiar about the little bodies, and at last when they came out, he found that he had just saved his own children!

The babysitter had left them in this house while she did some shopping.

4 . Love is a beautiful thing. We can feel it but sometimes we can’t see it! This is an ________ story. There was a man living with his 7-year-old daughter Judy ________ the countryside. One day, the man saw his daughter ________ on the chair and making a box with some paper（纸）. He was not happy and ________ his daughter, “don’t you know we don’t have much money? You are wasting（浪费）the paper.” His daughter ________ say a word. The next day, Judy gave ________ a beautiful box to her father and said, “Dad, today is your ________ birthday. This box is for you.”

The man was happy to get the box. But he was not happy again because he couldn’t find any things in the box. “________ not put things for me in the box?” He asked Judy. Judy looked at him and said,” Dad, I put my love in the box. It’s all for ________!” The man felt very sorry for his daughter. Sometimes, we can’t see love with our ________ but we can feel it with our hearts（心）.

5 . My name is Peter. I live in a small village. In _______ village, there aren’t many cars or buses, and the streets are clean. I know all the neighbors and at the end of the day, we get together and talk. We go to bed _______ because there isn’t much to do in the evening. There aren’t _______ theaters, cinemas, museums or clubs. But the children often play in the streets or in nature. There is no noise, so we can hear a lot of beautiful sounds from nature like the birds singing and the rain pouring. In the evening, we can see lots of beautiful stars in the sky.

My pen friend Ken lives in _______ big city. He says there are more workplaces in the city, better schools, nicer shops, finer restaurants and _______ cinemas, theaters and museums. Children can go to clubs and parks _______ themselves. I _______ to the city to visit Ken last month. He took me to _______ shopping center in the city and bought some nice gifts for my family.

“Which is better, the city or the village?” many of my classmates asked me _______ I came back. I’m not sure. The life in the city is quite different ________ the one in the village. But I know that I like the clean streets, friendly neighbors and fresh air in the village better.

6 . Last month we asked our students _______ their free time activities. Our questions were about exercise, use of the Internet and watching TV. Here _______ the results.

We found that only fifteen percent of our students exercise _______. Forty-five percent exercise four to six times a week. Twenty percent exercise only one to three times a week. And twenty percent do not exercise _______.

We all know that many students often _______, but we were _______ that ninety percent of them use the Internet every day. _______ ten percent use it at three or four times a week. _______ students use it for fun and not for homework.

The answers _______ our questions about ________ television were also interesting. Only two percent of the students watch TV one to three times a week. Thirteen percent watch TV four to six times a week. And eighty-five percent watch TV every day! ________ many students like to watch sports, game shows are the most popular.

It is good ________ by using the Internet or watching game shows, but we think the best way to relax is through exercise. It is healthy for the mind and the body. Exercise ________ playing sports is fun, and you can ________ time with your friends and family ________ you play together. And remember, “old habits die hard”. So start exercising before it is too late!

8 . Jack is a student in No. 1 Middle School. He goes to school on weekdays ________ bike. It usually takes him twenty minutes ________ to school. ________ class starts (开始) at 8 a.m. There are four classes in the morning and two in the afternoon. ________ favorite subject is Chinese. It’s ________. He ________ Chinese on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. He ________ likes history, but he doesn’t like math. Because he thinks it’s ________. After school, he often plays ________ soccer with his friends. He is good at ________ it.

9 . There was once a farmer who had a large field of corn. He worked on it with the _________ care, but the corn was dying _________ there had been no rain for a long time. He felt very _________.

One day, as he stood looking up at the sky, two little raindrops saw him. One said to the Other, “Look at that farmer. I feel very sorry _________ him. He works so hard in the field, but now it _________ up. I wish I might help him.”

“Yes,” said the other,” _________ you are only a little raindrop. You can’t wet _________ one plant.”

“Well,” said the first, “I know I _________ do much, but perhaps I can cheer him a little. I’ll go down to show my support, if I can’t do _________ more. Here I go!”

The second one said, “Well, I think I can do that, __________. Here I go!” So down went the two raindrops. One fell on the farmer’s nose, and the other on a thirsty plant.

“What’s that?” The farmer cried, “ __________ raindrop! I do believe we’ll have a shower（阵雨） soon.”

By this time other raindrops had seen what __________ did. One said, “If you two are doing such a good job, I shall follow!” And down it went. “And I!” said __________. “And!” they all said, until a whole shower went down and the corn __________ all because one little raindrop tried its best __________ what it could.

10 . “A friend walks in when the rest of the world walks out.” Sometimes in life, you _________ a special friend. Your life changes because of the friend, Your friend shares _________ with you to make it double(双倍的). Your friend shares sadness with you to cut it _________. Friends make you believe that there really is _________ in the world. Also, friends can always help you to _________ the best in you.

This is forever(永远的) friendship. When you’re down, and the world seems _________ dark, your friend cheers you up and makes that dark world bright. Your friend gets you _________ the hard time and the sad time. If you turn and walk away, your friend follows you _________ why and where. Your friend holds your hand and tells you that everything is going to be okay.

It’s happy and lucky for you to find _________. Because you __________ worry, there always is a person for you when you are in trouble. You have a forever friend for life, and forever has no end.