1 . I began to grow up that winter night when my parents and I were returning from my aunt’s house, and my mother said that we might soon be leaving for America. We were on the bus then. I was crying, and some people on the bus were turning around to look at me. I remember that I could not bear the thought of never hearing again the radio program for school children to which I listened every morning.

I do not remember myself crying for this reason again. In fact, I think I cried very little when I was saying goodbye to my friends and relatives. When we were leaving I thought about all the places I was going to see — the strange and magical places I had known only from books and pictures. The country I was leaving never to come back was hardly in my head then.

The four years that followed taught me the importance of optimism, but the idea did not come to me at once. For the first two years in New York I was really lost — having to study in three schools as a result of family moves. I did not quite know what I was or what I should be. Mother remarried, and things became even more complex for me. Some time passed before my stepfather and I got used to each other. I was often sad, and saw no end to “the hard times.”

My responsibilities in the family increased a lot since I knew English better than everyone else at home. I wrote letters, filled out forms, translated at interviews with Immigration officers, took my grandparents to the doctor and translated there, and even discussed telephone bills with company representatives.

From my experiences I have learned one important rule: almost all common troubles eventually go away! Something good is certain to happen in the end when you do not give up, and just wait a little! I believe that my life will turn out all right, even though it will not be that easy.

2 . Once, when I was a teenager, my father and I were standing in line to buy tickets for the circus (马戏). ________there was only one family between us and the ticket counter. This family had eight children, all probably________the age of 12, who were________talking about the clowns, elephants, and other acts they would see that night. The mother was holding her husband’s hand, looking up at him with a big smile on her face.________, when the ticket lady quoted (报价) the price, she let go of his________, and her head dropped. The father’s lip began to shake. He moved a little________and asked, “How much did you say?” The ticket lady again quoted the price. Obviously, the man didn’t have enough money.

Seeing what was going on, my dad________a $20 bill on the ground. Then he picked it up and said to the man, “Excuse me, sir, this fell________your pocket.” The man________what was going on immediately. Looking________into my dad’s eyes, he took the money and said “Thank you, sir. This really________a lot to me and my family.”

That day we came home without any tickets. When I asked dad why he did so, dad said, “My child, it was heartbreaking and________for a father in that situation. Surely he wasn’t________a helpful hand, but he needed our help.” “We couldn’t enjoy the circus tonight, but they could because of our kind help,” added my father with________on his face.

That was a________lesson I learned from my dad.

4 . School rules

All students are expected to read and learn the School Rules. These rules aim to make each student aware of the value of self-control, orderliness and the need to develop a sense of responsibility for their own behavior and for the larger community of which they are a part.

The school expects its students to wear their full school uniform correctly and with pride. It is our expectation that uniform and shoes will be clean and in good repair. Boys hair should be combed and of an acceptable length (not over the collar, cars or eyes) , with no artificial coloring. Girls’ hair should be of a natural color. Shoulder-length hair or longer must be tied back.

All students must be at school on time. If late, the student must sign in the late book in the General Office. Parents are asked to inform the school if their child is absent (缺席的) by 8: 30 a. m. on the day of absence. A written note from a parent explaining the absence MUST be provided to the General Office the day after return. Should a student be ill during school hours, he is to go straight to the School Medical Center. The doctor will then take appropriate action.

Proper behavior is expected within and around buildings and on the sporting field at all times. Students are not to enter laboratories, language rooms and music rooms unless invited to do so by teachers. The riding of bicycles or skateboards is prohibited (禁止) along the front drive. Students riding bicycles must wear an approved bicycle helmet (头盔) . No knives, explosives or dangerous materials may be brought into the school or boarding houses. Students are forbidden (禁止) to interfere (干扰) with fire safety equipment. An automatic (自动的) fine (罚单) will be imposed if this occurs.

Mobile phones are not to be used from 8: 30 a. m. to 3: 30 p. m. At these times, phones should be switched off. If you need to make contact with parents or other significant people, please contact Reception.

5 . Scotland is packed with beautiful places to visit and you could honestly spend months and months exploring everything this wonderful country has to offer! Next I’m going to take you through some of the best place to visit in Scotland, based on where we have personally visited so far!

If you asked me where my favourite place to visit in all of Scotland is... I would say, Glen Coe. The whole area of Glen Coe constantly had my face in shock due to the beauty that I was witnessing1 was witnessing (亲眼看见). It’s just a stream of dramatic mountains, lakes, rugged (崎岖的) beauty and more.

Fort William is probably one of the most well-known places to visit in Scotland. It’s a popular tourist destination thanks to being home to the UK’s tallest mountain: Ben Nevis. Fort William is also the starting point for one of the world’s most famous train rides: The Jacobite. Harry Potter fans will recognize it as the Hogwarts Express, and this train ride will take you through the beautiful countryside, crossing some iconic Harry Potter filming locations such as the Dumbledore’s Grave and the Glenfinnan Viaduct!

This island feels totally different from other parts of Scotland and is truly rugged and ready! There are many hot spots to explore including the Old Man of Storr, the Fairy Glen. I even stayed on a private island with its very own lighthouse, which was one of the coolest places I’ve ever visited and one of the most romantic places stay in Scotland.

This is the largest national park in the UK so it’s another popular place to visit in Scotland and it’s no surprise why. It’s absolutely beautiful and there’s so much happening at the Cairngorms National Park! From skiing or meeting local reindeers, you’ll not go bored and you’ll be surrounded by beauty the entire time.

9 . We would like to take a look at cashew nuts. If you have been lucky enough to taste one, you will know just how delicious they are. Once you begin eating cashews, it’s very difficult to stop.

Here’s something you may not have known about cashew nuts until now. The cashew nut that you eat is not a nut at all. It’s the seed that grows inside a single nut found beneath a cashew apple from the cashew tree. The red or yellow cashew fruit does not contain any seeds. Technically, that means they are not actually a fruit——even though they look like one. They taste a little like mango with a bit of grapefruit. It is unlikely that you will ever see one outside of Brazil because its skin is very thin. They do not travel well. In Brazil, they are eaten raw, drunk as a juice or turned into a delicious jam (果酱).

The nut is very hard. You have to be very careful if you open it. It contains a poison that can badly burn your skin if you come into contact with it. To remove this, the nut has to be roasted at a high temperature for 20 minutes before it is opened. Once roasted, the nut is ready and the cashew is taken out. It has a thin skin around it. This is peeled off (剥掉) carefully to make sure the cashew is not broken. The cashew is then roasted once more in coconut oil for 5 minutes. Then it’s ready to eat. What has just been described is a long process. This is why cashews are expensive.

Cashews are eaten all over the world. They are also popular ingredients in different styles of cooking, especially in Southeast Asia. Cashews can be found in nut butter, ice cream, cashew milk and also cheese spread! We are thankful to the Portuguese who discovered the cashew tree in Brazil. If it had not been for them, the Brazilians may have kept cashews all to themselves.

10 . At 91 years old and with Alzheimer’s (阿尔茨海默病) disease, Gene McGehee was finding his golden years to be his loneliest. That all ________ one day when he heard the clear ________ of children’s laughter right outside his home.

When Gene ________ outside, he couldn’t believe his good fortune (运气) to discover a group of lively young kids playing. The children, from the daycare centre across the street, were more than ________ to include Gene in their fun. They nicknamed him Big Gene, and a special, long-lasting friendship was ________ between Gene, the kids and Megan Nunez, the daycare teacher.

Gene’s ________ Alzheimer’s disease means he now has only short-term memory. For the last three years, Gene has been ________ Megan and the kids every day for what he thinks is the first time. “Every day, I cross the street, and we stay together,” explained Megan. “I always tell the kids that his ________ is kind of sick, but his heart remembers us.”

Gene’s daughter, Cathy, said he suffered from (遭受) ________ until the kids came into his life and ________ his days. He now gets to just go outside and make new friends on a daily basis. “They have been such a blessing to Daddy, and he lights up,” Cathy ________ shared.

Gene and the kids enjoy their one-hour “playdate” every afternoon. They ________ jokes, stories, laughs and hugs. He sometimes even ________ their games. Even though the day’s cherished memories disappear as the sun sets, something remains in the depths of Gene’s mind. It is that ________ feeling that makes him go outside as soon as he hears the children’s ________ once again.