Xie Lei left her hometown to study in London as an exchange student. The first challenge was     1     she had to adapt to life in a different country. She learned how     2     (ask) for things she didn’t know the English names for. And she chose to live with a host family, because living with them     3     (comfortable) could ease her homesickness. Another challenge for Xie Lei is the     4     (academy) requirements. She had to read a lot to form a wise opinion of her own. Students’ participation in class     5     (include) as part of the final result. After having worked hard for a few weeks, Xie Lei found herself     6     (speak) up in class. And her     7     (present) on traditional Chinese art was a great success, which boosted her confidence.

As well as studying hard, Xie Lei had been involved     8     social activities. British people were fascinated by Chinese culture and eager to learn more about     9    . So while she was learning about business, she     10     (act) as a cultural messenger building a bridge between China and England.

Six months ago, Xie Lei boarded a plane for London. Because it was the first time that she     1     (leave) China, she had to adapt    2     life in a different country. Not     3     (live) in campus accommodation like other students, Xie Lei    4     (choose) to live with a host family     5    can help with her adaption to     6    new culture. Another challenge for her is the     7     (academy) requirements. Her tutor wanted to know what she thought. Xie Lei really felt confused because she thought she knew less than other people.     8    through her hard work,     9     (eventual) she got a perfect presentation. Now halfway through her exchange year, we wish     10     (she) all the best.

The Great Barrier Reef is almost the size of Japan, which can be seen from outer space. The reef is made up of living coral     1    (grow) on dead coral. It is host     2     different kinds of birds and sea creatures. However, this unique place is under threat, so volunteers are required     3    (take) care of the reef. The working hours are flexible and accommodation     4    (provide).

The candidates are supposed to find out     5     the reef has to offer and report back through     6    (week) blogs, photo diaries and video updates and will also be asked to promote the islands through newspapers, magazines and TV     7    (interview).

The job was finally offered to Ben Southall from the UK. Ben did a lot when he worked as     8     island caretaker. He made appearances     9    (frequent) on TV to argue in favour of the defence of the islands and wrote a book about his experiences. He later joked that the job should have     10    (advertise) as “the busiest job in the world”.