For example, one evening when it was so warm, I stayed     1     on purpose until half past eleven in order to have     2     good look at the moon by     3    . But as the moon gave     4     too much light. I didn’t dare     5     a window. Another time five months ago, I     6     to be upstairs at dusk when the window was open. I didn’t go downstairs     7     the window had to be shut. The dark, rainy evening, the wind, the     8     clouds held me     9     in their power; it was the first time in a year and f half that I     10     seen the night face to face…

A NIGHT IN THE MOUNTAIN

    1     it was autumn, the snow was already beginning to fall in Tibet. Our legs were so heavy and cold that they felt like blocks of ice. Have you ever seen snowmen ride bicycles? That’s     2     we looked like? Along the way children dressed in long wool coats stopped to look at us. In the late afternoon we found it was so cold that water bottles     3    . However, the lakes shone like glass in the setting sun and looked wonderful. Wang Wei rode in front of me as usual. She is very     4     and I knew I didn’t need to encourage her. To climb the mountains was hard work but as we looked around us, we were surprised by the view. We seemed to be able to see for miles. At one point we were so high that we found ourselves cycling through clouds. Then we began going down the hills. It was great fun     5       as it gradually became much warmer. In the valleys colourful butterflies flew around us and we saw many yaks and sheep eating green grass. At this point we had to change our caps, coats, gloves and trousers for T-shirts and shorts.

THE DREAM AND THE PLAN

My name is Wang Kun. Ever since middle school, my sister Wang Wei and I have dreamed about taking a great bike trip. Two years ago she bought an expensive mountain bike and then she     1     me to buy one. Last year, she visited our cousins, Dao Wei and Yu Hang at their college in Kunming. They are Dai and grew up in western Yunnan Province near the Lancang River, the Chinese part of the river that is called the Mekong River in other countries. Wang Wei soon got them interested     2         3     too. After graduating from college, we finally got the chance to take a bike trip. I asked my sister, “Where are we going?” It was my sister who first had the idea to cycle along the entire Mekong River from where it begins to where it ends. Now she is planning our     4     for the trip.

I am fond of my sister but she has one serious     5    . She can be really stubborn. Although she didn’t know the best way of getting to places, she insisted that she organize the trip     6    . Now, I know that the proper way is always her way. I kept asking her, “When are we leaving and when are we coming back?” I asked her whether she had looked at a map yet, Of course, she hadn’t; my sister doesn’t care about     7    . So I told her that the source of the Mekong is in Qinghai Province. She gave me a determined look—the kind that said she would not change her mind. When I told her that our journey would begin at an     8         9     more than 5.000 metres, she seemed to be excited about it. When I told her the air would be hard to     10     and it would be very cold, she said it would be an interesting experience. I know my sister well. Once she has made up her mind, nothing can change it. Finally, I had to give in.

The    1    between the two restaurants was on! A week later, Wang Peng’s restaurant was nearly full and he felt happier. Perhaps he would be able to earn his    2    after all and not have to close his restaurant. He did not look forward to    3    in debt because his restaurant was no longer popular. He smiled as he welcomed some customers     4     at the door but the smile left his face when he saw Yong Hui walking in. She did not look happy but     5     at him. “May I ask what you were doing in my restaurant the other day? I thought you were a new customer and now I know that you only came to     6    on me and my menu,”she shouted. “Please excuse me,” he calmly     7    , “I wanted to know     8     all my customers had gone last week. I followed one of them and found them in your restaurant. I don’t want to upset you, but I found your menu so    9    that I stopped worrying and started advertising the    10    of my food. Why don’t you sit down and try a meal?”

I am going to tell you an unbelievable thing     1    happened in my restaurant today.

This afternoon a poorly－dressed gentleman came into my restaurant. Nobody knew     2    he was. We wondered     3    he was so hungry. We were surprised     4    he finished two orders of food in a very limited time.We doubted     5    the man was able to pay the bill. The gentleman asked     6    we would mind waiting for just a few minutes. Then we were shocked to see    7    he took out of an envelope—a million pound bank note.

I asked Mr. Clements    8    it was genuine. Mr.Clements said it was true because two of this amount had been issued by the Bank of England this year. He thought     9    the gentleman showed them couldn’t be a fake.

    10    a gentleman with a million pound note was in rags and ate in our small restaurant was a big puzzle to all the people there. I really couldn’t describe how excited I was.