As Victor Hugo once said, “Laughter is the sun that     1    winter from the human face”, and up to now nobody has been able to do this better than Charlie Chaplin. He    2    the lives of Americans and British through two world wars and the hard years in between.   He made people laugh at a time when they felt     3    , so they could feel more content with their lives.

Not that Charlie’s own life was easy! He was born in a poor family in 1889. His parents were both poor music hall     4    . You may find     5    astonishing that Charlie was taught to sing as soon as he could speak and dance as soon as he could walk. Such training was common in acting families at this time, especially    6    the family income was often uncertain.     7     his father died,     8    the family even worse off, so Charlie spent his childhood looking after his sick mother and his brother. By his teens, Charlie had,     9     his humor, become one of the most popular child actors in England. He could mime and act the fool doing     10    everyday tasks. No one was ever bored watching him-his subtle acting made everything entertaining.

My name is Wang Kun. Ever since middle school, my sister Wang Wei and I have     1     about taking a great bike trip. Two years ago she bought     2     expensive mountain bike and then she     3    me to buy one. Last year, she visited our     4    , Dao Wei and Yu Hang at their college in Kunming. They are Dai and     5    up in western Yunnan Province near the Lancang River, the Chinese part of the river     6     is called the Mekong River in other countries. Wang Wei soon got them     7    in cycling too. After graduating from college, we     8     got the chance to take a bike trip. I asked my sister, "Where are we going?"     9     was my sister who first had the idea to cycle     10     the entire Mekong River from where it begins to where it ends. Now she is planning our schedule for the trip.

At the time they were created, the Impressionist paintings were    1    , but today they are accepted as the beginning of    2    we call “modern art’. This is because the Impressionists     3    artists to look at their environment in new ways. There are scores of modern art styles, but     4    the Impressionists, many of these painting styles might not exist. On the one hand, some modern art is abstract; that is, the painter doesn’t     5    to paint objects as we see them with our eyes,     6    instead concentrates on certain qualities of the object,     7    color, line and shape to represent them. On the    8    hand, some paintings of modern art are so     9     that they look photographs. These styles are so different. Who can    10    what painting styles there will be in the future?

The most     1     and important festivals are the ones that look forward to the end of winter and the coming of spring.     2     the Spring Festival in China, people eat dumplings, fish and meat and may     3    children lucky money in red paper. There are dragon dances and carnivals, and families celebrate the Lunar New Year     4     .Some Western countries have very exciting carnivals,    5     take place forty days before Easter, usually in February. These carnivals might include parades,     6     in the streets day and night, loud music and colourful     7     of all kinds. Easter is an important religious and social festival for     8    around the world. It celebrates the return of Jesus from the dead and the coming of spring and new life. Japan’s Cherry Blossom Festival     9     a little later. The country, covered with cherry tree flowers, looks as though     10    is covered with pink snow.

Dollywood, in the beautiful Smoky Mountains in the southeastern USA, is one of the most     1    theme parks in the world. Dollywood shows and celebrates America’s traditional southeastern culture.     2    Dollywood has rides, the park’s main attraction is its culture. Famous country music groups     3     there all year in indoor and outdoor theatres. People come from all over America to see     4     and other craftsmen make wood, glass and iron objects     5     the old-fashioned way. Visit the candy shop     6     try the same kind of candy that American southerners     7     150 years ago, or take a ride on the only steam-engine train still working in the southeast USA, You can     8    see beautiful bald eagles in the world’s largest bald eagle preserve. And for those     9     like rides, Dollywood has one of the best old wooden roller coasters, Thunderhead. It is world-famous for having the most length in the smallest space. Come to Dollywood to have fun     10     all about America’s historical southeastern culture!

As the neighbors complained of the noise, my husband spent weeks training him press his paw on the latch to let himself in.     1    . However, when I was going out shopping last week, I noticed him in the garden near the gate. This time he was barking     2    . Since then, he has developed another bad habit. As soon as he opens the gate from the outside, he comes into the garden and waits until the gate shuts. Then he sits and barks until someone lets him out. After this he immediately     3    . Yesterday my husband removed the gate and Rex got so annoyed we have not seen him since.

The bodies of people who had died in Pompei let impressions     1    . As you walk, you will pass people     2     in their last hours of life. One person, sitting alone, looks like he is praying Another man, lying on his side, as if he is trying to get up.     3     for these once living statues.

In a way, Pompeii is like a “time capsule”     1     . Before the eruption occurred,     2     with temples, markets, restaurants, and theatres. Now as you walk along the streets of the city, time rewinds. You can admire the ancient architecture, statues, decorated walls and     3     However, much more than buildings and objects, it is the forms of the people who were caught in the disaster that have     4    .

I     1     understand how you feel. I also had a friend whom I trusted a lot. When I found out that I was     2     by him, I was really hurt and let go of our friendships. I know you value your friendship and want your friend to value it     3     .

In the 1400s and 1500s, Peru was the centre of the powerful ancient Inca Empire. The Inca    1     lived in the now-famous site Machu Picchu. Spain took control of Peru and ruled until 1821. It was for this reason that Spanish is the main     2     language of Peru.

After     3     your destination, you will have a day to explore and be     4     by this ancient city.     5     amazing is the Incas’ dry stone method of building.

My time here in China is going well. I love my new school and classmates. Over the October holiday, my parents and I are     6     to go to Xi’an to see the Terracotta Army. I’ve heard that it is an amazing sight, and I can’t wait to go. To me, the story of the Terracotta Army is almost     7    .

Finally, I stopped     8     myself with     9     and models and looking for things that were wrong with my face or body. Instead, I made a list of the things I liked about myself. By     10    positive about myself and my body, I became both happier and healthier.