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

Charlie Chaplin wrote, directed and produced the films he starred in. In 1972 he was given a special Oscar for his outstanding work in films. He lived in England and the USA but spent his last years in Switzerland, where he was buried in 1977. He is loved and remembered as a great actor who could     2     .

Which theme park would you like to visit? There are     3     theme parks, with a different park for almost everything: food, culture, science, cartoons, movies or history. Some parks are famous for having the biggest or longest roller coasters, others for     4     and sounds of a culture.     5     , there is a theme park for you!

How are you doing? I’m glad to receive your e-mail. I am writing to tell you something about my favourite type of music.

（1）    1    （我最喜欢流行音乐，把它视为生活的好伙伴）. There are several reasons for it. First of all, pop music is lively and it has a natural sense of rhythm. So it suits young people at my age. Secondly, it helps me ease my stressed feelings. When I feel tired after I have been studying hard for some time, （2）    2    （我常常听音乐，这总使我感到放松）. It is also a cure for my sadness （3）    3    （因为它能把那些不愉快的时刻变成高兴时刻）. Lastly, pop music does not have complex lyrics. As a result, it is simple to understand.

What’s your favourite type of music? Looking forward to your reply.

Best wishes!

Yours,

Li Hua

3 . Eileen Collins

Although she’s never walked on a runway with models in a fancy dress, Eileen Collins is referred to by many as “Miss Universe”. That’s because Collins (1956—   ) is an a    1     and NASA’s first female shuttle pilot and mission commander.

Until quite recently, this profession was one you’d only find men in. There seemed to be little p    2     of entry for females. For them, therefore, Collins is a pioneer(先锋).

In 1995, she piloted the Discovery shuttle during flight t    3     the Russian Space Station. Four years later, she headed a shuttle mission aboard Columbia.

Collins’ achievement is not something that happens o    4    . It takes years, even decades, of preparation. But to understand the roots of Collins’ love of piloting, we have to go back to her c    5    . Collins knew from a very young age that she belonged to the skies. She grew up in Elmira in New York State, a town with a significant flight history. The first US National Gliding Contest was h    6     there in 1930.

Collins’ passion was also helped by books on the Wright brothers. Starting at age 16, Collins took on small jobs and three years later, she had s    7     enough money to accomplish her dream of learning to fly. S    8     when the US Air Force opened its doors to female pilots in 1978, the young woman applied and started her t    9     as a military pilot. Her team described her as humble (谦卑的) despite all her achievements.

Her parents agree. “She is very down-to-earth. N    10     handed her anything. Everything she has today, she’s earned,” her mother said.