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!

2 . A

Water had also appeared on other planets like Mars but,     1     the earth, it     2     later. It was not immediately obvious that water was to be     3     to the development of life.     4     many scientists believe is that the continued presence of water allowed the earth to dissolve     5     gases and acids into the oceans and seas.

B

Some people have the idea that you can cross Canada in less than five days, but they forget     6     Canada is 5,500 kilometres from coast to coast. Here in Vancouver, you’re in Canada’s warmest part. People say it is Canada’s most beautiful city,     7     by mountains and the Pacific Ocean. Skiing in the Rocky mountains and sailing in the harbor make Vancouver one of Canada’s most popular cities     8     in. Its population is increasing rapidly. The coast north of Vancouver has some of the oldest and most beautiful forests in the world. It is so wet there that the trees are     9     tall, some     10     over 90 metres.

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

4 . 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.

Our eating habits have changed, as    1     our way of life, and the fuel we need for our body is also different. Other nutrients, such as fiber and minerals, help keep our body    2     well. Vitamins, which we can get from eating vegetables, fruit, fish and drinking milk, help our body    3     disease. It is probably better, however, if we spend our time and money in buying good food and     4     a balanced diet. If we eat healthy food in the right    5    , we do not have to buy any supplements. The same goes for “crash diets” that some companies say will make us    6     fast.     7     eating expensive diet food or going on unhealthy diets, we can simply try to eat less fat and sugar and     8     more.

Kwanzaa is a seven-day festival     9     the culture and history of African Americans. Kwanzaa is a time for learning    10     joy. On the last day of Kwanzaa, family and friends     11     to enjoy a large meal and to celebrate the new year.

    12     a new festival may seem an unusual way to celebrate history and culture, but we are in fact creating new festivals every year.     13     we celebrate a festival it changes a little and in that way we keep our culture    14     . The Spring Festival, Christmas, Ramadan, Kwanzaa and all the other holidays and festivals help us understand who we are, remember where we come from, and     15     our hopes for a happy future.