Adolescence is a time of     1     and development as you change from a child     2     an adult. It is also a time of self-discovery, as you     3     more responsibility for your decisions and actions. If you look around, you may find some of your friends have a fairly     4     view of themselves — they see themselves clearly and are fully aware of their     5     and weaknesses while others tend to focus too heavily on their faults,     6     their good points. If you have high self-esteem, you will be more confident when     7     the things you want to do and     8     likely to be influenced to do the things you would rather not do. Besides, high self-esteem also increases the likelihood of perseverance when you are     9     with challenges,     10     may help pave your way to success.

I recommend that you talk to your friend about his     1    . It is not unusual for     2     of your generation to be attracted to computer games and the online world. But spending too much time online is     3     and makes it very difficult to focus on other things in life. Some students even become     4     to the Internet and cannot concentrate on school and family life. I think you should     5     your friend to try new hobbies. Why not discuss the problem together? I am sure he will listen to you since you are his good friend.

Anyone can take part in a virtual choir from     1    —all you need is a video camera and an Internet connection. You do not even need a studio. A virtual choir helps connect     2     people together. Many people do not have close friends or contacts who have the same interest in music. Many others do not have the chance to join a local choir. A virtual choir     3     them to add their voices to those of other individuals and become part of the     4     community. It has proved to be a positive     5     on the lives of many people. As one virtual choir member said, "Music helps me to ... forget my problems. With music, I become someone else.

Customs play a significant     6     in festivals, but sometimes they can change over time. With the development of modern society and the spread of new ideas, some traditions may fade     7     and others may be established. One example is the typical Chinese Spring Festival custom of     8     firecrackers to drive away the evil spirits and celebrate the new year.     9     , many big cities have given up this custom in order to     10     air pollution. Another example is Halloween, which slowly became an exciting festival for children, in spite of its religious origins.

The virture choir was the idea of award- wining     1     (作曲家) and conductor Eric Whitacre.     2     (出生于) in the USA on 2January 1970, Whitacre began studying music   at the University of Nevada in 1988.He     3     (爱上) Mozart’s classical music when he sang for the university choir. Moved by this music, he said, “It was like seeing color for the first time.” He     4     (毕业于) university in 1995, and then     5     (获得) a master’s degree in musical composition from the Juilliand School in New York in 1997. Over the next 10 years, Whitacre’s     6     (原创的) compositions began to become quite popular among choirs and singers. This     7     (导致) the     8     (创造) of the virtual choir.

    1     (…有) so much more to learn about the interesting history and culture of the United Kingdom.     2     (学习) the history of the country will make your visit much more     3     (快乐的). The capital city London is great place to start, as it is an ancient port city that has a history     4     (追溯到) all the way back to Roman times. There are     5     (数不清的) hisroric sites to explore, and lots of museums with ancient relices from all over the UK. The UK is a fascinating mix of histoy and modern culture, with both new and old traditions. If you     6     (留心), you will be surprised    7     (发现) that you can see both its past and its present.