1 . In summer, millions of people will head for the beach. And while the ocean can be a great place to swim and play, it may also be useful in another way. Some scientists think that waves could help make electricity.

“Have you ever been on a surfboard or boat and felt yourself being lifted up by a wave? Or have you jumped in the water and felt the energy as waves crashed over you?” asked Jamie Taylor of the Wave Energy Group at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. “There is certainly a lot of energy in waves.”

Scientists are working on using that energy to make electricity．

Most waves are created when winds blow across the ocean. “The winds start out by making little ripples (波纹) in the water, but if they keep on blowing, those ripples get bigger and bigger and turn into waves,” Taylor said. “Waves are one of nature’s ways of picking up energy and then sending it off on a journey.”

When waves come towards the shore, people can set up dams or other facilities to block the water and send it through a large wheel called a turbine (涡轮). The turbine can then power an electrical generator (发电机).

The United States and a few other countries have started doing research on wave energy, and it is already being used in Scotland.

The resource is huge. We will never run out of wave power, besides, wave energy does not create the same pollution as other energy sources, such as oil and coal.

Oceans cover three quarters of the earth’s surface. That would make wave power seem perfect for creating energy around the world. There are some drawbacks, however.

Jamie Taylor said that wave power still cost too much money. He said that its effects on animals in the sea were still unknown. Plus, wave power would get in the way of fishing and boat traffic.

With more research, however, “many of these problems might be overcome,” Taylor said. “Demand for energy to power our TVs and computers, drive our cars, and heat and cool our homes is growing quickly throughout the world．Finding more energy sources is very important, for traditional sources of energy like oil and gas may run out some day.”

In the future, when you turn on a light switch, an ocean wave could be providing the electricity!

2 . My mother is the sweetest person you would ever want to meet. She was always bright and selfless. She is also someone whose_________is being damaged and whose identity is being lost slowly because of Alzheimer’s disease (阿尔茨海默症/老年痴呆症). For me, it is a slow letting go and a_________process. Although she couldn’t_________herself，she at least still knew her immediate family. I knew the day would come when that would change and finally, about two﹣and﹣a﹣half years ago, that day came.

My parents would visit us almost daily and we would have a pleasant time, but one day there was a connection missing. My mother no longer_________me as her daughter. She would tell my father “Oh, they are such nice people.” Telling her I was her daughter made no_________at all. When I would hug her good﹣bye, I would close my eyes and_________that this was my mother from years ago. I would drink in (陶醉于) every familiar (熟悉的) feeling I have known for 36 years﹣her warm comforting body, and the soft, sweet smell that was hers alone. Every day, I prayed (祈祷) for her.

One late summer afternoon, my prayers were_________and I was taken by surprise. My parents were outside in the garden when my mother suddenly jumped up_________she had been hit by lightning. She ran into the kitchen, grabbed me gently from behind and_________me around. With a sparkle (闪光) in her eyes, she__________asked me if it was true, was I her baby? Tears welling up, I said, “yes, it was true”. We hugged and cried and neither of us wanted to let go of this magical moment. I knew it could disappear as quickly as it came. She said she always felt a__________to me and that I was nice, but that it had come to her suddenly that I was her child. We felt__________.I took this reward from God and savored (享受) it, even if it were to last just for that moment. We had a special connection again.

__________my mother’s condition has continued to worsen, she remembers who I am and it has been a year since that__________afternoon. A month ago when we had another visitor, she started stroking my hair and told them__________, “Did you know that she was my baby?”

4 . Forcing waiters and waitresses to survive on tips from customers rather than normal wages is a pointless, offensive, and unique American custom that, in the past several years, a handful of progressive restaurant owners have attempted to abolish. Danny Meyer, CEO of Union Square Hospitality Group, is about to join their ranks and has announced that he plans to gradually stop tipping at the company’s thirteen restaurants.

What, exactly, is wrong with tipping? As Brian Palmer has explained, more or less it’s everything. To start with, leaving a waiter’s pay in the hands of customers has a feeling of classism (阶级歧视) . And in theory, handing restaurant customers the power to tip is at least supposed to motivate better service. This fails in practice because humans turn out to be pretty casual about their tipping behavior. Research has shown that the amount diners tip has very little to do with their level of satisfaction. All of this doesn’t encourage waiters and waitresses to do anything but turn over as many tables as possible.

Tipping is also very unfair to kitchen staff. The law allows restaurants to divide tips between front-of-the-house workers like waiters, hosts, hostesses, and bartenders, but not cooks. This creates a system in which the people serving the food in a restaurant can earn more than the people preparing it.

One of the most fascinating parts of Meyer’s move is that, unlike some restaurant owners who have taken an anti-tipping stand, he won’t simply add a standard extra charge to diners’ bills. Rather, Union Square Hospitality Group means to raise menu prices enough to fully cover the cost of a meal. If Meyer manages to move away from tipping at all without hurting his profits, it would almost certainly set the stage for others to follow suit.

Festivals are celebrated all around the world. They have a wide    1    of origins, such as the seasons of the year, religions, famous figures, and important     2    . Every festival has its different customs and unique charms. However, no matter     3     different they may seem, all over the world, the spirit of sharing     4    , gratitude, love, or peace is common in all festivals.They reflect people’s wishes, beliefs,faiths, and     5     towards life.Today was my first day back in San Francisco after camping in the Redwood Forest. I have to     6     that It definitely feels good to be back in the city again which was able to rebuild itself after the earthquake that     7     (occur) in 1906. There are a wide range of beautiful old buildings—many sitting on top of big hills,     8     great views of the city, the ocean, and the Golden Gate Bridge.My hotel is near downtown in the Mission District, one of the     9     parts of the city. In fact, an art movement called the ‘‘Mission School’’ started here. It’s     10     by graffiti art and comic art.

How is everything?

Looking forward to seeing you in Beijing.

Best wishes!

Yours,

Li Hua

Yours,

Li Hua