1 . Bill Gates was born in 1955. He grew up in Seattle, Washington. When he was young, he was good at science and maths. And he wanted to be a scientist.

Bill started to play with computers when he was 13. At that time, computers were very large machines. Once he was interested in a very old computer. He and some of his friends spent lots of time doing unusual things with it. In the end, they worked out a software program with the old machine. Bill sold it for 4,200 dollars when he was only 17.

In 1973, Bill went to Harvard University. He developed the Basic Language for the first microcomputer. In his third year, he left Harvard. Bill began his company in 1975 with his friend Paul Allen. They thought that the computer would be a very important tool in every office and in every home, so they began developing software for personal computers. They developed the software to make it easier for people to use computers.

In 1999, Bill wrote a book. In the book, he told people how computer technology could solve business problems in new ways. It was one of the best-sellers on The New York Times’ list. Bill Gates has many hobbies. He enjoyed reading very much. He also enjoys playing golf and bridge.

Do you want to learn a foreign language? Choose one of the most     1     (use) languages suggested below to learn.

In most countries all over the world, English is     2     most widely used second language. Whether a person is traveling to a foreign country or communicating     3     people from other     4     (country) for business purposes, English is one language which will come in handy at every step.

Spanish is the language of business in about twenty countries. There are many jobs in the United States as well as in many other countries, which specially ask for people     5     know how to speak and write Spanish.

The Chinese economy is booming! In the future, China     6     (become) the economic world leader, which makes     7     important to learn Mandarin Chinese, a language     8     (speak) by millions of people.

French is recognised as one of the top languages to learn,     9     (simple) because it is a chief language in northern and western Africa. Anyone trying to understand European history can benefit a lot from     10     (learn) this language.

6 . Dark Sky Parks Around the World

Situated in the central west slopes of New South Wales is Australia’s only dark sky park, Warrumbungle. The park has served as a dark sky park since July 2016. Its crystal-clear night skies and high altitude (海拔) make it a natural, educational and astronomical heritage site in the southern half of the earth. Tourists can use Australia’s largest optical telescope within the park boundaries to view the auroras (极光), the Milky Way and faint shooting stars.

Sark is a Channel Island near the coast of Normandy under the protection of the UK. It was the World’s First Dark Sky Island set up in January 2011. Its historical and cultural blend (交融) attracts over 40,000 tourists annually. With no motor vehicles and public lighting on the island, there is an exceptional view of the dark skies. A rich Milky Way is visible in the dark night skies from the shores of the island.

Pic du Midi de Bigorre in France was designated as a dark sky park in December 2013 making it the second largest dark sky park in the world. The park covers 3,112 square kilometres spread across the Pyrenees National Park and UNESCO’s World Heritage site, Pyrenees-Mont Perdu. The   park attracts over one hundred star watchers every year. The Observatory Midi-Pyrenees, which was built in 1870,is one of the world’s highest museums at a height of 2,877 metres above sea level.

Ramon Crater is a unique1,100-square-kilometre nature reserve located in the Negev Desert in Israel. In 2017, Ramon Crater became the first designated dark sky park in the Middle East. Its location, rough climate and forbidding landscape that are characteristic of the Negev have largely defeated historical attempts for human settlement, making it a great place to view the night skies. Stargazers usually camp in the desert to have an uninterrupted view of the stars, planets and the Milky Way.

My Favourite Writer

8 . When everything goes wrong, always look at what you have, instead of what you have lost. Because it’s not what the world takes away from you that matters; it’s what you do with what you have left.     1    

Pain is part of growing.

Sometimes life closes doors because it’s time to move forward.     2    When times are tough, remind yourself that no pain comes without a purpose. Remember that there are two kinds of pain: pain that hurts and pain that changes you. When you roll with life, instead of resisting it, both kinds help you grow.

    3    

Every time you get hurt, you heal(痊愈). After darkness there is always light—you are reminded of this every morning, but still you often forget, and instead choose to believe that the   night will last forever. It won’t. Nothing lasts forever.

Complaining changes nothing.

    4    It’s always better to attempt to do something great and fail than to attempt to do nothing and succeed. It’s not over if you’ve lost; it’s over when you do nothing but just complain about it. If you believe in something, keep trying. Don’t let the shadows of the past darken the doorstep of your future.

The best thing you can do is to keep going.

Don’t be afraid to get back up—to try again, to love again, to live again and to dream again.     5    Life’s best lessons are often learned at the worst times and from the worst mistakes. There will be times when it seems like everything that could possibly go wrong is going wrong. And even if you fall short, keep going.