1 . It does not always come easy to discover oneself. From a young age, I had a strong sense of whom I was to become, but an accident _________ it different.

Skating was all I wanted. There was _________ else in this world that filled my heart with such joy. I spent twenty-four hours a week practicing my _________, with no social life or other interests but skating. My devotion (挚爱) brought me first place medals in nearly every _________.

Unluckily, in one show, I fell down and hurt myself _________. After several X-rays and MRI (磁共振) scans, the _________ told me that I couldn’t return to my sport. The pain in my back was hard to bear and even the _________ daily tasks became difficult.

As time went by, I had _________ sense of whom I was to become. After eight months of suffering (忍受), I thought something had to _________. Instead of wasting my days sitting around painfully, I began to put my __________ into local community service. By volunteering  __________ a swimming teacher and summer reading assistant for kids, I got an idea of whom I  __________ to become. After a few months, I devoted time to my interest in the arts. Little by little, I stepped __________ the shadow (阴影) and rebuilt my confidence.

Sometimes, some __________ rocks get in the way. We can choose to stay behind or try to climb over. My accident used to be a rock, but it __________ stopped me from reaching success. Today I’m still a very confident and lively person.

2 . A huge fire broke out (爆发) on 2 September 1666 in London. The fire, known as the Great Fire of London, was the worst fire in the history of London. It burned down (烧毁) more than three quarters of the old city.

The fire started in the very early hours of Sunday morning in the house of the king’s baker. A strong wind blew the fire from the baker’s house into a small hotel next door. Then it spread quickly into Thames Street. That was the beginning.

At that time, most of the buildings in London were made of wood, so it was easy for the fire to spread quickly. By eight o’clock, three hundred houses were on fire. By Monday, nearly a kilometre of the city was burning along the Thames River. On Tuesday, which was considered the worst day, the fire destroyed many well-known buildings, including the old St Paul’s Cathedral.

The fire burned until finally hundreds of buildings in the path of the fire were destroyed to create a firebreak. The fire then died out eventually with nothing left to burn.

3 . 假定你是李华，你们学校将于下月初举办一年一度的才艺表演节。请写封电子邮件，邀请你擅长说唱的英国留学生朋友Chris参加。内容包括：

1.   发出邀请；             2.   介绍活动情况；             3.表达期待

注意：

1. 词数 80 左右；       

2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

5 . Whether it’s an overnight pre-college program, a local day camp, or a sleepaway adventure experience, summer programs for teens are a great opportunity to pursue new interests, improve existing skills, and make new friends outside of the classroom.

World Scholars Academy

World Scholars Academy offers elite (精英的) summer computer science courses for ages 12-18 designed and taught by world-leading software engineering scholars. Explore your future career path and accelerate your success with personalized college guidance and high-level instruction in coding and computer science led by the world’s most accomplished educations.

Cost: $1,500

Provided by: independent provider

Session length: two weeks

Entering grade: 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th

Hollinsummer

Hollinsummer is a summer program for young women with interests in creative writing, social justice, theater, or riding. Designed for passionate, talented high school girls, Hollin-summer brings together students from across the country for an exciting week of learning on one of Virginia’s most beautiful campuses.

Cost: $500

Provided by: college

Session length: one week

Entering grade:9th, 10th, 11th, 12th

ArtsBridge Summer

Sing, dance and act your heart out for two incredible weeks. These programs provide specialized guidance on what it takes to be a theater artist, from acting to song &dance with an eye on college admission in the performing arts.

Cost: $3,000

Provided by: college

Session length: two weeks

Entering grade: 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th

Future Stars

The baseball camp is designed for campers of all skill levels, whether you’re a young player learning about the game or an experienced athlete looking to improve your talent. We put the time into group each camper accordingly. With these age and skill specific groupings, campers are able to improve their level of play and raise their confidence on the field in a fun, team-oriented environment.

Cost: $1,499

Provided by: independent provider

Session length: one week

Entering grade: 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th,10th

6 . In summer the extreme heat often makes people sweaty and restless. While people are annoyed by it, experts suggest summer is the best season to discharge your body’s toxins (毒素) and recover your energy.

One popular option is hot-stone treatment. Therapists (治疗师) use smooth and heated stones, usually river rocks, to rub or press certain parts of the body, or place them on key points of the body. The warmth of the hot stones will improve blood circulation and also help relax muscles, while sweating is also believed to be good for discharging the body’s toxins.

Another popular option is hot-stone baths. The hot-stone bath will help the body discharge toxins and humidity (湿气) that accumulated during the last winter. Summer is the best season to build a good body. Rather than use water or steam to heat and wash the body, people simply wear a coat or something comfortable, and then lie on heated stone tablets made of hot stones, which are warmed to around 45℃. The body will gradually warm up and blood circulation will also be improved. More sweat will come out quickly. The sweat is smooth and fresh, not smelly like that released after sports activities. Such baths bring a number of health benefits, such as anti-aging, improved blood circulation and stress relief. The slimming effect of dieting can even be promoted.

Using hot stones for health benefits dates back to ancient times, but the modern renewal of hot-stone massage is generally credited to Mary Nelson, a native of Tucson, Arizona, America, whose trademark is “LaStone Therapy”.

The therapy is gaining wide popularity with many people, especially those who have jobs in cool air-conditioned rooms. The hot-stone therapy can help cure many diseases, including back pain.