Forests are like a big, green blanket that covers the Earth.     1     They help clean the air and give us fresh oxygen. Forests are home to many animals and plants, making them very special places on our planet.

Imagine forests as huge gardens that take in bad air and change it into good air for us to breathe. They are very important because they are home to more than half of all the animals and plants we know.     2     This makes forests very important for keeping our Earth healthy and full of life     3     森林覆盖了地球陆地的三分之一。 They are found all around the world, from hot, wet rainforests to cold. snowy forests. Each forest has its own types of trees, plants, and animals that cannot live anywhere else.

But, forests are in danger because of cutting down trees and clearing land for farms or buildings.     4     这对动物、植物甚至我们都是有害的。 We need to take care of forests because they help keep our air clean and give us water and food.

In short, forests are very important for our planet. They help keep the air clean, are homes to many animals and plants, and make Earth a beautiful place.     5     We should all help protect forests so they can keep being the Earth’s green blanket.

Florence Nightingale was a nurse who saved many lives in the 19th century. She was named after the city of Florence in Italy, where her parents went after they got married in 1818.

    1     Florence was an unusual young woman for her time. She didn’t want to go to parties and get married. She wanted to be a nurse and help people. Her family didn’t want her to become a nurse because hospitals back then were dirty, terrible places. They were worried about her.     2     In 1851, Florence went to Germany and learned all about nursing. It was hard work, but she loved it.

In 1854, lots of British soldiers went to fight in the Crimean War.     3     军队医院里挤满了受伤的人。There were no nurses and many men died. Florence and a team of nurses went to help. Florence worked 20 hours a day to make the army hospital a cleaner and safer place. She brought the men fresh food, she cleaned the hospital beds and she used clean bandages on the wounded soldiers. Soon, fewer men were dying. At night, Florence walked around the hospital.     4     She talked to the injured soldiers and helped the men to write letters to their families. She carried a lamp and the soldiers called her “The lady with the lamp”.

When Florence returned to England, people called her a heroine of her work in the Crimean War. Queen Victoria wrote her a letter to say thank you. She continued to work hard in Britain to improve hospitals and she was given a medal called the Order of Merit.     5     她是第一位获得这一荣誉的女性。

Holidays play an important part in our life. We work hard during the year, so we feel tired and stressed at times.     1     We need holidays to relax, even if they only last for a few days. This is especially true for women. They could get away from their husbands, children and family for even one week in the year.

    2     假期有很多好处。Firstly, they can improve the economy (经济).     3       If there were no holidays, people would have little time to spend the money they earn. Secondly, holidays allow people to relax after working hard throughout the year. During and after the holidays, people feel more relaxed and energetic; they then bring this energy to work when they continue working. Lastly, holidays help people learn how to enjoy life.     4     Most people improve their relationships with their other family members during holidays.

However, holidays also have bad aspects. For example, many people said that they couldn’t enjoy shopping or travelling because there were so many people shopping and travelling, too. Anyway, most people realize that they need holidays.     5     我无法想象如果没有假期人们的生活会是什么样子。

Last weekend, I took part in a forest clean-up activity. It was organized by Green Hope, an organization devoted to protecting forests.起初，我不想参加，    1    but then I thought, “What if nobody goes?”

Our team leader, Joe, took us to a forest outside the city. I was sad to find rubbish everywhere.     2    There was a “No littering” sign at the entrance to the forest, but that didn’t stop people from throwing their rubbish on the ground. Joe divided us into two groups:    3     one group cleaned up the north side of the forest, and the other the south side. After several hours’ work,看到森林比以前看起来要干净些，我们很开心    4    It was absolutely worth our effort!

There will be another clean-up activity in the greenbelt next Saturday. You can call Joe and sign up    5     if you would like to help. Everyone who takes part in the activity will receive a medal. I’ll join you too if I have time.

Learning has become my life habit. I think learning is a lifelong journey because every day brings something new.     1    I will leave the junior high school.我期待去我理想的高中。    2    So I must study harder.

By studying hard I can write thousands of English words. At first, I didn’t know many English words. Like most students, I thought it was hard and boring to remember them all.     3    But there was an English word competition at our school. I picked up a dictionary and prepared for it. I tried to understand the meaning of each word first. It helped me remember them quickly.

Thankfully, my father gave me a hand. If he found some useful words, he would tell me in a special way.     4    It made the whole thing more interesting.

In the competition, I won the first prize, which made me really happy. This experience taught me to remember more English words.

Of all the dictionaries, I like Oxford English Dictionary best.我家里有十多本《牛津英语字典》。     5    I want to recite the whole dictionary. I should never give up trying to achieve my dream. It is really difficult but I believe anything is possible if you study hard.

The Great Wall is famous as one of the miracles in the history. 它吸引了来自世界各地的人     1    to witness its greatest. But according to the research, the Great Wall is missing gradually     2    , for it suffers the damage from both nature and human beings.

As the environment is polluted, the acid rain often comes and destroys the buildings in the long run. What’s more, the increasing number of tourists step on the bricks, 这会损害建筑    3    . More and more bad behaviors have been reported,    4     such as people like to write down some words to remember their trips here, which disfigures (损毁) the appearance of this great site.

If the Great Wall disappears some   day,it is the greatest pity, and we are no longer have the chance to appreciate its grandness. To save this miracle,我们必须保护环境    5    .