1 . If you've never been to Moscow, you should go and see this fantastic city. There, you can ____ Russian culture first-hand, especially if you are a(n) ____ lover.

One of the many exciting parts ____ the famous Red Square that has a magical effect on all visitors to Moscow. From Red Square, you can see the most important ____ in the capital: the Kremlin, the State Historical Museum and of course, the Saint Basil's Cathedral with domes (穹顶) that look like a beautiful stone flower ____ by the architects of the 16th century.

Not many people realize that Red Square's ____ has nothing to do with Communism (共产主义) or Soviet Russia. The Old Russian word for “beautiful” and “red” was the ____; Red Square means “Beautiful Square.” All major streets in Moscow radiate (向周围伸展) from here, and Red Square is the ____ square of Moscow ____ the symbolic center of all Russia. Its history ____ the 1490s when a new red-brick Kremlin was built. Businessmen from all over the world came to ____ here and the square became a big market. On days of great festivals, there were many celebrations here, turning the ____ into an open-air gathering (聚集) place.

Moscow's tourists travel to the Red Square to ____ its beautiful architecture and history. Besides the square, there are so many places of ____ in this beautiful city. If you are visiting Europe, don't forget to see Red Square with your own ____.

2 . Four years ago, I felt great joy after freeing myself from one of those 2-mile gym fitness runs.I ______ running with a passion (热情), it was just something that never came ______ to me. At that time, I never ______ that I would one day run a marathon.

Everything ______ when I met my neighbor Mrs. Gray. She was fifty years old, going through cancer and still __________ to run 30 miles a week. Encouraged by her, I thought I could run at least one or two. In February, I started to walk a 2-mile route (路线) and would ______ to add in a short distance of running. Two months later, I finished 6 miles. I felt ______, but I felt great.

Over the next several years, I continued to push each run for a few extra minutes. The physical and mental fight never stopped, ______ I loved every minute of these runs. I didn't need to compete against other runners. For me, the _________ competitor was myself.

Slowly, I ______ entering some local road races. After continuing to ______ myself and finishing two half marathons, I ______ I would train for the Detroit Free Press/ Flagstar Bank Marathon. My summer was filled with many long 6 AM runs to beat the summer heat. I loved my ______. I knew I was finally on the road to success.

Race day finally came, and I was filled with ______. The experience was hard but it ended up being unbelievable. As I crossed the finish line, I experienced the strongest sense of ______ I ever had in my life