Tangshan started to     1     itself and get back up on its feet. With strong support from the government and the tireless     2     of the city’s people, a new Tangshan was built upon the earthquake     3    . The new city has become a home to more than seven million people, with great improvements in transportation, industry, and environment. Tangshan city has proved to China and the rest of the world that in times of     4    , people must     5     and show the wisdom to stay positive and rebuild for a brighter future.

When Michael Jordan’s feet left the ground, time seemed to stand still. The player who became     1         2     “Air Jordan” changed basketball with his graceful moves and jumps. Jordan’s skills were i    3    , but the mental s    4     that he showed made him unique. In the final seconds of a game, Jordan always seemed to find a way to win. Jordan says that the secret to his success is learning from his failures. “I can accept failure; everyone     5     at something. But I can’t accept not trying.” Losing games taught him to practice harder and never g    6         7    .

This four-day walking tour will take you on amazing     1     through the Andes Mountains on the way to the city of Machu Picchu. After     2     your destination, you will have a day to explore and be amazed     3     this ancient city.     4     amazing is the Incas’ dry stone method of building. Inca builders cut stones to exact sizes so that nothing was needed to hold walls together other     5     the perfect fit of the stones.

I know I’ll have to study harder     1     a senior high school student and get used to being     2     for a lot more. I’m a bit worried about     3     up with the other students in my advanced     4     , and it’ll be quite difficult to get used to all the homework. Still, I’m happy to be here. Studying hard isn’t always fun, but I’ll be well     5     for university or whatever else comes in the future.

But hope was not lost. Soon after the quakes, the army sent 150, 000 soldiers to Tanngshan to dig out those who were     1     and to bury the dead. More than 10, 000 doctors and nurses came to provide medical care. Workers built     2     for survivors whose homes had been     3    . Hundreds of thousands of people were helped. Water and food were brought into the city by train, truck, and plane. Slowly, the city began to     4     again.

So this is it-senior high school at last! I’m not     1     so I’m a little anxious right now. I want to make a good first    2    , Will I make any friends? What if no one talks to me?

I just had my first maths class at senior high school! The class was difficult but the teacher was    3    and friendly. He even told us a funny story, and everyone laughed so much! I found most of my classmates and teachers     4     and helpful.

This afternoon, we had our chemistry class in the science lab. The lab is new and the lesson was great but the guy next to me tried to talk to me the whole time I couldn’t    5     on the experiment. I really wanted to tell him to please be quiet and    6     me alone!

So I decided to make some meat pies. In a short time I was busy     1     butter and flour and my hands were soon covered with sticky pastry. At exactly that moment, the telephone rang. I picked up the receiver between two sticky fingers and was dismayed when I     2     the voice of Mrs Bates. It took me ten minutes to persuade her to ring back later. I had     3     got back to the kitchen     4     the door-bell rang loud enough to wake the dead. This time it was the postman and he wanted me to sign for a registered letter!

This morning, however, a fireman accidentally discovered the cause. He noticed the     1     of a snake which was wound round the electric wires of a 16,000-volt power line. In this way, he was able to solve the mystery. The     2     was simple but very unusual. A bird had snatched up the snake from the ground and then     3     it on to the wires.

We have just moved into a new house and I have been working hard all morning. I have been trying to get my new room     1    . This has not been easy because I own over a thousand books. To make matters worse, the room is rather small, so I have temporarily put my books on the floor. A short while ago, my sister helped me to carry one of my old bookcases up the stairs. She went into my room and got a big surprise     2     she saw all those books on the floor. This is the     3     carpet I have ever seen, she said.

It was warm last Sunday, so I went and sat on the river     1     as usual….The ball     2     me so hard that I nearly fell into the water. I turned to look at the children, but there weren’t any in     3    : they had all run away! I laughed.    4    I realized what had happened.