Great to     1     from (收到来信) you! Yes, we had a fantastic holiday. Mum, Dad and I went camping in Beidaihe. In fact, we stayed at the same     2     (露营地) as we did ten years ago. Dad showed me a photo we had taken then — just see how time flies!

Dad has changed quite a bit! In his thirties, he was quite thin and     3     (脸色苍白的), and he had red, bushy hair.     4     (现今), he’s    5     (体型匀称的) and tanned. He’s always had a square jaw, but now he’s grown a beard. Strangely, his beard is still red even though his hair is turning grey!

Mum looks almost the same, though. She still has     6     (表面光滑的) skin and straight black hair, and     7     (慢跑锻炼) has kept her     8     (苗条的) and fit.

I still have light skin and black hair, of course. But I usually     9     my hair in a ponytail (扎着马尾) these days as it has got a lot longer. Mum says I had cute rosy     10     (脸颊), but now I have freckles. I think they are kind of cute too, right?

Can’t wait to see you back in school!

Posts of     1     (事故，灾难) in English

I went to a summer school in Manchester and my English teacher was called Maggie. One day, a different teacher took our class. He told us that Maggie couldn’t teach that day COZ she had a frog in her     2     (咽喉). Poor Maggie — but why did she try to eat such a big frog?

When I first visited New York, I went to a     3     (市中心) shopping centre to buy some winter boots. At the information desk at the     4     (入口), I asked a lady where the shoe section was. She said that it was on the first floor. So I went up to the first floor, but couldn’t find any shoes. I decided to leave. When I was looking for the exit, I saw that shoes were     5     (事实上) sold downstairs on the ground floor, not the first floor. Why did she give me the wrong information?

I’ve got an English penfriend, who I finally got to meet in London this summer. He had told me that his grandfather was “really     6     (缺德的，邪恶的)”. But when I met his grandfather, I like him a lot. I found it very odd. Why did my friend use a     7     (消极的) word about such a nice man?

I was part of a student     8     (兑换，交换) programme between a university in England and my university in China. I spent days preparing and writing my first English paper. I knew I had done a good job and was looking forward to getting a positive     9     (评论). When I got the paper back, I found my teacher had written the comment “Not bad!” Not bad? But there weren’t any     10     (错误) in my paper.

The big day finally arrived: my first day at senior high! The campus was still quiet when I arrived early, so I decided to     1    a bit.

“New here?”     2     around, I saw a man in his forties. “Yes,” I replied. “I was wondering what life is going to be like here.” “Don’t worry,” he gave me a smile. “You’ll soon     3    . ”

The first class was English. Amazingly, the     4    man stepped into the classroom and said, “Good morning, everyone. Before we start, time for self-introduction. I’ll go first…”

“What?!” I tried to    5     my brain but the engine just wouldn’t start. “I should say my name, of course. But what else? Something about my stamp     6    , perhaps.” I was     7    my words in my head when the girl next to me gave me a push. “It’s your turn!”

With my heart beating wildly, I breathed     8    “Hi, I’m Meng Hao.” Everyone started     9    I looked at them in panic. “Nice to know we     10    the same name,” said my new teacher. I had been too nervous to pay attention when he introduced himself. Although I was embarrassed, his words made me a lot more     11    !

When we had all introduced ourselves, Mr Meng said, “Well done, everyone! I know this isn’t easy for many of you. But this is just the kind of thing you are going to face at senior high.     12    like this might sometimes put you under pressure. But it all    13    what you do. Keep     14     and be prepared. That way, you’ll     15    your time at senior high. ”

People say, “Well begun, half done.” I guess this was a good beginning to my new school life.

Located in Longsheng county of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the Longji Rice Terraces are a     1     (典型的) example of how people seek a    2     (和谐的) relationship with nature. Lasting several     3     (朝代), work on the terraces took hundreds of years until its completion. These terraces are cleverly     4     (设计) with hundreds of waterways connecting with each other, along which rainwater moves down the mountains and into the crop fields. On the one hand, the flat terraces serve as a     5     (解决办法) to the lack of farming land in the region and help prevent the     6     (浅的) soil from being washed away. On the other hand, they also provide a perfect environment for some birds and fish feeding on     7     (昆虫) that can harm the rice crops. Although modern technology could help produce more crops, new generations continue to use ancient methods of     8     (农业) to maintain the terraces, because for the local people traditions hold much value and preserving the wisdom of their ancestors is a     9     (优先事项). As a highly     10     (推荐) scenic spot, the Longji Rice Terraces attract thousands of visitors who come to admire this great wonder created by people and nature working together.