Until last year, I was trying to look like the slim girls on TV even though I knew that it was     1     (possible). To lose weight, I tried every new diet I read about online. I tried no-fat, low-fat, 5:2, only bananas, no bananas-I almost     2     (go) mad.

Then an article changed me. It said instead of asking “Am I fat?” I should be asking “Am I fit?” I didn’t know a letter could make such a     3     (different)! Then I started thinking about fitness rather than weight. I didn’t say that I wanted to lose three kilos. Instead, I would say I wanted to run two kilometres in eight     4     (minute) or I wanted to be able to do 30 push-ups. I preferred     5     (add) healthy foods to my meals rather than cut     6    the foods I enjoyed. I still had a burger now     7     then, but I would add a salad or an apple.

Finally, I stopped     8     (compare) myself with actresses and models and looking for things that were wrong with my face or body. Instead, I made a list of the things I liked about     9     (I). I became more positive about myself and my body. As     10     result, I became both happier and healthier.

Of all the traditional festivals, the harvest festival can be found in almost every culture. This important     1     festival takes place after all the crops have been     2     in. People celebrate to show that they are     3     for the year’s supply of food. In ancient Egypt, the harvest festival was celebrated during the springtime—the Egyptian harvest     4    . Today, in some European counties, people     5     churches and town balls with flowers and fruit and get together to celebrate over a meal.

The awful night     1    , and the dawn greyly broke on THE LACT DAY OF POMPEII! The crowd looked upwards, and saw, with     2    , a huge cloud shooting from the top of the volcano. It took the form of a huge tree: the trunk, blackness, the branches, fire! This fire moved and changed in colour with every moment: now it was wildly bright, now of a     3    red, and now again it burnt with     4    .

The cries of women     5     ; the men looked at each other, but were silent. At that moment, they felt the earth shaking     6    ; beyond in the distance, they heard the crash of     7    . A moment later, the mountain-cloud seemed to roll towards them, cark and rapid, like a river; at the same time, it threw out a shower of ashes and huge pieces of burning stone! Over the empty streets—over the forum—far and wide—with many a noisy crash in     8    —fell that awful shower!

Each turned to fly—each running pressing pushing against the other. If, in the darkness, wife     9    husband, or parent room child, there was no hope of their meeting again. Each     10    and fearfully on. So came the earthquake...and so ended life in Pompeii.

The four countries that     1     to the United Kingdom work together in some areas. They use the same flag,     2     as the Union Jack, as well     3     share the same currency and military     4    . However, they also have some differences. For example, England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland all have different education systems and legal systems. They also have their own     5    , like their own national days and national dishes. And they even have their own football teams for competitions like the World Cup!

Six months ago, Xie Lei boarded a plane for London to complete an exchange programme. She     1     that she chose the year­long exchange programme with the     2     to set up a business in China after graduation.It was the first time that she had left her     3     .When she came to England, she lived with a host family,     4     members always helped her. At first，she had to get used to     5     in a new country and learn how to use public transport and how to ask for things she didn’t know the English names for.     6     , she also had to face another challenge of the academic requirements.When writing an essay，she was told by the tutor to acknowledge     7     other people had said if she cited their ideas,     8     he wanted to know her own opinions.She also found students’ participation included as part of the final result. Luckily, after a few weeks, she could speak     9     in class on traditional Chinese art successfully. And she feels much more     10     in the UK now.

Hi! My name is Adam and I’m a freshman at senior high school. Going from junior high school to senior high school is a really big     1    . The first week was a little     2    .

First, I had to think very carefully about which courses I wanted to take. The school adviser helped me choose the     3    ones: maths, English, chemistry, world history, and Chinese. I know that Chinese is a very difficult language, but I hope to be     4    when I graduate. My adviser     5    that I should     6    for advanced literature because I like English and I’m good at it.

I had to choose extra-curricular activities, too. I tried to join the school football team, but the coach told me that I didn’t play well enough.     7    , I was unhappy, but I won’t quit. I’ll find a way to improve on my own so that I can make the team next year. I joined a     8    club instead. Every Wednesday, we work at a soup kitchen and hand out food to     9    people in the community.