Put simply,     1     is your natural ability that can be developed when you try hard enough. Who knows what beautiful works of art you will create, what medical     2     you will make or what     3     technologies you will develop! The possibilities are endless, and I have confidence     4     your ability to make a     5     to your family, to your community and to your country. Over the next three years, you will discover your potential while you develop as a student and as a person.

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.

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.

To reach out across the sea remains a strong desire today. The ancient sea routes travelled by Zheng He    1     with the 2lst Century Maritime Silk Road, which is part of the Belt and Road Initiative. The aim of this initiative is to     2     across the historic Silk Road areas, and strengthen the bond between China and the rest of the world.

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.

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.