The appeal of magic

Have you ever interacted with a magician or entertainer in the flesh who       1     (使惊讶) you with a show of magic? I once had such an unforgettable experience on a cruise.

It was ten years ago, after I renewed my       2     (签证) as a visiting scholar in a high school in West Virginia, the US. For the summer vacation, I w    3     from my little town in the eastern US accompanied by two colleagues and boarded a huge ship that reminded me of the Titanic, going from Miami across the sea b    4     to the Bahamas, an island country famous for its white sandy beaches and sky-blue water     5     (难得) seen in daily life.

While we were having dinner in the dining hall, an entertainer came over to our table and asked “Excuse me, would you like to see a little magic?” “Yes, of course,” we replied. How could we possibly r    6     the temptation of getting involved in a magic show? And so, the entertainer fished out       7     (迅速地) one rubber band from his pocket and asked me to hold out my hand. He put the band around my fingers, turning it in different ways to make a complex web. Then came something that seemed u    8    : slowly but surely, he     9         10         11     (去掉) the band from my fingers in one turn, as if the band had never been wound! A language teacher by p    12    , I failed to make any verbal       13     (反应), until the entertainer wished us to enjoy our dinner and went away.

Having seen many splendid magic shows on TV, I am still impressed with the one performed around my fingers. Magic can     14     ( 逗 乐 ) and amaze people whether they are       15     ( 成 熟 的 ) adults or children, easterners or westerners. The appeal of magic is u    16    .

Six months ago Xie Lei said goodbye to her family and friends in China and     1    (board) a plane for London. She is studying in a university in England on an exchange programme. But     2    (study) here is quite different from studying in China. “You have to get     3    (use) to a whole new way of life. When I got lost and had to ask a passer-by for directions, I didn’t always understand. They     4    (usual) speak too fast. ”Xie Lei said.

Xie Lei lives with a host family who give her lots of good advice. Living with a host family gives her the chance     5    (learn) more about the new culture.

The academic     6    (requirement) of a western university are different. The tutor wanted to know     7     she thought, not others’ ideas. He advised that she should read lots of different texts that contain different opinions     8     analyze what she read.

She feels much more     9     home in England now, and what seemed very strange before now     10    (appear) quite normal. She also spends much time for social activities and joins a few clubs. She is fitting very well in England.