I still remember the last Christmas Granny spent with us. It began in the middle of November on a cold, windy day. I remember the wind because Granny’s grey hair was a     1     when she arrived. That was also the day Granny     2    .     3    , at the time, I didn’t know she was sick. Maybe I was too young, maybe she hid it too well, or maybe I was just too excited that Christmas was on the way.

The great excitement began the night before the Spring Festival. Fireworks were being     1     across the city, suddenly lighting up the night sky. Children were covering their ears but with an     2     look on their faces. Mrs Chen said that it was to     3     the monster Nian.

When I was a kid, Spring Festival was all about firecrackers, sweets and     4    . As I get older, coming home and being with my entire family is the most important part of it.

Our house     5     with activities when everyone comes home. Our grandchildren run around shouting and playing, and the adults     6     around the table to talk about the past year. We always have jiaozi during this time, as they mean something special on this     7    ——they are a sign of our wishes for health and happiness in the coming year.

Are we a    1    ? What’s out there ?” Looking up at the s    2     , people have always wanted to l    3    more about space , and scientists work h     4    to find answers . They m    5     vehicles to carry b     6     people into space to find out the s    7     of the universe.They also really wish to d    8     other planets that are s    9    enough to s    10     life .

Han Jing isn’t an     1     girl but she was a little anxious when she went into    2     high school. She found the maths class was     3     but the teacher was     4     and     5    . The     6     class was great but the     7     beside her wanted io talk to her so that she couldn’t     8     on the    9    . What a day Han Jing said that there was a lot to     10     at that school and she felt much more confident.

…Perhaps the best example is smiling. A smile can help us     1     and find friends in a world of strangers. …And if we are feeling down or lonely, there is     2    .

Chimelong Ocean Kingdom in Zhuhai, China, is     3     in the world. Here you can walk under the Whale Shark Aquarium… Watching the dolphin and sea lion shows     4    … The park has more rides than you can imagine: join a water fight against pirates,     5     by an exciting roller coaster, or get wet in one of the water rides!

The high regard for the Chinese writing system can be seen     1     , known as Chinese calligraphy.

Today, … an important part of Chinese culture. As China     2    , an increasing number of international students….

A committee     3     to the Egyptian buildings and     4    . The group asked for     5     within the international community.

For several days, the water in the village wells rose and fell, rose and fell. There were deep cracks that     1     in the well walls. At least one well had some     2     gas coming out of it. Chickens and even pigs were too     3     to eat, and dogs refused to go inside buildings.

The benefits of a degree are not obvious to people who live on this remote island. Families have a    1     lifestyle, hunting walruses, whales and other sea animals in the spring, and gathering berries in the summer. The largest employer is the school system;     2    , there are only a handful of jobs in fishing, oil and the airlines that connect the island to the mainland. There isn’t much demand for anything else and more than a quarter of adults are     3    .

Today two villages remain with a population of just 1,400. People there are used to the     4    landscape and climate—in the summer, fields of grassy frozen ground     5     from snow-capped mountain ranges to the stony shorelines, but in the winter the sun disappears, there is a lot of snow, and polar bears arrive on ice floes. Leaving the island is not an option, as a ticket on a bush plane costs $400, a week’s earnings for many islanders. The sense of     6    is strong. When a whale is killed, the houses and school empty as everyone races to the beach to take a share of the meat.

In the 1400s and 1500s, Peru was the centre of the powerful ancient Inca Empire. The Inca emperor lived in the     1     Machu Picchu. Spain took control of Peru in the 16th century and ruled until 1821. It is for this reason that Spanish is the main     2     of Peru.

Michael Jordan, known as “Air Jordan”, changed basketball with his graceful moves and jumps. His skills were impressive, but the     3     that he showed made him unique.

Tangshan started to revive itself and     4    . With strong support from the government and the     5     of the city’s people, a new Tangshan was built upon the earthquake ruins.

I believe I would be a valuable addition to your team. My English is at     1     and I have travelled to several English-speaking countries. I have also helped to organize a three-day tour of my city for     2    .