1 . Ireland has had a very difficult history. The problems started in the 16th century when English rulers tried to conquer (征服) Ireland. For hundreds of years, the Irish people fought against the English. Finally, in 1921, the British government was forced to give independence to the south of Ireland. The result is that today there are two “Irelands”. Northern Ireland, in the north, is part of the United Kingdom. The Republic of Ireland, in the south, is an independent country.

In the 1840s the main crop, potatoes, was affected by disease and about 750,000 people died of hunger. This, and a shortage (短缺) of work, forced many people to leave Ireland and live in the USA, the UK, Australia and Canada. As a result of these problems, the population fell from 8.2 million in 1841 to 6.6 million in 1851.

For many years, the majority of Irish people earned their living as farmers. Today, many people still work on the land but more and more people are moving to the cities to work in factories and offices. Life in the cities is very different from life in the countryside, where things move at a quieter and slower pace.

The Irish are famous for being warm－hearted and friendly. Oscar Wilde, a famous Irish writer, once said that the Irish were “the greatest talkers since the Greeks”. Since independence, Ireland has revived (复兴) its own culture of music, language, literature and singing. Different areas have different styles of old Irish songs which are sung without instruments. Other kinds of Irish music use many different instruments such as the violin, whistles, etc.

2 . King’s College Summer School

King’s College Summer School is an annual training program for high school students at all levels who want to improve their English. Courses are given by the teachers of King’s College and other colleges in New York. Trips to museums and culture centers are also organized. This year’s summer school will be from July 25 to August 15. More information is as follows:

3 . Using too much water or throwing rubbish into our rivers are clear ways that humans can put our water supply in danger, but we also affect our water supply in less obvious ways. You may wonder how paving(铺砌) a road can lead to less usable fresh water. A major part of the water we use every day is groundwater. Groundwater does not come from lakes or rivers. It comes from underground. The more roads and parking lots we pave, the less water can flow into the ground to become groundwater.

Human activity is not responsible for all water shortages(缺乏). Drier climates are of course more likely to have droughts(干旱) than areas with more rainfall, but in any case, good management can help to make sure there is enough water to meet our basic needs .

Thinking about the way we use water every day can make a big difference, too. In the United States, a family of four can use 1.5 tons of water a day! This shows how much we depend on water to live, but there’s a lot we can do to lower the number.

You can take steps to save water in your home. To start with, use the same glass for your drinking water all day. Wash it only once a day. Run your dishwasher only when it is full. Help your parents fix any leaks(滴水) in your home. You can even help to keep our water supply clean by recycling batteries instead of throwing them away.

5 . When I was a child, I often dreamed of the time when I could leave home and escape to the city. We lived on a farm and, in the winter especially, we were quite cut off from the outside world. As soon as I left school, I packed my bags and moved to the capital. However, I soon discovered that city life has its problems too.

One big disadvantage is money---it costs so much to go out, not to mention basics like food and housing. Another disadvantage is pollution. I suffer from asthma(哮喘), and at times the air is so bad that I am afraid to go outside. Then there is the problem of traveling round. Although I have a car, I seldom use it because of the traffic jams. One choice is to go by bicycle, but that can be quite dangerous.

Of course there are advantages. First, there is so much to do in the city, whatever your tastes in culture or entertainment. Besides, there are wonderful jobs and greater chances of moving to a more important job or position. Finally, if you like shopping, the variety of goods is very surprising --- and , what is more, shops are often only a short walk away.

Is life better then, in the city? Perhaps it is , when you are in your teens or twenties. However, as you get older, and especially if you have small children, the peace of the countryside may seem preferable. I certainly hope to move back there soon.

7 . When I begain planning to move to Auckland to study, my mother was worried about a lack of jobs and cultural differences. Ignoring these ________, I got there in July 2010. ________I arrived, I realized the importance of getting a job ________my living experience.

Determined to do this ________,I spent several weeks going door-to-door for a job, but found ________response (回应).

One afternoon, I walked into a building to ask ________there were my job opportunities(机会).The people there advised me not to continue my job search in that ________. As I was about to ________, a man who had been listening approached me and asked me to wait outside ________.Nearly ten minutes later , he ________.He asked me about my plants and encouraged me to stay ________.Then he offered me to Royal Oak to ________a job .

I was a little surprised, but had a ________feeling about him . Along the way , I realized that I had ________resumes (简历).Seeing this, the man ________at his business partner's office to make me fifteen ________copies. He also gave me some ________on dressing and speaking. I handed out my resumes and went home feeling very ________. The following day, I received a ________from a store in Royal Oak offering me a job.

It seems that the world always ________ to you when you need it. And this time, it was a complete stranger who turned out to be a real blessing.

If we agree that the function of education is to prepare us for life, then there is very little time to waste. So, while we can, we ought to concentrate on teaching children something really useful. Here is what our school should teach.

Politeness is a mark of civilazation. The sooner children learn this, the better. In any case, a lot can be accoplished by a smile and good manners.

Like it or not, our adult lives will be consumed by the struggle for money, but we don’t make an effort to teach children how to manage it. So our schools have a duty to teach them this ability from the beginning.

We’re likely no accept something we are told, but that’s not what educated people do. Educated people are reasonable and they look at facts. If our schools teach nothing else, they should at least teach critical(批判性的)thinking.

Children should learn to take care of their health. They should know that if they eat junk food(垃圾食品), they will become fat and unhealthy. They should be very clear about what happens to their bodies when they drink or smoke.

All of us are part of society. We have rights and responsibilities. We ought to understand what they are. We have to know a little bit of history and geography, because we need to hava an environment in which to relate to the people around us.

How will we test students on these? We can’t. But that’s not a reason to avoid teaching what is important. Our schools should spend every moment they have telling this to our children:“This is life, this is what you are going to face, and this is how you deal with it.”