Chinese high-speed railways are a very     1    (comfort) way to travel. They are clean, quiet and efficient. China has led other developing countries and even some developed ones     2       this field since the first high-speed train     3    (come) into use in 2008.

The stations are     4    (main) built outside the town center, but local transport has been lengthened     5    (connect) the high-speed network. The facilities on the train are new and the staff are well trained. Even the second class     6    (chair) provide plenty of space. The passages are so wide     7     you can move without disturbing anyone. You can use your mobile phone, access to Internet or work on your laptop. There is also a restaurant car, though the kinds of food     8    (be) limited. The toilets are large, clean and user-friendly too. The train almost doesn’t rock. Even when the train brakes, you can hardly feel it shake.

What’s more, with a faster check-in, the high-speed trains are also     9    (little) affected by weather than planes. Seldom are     10     delayed or cancelled for weather condition. Therefore, they have become the first choice for many passengers.

4 . The Great Fire of London started in the very early hours of September 1666. In four days it destroyed more than three-quarters of the old city, where most of the houses were wooden and close together. One hundred thousand people became homeless, but only a few lost their lives.

The fire started on Sunday morning in the house of the King’s baker(面包师)in Pudding Lane. The baker, with his wife and family, was able to get out through a window in the roof. A strong wind blew the fire from the bakery(面包房)into a small hotel next door. Then it spread quickly into Thames Street. That was the beginning.

By eight o’clock three hundred houses were on fire. On Monday nearly a kilometer of the city was burning along the River Thames. Tuesday was the worst day. The fire destroyed many well-known buildings, old St Paul’s and the Guildhall among them.

Samuel Pepys, the famous writer, wrote about the fire. People threw their things into the river. Many poor people stayed in their houses until the last moment. Birds fell out of the air because of the heat.

The fire stopped only when the King finally ordered people to destroy hundreds of buildings in the path of the fire. With nothing left to burn, the fire became weak and finally died out.

After the fire, Christopher Wren, the architect(建筑师), wanted a city with wider streets and fine new houses of stone. In fact, the streets are still narrow; but he did build more than fifty churches, among them new St Paul’s.

The fire caused great pain and loss, but after it London was a better place: a city for the future and not just of the past.

5 . Last weekend, my kids along with a few other kids from the neighborhood volunteered to help me wash my car. My 10-year-old daughter came up with the idea of washing other people’s cars as well. It was pretty hot outside. She further wanted to give juice for a low cost but not free. I felt happy and decided to help her.

She asked me, “What if we make this ‘a smile car wash’, mom?” I couldn’t hold back my tears and encouraged her and other kids to go inside the house and come up with ideas. While I kept myself busy in drying the car, the kids walked up to me with a board of beautiful signs of smiles. They had “Free Car Wash” written on it and the theme of their exercise was “Smile”. It was pretty natural to see a team of kids 5 to 11 years with the task to do something for others.

All that seemed natural and came right from their heart. Nothing seemed to matter to them: their playtime, and then heat outside — they just wanted to help and do something nice in the community!

I helped them make some fresh juice and brought out some waste materials to help clean cars. Passers-by were amazed and one even shouted at them saying “Good kids”. One of them even tried giving them 5 dollars, which they refused. A pretty heart-warming scene!

The following weekend, I saw the idea of the week, the theme of which was “Global Kindness”. I was moved by such wonderful and loving souls. They made me smile!

I am a new student at Beihai Senior Middle School. My home is far from Beihai, so I must live at school. This is the first time for me to get away from my parents. I feel very sad. When I left home, I couldn’t help tearing myself away from them. I do not want to be alone at school, and I am a shy girl. I have been crying in bed at night these days. I want to stay at home forever. I miss my parents very much. Could you tell me what to do?

Your early reply is expected.

Regards,

Amy

Thank you for your letter. I am so glad to have a talk about your present situation with you.

Wish you happy every day.

Faithfully yours,

Big friend

People always say that we lack of the eyes of realizing the beauty in life. I can’t agree much. Last Sunday, I woke up very early and decide to take a walk. I found several elders bury in feeding birds in the square, there many people were dancing. Without many cars, I realized the city looked so clean but beautiful. Some coffee shops were well decorated, which attracted our eyes. The whole city was covered with green trees, making it green city. At this moment, I found the city was pretty well. How I regret ignore its beauty before!

9 . Advice for Cooking on a Tight Schedule

From my experience, there are three main reasons why people don’t cook more often: ability, money, and time.

    1    Money is a topic that I’ll talk about another day. So today I want to give you some advice about how to make the most of the time in the kitchen. Here are three tips for great cooking on a tight schedule:

Think ahead. I usually think cooking is a pain when I’m already hungry and there is nothing ready to eat. So think ahead of the coming week. When will you have time to cook? Do you have the right materials already?    2    

Make your time worth it. When you do find time to cook a meal, make the most of it and save yourself time later on. Are you making one loaf of bread?    3    It takes around the same amount of time to make more of something. So save yourself the effort for a future meal.

    4    This may surprise you, but one of the best ways to make cooking worth your time is experimentation. It gives you the chance to hit upon new ideas and recipes that can work well. The more you learn and the more you try, the more ability you have to take control of your food and your schedule.

Hopefully that gives you a good start.    5    And don’t let a busy schedule disappoint you and stop you from making some great changes in your life!

10 . In the West, some people believe that personality can be predicted(预测) according to the time of the year the person was born. From China comes the belief that the year of birth influences one’s personality. In the past century, a new belief has arisen: the idea that personality is related to one’s ABO blood type. People with blood type A, for example, are considered more likely to be serious, hard-working, and quiet, while people with blood type O are likely to be popular and outgoing, yet often unable to finish what they start. Though this belief continues to be strong, some people question whether it is true.

The blood-type personality theory(理论) started in Japan in 1927 when Furukawa Takehi noticed personality similarities and differences among his workers. This idea soon went out of fashion, but was brought back by a Japanese television host named Toshitaka Nomi in the 1970s. The belief is still strong in Japan and is increasingly popular in neighboring countries. Some young Koreans have taken to the theory. A recent study showed 76 percent of Koreans aged between13 and 64 believing in the blood-type personality connection. Though most Asians might believe in the blood-type theory, for many it seems harmless and not something to be taken too seriously.

Is the belief true? The scientists in Asia largely dismiss the belief as a modern-day superstition(迷信). Most studies have failed to find any strong connection between blood and personality. Generally, scientists warn against making predictions or important decisions based on this questionable theory.