On 20 December, a series of huge waves     1     (cause) by an earthquake resulted in many people’s deaths. Goldshore beach was the only local beach to survive the disaster. Sabrina,     2     was a girl of ten years old, helped about 100 people escape danger with her knowledge of tsunami.

That day, many people were walking, running or     3     (simple)sitting on the beach,     4     (enjoy) the warm sea air and the soft wind. Sabrina was one of the happy     5     (tourist) until she noticed something odd. It immediately occurred     6     her that these were signs of an approaching tsunami because she had just learnt about it in a Geography lesson.

At first, Sabrina was     7     (frighten), but she soon kept her head. She asked her parents     8     (inform) a safety officer. The officer realized the coming danger, and rapidly cleared the beach of people, just before     9     tsunami arrived. Thus, all the people on the beach     10     (save).

In ancient China lived an artist    1     paintings were almost lifelike. The artist’s reputation had made him proud. One day the emperor wanted to get his portrait (画像) done so he called all great artists to come and present their     2     (fine) work, so that he could choose the best. The artist was sure he would    3    (choose), but when he presented his masterpiece to the emperor’s chief minister, the old man laughed. The wise old man told him to travel to the Li River～perhaps he could learn a little from the greatest artist in the world.

Filled with     4     (curious), the artist packed his bags and left.     5     he asked the villagers on the banks of the river where he could find the legendary (传奇的) artist, they smiled and     6     (point) down the river. The next morning he hired a boat and set out     7     (find) the well-known painter. As the small boat moved,     8     (gentle) along the river he was left speechless by the mountains being silently reflected in the water. He passed milky white waterfalls and mountains in many shades of blue. And when he saw the mists rising from the river and the soft clouds    9     (surround) the mountain tops, he was reduced to tears. The artist was finally humbled (谦卑) by the greatest artist     10     earth, Mother Nature.

Laba rice porridge was first introduced to China in the Song Dynasty about 900 years ago.

There is a     1     (touch) story. When Sakyamuni, the first Buddha and founder of the religion, was     2     his way into the high mountains in his quest for understanding and enlightenment (佛教的觉悟), he grew tired and    3     (hunger). Exhausted from     4     (day) of walking, he failed away by a river in India. A shepherdess (牧羊女) found him there and     5     (feed) him her lunch-porridge made with beans and rice. Sakyamuni was thus able     6     (continue) his Journey.

After six years of strict discipline, he     7     (final)realized his dream of full enlightenment on the     8    (eight) day of the twelfth lunar month. Ever since, monks have prepared rice porridge on the eve and held a ceremony the following day,     9     they chant sutras (吟诵佛经) and offer porridge to Buddha.

Thus, the tradition of eating Laba porridge was based in religion, though with the passing of time the food     10     (it) became a popular winter dish especially in cold northern China.