1. To the boy’s great ______（失望）, he didn’t win the English contest held last week

2. December is the _________（十二） month of the year.

3.The bad news came as a _________（震惊） to her.

4.I came across an old friend of mine at the _______（入口） to the station last Friday.

5.It's time you started to think __________ (认真) about the future.

6.Middle school students are f_______________ to smoke.

7.Einstein d         ____himself to world peace and progress.

8.They offered me a ticket for the concert, and I a         it with delight.

9.With no adults around, it’s d        for children to swim in the river.

10.The photos will r         me of the days when we were together.

“BANG! BANG!” Setting off firecrackers(爆竹), which has been the most typical custom on the Spring Festival, is the happiest part of the Festival for most Chinese kids. They light the fuse(导火线) nervously, run away in a hurry, cover their ears with their hands and watch the colorful display with a big smile on their faces. Faced with the beautiful scene, they feel they are the happiest ones in the world as if they had never had a more exciting experience.

While setting off firecrackers can bring kids so much fun, these firecrackers can also be dangerous. Therefore, many Chinese big cities including Beijing began to ban them in the 1980s. Such an activity was completely or partially forbidden in big cities because the government took security, noise and pollution factors into consideration. As a replacement, some buy tapes with firecracker sounds to listen to, some break little balloons to get the sound too, while others buy firecracker handicrafts to hang in the living room.

This year good news came for teens in Beij ing. The ban on firecrackers was cancelled on September 9, 2008. It will add much fun to the coming Spring Festival in tile capital. Hearing the news, many kids were wild with joy.

According to Chinese custom, lighting firecrackers is a must during the Spring Fesrival. People believe the sound of the firecrackers drives away demons(恶魔) and bad luck for the coming year. Their beautiful colours and sound also bring much excitement during this most important traditional Chinese festival.

Since the ban, people complained that the Spring Festival was too quiet and not traditional enough. Children lost the fun and grown-ups lost their childhood memories.

Some even worried that if the ban continued, the next generation would only know the custom of lighting firecrackers through books. This would be a great loss for tradition.

Everybody knows that we can’t give up eating for the slight risk of choking(因噎废食). So in recent years, many cities have resumed the old custom at the request of local residents. This year Beijing kids will also be able to join in.

However, every year there are kids injured by setting off fireworks in a dangerous way. So while enjoying yourself, please bear safety in mind.

Don’t light fireworks among crowds, inside a bottle or with a part of your body right over it.

No matter how much fun firecrackers are, the most important thing is to keep away from danger. We wish every kid an exciting and safe Spring Festival!

Title：Firecrackers back in Beijing on the Spring Festival

I grew up in a small town and the main entertainment was Friday night high school football. It was just a sleepy little town where parents wanted to raise their children away from crime and               of a big city, and where teenagers like me        leaving to find something bigger and better.

All that changed one summer night. My friend Lisa, Martin and Tyler held a party for my eighteenth birthday at Lisa’s house.       they kept handing alcohol to me I was pretty        . I asked Tyler to take me home. With some       , we made it out to his car and drove home. News came next morning. My friend Martin was       in a car accident. That night after Tyler and I left, Martin, who was       more drunk than me, got into his car and        towards the highway to go home. Driving on the wrong side of the road, he never saw the truck coming. The driver didn’t see him       to avoid the car. They hit head on. Martin died immediately, and the driver was thrown       the truck windshield（挡风玻璃）and died a week later.

Whenever I       back on that day, I can’t help thinking that it was my       to drink so much that night.        things would be different. I know Martin       the choice to drink and drive that night, but a part of me will always feel       for what happened.

I may not change the world with my story, but I do hope that by       my story I can make you       that you not only have a responsibility for yourself but also for others. Don’t ever think that your choices are yours       . Every choice is like a stone dropped into         water—each ripple (涟漪) represents someone who your choice       . That’s quite an influence, isn’t it?

1.A. death                           B. fashion                            C. danger                             D. challenge

2.A. succeeded in        B. dreamed of            C. applied for            D. agreed to

3.A. As                            B. While                                 C. When                               D. Although

4.A. lost                         B. drunk                       C. frozen                    D. sleepy

5.A. fun                          B. difficulty                           C. hope                                D. method

6.A. died                    B. injured                            C. killed                                D. hurt

7.A. constantly                   B. frequently                      C. clearly                             D. equally

8.A. headed                        B. walked                             C. pushed                            D. fled

9.A. in trouble                    B. in time                             C. in danger                        D. in place

10.A. above                        B. below                     C. into                                  D. through

11.A. turn                            B. hold                                 C. look                                  D. get

12.A. desire                        B. fault                                 C. right                                 D. chance

13.A. Thus                            B. Nevertheless                   C. Otherwise                        D. Therefore

14.A. faced                         B. avoided                           C. regretted                        D. made

15.A. responsible              B. disappointed                  C. sensitive                          D. embarrassed

16.A. remembering           B. sharing                            C. declaring                         D. stopping

17.A. explain                 B. escape                     C. limit                                  D. realize

18.A. alone                         B. finally                     C. merely                             D. perhaps

19.A. clean                          B. deep                                C. still                                   D. fresh

20.A. affects                       B. inspires                           C. attracts                            D. benefits

No one in the United States could forget the sorrowful story, April 14th, 1865 36 Abraham Lincoln was murdered.

The night after a very busy  37 , the President and his wife went to Ford’s Theatre in Washington D.C where a new play was to be put on.

Near the theatre  38  a 25-year-old unsuccessful actor named John Wilkes Booth, who was strongly against the North though he hadn’t fought  39 the South himself. As the play  40  after a moment of rest, Booth came into the theatre. He walked slowly and quietly  41  the door through which he could see the President’s  42. He looked  43  carefully so as to find the guards  44  task was to protect the President from the enemy. To his joy, there was none of  45  and nobody noticed him. He reached the door quickly and began to get hold of the gun  46  in his pocket.

It was quiet in the theatre and everyone 47  his eyes on the stage. Suddenly a terrible sound of  48  broke in on the play. It surprised everyone and soon they looked  49  where the sound had just come .Smoke was seen coming out of the President’s box, where the  50  had enjoyed the play. Right away the theatre was full of shouting and excited people. Soldiers hurried in to  _51  the building, but it was too  52 ! The murderer had already  53  from the box onto the stage, from which then he hurriedly ran out of the theatre and soon disappeared in the  54_.

The news came that Lincoln, whom the people had  55  to love as an inspiring leader and a wise, warm-hearted, honest man, was short in the chest and died early the next morning.

No one in the United States could forget the sorrowful story, April 14th, 1865 36 Abraham Lincoln was murdered.
The night after a very busy  37 , the President and his wife went to Ford’s Theatre in Washington D.C where a new play was to be put on.
Near the theatre  38  a 25-year-old unsuccessful actor named John Wilkes Booth, who was strongly against the North though he hadn’t fought  39 the South himself. As the play  40  after a moment of rest, Booth came into the theatre. He walked slowly and quietly  41  the door through which he could see the President’s  42. He looked  43  carefully so as to find the guards  44  task was to protect the President from the enemy. To his joy, there was none of  45  and nobody noticed him. He reached the door quickly and began to get hold of the gun  46  in his pocket.
It was quiet in the theatre and everyone 47  his eyes on the stage. Suddenly a terrible sound of  48  broke in on the play. It surprised everyone and soon they looked  49  where the sound had just come .Smoke was seen coming out of the President’s box, where the  50  had enjoyed the play. Right away the theatre was full of shouting and excited people. Soldiers hurried in to  _51  the building, but it was too  52 ! The murderer had already  53  from the box onto the stage, from which then he hurriedly ran out of the theatre and soon disappeared in the  54_.
The news came that Lincoln, whom the people had  55  to love as an inspiring leader and a wise, warm-hearted, honest man, was short in the chest and died early the next morning.