1． There was a person called Sun Shan in the Song Dynasty. One year, he left his hometown for the national examination, and a countryman asked his son to go with Sun Shan. On the day the (1)       came out, Sun Shan found that his name came last on the list of the successful students. The son of his countryman (2)      , became very upset and asked Sun Shan to return first.
After returning home, Sun Shan's neighbors all came to congratulate (祝贺) him on his success. The countryman asked Sun Shan (3)       his son had also passed the examination.
Sun Shan didn't give a (4)       answer, but replied humorously, "Sun Shan was the last on the list. Your son came (5)       Sun Shan." That is to say, the countryman's son failed the examination.
Now, the saying "fall behind Sun Shan" is used to talk about one's failure in an examination or a competition.

2．Snow Tire (轮胎)
　　　　　　　　 　　Do you love it when it snows? Most kids do! However, drivers might not be as excited as kids (1)       it is difficult to drive on snowy days. There is one thing that can help a lot — a snow tire. So what's (2)       about it?
　　Common tires are not the same as snow tires. They're made to run (3)       in different conditions, but not in terrible winter conditions. Snow tires are made especially (4)       use in very cold temperatures and icy or snowy conditions. They're made with a greater percentage of natural rubber (橡胶) and silica (二氧化硅). When it gets really cold, snow tires won't get as (5)       as common tires. The softness (6)       them to keep better grip (抓力) in cold or bad weather.
　　Skidding (打滑) is more likely to happen on snowy days. When it happens, a car may slide on the wet roads and be out of (7)      . It can be very dangerous. Most snow tires have more small-tread areas. These small-tread areas (8)       grip on snow. And they help water keep away from the tire more easily in wet conditions. This causes less (9)       of skidding. In fact, snow tires have many special features. (10)       will make it safer to drive in icy or snowy conditions.
　　Besides, in many areas, when it snows, highway workers also often put salt or sand on the roads to help stop cars from skidding.

3． Up to now, more than 8 000 families have joined us.
With your support, we can make a big difference in the life of a child and have a great effect on their future.
Nearly 14 000 children in PA state have lost their homes. Perhaps your family is able to provide housing and emotional support for a child or a group who have no homes of their own, who need love and care.
★ Call 492-9345 to learn about training, expense and other requirements that are needed to care for a homeless child in your family.
★ Attend a General Meeting at the Mount Joy Office, Thursday, February 4th or 18th 6:00 p. m. — 8:00 p. m. Call 492-9338 for either of the General Meetings.
★ Volunteers are welcome. Call 492-9396 to become a member of F. U. N.
Families United Network (F. U. N. )
3908 Corey Road, Harrisburg, PA 17100

4． Tom Hanks is well-known to many people. He once acted in the films Forrest Gump and Da Vinci Code. But do you know that he was not popular with his classmates and teachers at all when he was very young?
Tom Hanks was born in Concord California. He once said to a reporter, "When I was young, maybe others thought of me as a stupid boy. But I was a complete optimist (乐观主 义者). I never kept these painful things in my mind and I didn't care about others' thoughts, so I didn't get into trouble. Later I took acting classes. I thought the classes were the best places for guys who liked making noise. I often went to the movies. I would never go there with others. I would just drive to a theater alone, buy myself a ticket, sit in the seat and see the film. I put myself into the shows completely and spent a lot of time learning how to act. "
Tom Hanks has played many different roles. His performance in Sleepless in Seattle was very wonderful. It became the turning point of Tom Hanks career (事业). Then his movie Philadelphia made him win the sixty-sixth Oscar as the Best Actor.
Tom Hanks' road to success hasn't been very smooth, but he has worked very hard and never given up. Finally he has found his own place in the world of movies.

5． Playing video games can be a fun way to relax or spend time with friends. In some schools, teachers use games like Minecraft to encourage teamwork and communication.
But for some players, gaming is an unhealthy habit. They stay up late playing games. They do little or no homework. They give up other hobbies and pay little attention to their families and friends. The video﹣game world seems a friendlier place than the real one.
Mental health experts have taken notice of this problem. The WHO added game disorder (障碍) to its list of health condition. A person may have the disorder if games have done harm to his relationship with families and friends, or if it has influenced his daily activities. Clifford Sussman treats games addiction (瘾). He says that children who have the game disorder often get angry when a parent stops them from playing games.
Then what makes video games addictive? Here is the answer. Playing video games makes players excited. After a while, the players become numb (麻木的). Then they lose control of themselves, so they play even more. Clifford says that players should take at least an-hour-long break after playing video games for an hour. Their brains need time to recover. Clifford advises young players should answer a simple question: "Are you in control, or is the game in control?"

6．　　Are you really a nice person? Being nice means full of love and purity (纯洁).
　　(1)       You should be full of qualities and virtues (美德) like politeness, kindness, tenderness, generous, forgiving etc.
　　You are nice means you are kind to yourself first because being nice you are sowing seeds for your future then you are truly nice to others. The one who doesn't think good for himself can never be good to others. Love yourself, accept yourself because you are here for some reason just like everybody is here for some reason. 　　　　 　　(2)      
　　The big sign of nice people is they always ready to help anyhow. They understand the pain of others as their own pain and they never give pain to others. Nice people always speak less and talk sweetly, they always take care to speak, never hurt anyone's heart by mistake. Kindness is a big virtue and one should be kind to everybody specially with poor people. (3)      
　　Some people are silent and are considered weak. Silence is a beauty of nice people just like charity. Being silent means they are not interested in quarrels or hurting someone. (4)       As Abhishek Tiwari said, "Do not take me for granted, being nice is not a matter of weakness, it is a matter of choice. "
　　(5)       They are naturally nice. Their actions show it. My dad never tried to please others. Whatever he did, he did selflessly. We have got a great lesson from him that being nice is very important, not only for others but for your own self as well.

17．　　How do you "laugh" when chatting with friends on the Internet? Is it "haha" 1.             "hehe"? In Thailand, people use "555" to express 2.             (they) laughter. What other different ways do people use around the world?
　　It has been quite a long time since people 3.             (start) to use online expressions. Some common expressions of laughter include LOL, meaning laughing out loud, and ROFL, rolling on the floor laughing. You can see the influence 4.             these expressions everywhere. LOL 5.             (include) in Oxford English Dictionary in 2011.
　　In fact, most languages follow the rule that they have similar sounds. Sometimes, numbers or 6.             (letter) in one language sound very different in another. "555" sounds like a person 7.             (cry) in Chinese, but like laughter in Thai. This is because 8.             number 5 is pronounced "ha" in Thai. "Jaja" is the Spanish way of 9.             (write) "haha". In Spanish, "j" is pronounced like the English "h". Isn't it funny to find these 10.             (interest) ways to "laugh"?

18．学 校 即 将 举 行 以 Should Middle School Students Be Allowed to Go Out with Friends on Weekends?为题的英语征文比赛. 你就此话题和父母进行了讨论, 请你 根据表格内容写一篇英语短文.

要求:
1. 你和父母的看法都至少要三条;
2. 可以适当增加细节, 以使行文连贯;
3. 100 词左右.