—It is _______________ interesting _______________ I'd like to see it again.

—Oh, I can't get on with my classmates.

—I was doing my homework _______________ my parents were having dinner with their friends outside.

    Last Friday a storm swept through two villages in the New Territories, destroying(摧毁) fourteen homes. Seven others were so badly damaged (破坏) that their owners had to leave them, and fifteen others had broken windows or broken roofs. One person was killed, several were badly hurt and taken to hospital, and a number of other people received smaller hurt. Altogether over two hundred people were homeless after the storm.

    A farmer, Mr. Tan, said that the storm began early in the morning and lasted for over an hour. "I was eating with my wife and children," he said, "when we heard a loud noise. A few minutes later our house fell down on top of us. We tried our best to climb out but then I saw that one of my children was missing. I went back inside and found him, safe but very frightened."

    Mrs. Woo Mei Fong said that her husband had just left for work when she felt that her house was moving. She ran outside at once with her children. "There was no time to take anything," she said." A few minutes later, the roof came down."

    Soldiers helped to take people out of the flooded (水淹的) area and the welfare department (福利机构) brought them food, clothes and shelter.

    When I was a child, my parents always told me that I should never talk to strangers. This was part of a whole list of things I should never do never accept food or candy from strangers, never get in a car with strangers, and so on.

    But if we didn't start a conversation with strangers, we'd never make new friends and we'd never get a job. ①We may miss the joy that comes from talking with strangers. And the more people you know, the more chances you can find.

    The following passage offers you some advice on how to ②break the ice.

    Don't just stare at your shoes. Go and say "Hi" to that new guy. It will be easier to break the ice if you know more about different cultures.

British: Beautiful day, isn't it?

    The weather in Britain is changeable. So, it's one of the topics the British care most about. And there's a simple rule: Say "Yes" whether you agree with the person's idea on the weather or not. ③That's because the British start a conversation using the weather so that they can continue their talk.

    French: Where did you go on holiday?

    To talk with a French person, the safest way is to ask about his or her last holiday. French students enjoy a 10-to-15-day holiday every two months. French employees(雇员) get more than six weeks of holidays per year.

    American: So, where are you from?

    The US is so big and people move so often that the location is always a source(来源) of talk. You can try to find a connection with the place they're from. For example, if someone's from Los Angeles, you could say, "Oh, I have a friend who studied there."

    One place that is very important in my life is my grandmother's house. She 1 in a small village in the south of the country. I go there every summer, to visit my grandmother, 2 the city and relax.

    The village is just a group of white houses on a hillside with some shops, and it's3 peaceful.

    One reason why I like it is because it's a beautiful place. My grandmother has a lovely garden and we always sit 4 the trees, drinking sweet tea and chatting. It's so pleasant. But the main reason why this place is so important to me is5. She is so kind to me, and wonderful to talk to. Also, she's a great cook and the meals she prepares are simple6 so fresh and ... rich? No, no, I mean tasty. And she's always giving me eh... What do you call 7? —small plates of food during the day, so I always return home feeling calm and refreshed and 8!

    I wouldn't like 9 there, though. I prefer、 living in the city. I'm a city person. I 10 live in a small village where everybody knows each other. I'd rather live in a busy, exciting place. But I really love visiting the villages for holiday.