16．　　The umbrella is a very common object. It keeps the (1)       and the sun off the people. Most umbrellas can be folded up (折叠) so it is (2)       to carry them.
　　However, the umbrella has not always been as (3)       as it is now. In the past, it was a symbol of importance. Some African countries still use umbrellas in this (4)      . Someone carries an umbrella and walks behind the king or important person.
　　Umbrellas are very old. People in different parts of the world began to (5)       umbrellas at different times. The Chinese had them more than 3, 000 years ago. From there, umbrellas (6)       to India and Egypt. In Greece and Rome, (7)       wouldn't use them. They believed umbrellas were only for women.
　　England was (8)       the first country in Europe where common people used umbrellas against rain. The weather there is very (9)       and umbrellas are very useful.
　　Everybody uses umbrellas today. The next time you (10)       one, thinking that for centuries only great men and women used them, you'll feel you are important people, too.

17． What will our world be like in 2050?Maybe no one knows. Because we never know what will happen in the future. But it's very interesting to make some predictions. Here are some exciting predictions.
Languages
English should still be the most popular language, but Chinese should be the second. Now, many foreign people are studying Chinese as their second language.
Water
Water will become as expensive as oil because many rivers will disappear. We will have to save water and pay more for clean water.
Education and Science
Students won't go to school. They will stay at home and study online. Students from all over the world may study together on the Internet. We may eat more genetically modified food. And more robots will be around us. Lots of dangerous work will be done by them.
Living
People will live and work under the sea. Perhaps there will be big towns, factories and farms under the sea, too. Everyone will carry a pocket computer. The computer will give people all the answers to their questions. Everyone will have telephones in the pockets, too, and they will be able to talk to their friends all over the world.

19． A man was going to the house of a rich person. As he went along the road, he saw a box of good apples at the side of the road. He said. "I do not want to eat those apples. for the rich man will give me much food and he will give me very nice food to eat." Then he took the apples and threw(扔)them away into the dust (灰尘).
He went on and came to a river. The river had become very big so he could not go over it.
He waited for some time, then he said, "I cannot go to the rich man's house today, for I cannot get over the river."
He began to go home. He had eaten no food that day. He began to want food. He came up to the apples, and he was glad to take them out of the dust and ate them.
Do not throw good things away and you may be glad to have them at some other time.

20． Welcome to our club!        . We have ten sports teachers and five art teachers. Here you can learn to play tennis and you can learn (学习) to play sports and draw (画画).
      . October is a busy month. On October 5th , we have a trip in the morning. And on October 20th, we have two games, a tennis game and a baseball game.        On December 18th, we have a music festival. It is very interesting.       
In the club, we have a food store.        . Come and have a good time here!

26． Alice was born with a strange disease. She was taken to many hospitals. None of the d             knew the cause (原因) of the disease. They told her parents she would go blind (瞎的) and deaf (聋的).
Now Alice is fifteen years old. H             eyesight and hearing are so poor that she can't see or hear c            . But she is a bright and happy girl. She says to parents, " I can't see well , I won't stop working. "She hopes to enjoy her life. With her p             help, she is travelling as much as she can. She is also s             the interesting things with others.
She also wants to help people l             her. Her dream is to help researchers (研究员) f             a method (方法) for her disease. If she c             get well, people who have the same disease may also be cured (治愈). In fact, she has money for foundation (基金会) fighting the disease since (自从...以来)she was in Grade Two. Until now, she has got over ＄150, 000!
Alice thinks helping others can make her h             than having fun alone. She is doing her b             to live her life without any regret.