2．　　My 14-year-old son, John, and I saw the coat at the same time in a second-hand clothing store. It stood out among big and old coats. It was so beautiful and had an unbelievable price, $28. I looked at my son and we both said nothing, but John's eyes shone. Dark, woolen coats were popular with teenage boys, but new ones could cost several hundreds dollars. This coat was even better. John tried it on and turned from side to side, eyeing himself in the mirror. It fit him so well.
　　John wore the coat to school the next day. After he came home, I asked, "Did the kids like your coat?"
　　"They love it," he said with a big grin.
　　Over the next few weeks, John changed. He was more polite, less argumentative (争辩的), more thoughtful, and much happier. "Good dinner, Mom," he would say every evening. Without a word of complaining, he would carry in wood for the stove. One day when I suggested that he might start on his homework before dinner, John, who always put things off, said, "You're right. I guess I will." When I mentioned this change to one of his teachers, she joked that the coat must have changed him.
　　John and I both know we should never judge a person by his clothes. But it is true that when wearing beautiful and suitable clothes, we may try to be better in thought, speech and behavior to match what is on the inside to what is on the outside.

3．　　Chopsticks are pairs of sticks with the same length that have been used as kitchenware in most of eastern Asian regions for over three thousand years. According to the relevant historical resources, the first chopsticks were thought to appear in China over 5,000 years ago. During the Spring and Autumn Period, chopsticks made of copper and iron developed gradually. Later the chopsticks with coating came in the Han Dynasty. Then gold and silver chopsticks followed.
　　Different materials have been used to make chopsticks until now, among which the most expensive ones are made of elephant tusks and the green stone. Those showed how wealthy the owners were.
　　It was said that silver chopsticks would turn black immediately if they touched poisoned food, but we know it was wrong today, so in history many kings and emperors used silver chopsticks to check whether the food was bad for them or not before eating. Chopsticks are also regarded as gifts to others. In China, chopsticks are traditionally given to a daughter when she marries to hope that they will have a child very soon, because the pronunciation of the word "chopsticks" in Chinese is like "quick child". Meanwhile, people often believe chopsticks have something to do with good luck. So many families will choose to put new chopsticks on the table at dinner on New Year's Eve as a way of wishing for luck while dropping chopsticks is a sign of bad luck to come.
　　It's believed that using chopsticks can increase fingers' flexibility. That means if we use chopsticks frequently at dinner, it will make our fingers do everything freely. Some experts also prove that it can improve memory. Many westerners, businessmen and tourists put their knives and forks beside the bowls and plates but choose chopsticks in China.

4．　　Have you ever stared at a map of the world and thought why it looks like this? If you have, you are not alone.
　　A Brave Guess
　　In the late 1800s, a scientist named Alfred Wegener was interested in studying the map. He came up with a brave guess. He thought that all the continents once formed one huge land. A single large ocean was around this super-continent.
　　Floating "Ships"
　　Why do the continents look this way? Scientists believe that natural forces under the earth make the continents move and form the lands and oceans this way.
　　Over many centuries, slowly, the super-continent broke into two continents. One of them began to move to the north. Then it broke again, forming North America, Europe, and Asia. The gap between North America and Europe became part of the Atlantic Ocean. The second continent also broke apart to form South America, Africa, Australia, and Antarctica. The continents were like floating ships at sea, moving to where they are nowadays.
　　Finding Evidence
　　It sounds unbelievable, but scientists have found evidence to support the guess. Firstly, it is the fossils. Ancient plants and animals of the same type were discovered both in South America and in Africa. Did they develop at the same time in two faraway places? It seems unlikely. Biologists believe that there must have been land bridges or other land connections that are unseen now.
　　The coastlines of the continents also seem to fit together. The east coast of South America can fit into the lower west coast of Africa. The east coast of North America matches parts of Africa's and Europe's coasts. It seems as if they fit together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle (拼图).
　　Mountain rocks help explain the truth, too. Scientists has recognized a mountain chain that is more than four hundred million years old. It runs down the eastern part of Greenland and western Norway. Then it goes through northwest Scotland and Ireland before it reaches western Canada. Finally, it finds its way to northwest Africa.

13．　　Without doubt, tea is welcomed all over the world. According to the UN, tea is more than just a hot drink. It's a big part of many (1)      (culture) around the world.
　　You possibly know that people in China use top-grade tea (2)      (show) respect (尊重) when receiving important guests. Meanwhile, the British tradition of afternoon tea is an important part of that country's identity (身份). Making Malaysia's pulled tea (3)      (become) a sort of art form. As an expression of Moroccan hospitality (好客) and tradition, mint tea — a mix of green tea, spearmint leaves and sugar (4)      (serve) during gatherings.
　　Apart from its cultural meaning, tea is also a medicine, used from ancient times to modern days. Li Shizhen, who was a Chinese Ming Dynasty herbalist, once said, "Tea is cold and lowers the fire." It can prevent heart disease, obesity and cancer by (5)      (drink) green tea, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information in the US.

14．　　A vegetarian (素食者) is someone who (1)      (not eat) meat. Being a vegetarian has become a popular choice. Most people choose to be vegetarians for many reasons.
　　First, they believe that a vegetarian diet (饮食) is good for health. It usually has (2)      (little) fat (脂肪) than a diet that includes meat. Vegetarians eat a low-fat diet to stay fit and healthy. A vegetarian diet also provides many vitamins (维生素) that people can't get from meat. These vitamins protect people (3)       some diseases.
　　Second, many vegetarians are worried about how animals are raised and killed for food. They hope animals can be better treated.
　　(4)      (final), they think being a vegetarian can help the planet. People use more energy, water and land to raise animals for food than to grow fruit and vegetables. Also animals put greenhouse gases (温室气体) into the air. These gases cause global warming (全球变暖).
　　Vegetarians advise people to have just (5)       couple of vegetarian meals a week to make the world a better place.

15．
　　A study has been done at a university. Scientists divided a class into two groups. They made each group (1)       in different ways. The first group took notes by hand. The second one did it on the computer. The (2)       of the study was to find out which method would help the students learn better. The scientists thought Group Two would win. But to their surprise, Group One did a better job. Since you take notes by hand, stick to it! Good notes can (3)       to less stress (压力) when test time comes around. Then how can you improve your note-taking skill? The following advice can help you.
　　Firstly, try to get yourself ready before class begins. Be familiar (熟悉的) with the material that you are going to learn. Make sure you have your notebooks and pens on the desk.
　　Secondly, take notes wisely while listening in class. Many students become (4)       taking notes and they may fail to follow the teacher. So it is important to know when to take notes. And remember to write down the key words and use shorthand (速记法) if necessary.
　　Thirdly, check your notes after class. You can add some details (细节) by yourself first. If there is still something missing, compare your notes with (5)      . Do it with those who take notes carefully. These checks will also (6)       your chances of understanding what you've written.
　　Try the advice above. When you can take notes (7)       than before, you will find your lessons easier and more enjoyable.

16．　　Self-love is the most important if you want to find out your full potentials (潜质) on earth. Accepting who you are makes you feel that you are good enough.
　　"You are good enough" does not mean you are perfect. Nobody is perfect. Being good enough means you accept who you are and believe in yourself. The truth is, opinions of other people make it hard for you to find the good part of yourself. So, you need to believe in yourself instead of caring what people think of you. Be sure you are doing it for yourself, not for someone else. Just make efforts to improve yourself and then you are sure to become the best you can be, or a better version (版本) of yourself.
　　What should we do when someone is stuck (深陷) in the ocean of not feeling good enough? Here are some suggestions to help. First, be a good listener. Listening to someone will not only make them feel they are worthy but also make you know better what they are going through. Then you will get the idea of how to cheer them. Besides, always encourage others. When people talk about their dreams, tell them it's possible that all dreams can come true. So, loving others in this way will make them feel good enough.

17．"凡事预则立，不预则废。" 某英文网站正在开展主题为“做一个有准备的人”的征文活动。假如你是李华，请用英语写一篇短文投稿，谈谈是什么经历让你意识到准备的重要性，以及你从中获得的益处。
提示问题：
What experience taught you the importance of preparation? Please describe it.
What benefits have you got from the experience?
写作要求：
1. 100词左右；
2. 开头已给出，不计入总词数；
3. 文中不得出现真实姓名和校名。
Being prepared is important
　　Being prepared is important. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________