—To be frank，it didn't________me much．（   ）

Mary: Hi，Mike． Are you going to the barbecue tonight?

Mike: Maybe．

Mary: Why maybe? Aren't you       ？

Mike: I don't know． All those people，I won't  know anyone．

Mary: But that's the idea． You go to these things       meet new people．

Mike: But I don't think a barbecue       the best way．

Mary: Why not?

Mike: Because it's just hard to meet friends．

Mary: Well，I love      (meet) people in a big group because there're more possibilities．

Mike: But don't you think it's hard to get to know people? Besides，it's       (noise)． You can't always have       great conversation．

Mary: Then how do you like to meet people?

Mike: I think small groups are the best way to meet people． I meet the most interesting people inclass． I see how they think       talk everyday． If I like someone，then we might get together later on．

Mary: You are       serious a guy． I met my best friend in a sports club． We came to know we have a lot       common． If you ask me，big parties are the best way to meet people．

Mike: Well，maybe． Um．．． I should take my      (chance) at the barbecue． I'll see you tonight，Mary．

         The employer was5to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor． The carpenter said yes,6over time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work． He used bad workmanship and7materials． It was an unfortunate way to8 a dedicated（献身的）career．

When the carpenter finished  his work, his employer came to9the house． Then he handed the front-door10to the carpenter and said, “This is your house．．． my11to you．”

         The carpenter was shocked!

         What a12! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently．

         .13it is with us． We build our lives, a day at a time, often putting14 than our best into the building． Then, with a shock, we 15  we have to live in the house we have built． If we could do it over, we would do it much differently．

         But, you cannot 16 ． You are the carpenter, and every day you hammer a nail, place a board, or build a wall． Someone  17said, “Life is a do-it-yourself project．” Your 18 , and the choices you  19  today, help build the “house” you will live in tomorrow． Therefore, build  20!

          Vincent van Gogh, for whom color was the chief symbol of expression, was born in Groot-Zundert, Holland on March 30, 1853．

The son of a pastor(牧师), brought up in a religious and cultured atmosphere, Vincent was highly emotional and lacked self-confidence． Between 1860 and 1880, when he finally decided to become an artist, van Gogh had had two unsuitable and unhappy romances and had worked unsuccessfully as a clerk in a bookstore, an art salesman, and a preacher in the Borinage (a dreary mining district in Belgium), where he was dismissed for overzealousness（过分热心的）．

          He remained in Belgium to study art, determined to give happiness by creating beauty． The works of his early Dutch period are somber-toned, sharply lit, genre paintings of which the most famous is "The Potato Eaters" (1885)． In that year van Gogh went to Antwerp where he discovered the works of Rubens and purchased many Japanese prints．

          In 1886 he went to Paris to join his brother Théo, the manager of Goupil's gallery． In Paris, van Gogh studied with Cormon, inevitably met Pissarro, Monet, and Gauguin, and began to lighten his very dark palette and to paint in the short brushstrokes of the Impressionists． His nervous temperament made him a difficult companion and night-long discussions combined with painting all day undermined his health． He decided to go south to Arles where he hoped his friends would join him and help found a school of art． Gauguin did join him but with disastrous results． Near the end of 1888, an incident led Gauguin to ultimately leave Arles． Van Gogh pursued him with an open razor, was stopped by Gauguin, but ended up cutting a portion of his own ear lobe off． Van Gogh then began to alternate between fits of madness and lucidity and was sent to the asylum in Saint-Remy for treatment．

参考词汇：

    小品：witty skits．

    变魔术：play magic tricks．

Class 18 Celebrated the New Year

       On the afternoon of 31st, December, the party to celebrate the New Year was held in the classroom of ……

……

By Robert, School Newspaper．