The first organized system for sending messages began in Egypt around 1500 B.C. This system developed because the pharaohs frequently needed to send messages up and down the Nile River in order to keep their empire running smoothly. Later, the Persians developed a more efficient system for sending messages using men and horses. Messages carriers rode along the road system stretching from one end of the Persian Empire to the other. Along these roads, fresh men and horses waited at special stations to take and pass along any messages that needed to be sent. The stations where riders passed messages back and forth were built 23 kilometers apart, so the men and horses were able to travel quickly between them. The Romans later took up his idea and improved it by using a more advanced and extensive road system.

    In China, however, Kublai Khan had built up his own system for delivering messages. This system worked in the same basic way as the Roman system. The difference was that Kublai Khan kept 300,000 horses along the roads of this delivery lines. There were over 10,000 stations where a message would be passed from one rider to another with a fresh horse. In this way, Kublai Khan could receive messages from anywhere in the country in only a few days.

    It was not until the 1500s that a well-organized postal system appeared again in Europe. One family, the von Taxis family, gained the right to deliver mail for the Holy Roman Empire and parts of Spain. This family continued to carry mail, both government and private, throughout Europe for almost 300 years.

    In 1653, a Frenchman, Renouard de Velayer, established a system for delivering post in Paris. Postal charges at that time were paid by the recipient, but de Velayer's system was unique by allowing the sender to pre-pay the charges, in a similar way to the modern stamp. Unfortunately, de Velayer's system came to an end when jealous competitors put live mice in his letter boxes, ruining his business. Eventually, government-controlled postal systems took over from private postal businesses, and by the 1700s government ownership of most postal systems in Europe was an accepted fact of life.

    The thing that all these early systems had in common was that they were quite expensive for public use, and were intended for use by the government and the wealthy. However, in 1840, a British schoolteacher named Roland Hill suggested introducing postage stamps, and a postal rate based on weight. This resulted in lowering postal rates, encouraging more people to use the system to stay in touch with each other, His idea helped the British postal system begin to earn profits as early as 1850. Soon after that many other countries took up Mr. Hill's idea. And letter writing became accessible to anyone who could write. Today, the Roland Hill awards are given each year to "encourage and reward fresh ideas which help promote philately"(stamp collecting).

On the way to his home the child turned many times and beat the dog, declaring with childish gestures that he held him in contempt (茂视) as an unimportant dog. the dog apologized for being this quality of animal and expressed regret in fine form, but he continued stealthily to follow the child.

When the child reached his door-step, the dog was a few yards behind, moving slowly toward him. He became so anxious with shame when ho again faced the child that he forgot the dragging rope . He tripped(绊倒) upon it and fell forward.

The child sat down on the step and the two had another interview. During it the dog greatly exerted himself to please the child. He performed a few playful jumps with such abandon(尽情地) that the child suddenly saw him to be a valuable thing. He made a swift, greedy charge(猛冲) and seized the rope.

He dragged his captive(俘虏) into a hall and up many long stairways in a dark building. The dog made willing efforts, but he could not walk very skillfully up the stairs because he was very small and soft, and at last the pace of the child grew so energetic that the dog became panic-stricken. In his mind he was being dragged toward somewhere unknown. His ayes grew wild with the terror of it. He began to wiggle his head wildly and to brace his legs.

The child redoubled his efforts. They had a battle on the stairs. The child was victorious because he was completely absorbed in his purpose, and because the dog was very small. He dragged his acquirement to the door of his home, and finally with victory across the doorway.

No family member was in. The child sat down on the floor and made overtures to(向……示好) the dog. These the dog instantly accepted. He smiled with affection upon his new friend. In a short time they were firm and abiding(矢志不渝的) comrades.

1）推荐这座城市的理由（至少包含两点）；

2）注意事项。

注意：1）词数100左右；

2）可适当增加细节，以使内容连贯。

    Your next car could have two seats, three wheels—two in front and one in the back and a top speed of more than 100 miles per hour. Elio Motors plans to make such a tiny car named the Elio. Its two seats sit front and back instead of side by side. The driver is positioned in the center with the passenger directly behind.

    The starting price for the car is just $6,800. It has only one door, on the left side, which cuts a few hundred dollars off the manufacturing costs. Having three wheels also makes it cheaper. It has air conditioning, power windows and door locks and an AM/FM radio. More features can be ordered through Elio's long list of suppliers. Elio will also sell the cars directly through its own stores and not through franchised dealers (特约经销商).

    Paul Elio dreamed as a kid that he would one day own a car company called Elio Motors. In 2008, tired of high gas prices, he started working on a car that burns gas in a more effective way. Equally important to him was creating US manufacturing jobs and making the car inexpensive enough to attract buyers who might otherwise be stuck in their old, unreliable cars. "Whatever matters to you, this can move the needle on it, he said.

    Already, more than 27,000 people have reserved one. Paul hopes to make 250,000 cars a year by 2020. So far, reservation holders are those who will use the Elio as a second or third car for work. Paul Elio believes the car will interest college students as well as used-car drivers who want something newer and more reliable, though.

Three years ago, Liu Mama was an unknown middle-aged farmer from the Dongbei region(地区), in northeastern China. Then she started 1 her life on the social-media platform(平台) Kuaishou. Liu Mama's son-in-law 2 the live stream(视频直播) to her, and worked as the 3 of her trusty cameraman. They 4 to try it out for laughs. The first videos, each less than a minute 5, showed Liu, short and fat, dressed in a red cotton jacket — 6 on the kitchen chair. She was eating pork bones and fish heads while creating 7 rhymes(押韵诗歌) about the happiness of countryside life. Liu Mama's funny live streams presented quite a 8 from other popular Chinese video-sharing platform where the videos 9 famous people, fashion and urban life.

People were 10 attracted by the loud-mouthed and red-cheeked farmer. Within months, the number of 11 to Liu Mama's channel(频道), " Liu Mama's Everyday Life,"12 from dozens to several thousand. Liu Mama began showing herself 13 corn, skinning potatoes, and driving a tractor around 14. A few years later, Liu Mama 15 fourteen million followers on the Kuaishou platform.

Liu Mama's 16 is one of many stories of live streamers in China. In the past five years, live stream in China has developed into a main 17 activity — more than half of the nation's Internet users have given it a 18. While live stream is still 19 as an unimportant culture in other parts of the world, Chinese industries 20 from education to news to daily shopping have hugged it as a business tool.

    While waiting for a friend in a hotel hall in America and wanting to be both seen easily and alone, I had seated myself in a separate chair.In such a(n) 1most Americans follow a rule : as soon as a person stops or is seated in a public place, there balloons around him a  small environment of 2which is considered  inviolate(不受侵犯).Anyone who3this zone and stays there is4.

    As I 5in the deserted hall, a stranger walked up to where I was6and stood close enough so that not only could I easily7him but I could even hear him breathing.If the hall had been crowded with people, I would have understood his8, but in a(n)9hall his  presence made me very uncomfortable.Feeling 10by this intermption, I11niy body in such a12as to communicate annoyance.13 , my actions seemed to14him,because he moved even, closer.

    Fortunately, the stranger immediately joined a group of people on iheir15.Their mannerisms (习性）16his behavior, for I knew from both17 and gestures that they were Arabs.I had not been able to make this decisive identification (身份）by looking at him  when he was18because lie was19American clothes.

    For the Arab, there is no interruption in public.Public means public.If A is standing on a street corner and B wants his20, B is within his rights if lie does what he can to make A uncomfortable enough to move.

增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在此符号下面写出该加的词。

删除：把多余的词用斜线（＼）划掉。

修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。

注意：1).每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；

2).只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。

Hi, Janice,

    It's been a month since I came to this new school and I really want share with you some of the problems I have been experiencing.

    As I tell you last time,I made three new friend here.We hang out together during lunch and after school.We've been spending a lot of time sing in karaoke bars.It's been three Saturdays now and it really costs me many.And I started to see this as a time—wasting activity!In fact,I don't like to go anymore,so I'm afraid I'll lose their friendship. How do you think I should do?If you are me,would you talk to him?

    Please help with me and give me some advice.

Grace

我本来盼望着能看到一只熊甚至是一只老鹰，结果我只看到了一小群鹿。

增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号(∧)，并在其下面写出该加的词。

删除：把多余的词用斜线（\)划掉。

修改：在错的词下画一横线，井在该词下面写岀修改后的词。

注意：

1）每处错误及其修改旳仅限一词；

2）只允许修改10处，多者(从第11处起)不计分。

    Due to the epidemic, our school has launched classes online as a temporarily solution to nonstop learning. Online classes pose a challenge for both our teachers and us student.

    Mr. Gao, our 50-year-old English teacher, who has struggled to learn how to give lessons online. He told us he would go after his lessons several times before each class. While teach online, Mr. Gao once clicked on a link to a music website by mistake, which amuse us greatly and won a great many "likes" from us.

    Mr. Gao deserve our respect and admire as he's doing his best to learn new teaching skills. From her, we've learned true meaning of "it never too late to learn".

    When I come across a good article in reading newspapers, I often want to cut and keep it. But just as I am about to do so, I find the article on the 1 side is as much interesting. It may be a discussion of the way to 2 in good health, or 3 about how to behave and conduct oneself in society. If I cut the front article, the opposite one is likely to 4 damage, leaving out half of it or keeping the text 5 the title. Therefore, the scissors (剪刀) would 6 before they start, 7 halfway done when I find out the 8 result.

    Sometimes two things are to be done at the same time, both worth your  9. You can only take up one of them, the other has to wait or be 10 up. But you know the future is unpredictable — the changed situation may not allow you to do what is left 11. Thus you are 12 in a difficult position and feel sad. How 13 that nice chances and brilliant ideas should gather around all at once? It may happen that your life 14 greatly on your preference of one choice to the other.

 In fact that is what 15 is like: we are often 16 with the two opposite sides of a thing which are both desirable like a newspaper cutting. It often occurs that our attention is drawn to one thing only 17 we get into another. The  18 may be more important than the latter and give rise to a divided mind. I 19 remember a philosopher's remarks, "When one door shuts, another opens in life." So a casual 20 may not be a bad one.