—Oh, many people lost their homes.

    An illusion(错觉) is something that fools the senses or the mind. An illusion may make you think something exists(存在) when it really (do) not. It may be something that appears to be one thing, but is really something else. David Copperfield calls (he) an illusionist. He is someone who makes or creates illusions.

    Many people have an interest in magic, but (many) of them are not performing and getting paid for it by age 12. Nor are they teaching college classes in magic at age 16. Copperfield was the (young) person ever to be allowed to join the Society of American Magicians. When he got to college himself, Copperfield got the leading part in a play called The Magic Man. Besides acting and singing, he created all the magic in the show. The show ran for longer any other musical in Chicago's history.

    Copperfield is a huge (succeed) as an illusionist, but he has other projects as well. He says that his best work is Project Magic. Copperfield developed a number of tricks(戏法) done with the hands. These tricks help hospital patients who need (improve) their physical condition. Learning to do the tricks also builds confidence(信心). Patients in the program can speak (proud) that they can do tricks that healthy people can't do.

    Like many magicians, Copperfield is interested the history of magic. He has created a museum and library in which books, articles, and old magic equipment(设备) (keep) and shown. By keeping track of history, Copperfield hopes to save magic for the future.

    I stood in my grandmother's front yard with my son. He had a bottle of soapy water and a plastic loop（圈）. You know the type.You dip （浸） the loop in the bottle, pull it 1 and blow it to make bubbles（气泡）.

    My son dipped and dipped and blew and blew, but 2 to blow bubbles. He handed me the bottle and loop and asked me, "Daddy, 3you make bubbles?" I hadn't blown bubbles for years. I am a chemist by education. All my knowledge is 4when it comes to trying to blow bubbles from a loop filled with soapy water. I had no more success than my son.

    After several tries 5 the loop of soapy water, I gently （轻轻地）breathed on it. My son cried with joy as a big beautiful bubble 6 and moved slowly in the air. He grabbed （抓住）the loop, dipped and blew. No bubbles. I 7explained to him, "Son, you can't blow so hard; you must ever so gently breathe on the loop to make bubbles." He followed my 8and blew gently. This time he made a big beautiful bubble, then 9.

    There are some things that you can get with force, 10 there are other things that only come with the gentleness of a soft breath. The closer something is to higher spirit, the more it is like bubbles; it can't be forced.

    The earth is our home. We must take good care of it. Life today is easier than it was hundreds of years ago, but it has brought some new 1. One of the biggest problem is pollution. We can see it, smell it, drink it and even hear it. Man has polluted the 2 The more people, the more pollution. Many years ago, the problem was not so 3 because there were not so many people. When the 4 was used up or the river was not clean in a place, man went to another place. However, man is 5 polluting the whole world nowadays. Air pollution is still the most serious pollution. It's bad for living things in the world.

    Many countries don't let people 6 anything bad in the houses and factories in the city. Pollution brought by SO2 is now the most dangerous kind of 7 pollution. It's mainly caused by heavy traffic. People say riding bikes is the 8 way to protect the environment in terms of means of transportation. Riding causes no pollution. But even in developed countries, most people don't go to work by bike. It's not because bikes are expensive or people would become tired if they ride to work. It's because the number of cars on the roads becomes larger. More and more people 9 their bikes and go to work by car and then things get worse and worse. There should be special roads only for bikes, making it so difficult and expensive for drivers to drive their cars in the city that they will go back to 10 their bikes.

    A serious earthquake can be a terrible experience, and it is easy to forget safety measures (措施) in disorder (混乱). Fortunately, most earthquake safety measures are common sense, but if you forget everything else, remember the following instructions: drop, cover, and hold on. Also, most of earthquake deaths happen after the earthquake, so remember that the danger does not end when the shaking does!

    If you stay indoors during an earthquake, move away from unsupported areas and windows. Try to get under a doorway or another area of the building which is held up by strong beams (梁). Stay under a table or desk only if it is very strong. Do not rush to lifts, because it is far safer to stay where you are. Cover your head with your arms around it and curl (蜷缩) into a ball, and wait for the shaking to stop.

If you stay outdoors during an earthquake, move to an area. Which is as open as possible. Don't move to buildings, electric poles and other objects which may fall during an earthquake and injure you. Protect your head and stay low to the ground till the shaking ends and it is safe to move.

    After an earthquake, many buildings are less strong, although they appear safe. If you stay indoors, move people from the building quickly and help disabled or injured people. Once outdoors, move well away from the building so that if it falls down, you will not be injured. Wait till public safety officials announce that it is safe to stay indoors. By planning ahead and keeping calm during an earthquake, you can greatly increase your chances of survival (生存) without injury.

Lisa the piano.

You may see the boy I talk to .