The other day, Thomas, my husband, told me that he would buy an old army truck.

“Don’t you ever want to do normal things like 【小题1】 men? Play golf on Saturdays, and...”

“That’s no fun. Life’s too short to live like everybody else. Besides, the truck will be 【小题2】 great advertisement. I’ll get the business name and our phone number 【小题3】 (print) on the side.”

At five o’clock in the afternoon, I heard a low sound. I looked out of the window. The army truck was much 【小题4】 (bad) than I’d imagined. I was speechless.

Thomas invited me for a ride. I didn’t have it in me to say no. Thomas turned right onto a main road, 【小题5】 (expose) us to the curious expressions of onlookers. I didn’t blame them. We were silly. I 【小题6】 (look) for something I could crawl under. But then 【小题7】 the truck made a terrible sound, neighbors smiled and waved. Nobody laughed at us.

Just the opposite, I could see excitement shining in their eyes. This truck was something different and interesting. With new 【小题8】 (appreciate) for my man and our truck, I sat taller and waved to our neighbors 【小题9】 (proud).

【小题10】 he were just like me—reserved—imagine how dull our lives would be!

It seems that people in western countries are becoming increasingly【小题1】(worry) about the side effects of drugs, and are turning to various 【小题2】 (treatment) such as yoga, reflexology and acupuncture (针灸) to complement, or sometimes even replace, western medicine.

【小题3】event in my life three or four years ago made me examine my own attitudes towards alternative medicine. After 【小题4】 (suffer) from insomnia (失眠) for a few months, I was feeling mentally and physically exhausted. My friend Tony, who【小题5】 (study) acupuncture at a college near London at the time, suggested that I visit an acupuncturist. Since I had a fear of needles, I was 【小题6】(willing) to take his advice. But by this time I was so tired that I was prepared to try almost anything.

I made an 【小题7】(appoint) with the acupuncturist in my area and turned up at his room the following morning. After taking my pulse, looking at my tongue, and asking a few questions 【小题8】my diet and lifestyle, the acupuncturist correctly reasoned that I was worn-out. I found this extremely impressive since he hadn't asked me 【小题9】 I had come to see him. He then inserted a needle in my right foot between my first and second toe, and, despite my anxiety, I fell asleep 【小题10】 (immediate). At the time I considered the whole experience to be close to a miracle.

My Male Flatmates

For the majority of my adult life I have lived with mostly women. Our flatshares have been loud and intimate. But for the past year I have lived with two young men, who also happen to be my friends. It has been fascinating. In fact, I have spent a large portion of that time sitting in a dimly lit corner of the house, making notes, just so 【小题1】I can turn them both into a column. So, this is what I have learnt from my two darling boys.

The glassware shelf is incredibly exclusive in terms of quality, a situation brought about by the fact that【小题2】of my housemates are product designers. The glass itself must be thin and perfectly proportioned,【小题3】(vote) into the cupboard like it’s a private members’ club. “Megan, have you seen this,”said one of my housemates the other evening. He was standing in the kitchen, solemn and disappointed, holding a Buxton cider glass. “It 【小题4】(enter) our home.” “Yes,” I said, “it’s a pint glass from a pub.” “Oh my God," he said, shaking his head. And I looked at the pint glass and thought: you are living【小题5】borrowed time, my friend. All I know is that poor glass will happen to go missing on a day when I happen【小题6】(work) from the office.

Dating in a house of girls is essentially a group activity.【小题7】 you even get home your housemates want to know how he said hello, what drink he ordered and【小题8】he waited for the green man when you were walking back to the station. My male housemates, largely, don’t give a toss. I have to loiter (wander) around their rooms asking them if they want to hear how it all【小题9】(go), like a has-been celebrity desperate to share her old stories. When I was a bit heartbroken they didn’t really know what to say - but they did go out to the shops, at a reasonable hour, cook me a fish pie, divide it into three and hand me 【小题10】huge mountain of food in my favourite bowl. They poured me a glass of wine in one of their fussy tumblers that looked bloody fabulous, and they sat either side of me on the sofa and said it’ll get better, you know, and I love them very very dearly