A Cancer Patient Recovers

August 30, 2014 |   By Li Ren, a Falun Dafa practitioner from Heilongjiang Province, China

(Minghui.org) I started to practice Falun Dafa in October 1998. Before that I had to take medication all the time, but I returned to good health soon after I began practicing. Falun Dafa has dramatically improved the fate of my family.

My wife was diagnosed with glioma [a type of tumor that starts in the brain or spine] in March 2005. She worked in a hospital. Her hospital director contacted Tiantan Hospital in Beijing, the best-known hospital specializing in curing brain tumors in China and one of the best in Asia. Further exams were done in Tiantan Hospital and it was confirmed that she had glioma. The doctor asked if we would agree to an operation, knowing that brain surgeries can be life threatening.

A Difficult Decision

We were told that we had two options. The first option was several surgeries, but they would be difficult because the tumor was connected to many nerves. The second option was a conservative treatment for three months to see if the tumor grew. If it didn't, they would continue the conservative treatment. But if it grew, she would need an operation. They asked us to make a decision. If we opted for the immediate surgery and it would be scheduled for the following Wednesday.

Another patient who had the same problem and symptoms as my wife opted for the surgery. She was in critical condition after the operation, which naturally frightened and upset my wife.

Third Option

I told my wife that Falun Dafa could cure her illness, but she didn't believe me, even though I had returned to good health after becoming a practitioner. I used to be in very poor health and was on medication until I was 35 years old. Whenever there was an epidemic, I came down with it and had to take medication and injections. I didn't get any better until I started to practice Falun Dafa.

I had asked my wife to practice Falun Dafa many times, but she refused, citing a number of reasons. She asked if it was too late to start now, and I told her that it was not too late if she genuinely wanted to practice.

At that time she was half paralyzed and was not able to look after herself, and she chose the second option--conservative treatment for three months.

After she was discharged from the hospital, she started to study the Fa and practice the exercises. Her movements were not accurate and she was not able to sit for long, but I encouraged her. Gradually some of her symptoms disappeared. She could look after herself and then was able to work and do household chores. Our family returned to normal.

*please pick out collocations from this readings and write your own examples using those collocations.

Change the sentences into the passive voice by filling in the missing words. 

1. Someone burgled my house while I was away. 

2. He started to leave before they had given him the directions. 

3. I went to the showroom but was informed that they had sold all the houses. 

4. They were still building the hotel when we stayed there. 

5. They sent my son home from school for being cheeky to the teachers. 

 6. My doctor prescribed me some medicine for my cough. 

 7. They haven’t finished fixing my car yet. They’re so slow! 

 8. I visited my home town last year, only to find that they’d demolished the house I’d grown up in. 

Choose the letter A, B, C or D to complete the passage below

Check out these wild wedding traditions from around the globe.

Crying Ritual of the Tujia People: Sichaun Province, China

Starting 30 days before the wedding, the bride spends an hour a day ____________ (9). Ten days later, she is joined by her mother, and then ten days after that, her grandmother. I know what you’re thinking, ____________ (10) this is actually meant as an expression of joy and deep love.

Question 10:

A. but

B. so

C. and

D. with

Choose the letter A, B, C or D to complete the passage below

Check out these wild wedding traditions from around the globe.

Crying Ritual of the Tujia People: Sichaun Province, China

Starting 30 days before the wedding, the bride spends an hour a day ____________ (9). Ten days later, she is joined by her mother, and then ten days after that, her grandmother. I know what you’re thinking, ____________ (10) this is actually meant as an expression of joy and deep love.

Question 9:

A. cry

B. crying

C. to cry

D. cried

Read the following passage and mark the letter A , B, C, or D on your answer  sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 43 to 50.

        When we moved to our new house near the sea, I was eight years old. Even before that I had spent every summer messing about on boats. My dad had taught me to sail before I learnt to ride a bike so I knew how I wanted to spend my time at the new house- I was going to get my own boat and sail it everyday. The house was only a few meters from the water's edge, and in rough weather the waves would come crashing into the front garden. I used to sit with my nose pressed to the glass, fascinated by the power of the ocean. I grew up watching the skies to see if it was going to rain; would I be going sailing that afternoon or not?

        Of course I sometimes wished I could live in the town like my friends. I used to get angry with my parents, who had taken early retirement because they seemed incapable of getting anywhere on time. Dad drove me the eight miles to school everyday, but I was often late because he had been walking on the cliffs earlier in the morning and had lost track of time. When I was taking my university entrance exams, I used to stay over at a friend's in town, just in case. All in all, I was lucky to grow up by the sea and I still love to sail.

Growing up by the sea, the writer felt ___________.

A. excited   

B. angry      

C. unlucky            

D. lucky

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 36 to 42.

    When we moved to our new house near the sea, I was eight years old. Even before that I had spent every summer messing about on boats. My dad had taught me to sail before I learnt to ride a bike so I knew how I wanted to spend my time at the new house- I was going to get my own boat and sail it everyday. The house was only a few meters from the water's edge, and in rough weather the waves would come crashing into the front garden. I used to sit with my nose pressed to the glass, fascinated by the power of the ocean. I grew up watching the skies to see if it was going to rain; would I be going sailing that afternoon or not?

          Of course I sometimes wished I could live in the town like my friends. I used to get irritated with my parents, who had taken early retirement because they seemed incapable of getting anywhere on time. Dad drove me the eight miles to school everyday, but I was often late because he had been walking on the cliffs earlier in the morning and had lost track of time. When I was taking my university entrance exams, I used to stay over at a friend’s in town, just in case. All in all, I was lucky to grow up by the sea and I still love to sail

Growing up by the sea, the writer felt___________.

A. unlucky

B. irritated

C. excited

D. lucky

Past Simple / Past Continuous / Past Perfect Simple

A Choose the correct answer.

I heard a knock at the front door so I (went / was going) to answer it.

At this time yesterday, I (wrote / was writing) an essay.

The football season (began / was beginning) a month ago.

She (had graduated / graduated) from school in 2001.

We entered the house quietly because everyone (was sleeping / had slept).

By the time we (got / had got) to the cinema, the film had already started.

The children (were playing / played) in the garden while their parents were watching them.

They (had left / left) many hours before we arrived.

B Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verbs in brackets. Use the Past Simple, Past Continuous or Past Perfect Simple.

They .................................... (get) to the airport as the plane was landing.

She wore the shoes she ..................................... (buy) the previous day.

I fell as I .................................... (run) for the bus.

What .................................... she .................................... (say) when he asked her to marry him?

When I was a student, I .................................... (not have) much money.

Why .................................... she still .................................... (work) at one o’clock in the morning?

I was happy to see her, because we .................................... (not see) each other for years.

By the time we got to the shop, a long queue .................................... already .................................... (form) outside.

C Choose the sentence which is closer in meaning to the original.

I had already seen the film but I decided to watch it again last night.

I watched the film last night for the first time.

Last night wasn’t the first time that I had seen the film.

The boys were playing football while it was raining.

The boys were playing football until it started to rain.

The boys played football in the rain.

I was writing an e-mail when our computer broke down.

Our computer broke down before I wrote an e-mail.

I had started writing an e-mail and then our computer broke down.

My aunt bought me a lovely gift after she had spent the summer holiday with us.

When the summer holiday was over, my aunt bought me a lovely gift.

While my aunt was spending the summer holiday with us, she bought us a lovely gift.

D Complete the passage with the correct form of the verbs in brackets.

Until a few years ago, no one 1.. .................................... (hear) of Harry Potter, the young wizard and hero of the children’s book Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. The writer, J K Rowling, 2. .................................... (already / write) several stories and books, but this was the first book that was published. She
3. .................................... (get) the idea for the story of a wizard at magic school while she

4. .................................... (travel) on a train to London. By the time the train 5. .................................... (reach) King’s Cross station, she 6..................................... (invent) most of the characters. When the book was published in 1997, no one 7. .................................... (imagine) it would be such a tremendous success, but it quickly
8. .................................... (become) a bestseller. While millions of young readers in many countries
9. .................................... (enjoy) her first Harry Potter book, J K Rowling 10. .................................... (think) of ideas for the next book in this incredibly popular series.

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 36 to 42.

    When we moved to our new house near the sea, I was eight years old. Even before that I had spent every summer messing about on boats. My dad had taught me to sail before I learnt to ride a bike so I knew how I wanted to spend my time at the new house- I was going to get my own boat and sail it everyday. The house was only a few meters from the water's edge, and in rough weather the waves would come crashing into the front garden. I used to sit with my nose pressed to the glass, fascinated by the power of the ocean. I grew up watching the skies to see if it was going to rain; would I be going sailing that afternoon or not?

          Of course I sometimes wished I could live in the town like my friends. I used to get irritated with my parents, who had taken early retirement because they seemed incapable of getting anywhere on time. Dad drove me the eight miles to school everyday, but I was often late because he had been walking on the cliffs earlier in the morning and had lost track of time. When I was taking my university entrance exams, I used to stay over at a friend’s in town, just in case. All in all, I was lucky to grow up by the sea and I still love to sail

The word “rough” is closest in meaning to ____________.

A. careful

B. forceful

C. easy

D. mild