The correct or better answers are in bold.
1.
 Recently there was a story in the newspaper about the caning of a young man in Singapore. Singapore is famous for its strict policies, both from the government and its schools. These policies always punish the guilty severely. In the case reported in the newspaper, a teenager was found guilty of painting public buildings in the downtown area. He was punished by caning, which means he was beaten with a kind of long, hard stick. Many people think this kind of punishment is too strict, but I think that it is good. If more young people realize that the government is not afraid to punish them, they will behave better.
2.
 Last summer I attended a bushiban in Taichung. I went there to improve my English. I'm not sure, though, that it was worth it. First of all, my teacher, though a foreigner from Canada, was not a good teacher. Of course he knew English fluently, but he could not teach us very well. Whenever we asked him questions about grammar, he said that he didn't know the answers. He wasn't much help. The classrooms were too crowded, too. There were almost 30 of us in one small classroom. The lighting was not good enough, either. My eyes hurt after each class from reading in that poor light. I don't think the bushiban is a good place to study anything.
3.
 My dream finally came true! Anthony Jones, the most handsome boy in our class, asked me out to dinner and a movie this weekend. I can hardly believe it! He was so cute when he asked me. During our ten-minute break between classes, Anthony came up behind me and gave me a bunch of flowers, just like in the movies! Then he looked a little embarrassed and asked me out. At first I didn't know what to say, but finally, of course, I said ˇ§Yes!ˇ¨ Ooh! My best friend Patty Ann helped me choose a dress for the big occasion. Do you think itˇ¦s too soon if I suggest to him that we get married?
4.
 Last night we had a big thunderstorm in our town. The evening had been quiet, so nobody really expected any severe weather. However, while my family and I were watching TV, the electricity in the house went off. My younger brother got out a flashlight, and my mother started to light candles, one for each room. I noticed that other houses in our neighborhood were also without power. Then all of a sudden, the sky turned black as night, and it started to rain cats and dogs. Lightning and thunder filled the sky, and frankly, we were a little afraid. An hour later, though, the storm stopped as suddenly as it had begun. Though thunderstorms are a little exciting, I can live without them!
5.
 Do you believe in ghosts? Let me tell you a story that really happened to me. Last winter vacation I visited my friend in his country home in the deep mountains of central Taiwan. There was only one road into and out of his town, and the country bus did not go all the way into his town. As there was no telephone at the bus stop either, I had to walk into the town alone towards my friend's house. Although it was only 4:00, it would be dark soon, and I started to feel a little frightened. As I looked across one rice field, I saw a shadow move very quickly from one end to the other, and I heard a very high sound, like a scream! I almost screamed, too, and ran all the way to my friend's house in town.
6.
 Last weekend my friends and I had a big party. We invited many of our classmates and neighbors to my house. We cooked a lot of food and bought a lot of snack food, like pizza, fried chicken, and potato chips. Because we wanted to dance, too, we moved a lot of furniture to make enough room. We played music all night. One of the guests played his guitar, and several others sang songs. Everybody had a good time. At the end of the party, we made plans to have another one next month. I love parties. I can not wait for the next one!
7.
In the United States there is Disneyland in California and Disneyworld in Florida. Both of these amusement parks are wonderful places to visit. Last summer I took my wife and two children to visit Disneyworld. While we were there, we took many rides. It was very exciting and a lot of fun. We also visited the Epcot Center, a place where everyone can study science and technology, but it is (was) as interesting as it is (was) educational. We all had a great time there. I advise you to visit Disneyworld, too, the next time you visit the United States.
8.
 Do you like to ride motorcycles? I do, but everyone should remember that motorcycles are not toys. They can be dangerous. Last week I rode my motorcycle to the market to buy some fruit and vegetables. While I was driving, a big city bus came too close to my motorcycle, and I fell off it. I hurt myself and had to see a doctor. It wasn't my fault, but I still had to pay the doctor myself. We should always be careful when riding motorcycles, or we could be hurt very badly. The next time you are riding (ride) your motorcycle, remember to wear your helmet and drive as carefully as you can.
9.
Did you hear about the airplane crash in Hong Kong in August? A jet was trying to land at the Hong Kong airport during a typhoon. The pilot was a very experienced one, but the wind was too strong and dangerous. Unfortunately, he could not land the plane safely. Instead, the airliner crashed and even turned over and burned. A very brave policeman on the airplane helped many other passengers get off safely. Due to his and the crew's efforts, only three people were killed. That was really a miracle. One of my friends saw the whole accident at the airport because he was sitting in another jet plane waiting to take off. What a terrifying experience that must have been for him!
10.
 I hate computers! I have to admit that they are convenient, but sometimes they drive me crazy. Also, sometimes I think that they waste as much time as they save. Has your computer ever gone down? I'm sure it has; everyone's has. When this happens, if you are lucky, you will lose only the file or document that you are working on. If you are more unlucky, you will lose everything in your computer! Sometimes the printer doesn't work well, either. Or sometimes we lose a floppy disk or forget a file name we need. Computers can be useful--sometimes!