Thanksgiving was just around the corner. The menu had been set. The shopping list was made. Everything seemed perfect. I could taste turkey and mashed potatoes. Pictures of different pies, fruit and vegetables came into my mind. I couldn't1!
The day before Thanksgiving my dad called a family meeting. He said we needed to practise being2."We are going to help out at a homeless shelter (收容所) on Thanksgiving Day." I couldn't believe this was happening. So we wouldn't cook our own Thanksgiving dinner. The holiday wouldn't be the same. I thought the day would be ruined (糟蹋).
The next morning, we got up3.I followed my father to the shelter with my sleepy eyes. I had no great expectations and felt4all the way. As soon as we arrived, we got to work. There was so much to be done. But all I could think about was the dinner I couldn't enjoy.
However, those thoughts soon5. Over the next few hours, watched hundreds of people come through the shelter. For some, this was the only hot meal they would eat that week. For others, it was the first time to eat a Thanksgiving meal. The shelter was filled with6.
Through this experience, I learned that Thanksgiving is a time to think about your blessings (祝福) and look for ways to bless others. When I gave up what I had wanted, I discovered how much I have. It is much better to7than to receive. In the end, that Thanksgiving became an8experience.
Hi, there! It was my 15th birthday last Saturday. Some of my friends and Alan, my cousin, came to celebrate it. Everyone brought me a gift. We had a party. We played games, sang songs and had a big birthday cake. It was really a wonderful day! Did you do anything special last week?
Yes. My class were on a school field trip last week. First, we went to the University of North Carolina to learn about the history of its basketball team. Many basketball stars were students there! Then we visited a museum. We learned about how the plane was invented and took many pictures there.
Well, I was lucky enough to go to a conference(会议) on charity(慈善) last Wednesday. I was so excited to meet a lot of kind people there. One of them was a boy named Richard. He spoke at the conference about the charity work that he had done in the past few years.
It was a different week than usual. Last Thursday, my school band went to Atlanta to perform in a competition. I played the violin and we won a prize! On Friday, we went to the Georgia Aquarium and got to see different kinds of sea life from all over the world. It was really cool!
"Attention, everyone!" Miss Dalrymple looked at her class of ten — year — olds. "Today we are going to create a special card for Father's Day, which falls on this weekend." Then she busied herself handing out the paper and art materials to her noisy pupils.
They were a mixed punch. Some came from the rich side of the town, but the majorities (大部分) were from parents who struggled to get jobs. So she had not been eager to carry out this activity.
"Think about all the things that your dad does that makes him special," she said loudly as she came up to the last table. "You can write a poem or short story that makes your dad special. The written part of this activity should be completed before you start to decorate your card.
Andrew looked at the blank page. He had never met, spoken to, or been hugged by his dad, so how could he write about him? Once when he was looking in his grandma's photo box, he had seen an old black and white photo but it was badly creased (弄皱) and difficult to recognise any clear features (特点). Grandma had quickly taken it from him and buried it deeply among the rest, never to be found again. After thinking for a while, he wrote:
Dear Dad,
You are a person I do not know and would probably not recognise as I only saw an old photo of you a long time ago. I think and wonder about you often, especially when I have no one to talk to. One day when I grow up I will do an Internet search to find you, but I am not sure whether I will be successful as several efforts by the Child Support Agency have not been successful.
Happy Father's Day, Dad.
Love,
Andrew
The traditional Chinese lunar calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms. Grain Rain(谷雨), as the last term in spring, starts on April 20th this year.
Grain Rain comes from the old saying, "Rain brings the growth of hundreds of grains", which shows that this period of rainfall is very important for the growth of crops. Here's something that you may not know about Grain Rain.
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1）_______________ Grain Rain falls between the end of spring and the beginning of summer, and the temperature rises much higher than it does in March. With dry soil and heavy winds, sandstorms may happen more often. |
2）_______________ There is an old custom in southern China that people drink tea on the day of Grain Rain. Spring tea during Grain Rain is good for eyes. It is also said that drinking tea on this day would prevent bad luck. |
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3）_______________ People in northern China have the tradition to eat the vegetable, toona sinensis, during Grain Rain. An old Chinese saying goes "toona sinensis before The rain is as tender as silk (嫩如丝)" The vegetable is good for the stomach and skin. |
4）_______________ The Grain Rain Festival is celebrated by fishing villagers in northern China. Grain Rain marks the start of the fishermen's first voyage of the year. The custom dates back to more than 2,000 years ago |
a. Eating toona sinensis b. Sandstorms happen
c. Grain Rain Festival d. Drinking tea
Canada Day
Since 1982, July 1st has been officially known as Canada Day. Canadians of all ages take part in this festival across the country.
Canada Day is the year's biggest national party. In many towns and cities, the government organises a lot of events, often outdoors. These include parades (游行), concerts, festivals, firework displays and ceremonies for new Canadian citizens (公民). The celebrations often have a patriotic mood. Canada's national flag,a symbol for Canada Day ,can be seen everywhere and a lot of people paint their faces red and white, which are Canada's national colours. The celebrations in Ottawa, Canada's capital city,a re especially grand and exciting.
In the province of Quebec , many home rentals (租赁) start on July 1st and last for exactly one year , and many people in Quebec spend Canada Day moving from one house to another. So in Quebec, Canada Day is also known as Moving Day.
Many organisations, businesses and stores are closed this day. Only some bookstores, hospitals and gas stations may be open. Post offices are closed, too. As Canada Day falls in the Canadian summer holiday period, all schools are closed as well. In some areas, special services are provided for large events. The concerts, parades and festivals may cause some traffic jams.
There are a lot of Chinese cultures about fish. In Chinese, "fish" sounds like" surplus (余)". Chinese people always like to have a surplus at the end of the year. They think if they save something at the end of the year, then they can make more in the next year. That's why Chinese people like to eat fish for the Chinese New Year. Do you know what kind of fish Chinese people like to eat for the Chinese New Year?
●Crucian carp (鲫鱼)
The first kind of fish is crucian carp. It sounds like the Chinese word "吉". The Chinese word means "good luck". Chinese people think that eating crucian carp can bring good luck for the next year.
●Chinese mud carp (鲤鱼)
The second kind of fish is Chinese mud carp. It sounds like the Chinese word "礼". It means gifts or presents. So, Chinese people choose to eat Chinese mud carp during the Chinese New Year. It means "good future".
Catfish (鲶鱼)
The third kind of fish is catfish. It sounds like two Chinese words "年余". So eating catfish is a wish for a surplus in the New Year.
提示词语：gift, love, opinion
提示问题：●What's your plan for Father's Day?
●Why do you do so?
●What do you want Peter to do?
Dear Peter,
How is it going?
We will share the plan for Father's Day next week.
Yours,
Li Hua
