Holidayactivitiesyouwon'twanttomiss
Here are a few fun and festive ways to spend a day or night off around Los Angeles this holiday season with your friends or family.
IceskateinPershingSquare
The Bai Holiday Ice Rink opens for business in Pershing Square in downtown LA Nov. 15 through Jan. 21. Attention, Wicked fans: Cast members of the Broadway musical will break the ice on Nov. 15 with a performance, and every following Wednesday will be dedicated to the show with Wicked songs.
Info: Tickets $9, skate rentals $5, lockers $3.
GazeattheMissionInnFestivalofLights
The Festival of Lights at the Mission Inn in Riverside attracts 250, 000 people a year for a reason: It's awesome. A fireworks display brings the festival to life on Nov. 23, when 5 million colorful lights lighten the grounds, there to stay through Jan. 6. Walk inside the hotel for more eye candy, which includes artificial snow and a 12-foot-tall gingerbread house.
Info: Free admission, $17 parking.
ElPueblodeLosAngelesHistoricalMonument
Local singers and dancers will celebrate the lighting of the tree on Paseo de la Plaza near Olvera Street on Nov. 30. Festivals start at 5:30 pm. Once the lights are on, enjoy children's workshops, face painting and free champurrado (the beloved Mexican chocolate drink).
Info: Free.
WatchholidaymoviesinMarinadelRey
Catch live music and a holiday movie every Saturday Dec. 15 through 29 at Burton Chace Park. Festivities start at 4 pm. Expect 1950s-style music, followed by winter favorites TheNightmareBeforeChristmasandFrozen. There will be a heating station, but dress warmly.
Info: Free.
It was the day after Christmas 33 years ago. My wife gave birth to our first child. We were full of gratitude to have Joseph John Mazzella Ⅱ, also called JJ, sleeping peacefully in the cradle (摇篮) next to our bed.
We had been on the road showing off our little baby to all of the grandparents and great-grandparents. It had been a busy Christmas and hard on my wife who was still recovering from her operation. Now we were back in our tiny flat trying to get a few extra hours of sleep before starting the day.
Just then I heard JJ stirring in his cradle. I leaned over and picked him up before he started to cry and then carefully stole out into the living room so that my wife could keep sleeping. I picked up a bottle and sat in our rocking chair with JJ in my arms. I rocked quietly and fed him in the living room while he looked up at me with his loving eyes. I spoke softly to him but also felt a little nervous and scared as I watched him. How was I going to take care of him? I was a new father and had no idea what the future had in store for us. I rocked and rocked. But luckily, I had so many elders to help me.
After a few minutes, I saw the sun slowly rising in the sky outside my window. The bright light was shining down from the heavens making the freshly fallen snow shine with beauty that touched my soul. As I watched it, my fear escaped and I felt such a sense of peace, harmony, love and joy. The Christmas spirit had entered my heart and I smiled. I knew then that whatever the future would hold, it would be smooth as long as I kept love in my heart. New life is precious and I believed my child would be grateful, too and bring us new sunshine in the future.
In England recently three foreign gentlemen came to a bus stop and waited. About five minutes later, the bus they wanted came along. They were just going to get on the bus when suddenly there was a loud noise behind them. People rushed onto the bus and tried to push them out of the way. Someone shouted at them. The bus conductor came rushing down the stairs to see what all the trouble was about. The three foreigners seem all at sea and looked embarrassed (窘迫的). No one had told them about the British custom (习惯) of lining up for a bus that the first person who arrives at the bus stop is the first person to get on the bus.
Learning the language of a country isn't enough. If you want to have a pleasant visit, find out as much as possible about the manners and customs of your host country. You will probably be surprised just how different they can be from your own. A visitor to India would do well to remember that people there consider it impolite to use the left hand for passing food at table. The left hand is supposed to be used for washing yourself. Also in India, you might see a man shaking his head at another to show that he doesn't agree. But in many parts of India, a shake of the head means agreement. Nodding(点头) your head when you are given a drink in Bulgaria will most probably leave you thirsty.
In that country, you shake your head to mean "yes"— a nod means "no". At a meal in countries on the Arabic Peninsula, you will find that your glass is repeatedly refilled as soon as you drink up. If you think that you have had enough, you should take the cup or glasses in your hand and give it a little shake from side to side or place your hand over the top.
In Europe, it is quite usual to cross your legs when you are sitting talking to someone even at an important meeting. Doing this in Thailand, however, could bring about trouble. Also, you should try to avoid (避免) touching the head of an adult—it's just not done in Thailand.
"There's no place like home."This English saying has much truth in it: the best place to be is surrounded by our treasured possessions and our loved ones and with a roof over our head. And for many young adults, it's the only affordable place to stay; somewhere where they can receive first-class service from mum and dad. But this comes at a price!
In some countries, it's quite traditional for people in their late teens and early 20s to live at home with their parents, but in other places, flying out of the nest to start their own independent life is very desirable. But there's been a growing trend, in the UK at least, for young people to return home to live—or not to leave home at all.
A survey by a price comparison website found that 18% of adult children in the UK said they were moving back home because of debt, compared with 8% last year. More young people had lost their jobs, and others couldn't afford their rent compared with the previous year. So, it's easy to see why they're increasingly becoming home birds.
The BBC's Lucy Hooker explains that many returning adult children enjoy home comforts. But for the "hoteliers", that's mum and dad. The survey reveals the average cost to them has gone up sharply, and that they are sacrificing luxuries and holidays to look after their "big kids". Emma Craig from Money supermarket says, "They're trying to look after their children more. If your children come home and you see them struggling financially, you feel more awkward asking them for rent or to contribute. It tugs on your heartstrings more. "
With parents splashing out around ￡1, 886 on takeaway food, buying new furniture and upgrading their Wi-Fi for the benefit of their offspring, it's easy for the returning children to put their feet up and make themselves at home. That's before they learn a home truth that one day it might be their own kids who'll be checking into the hotel of mum and dad!
Keepingyourlifebusyandexciting
Shake up your routine. It doesn't matter if other people think you are interesting, it only matters if you think you are interesting. . Whether it is taking a different route home, or calling up a friend you haven't spoken to in years, give it a try. It's about surprising yourself, not other people.
Find local events such as markets, festivals, and music events to attend. Pick out things in your area which you think might be interesting and give them a visit. , especially in summer, which don't involve spending much or any money. By doing these things which aren't part of your routine, you will keep yourself surprised and energized.
Explore your hometown. When you go on holiday anywhere, the place you are visiting always seems so much more interesting than where you live. . You just haven't bothered to look properly since it's been there all along. Open your eyes. What have you been missing?
Accept all invitations. Even if you're not that keen on the people going, try giving them a chance and go and hang out with them anyway. —just once in a while.
Plan a trip. Instead of spending your weekend at home, plan a trip for a 2-day getaway. You don't have to take time off work and it doesn't have to be expensive. It can even be half an hour away, and you spend the entire weekend in a hotel basking in the room service. .
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A. Just go out and have fun B. It doesn't have to be all the time C. So you might as well stay for a few days D. It's a chance to relax and learn something special E. There are often many local events going on F. Try to think of one thing each day you can do differently G. But in reality, there is probably much to do around where you live |
My husband Adlai and I often went camping to celebrate special occasions. In fact, our anniversary was coming up. But this time I felt a sense of1. I couldn't think about my journal.
For birthdays and anniversaries,2giving each other cards that we were not interested in, Adlai and I wrote letters. For nine years, I'd written almost all of mine in a journal. For our eighteenth anniversary, we had gone camping. After a hike, we returned to3our letters. But the campsite was4by a bear. Our tent fell down. Worst of all, my journal was5. We searched for hours, but it was6.
I never7. I always wanted to have back those nine years of letters! One day, I came home to find a car in our driveway. Two8stood in the yard with Adlai. Adlai held up a weather-beaten book. My journal! The woman and her husband had9it weeks earlier in the underbrush. She was10when reading my love letters. "We only have your first names, so it is a bit11to find you. Luckily, we make it," the woman said.
As a result of their12 , I could hug my journal again. I just couldn't thank them more. There are always people in the world who show13to others. What the couple did doesn't14change our lives, but it can certainly change the way we15about life.
All around the world, families celebrate special days together. Traditions for these days (be) very different. Some of them may surprise you.
Families in most countries have a special day to celebrate mothers. In Serbia, this day is on second Sunday before Christmas. On that day, children sneak(溜) into their (mother) bedroom and tie her feet with ribbon(丝带) so that she can't get out of bed. Then they shout, "Mother's Day, Mother's Day! What will you pay (get) away?" Then the mother gives them small (treat) and presents as payment so that the kids "free" her.
In China, they say that babies are one year old when they are born. After that, all children celebrate their birthday on New Year's Day because that's when they grow a year (old). Actual birthdays (celebrate) with a big family meal. The tradition is that the "birthday boy" or "birthday girl" should fill their mouth as many long noodles as they can then eat them. This is in Chinese culture, long noodles are a symbol that people will live long.
注意：
1）词数80左右;
2）可以适当增加细节, 以使行文连贯;
3）开头与结尾已给出, 不计入总词数。
Dear Jonah,
I'm glad to know that you are interested in Chinese traditional festivals and want to experience one of them.
I am looking forward to your coming.
Yours,
Li Hua
The fourth Thursday in November is called Thanksgiving Day, which has been one of the most important festivals in the United States. The theme is thankfulness for peace and happiness of family life during the past year. People usually eat roast turkey and pumpkin pie to celebrate the holiday.
There are always moving stories about Thanksgiving Day. Though the stories have different leading roles, the topics of them are the same: showing the sincere appreciation to their loved people, such as parents, siblings(兄弟姐妹), friends, teachers and so on.
I also have a moving story that happened on Thanksgiving Day. At first it sounded like a thanksgiving story, but the more I reflected on it, the more appropriate it seemed for any time of the year. The story went like this: when Thanksgiving Day was coming, a teacher gave her class an interesting task—to draw a picture of something for which they were thankful.
Most of the class might be considered economically disadvantaged, but still many would celebrate the holiday with turkey, corn, pumpkins and other traditional things of the season, like all of those symbols drawn on the holiday decorations and greeting cards. These, the teacher thought, would be the subjects of most of her students' pictures.
All students drew their pictures as the teacher thought, except one boy—Peterson. He made a different kind of picture. Peterson seemed to be a strange student in the class. As other children played during break, he usually chose to quietly stand close by the teacher's side. They didn't know what had ever happened to him and nobody could guess how Peterson felt behind his sad eyes. He didn't like to play with the other students nor talk with them.
When the little boy was asked to draw a picture of something for which he was thankful, he drew a hand. There was nothing else but an empty hand on the picture. It was different from other pictures.
注意：续写词数应为150左右。
His abstract picture caught the imagination of his classmates.
When the children went on to discuss other pictures, the teacher paused at the boy's desk.
