People like to give gifts to others on big days. Do you know how to choose(挑选) gifts? You should choose gifts that your family or friends like. Different gifts are for different people. For example, boys often like to play with robots(机器人),toy guns(枪)and balls. And girls may like something lovely, like flowers, dolls and beautiful clothes. Of course, you don’t need to choose something expensive. Your feeling is much more important than money. There is a Chinese saying, “A small gift means far much. ”

What will the weather be like in the future? Some people say they can forecast the weather from some animals.

If birds are flying high in the sky, there will be a nice day. When they sit in trees or stay close together, bad weather is on the way. Ants(蚂蚁) often build their homes on the steep(陡峭的) side just before the rain comes. Cats like to clean their ears before the rain. Chickens make a loud noise and run here and there when the rain is coming. Frogs will stay in the water and make a lot of noise, too. But on a nice day, they are quiet and jump out of the water. Turtles(海龟) often look for higher places and cows like to lie down when the rain is on the way。

根据材料内容选择最佳答案。

Many young people from America, Canada, Japan, etc like taking photos of them by themselves. A girl named Helene Meldahal from Norway also likes taking photos of her by herself. However(然而), her photos are so different.

    Before she takes photos, she always draws some interesting pictures on the mirror(镜子) in her bathroom. And it usually takes her about half an hour to finish(完成) every picture. Sometimes, she draws her favorite cartoon characters, like Logger Vick(光头强), Ikkyu(一休哥) ... Sometimes, she draws some lovely animals. Also, there are many other pictures. Then she takes photos with these pictures.

    At first, she just left a message(信息) to her roommates on the mirror with the lipstick(口红). One day when she did the same thing, she got the idea of drawing some pictures on the mirror and taking photos with them.

According to the “World Happiness Report”, people who live in Denmark(丹麦)are the happiest in the world. Why? Because they know the secret to happiness —“hygge”. But what is “hygge” ?

Danish people are very good at “hygge”. For example，they create a “hygge” environment by burning candles in classrooms, kitchens, bedrooms, etc. According to some reports, Danish people burn more candles every year than people from any other European country.

However, “hygge” isn’t just about creating a nice and warm environment；It is best enjoyed with family members and friends. With up to 17 hours of darkness every day in winter, Danish people spend more time indoors as a result, and they often get together for a meal or hot drinks, without the distraction(使人分心的事物) of technology or the stress of daily life.

 Still can't understand what “hygge” is? If you're reading this in a comfortable chair, with a few candles around you, that sense of coziness you're feeling might just be “hygge”.

One morning, a blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet. He held a sign which said, “I am blind. Please help me.”

There were only a few coins in the hat. A man was walking by. He took out a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat. He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote some words on it. He put the sign back so that everyone who walked by could see the new words.

Soon the hat began to fill up. More people were giving money to the blind boy. That afternoon the man who had changed the sign came to see how things were. The boy recognized his footsteps and asked, “Are you the one who changed my sign in the morning? What did you write?’’

The man said, “I only wrote the truth. I said what you said but in a different way.”

What he had written was, “Today is a beautiful day, but I cannot see it.”

Do you think the first sign and the second sign were saying the same thing?

Of course both signs told people the boy was blind. But the first sign simply told people to help by putting some money in the hat. The second sign told people that they were able to enjoy the beauty of the day. But the boy could not enjoy it because he was blind.

There are at least two lessons we can learn from this simple story.

The first is: Treasure what you have. Some else has less. Try your best to help those who need your help.

The second is: Be creative. Think differently. There is always a better way.

Some Advice on Travel

    Travelling is popular nowadays. Do you like traveling, too? Here’s some advice for you.

★Forget fashion (时尚)! Always wear your most comfortable clothes when going on a long trip.

★Traveling on trains and buses can be boring, so take a good book to read.

★If you’re going somewhere cold, remember to put on your warm clothes!

★If you are going somewhere sunny, remember to bring your sun-block (防晒霜) and sunglasses.

★Always take a camera with you to capture those special moments.

★Be careful with your things whenever you go to a busy place, like a train station. There are

many thieves there!

★Most countries have lower prices for students, so if you are a student, take your student card with you.

★Always leave room in your bag and buy presents on the way home.

★Bus tours often stop at expensive shops along the way, save your money by buying presents at local shops.

★If you travel to other countries, remember to take your passport. Whatever you do, don’t lose it!

International travelers, whether traveling for business or pleasure, will find themselves solo from time to time．Here are a few ways to meet new people and perhaps even get new travel chances．

Be polite and friendly

Be relaxed and polite. Remember to put yourself in social situations．Restaurants, shops and parks are all great places to meet people．If you want to make local friends in a country, stay near the place the locals often visit．

Show your photo album

Keep a small photo album in your bag when you travel．Photos of family, friends and pets will help your new friends to learn more about who you are and give you things to talk about．They will share their similar experiences with you, and it will help you to learn more about your new friends．

Offer something special

Can you help your new friends improve their Chinese? Can you cook a traditional Chinese meal? By sharing your experiences, you can have a relationship with your new friends that they won't soon forget．

Give some gifts

Many foreigners love Chinese goods but have to pay a lot when buying them in their homeland, so you'd better prepare some gifts such as silks, tea and china(瓷器)．They are always popular．

Exchange flats

If you and your new friends get along well, you can give them your information and plan to exchange flats for your next trip．Then you can visit their countries and stay in their flats while they stay in yours．In this way you will improve your friendship and live like a local abroad, but pay less for traveling．

a. Giving you a topic to talk about.         

b. Helping your new friends to learn more about you.

c. Clearing your worries about your pets.

d. Encouraging your new fiends to talk about themselves.

Abbie was a shy girl. She started her ninth grade in a new school. She soon found she didn't like the new school. This new school was much too cold and unfriendly! No one seemed to care if Abbie felt welcome or not.

    Her parents were very worried about her and they knew since they got divorced (离婚), she needed a friend very badly. They tried everything they could to help her fit in (适应), but it didn't work. She was always lonely and unhappy.

    Abbie once tried joining a music club, hoping to make friends. But her shyness held her back again. She was so upset that she was thinking of running away from home.

    As she left her warm house, she decided to leave her mother a letter. She opened the mailbox after she finished writing the letter. To her surprise, she found a letter to her in the box. It was from Wesley:

Dear Abbie,

    I'm sorry for not talking with you sooner. You know, my parents are in the middle of a divorce, so I am hoping you could help me get over it and give me some advice. I think we could become friends.

    Wesley

    Abbie read the letter over and over again. "Become friends," she smiled, realizing that someone cared about her life and wanted her as a friend.

Rules are everywhere. When you’re reading at the library, playing basketball on the playground or driving on the road, you will have to follow some rules. But do you know about any rules on a plane? If you’re on a plane in America, you may find the following criteria (标准).