People give gifts in almost all societies. Gifts  41  festivals and other important events . Some gifts are expensive, or they may take months to create. Others are of less  42 , such as birthday cards.

       Gift giving is often a process of exchange (交换过程).  43  you receive a birthday gift from someone, that person usually  44  a birthday gift from you  45 . In some cultures, there are some rules about gift exchange. In Pakistan, for example, there is a tradition called “taking giving.” It  46  this way: You give the newly-married couple a gift, and they “repay” you with a gift of higher value. Then you give the couple  47  gift. This one should be worth the difference between the first two gifts. The gift exchange continues,  48  the same way.

       In many ancient cultures, people made  49  to their leaders to show their loyalty (忠诚). The Nubians in ancient Egypt are a good  50 . They brought gold to the Egyptian kings. Traditions like these  51  today in some parts of the world. In parts of Africa, for example, farmers may give gifts to the local leaders to  52  them for protection.

       Today presidents  53  bring gifts when they  54  a foreign leader. Leaders bring gifts to strengthen relationships between  55 , not to stress (强调) the power of the gift receiver.

       Gifts can  56  send special messages. For example, gifts can tell people that we are thinking of them and that we want them to feel  57 . Sometimes a gift makes us remember the giver. The gift keeps the  58  of a special person and a special relationship alive.

       ​There is no doubt about the good side of gift giving. That is why some people don’t  59  the idea that modern gift giving is very wasteful. It is  60  that there is an emotional benefit (情感好处) for people who exchange gifts. That is surely enough of a reason for the tradition to continue.