Christmas is one of the happiest times of the year. It's time we spend with family members, giving gifts to each other and eating plenty of delicious food. However, at the same time it can also be a nervous time. You have to spend much time and money planning and buying presents for everyone. You need to clean the rooms or even clear some of them out and put up the Christmas tree, the decorations and the balloons. And you have to communicate with your friends and relatives whom you perhaps wouldn't usually spend so much time with. So what can we do to deal with these things to enjoy the happy season to the fullest?

Usually, you have to face the busy shops to do your Christmas shopping during this holiday. That can make you stressed out. To stay calm (冷静的) during this holiday, you can start your shopping early. In other words, you can buy presents for people before Christmas comes so that you can save yourself some money. What's more, you can buy your presents on the Internet, which means that you can find anything you can think of, and you can do it in your living room. It's much cheaper, so you can save money.

Did you once drink more than usual, eat cakes you didn't want or do something else which leave you feeling tired? Remember that it's your right to enjoy Christmas the way you want to and that you should take no notice of those who tell you that you're not being Christmassy.

Finally, you'd better have low expectations (期望). If your expectations are high, you will make yourself upset. Don't let yourself be pressured (迫使) into making the Christmas perfect. So, just be satisfied to have a pleasant evening with your family and let what happens happen.

—I want to be an engineer.

Teenagers should learn how to   themselves.

—Yes, I'll ______ tomorrow.

    Long ago, Bluebird's feathers were the colour of dust. She did not like her ugly colour. She was attracted by the colour of the lake near her home. It was as blue as the sky after a storm. Bluebird wanted to be the colour of that beautiful lake very much. Flapping her wings one morning, Bluebird flew from her tree to the blue lake. Then she bathed in the water three times. After each bath, she sang, "Blue water. Still water. I went in. I am blue." Bluebird repeated this every morning. On the third day, she came out of the lake with beautiful blue feathers.

    Now Coyote was a trickster(骗子)—and hungry too. He stayed behind Bluebird's tree for a long time every day and watched her go to the lake. He pretended(伪装)to be interested in everything she did. He wanted Bluebird for lunch, but he was afraid of the blue water. On the third morning, Coyote saw Bluebird come out of the lake with beautiful blue feathers. Impressed, he sat next to Bluebird's tree and waited for her. When she returned, he asked, "How did you get blue feathers? I want to be blue like the mountains too." Bluebird didn't believe Coyote, but she taught him how to bathe three times each morning and how to sing her song. Coyote did what she said, and after three days of bathing in the lake, his white fur turned deep blue.

    Convinced(确信的)that blue fur was even more beautiful than blue feathers, Coyote forgot all about being hungry. He ran as fast as he could to the top of the hill. Standing on his back legs, he raised his front legs off the ground and howled. But Coyote slipped(滑倒)and rolled down the hill. He couldn't stop himself, and the dust and dirt covered his new blue fur. He rolled and rolled until he hit into Bluebird's tree heavily. No matter how much he tried, foolish Coyote could not shake the dust from his fur. And so the fur of all coyotes had the dull colour of dust to this very day.

the description of that man, the police found the thief.

Lisa has always been overweight. She wanted to lose1, not just because she wanted to look more beautiful and healthier, but also because it would make life easier. For example, it was difficult for Lisa2 ready-made clothes that would fit. She had to ask a tailor（裁缝）to make clothes that3 large enough. In school, she needed a special chair which was bigger and stronger than4 chairs. If she went for a walk, she got tired very5. She was also6 about the way people treated her sometimes. "People look at me and even make fun of me. That's unfair! It's true that I'm overweight, but I don't think people7treat me differently because I'm big. I can't enjoy8 dinner with my friends because I'm afraid of getting fatter. " Her friends and family never made fun of her. 9, they tried to help her. They wanted her to be happy and healthy. 10 Lisa was feeling sad, she didn't want to speak to anyone.

But now things are quite different. Last month her classmates were preparing for the School Art Week. Someone advised Lisa to play11 lead role of the proud Queen who was tall and fat. Lisa agreed and she practiced 12.

Soon after the play, Lisa became the star! She did13 well that everybody remembered the proud Queen. 14 stood around and said "Congratulations" to her. She even15 the School Best Actress Award for her wonderful performance.

Now Lisa doesn't worry about being fat any more. She believes in the English saying,  "Every dog has its day. "

    My family went to a restaurant for dinner one night. When we were walking to the restaurant from our car, a girl about my age and her mother c towards us. They asked if we had any m. My mum asked where they were l. The girl said there were six of them staying in an o black car.  My mum gave them a few dollars.  Then she sent me inside the restaurant w my dad and my three sisters. H, my mum didn't come. Later, I found out that she had gone h and put all the food in our cupboard into a few bags. Then she brought the food over to the car and gave the bags to the poor f. I wasn't there when that part happened, yet I could i the joy on their faces. After painting this picture in my mind, I understood w my mum had done what she did that night. I will never forget this lesson in kindness from my mum.

Thank You, My Mother

    Wherever we are today, whatever we are, we owe it to our parents who have given and taught us so much, so we should thank them, especially, thank our mother. …… Third, I'll help her do housework when I'm free. I want to make her happy. In a word, I love my mother.

    Do you know what Oscar is? When did it start? Maybe you can find the background of the awards in the following passage.

    The awards started in 1929. Their full title is "The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Awards". The Academy is a group of people who have worked in the film industry for many years. They decide who will receive the awards. The awards are often referred to as the " "Oscar". This is a nickname given to the awards by a lady called Margaret Herrick. She was once the director of the Academy and she once said that the little gold statue reminded her of her uncle Oscar!

    The Oscar is always an exciting event. Each year, at least one unusual thing happens. When the Italian actor and director Roberto Benigni won an Oscar for best foreign film, he danced on stage! When Gwyneth Paltrow, the star of Shakespeare in Love won the Oscar for best actress, she could not make her acceptance speech because she was crying so much with happiness!

    In 1987, Bernardo Bertolucci won the award for best director for a film about the last emperor of China. Since then, Chinese film and actors have started to make an impact at the awards. Crouching Tiger, Hidden dragon was a huge success and it won the award for best foreign language film in 2001. It also won several technical awards for its amazing "flying," people. We expect to see more awards for Chinese film in the near future.

    It's time for the Oscar again. Once more, the stars will dress up in their finest and go to Kodar Theatre. There, they will find out who have won the awards for best actor, best actress and best director. Millions of people watch the awards every year to find out who the winners are. Some people watch it to see the stars crying and laughing as they receive their awards.