The Lantern Festival is a traditional Chinese festival with great significance, which is on the 15^th of the first lunar month, marking the end of New Year celebrations. Here are several things you should know about the Lantern Festival.

    The Origins of Chinese lanterns

    The origins of Chinese lanterns date back to the Stone Age. The coming of the Bronze Age saw the development of various kinds of lanterns, of which palace lanterns were the most fascinating{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Various lantern festivals became a hit during the Sui Dynasty, and during the Southern Song Dynasty, the custom of writing riddles on lantern arose. During the Qing Dynasty, magnificent exhibitions of lanterns were held in the capital city.

    Eating small dumpling balls

    Just as the name implies, an important part of the Lantern Festival, or Yuan Xiao Festival, is to eat small dumpling balls made of sticky rice flour. We call these balls Yuan Xiao, or Tang Yuan.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}The dumpling symbolizes family unity, completeness and happiness.

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    When it comes to the Lantern Festival, “Guessing lantern riddles” is an essential component. Lantern owners will write riddles on a piece of paper and post them on the lanterns in advance. If visitore can answer the riddles, they will get a little gift.

    Watching fireworks

    At night, in addition to lighted lanterns, fireworks form a grand scene. Most families save some fireworks from the Spring Festival and set them off during the Lantern Festival.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Dragon dance

    The dragon dance is often performed during the Chinese New Year period.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}They are believed to bring good luck to people, therefore the longer the dragon in the dance, the more luck it will bring to the community.

A. Guessing lantern riddles

B. Chinese dragons are a symbol of China.

C. The ways of celebrating the Lantern Festival

D. Obviously, they get the name from the festival.

E. All the Chinese people like watching dragon dance.

F. Later, decorative lanterns came to be used in festivals.

G. Some local governments will even organize a fireworks display.

How to make friends at a new school

    Starting with a new school can be difficult. Everything seems to be different, and you don't even know where to go for your own classes.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}However, if you use these skills, you can quickly turn some of those strangers into friends.

    Be yourself.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} If some people don't accept you, they're not the kind of friends you need. People often stay together because they have similar interests. For example, someone who does a lot of sport may make friends with those who also run or swim a lot.

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    Remember to be nice to the people you meet at your new school. If you think that you will say something that may make them feel sad, do not say anything and just nod your head if they talk to you. Also, remember to be as helpful as possible!

    Believe in yourself.

    A smile goes a long way. When you walk in the halls, don't keep your eyes on the floor. Raise your head and make eye contact (目光接触) with other people.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Introduce yourself. Tell them your name and where you're from.

Remember people's names.

    You like it when people use your name, and so do other people.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Besides, ask them in a kind way if they have a nickname (昵称). You'd be surprised how often this might come in handy.

A. Be friendly to others.

B. Making new friends can be hard, too.

C. Join after-school activities you like.

D. Never change who you are to try and fit in.

E. If you see someone you know, smile or say.

F. People may become angry if you just begin by saying “Hey” each time.

G. Don't sit at the back of the classroom where other people don't notice you!

    Here are five tips for being a good friend.

    Listen more than you speak. Next time you ask a question, wait for the answer. Let the person tell the full story, and explain his complete answer.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Keep your promises. There's nothing worse than the type of friend who leaves you hanging. Whether it's a friend get-together or meeting at the mall, they always manage to break their promises and leave you feeling upset and disappointed. This is the reason why an important part of strong friendships is the ability to trust each other.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Therefore, next time you make a promise, keep it.

    Give advice, but only when it is asked for. By offering advice when it's not asked for, you're ignoring the needs of your friend.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}Otherwise, don't give it. Be with them, hug（拥抱）them and make them breakfast in bed, but keep your wisdom to yourself and save it for another time.

    Let your friend have other friends, too. If your best friend picks another friend over you, try to be friends with their friends too. Maybe you guys can be a group of friends!

    Everyone is always looking for new friends.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Your loyalty（忠诚）to friendship is what the other person expects and counts on every day.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}  Everyone has their own faults, and they need to work through them. Don't be bad to your friend about his or her faults, but help him or her work through them while asking for help on your own as well.

A. Remember that no one is perfect.
B. But never, ever leave the old one.

C. If they want your advice, they will ask for it.

D. You are who you are, and your best friend will accept that. E. Never leave the problem alone and pretend it doesn't exist.

F. And then, when you feel that your words can add value, speak.

G. And part of this trust can only be developed if you can keep your word.

    Happiness doesn't mean being joyful or laughing all day long. Although happiness should be defined by each of us for ourselves, a general understanding of it could be having more good moments and memories than bad ones and having an overall feelings of satisfaction and fulfillment. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Read on and you will know the answer.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Many of us have the impression that we're not allowed to be happy and that we don't deserve it. Well, we all deserve to be happy, no matter what others say or even what we believe. So allow yourself to be happy.

    Smile even if you don't feel like it. Yes, smile as often as you can. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}If you're alone, smile for at least 3 minutes and our brain will take it as a real smile and will start producing feel-good hormones(荷尔蒙) and other chemicals.

    Enjoy the now. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Worrying about the future will not make you any more ready for whatever it is that finally happens. Choose the now and make an effort to live it.

    Count your blessings. Take a piece of paper and something you like to drink and sit comfortably maybe with some nice music in the background. Then write a list of every blessing in your life. Start with the smallest ones: I'm alive... to the biggest ones you can feel. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Once you're done, leave the list on the table. Read it every morning during breakfast for a week.

A. Don't leave anything out.

B. Give yourself permission.

C. If you are with people, they'll feel warmer.

D. Be brave and imaginative with your words.

E. So, how can we have more happy moments?

F. Feeling bad about the past will not change it a bit.

G. Why not say something loving to one person today?

    Even if you love fish, actually cooking it in your kitchen can be a commitment. Long after the fish has been eaten, the pots washed, and the plates put in the dishwasher, the fish smell still exits.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} Luckily, expert cooks have figured out how you can cook your fish without leaving a smell that exists for days.

    First off, know that truly fresh fish really shouldn't have much of an odor)气味)at all. So if you unwrap a package of fish and take a step back from the smell that greets you, throw it away because it's not fresh.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    A lot of the smell from cooking fish is because of the cooking method you use.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    However, other techniques, like cooking fish in paper, can put a lid on the problem before itstarts. Cleaning experts recommend minimizing the odor before cooking by bathing fish inmilk or a solution of lemon and water.

    If it's too late and your home is beginning to smell like the parking lot of a seafood joint, then Good Housekeeping suggests mixing together vinegar and water and letting it boil for several minutes to get rid of the smell.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Shut any inside doors to keep the smell from spreading throughout the house and into bedrooms, but open up kitchen windows and doors to allow the smell to get out. And be sure to wipe any spills and throw away any trash containing fish bits.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} And the resulting sweet scent will make everyone forget about any fishy odor.

A．Frying can cause a big smell problem

B．Prepare your home ahead of fish cooking time.

C．Here's how to make every room smell amazing.

D．Cooking fish wrong brings about terrible smells.

E．When all else fails, bake up some cookies for dessert.

F．But, admittedly, even the freshest fish can get a bit of smell once it's cooked.

G．It can be enough to put even the most devoted fish eater off cooking it regularly.

    "Life is speeding up. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}." Picture this: You're rushing to finish your homework on the computer. Your mobile phone rings. Suddenly the computer blanks and you lose all your work. Now you have to stay up to get it done. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. Due to these inventions, we are often left feeling stressed and tired. Why do you think people who live far away from noisy cities often seem to be happier? Perhaps because they lead a simple life.

    One family in the UK went "back in time" to see what life was like without all the inventions we have today, The grandparents, with their daughter, and grandsons Benjamin, 10 and Thomas, 7, spent nine weeks in a house dating back to 1940. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}.

    The grandmother, Molly, said, "It was hard physically, but not mentally." She believed life was less materialistic. " {#blank#}5{#/blank#}." she said. The boys said they had less to fight over, their computer, for example. Benjamin also noticed that his grandmother had changed from being a trendy, beer —drinking granny to one who liked cooking things.

A. Are you faced with a completely different situation?

B. Hardly can you succeed in doing something in a perfect way

C. Everyone is getting unwell

D. How can you feel calm and happy?

E. Inventions have speeded up our lives so much

F. They had no microwave, computer or mobile phones

G. The more things you have, the more difficult life becomes