In American schools there is something called Homecoming Day. Many high schools and colleges with a football team have a homecoming game. This can be the most important event of the year except graduation or commencement (毕业典礼)Day. Students plan Homecoming Day many weeks in advance.

    Several days before Homecoming, students start to decorate the school. There are signs to wish luck to the team, and many other signs to welcome all the graduates. Many people still come to Homecoming twenty or thirty years after their graduation.

    The members of school clubs build booths(售货棚）and sell lemonade(柠檬汽水), apples and sandwiches. Some clubs help to welcome visitors.

    During the day alumni and their wives will gather at the school. They like to look for teachers that they remember. Often they see old friends and they talk together about those happy years in school.

    Everyone soon comes to watch the football game. When the game is half over, the band comes onto the field and plays school songs. Another important moment is when the Homecoming Queen or King appears. All the students vote the most popular student Homecoming Queen or King. It is a great honor to be chosen.

    Homecoming is a happy day, but it is not perfect unless the football team wins the game. Even if the game loses, the students still enjoy Homecoming. Some stay at the school to dance, and others go to a party. For everyone it is a day worth remembering.

    You're riding in the car on this family vacation. Suddenly your dad slows down. And you may see the following：

1). Bubblegum Alley

San Luis Obispo, California

    Some call it art; others call it just plain gross. Bubblegum Alley is covered from top to bottom with wads of chewed gum, a tradition that was started mysteriously by locals in the 1950s. Some artists even created images of funny faces and the American flag.

2). Blue Whale

Catoosa, Oklahoma

    Not ready to dive the depths of the ocean to see a blue whale? No problem. Just visit this 80-foot-long cement beast, which even has a slide and diving board so visitors can take a dip in the pond. When the artist died, the whale fell into disrepair. Neighbors couldn't stand to see the grinning whale fall apart, so they fixed it and now keep it bright with gallons of blue paint.

3). Lonesome Legs

Amarillo, Texas

    Just what are these large legs doing in a cow pasture? According to artist Lightnin' McDuff,  they  represent a poem  about a traveler who finds a bodiless statue of an Egyptian pharaoh (法老) called Ozymandias. Using concrete over a steel frame, McDuff constructed the legs to appear as if they were  made of weathered sandstone. And the socks? A prankster (恶作剧的人) keeps adding them—even though McDuff always removes  the unwanted addition.

4). Giant Penguin

Cut Bank, Montana

    Bundle up (使……穿暖)when you visit  this statue, because temperatures here can get  as low as 47 degrees below zero. As a nod to the frosty conditions, a local businessman built the 27-foot-tall penguin out of 10,000 pounds of concrete. The creator left for warmer weather, but the statue—7 times the height of a real emperor penguin—still stands, welcoming visitors to its chilly home.

    Mrs. Blake teaches English in a large school in the inner area of a big city on the west of coast. Even since she was a young girl, she has wanted to become a teacher. She has taught eight years now and hasn't changed her mind. After she graduated from high school， she went on to college. Four years later，she received her bachelor's degree （B A） in English and her teaching certificate（证书）. Then she went to teach in the secondary schools of her state. In the summers，Mrs. Blake takes more classes； she hopes to get a master's degree （M A）. With an MA，she will receive a higher salary and if possible， she hopes to get a doctor's degree as well. The school day at Mrs. Blake's high school，like that in many high schools in the United States，is divided into one hour each. Mrs. Blake must teach five of these periods. During her free period，which for her is from 2 to 3 P.M. ，Mrs. Blake must meet with parents，make out examinations，check assignments at all，Mrs. Blake works continuously from the time she arrives at school in the morning till the time she leaves for home late in the afternoon.

    Experts generally consider BMI for kids to be a good measure of body fat, at least among heavier children. But in some cases it might be misleading. Athletic kids, in particular, may fall into the overweight category when they are actually muscular.

    Your child's BMI is important, but it is only a piece of the picture. If a BMI percentile (体重指数) indicates that your child is not within the healthy range, she needs a complete weight and lifestyle evaluation with a doctor.

    Experts recommend that kids of all ages and all weight categories follow these healthy guidelines to keep weight in control. It's easy to remember them as “5 — 2 — 1 — 0” every day.

    5 > Everyone in your family needs five servings of vegetables and fruit. Keep serving them even if kids don't eat them. If they see a food over and over, they're more likely to try it in the end.

    2 > Limit TV-watching to no more than 2 hours a day. Family members who use other “screens”—video games or computers, for instance, get less TV time. And kick the TV out of all bedrooms.

    1 > Get 1 hour of physical activity. Add up the minutes each family member is moving —it should be 60 minutes or more for each person. Start small and keep adding if necessary.

    0 > That's how many sugar-sweetened beverages you should have a day. Juice drinks such as lemonade and fruit punch, sodas, tea, and coffee can all have added sugar. Stick to water and reduced-fat milk instead.

    CAREER DISCOVERY DAY

    Ages: 11—17, with an adult chaperone (监护人)

    Purpose: To find out what it is like to work at a zoo.

    Descriptions:

    Join us for a great programme for middle and high school students to explore animal — related careers at Denver Zoo.

    From keepers to trainers, vets and exhibits designers, different kinds of possible zoo and animal careers will be explored during our Career Discovery Day this fall. The programme starts with an amazing gathering in which our animal stars will appear and perform. Participants will attend lectures given by professors of the zoo and take part in special tours filled with activities find information. And you, 11 have time to ask questions about what it takes to work on the wild side.

    Registration required:

    Registration closes at 10 a. m., September 16th. Lectures and tours are limited to registered participants and their one chaperone only.

    Cost:

    Members: $ 70 per person. Nonmembers: $ 75 per person. The cost includes zoo admission for one participant and one required adult chaperone.

Note:

    Participants will not be admitted without an adult chaperone and chaperones must stay with participants during the period of the event.

    If you have any questions, please call at 720—337—1491 or e-mailat teenprogrammes denverzoo. org.