There are some important festivals in Western countries. April Fool's Day is on April 1. People usually play tricks on others on that day. It's very popular in England and America.

    Mother's Day is on the second Sunday in May. It's a day to thank mothers. On that day, mothers usually get flowers and cards from their children. Fathers and children do the housework, so mothers can have a good rest.

    Thanksgiving Day is on the fourth Thursday in November in America. On that day, families all get together and have a big dinner.

    Christmas Day comes on December 25. It's the most popular festival in a year in Western countries. People exchange presents and visit friends.

根据短文内容，完成下列各题。

    A music club was set up in Class One, Grade Eight. The students who like music can join the club. There are some students in it now.

    Li lei likes rock music best. He says, "Rock music is my favorite, because it makes me happy and exited. It sounds exciting and most people like it. I am going to become a famous singer of a band when I grow up."

    Wang Ming says, "I am from the country. So I liked country music when I was young, and I still like it now. I will sing a song when I'm sad, and then I'll get better."

    The twins like jazz best because they can dance to the music.

    Jack says, "I like pop music, but I do well in playing musical instruments, so I like classical music best. I want to continue studying classical music."

    Han and Xue like folk music best, they say it sounds wonderful. They are ready for the next school concert.

Information Card

    When Abraham Lincoln was just a boy, he had to help his father to manage their farm. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. Abraham wanted to go to school, but there was no school there, {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. Mrs. Lincoln loved the boy very much. She tried her best to make Abraham happy. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. It was a long way, so it took her a long time to get there. She bought something there and went back. It was dark in the evening when she got home.

    The next morning Mrs. Lincoln said to Abraham, "{#blank#}4{#/blank#}."She put some food on the table, and then brought out a present. "A book!" Abraham cried. It was an old book, but he liked it. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}.He looked up at Mrs. Lincoln and said, "Thank you, Mom."

    It's Sandra's thirteenth birthday. She asked her friends and classmates to come to her party. Her grandparents, uncle and aunt also came. They had a party in Sandra's home. They sang, danced and told some interesting stories. They had a good time here.

    But a boy about ten was sitting in the corner. He was watching the other children. He listened to the stories carefully. Sandra found him and went to him with some ice-cream(冰淇淋).

    "Hi, Robert!" said Sandra." Why not play with us? You're a smart boy. You can tell us interesting stories."

    "I, I…" the boy didn't know what to say. Mr. Hill saw it and said, "A child was smart when he was young, but maybe stupid(愚蠢的) when he grows up(长大)！"

    "Uncle, you can't say that!" Sandra said.

    "That means that you were smart when you were young, sir!" Robert answered.

    Those days when you go on vacation, you spend most of your money just getting there. Travel is expensive, but don't stay home only because you are short of money! Here is some advice:

    Travel during off season if possible. Flights and hotels are much cheaper when tourism is low.

    Choose a hotel that's a little farther from popular attractions. If you're staying several days, check out prices on vacation homes-- they can end up being cheaper than a hotel.

    Take public traffic, such as buses or subway, instead of taking a taxi.

    Plan your meals, and cat like locals. Don't waste money at expensive hotel restaurants or fast- food chains. Depending on where you stay, it may be cheaper to make food on your own.

    Check online for special discount (折扣)—if you're a student, the old or the parents traveling with children, you could get discounts! A little research could save you a lot of money.

    Whether you're backpacking alone or going on a family vacation, your trip doesn't have to cost a lot of money. The key is to plan ahead and write down what you spend. Then put the money you save toward your next trip!

    Do you live in a city? Do you know how cities began? Long long ago, there were only a few thousand people in the world. These people moved from one place to another. They moved over the land, hunting animals for food.

    No one knows how or when these people learned about growing food. But when they did, their lives changed. They did not have to move any more.

    They could stay m one place and grow food there. People began to live near each other, so the first

    Villages appeared. Many people came to work in the villages, and these villages became larger and larger.

    Then people had machines. Life in the villages changed again. People built factories. More and more People lived near the factories, so the villages grew into cities. Some of them grew very big.

    Today, it's strange that some people are moving back to small villages. Can you tell me why?