Many would agree that when we think of Christmas， we probably think of gifts， Christmas trees and Santa Claus. But behind all these things lies the true meaning of Christmas: the importance of sharing and giving love and joy to people around us. The story in A Christmas Carol is perhaps the best example of this.

    A Christmas Carol is a famous novel written by Charles Dickens. It is about an old man named Scrooge. He only thinks about himself and doesn't treat others nicely. He just cares about whether he can make more money. And he hates Christmas. One Christmas Eve， Scrooge sees the ghost of Jacob Marley， his dead business partner. Marley used to be just like Scrooge， so he was punished after he died. He warns Scrooge to change his ways if he doesn't want to end up like him. He also tells Scrooge to expect three spirits to visit him.

    That night， three ghosts visit Scrooge. First， the Ghost of Christmas Past takes him back to his childhood and reminds Scrooge of his happier days as a child. Then the second spirit， the Ghost of Christmas Present， takes him to see how others are spending Christmas this year. Everyone is happy， even poor people. The last one， the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come， takes him to the future. He sees that he is dead but nobody cares. Scrooge is so scared that he wakes up in his bed and finds out it is already the next morning on Christmas Day!

    He decides to change his life and promises to be a better person. He happily celebrates Christmas with his relatives. He also gives gifts to people in need. He now treats everyone with kindness and warmth， spreading love and joy everywhere he goes. And that is the true spirit of Christmas!

    April Fool's Day is on April 1^st. People can play a trick on (开……的玩笑) others on that day. It's very popular in England and the USA. 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 housework on that day, so mothers can have a good rest. Thanksgiving Day is on the fourth Thursday in November in America. On that day, family members all get together to have a big dinner. Christmas Day comes on December 25^th. It's the most important festival in a year. Father Christmas sends presents to children.

    Mr. and Mrs. Brown have a big house. The house has three bedrooms and two sitting-rooms. ①There are many trees near the house. They have two children. One is a son and the other is a daughter. The children like sports very much. The son has two baseballs and nine tennis balls. He likes playing tennis every day. The daughter has eight volleyballs and ten basketballs. She plays basketball every day. ②They often play under the trees.