Canada Day

Since 1982, July 1st has been officially known as Canada Day. Canadians of all ages take part in this festival across the country.

Canada Day is the year's biggest national party. In many towns and cities, the government organizes a lot of events, often outdoors. These include parades (游行) , concerts, festivals, firework displays and ceremonies for new Canadian citizens (公民) .The celebrations often have a patriotic mood. Canada's national flag, a symbol for Canada Day, can be seen everywhere and a lot of people paint their faces red and white, which are Canada's national colors. The celebrations in Ottawa, Canada's capital city, are especially grand and exciting.

In the province of Quebec, many home rentals (租赁) start on July 1st and last for exactly one year, and many people in Quebec spend Canada Day moving from one house to another. So in Quebec, Canada Day is also known as Moving Day.

Many organizations, businesses and stores are closed this day. Only some bookstores, hospitals and gas stations may be open. Post offices are closed, too. As Canada Day falls in the Canadian summer holiday period, all schools are closed as well. In some areas, special services are provided for large events. The concerts, parades and festivals may cause some traffic jams.

    Water is very important to us. Every day we drink water, cook with water, take a shower in water, and have many other activities with water. Let's read and learn more about it!

    70percent of an adult's body is water. And about 80percent of a baby's body is water.

    Drinking too much water q{#blank#}1{#/blank#} can cause water intoxication (醉).

People should have about eight c{#blank#}2{#/blank#} of water every day.

    By the time you feel thirsty, your body has l{#blank#}3{#/blank#} over one percent of its water.

    About 80percent of the Earth's surface is covered with water.

    Only one percent of this water is fresh, 97percent is salt water and two percent is f{#blank#}4{#/blank#} in glaciers (冰川).

    And now, it's time to s{#blank#}5{#/blank#} water!

    It's hard to make friends if you stay at home all the time, so get out of the house and do things that will put you in touch with(接触)other people. It's easier to make friends with them when you find you like the same things as other people.

Don't be afraid to show people what you're really good at. You can talk about the things you like and do best. People will be interested in you if they, hear something interesting about you.

    Look at people in your eyes when you talk to them. That way, they'll find it easier to talk to you, or people may think you're not interested in them and may stop being interested in you.

    Be a good listener. Let people talk about themselves before talking about "me, me, me” You can ask people lots of questions and show that you are interested in their answers.

    Try to make friends with the kind of people you really like, respect(尊敬)and admire(羡慕). You shouldn't just make friends with those people you will meet them easily. Try to be friendly with all kinds of people. That way, you'll have a bigger group of people to choose from. Then you'll be easier to make friends with other people.

    Why do we play sports? You might say "to get exercise" and you'd be right. To have fun? That's true, too. But there's more. In fact, there are at least five more reasons. According to the report, people who play sports get 1 more than just healthy.

    People who play sports do better in school. You might think that playing sports will 2 all your study time. But a research shows that students who play sports do better in school than 3 who don't. Exercise improves learning and memory, which can help students become more active in class.

    It's 4 that people who play sports learn teamwork and goal setting skills. Sports teach valuable life skills. When you work with coaches, trainers, and teammates to win games and achieve goals, you're learning 5 to be successful. Those skills will serve you well at work and in family life.

    Sports are good for people's health. Besides being healthy and keeping a healthy weight, people who play sports are also less possible to smoke. And 6 in life, people who exercise have fewer chances to have cancer (癌症)or some other illnesses.

    Playing sports improves confidence. People who play sports feel better about themselves. Why? It builds confidence when you know you can practice, improve, and 7 your goals. Sports are also a feel-good activity 8 they help people get in shape, keep a healthy weight, and make new friends.

    Exercise cuts the pressure. Playing sports can make you have less 9 and help you feel a little happier. A person's mood (心情)improves during exercise. Friends can also help improve your mood. And being on a team creates close relationship 10 friends. It's good to know your teammates will support you - both on and off the field!

There are 24 solar terms(节气)in China. They can guide farming activities and are believed to be an outstanding achievement by ancient Chinese. 

Grain Rain" is the sixth solar term in the 24 solar terms and it is the last solar term in spring. It falls on April 20 this year. The term"Grain Rain" came from a folk story. When Cang Jie created writing characters, grain came down from sky like rainfall. Therefore, the Yellow Emperor named this day as the "Grain Rain". When this day comes, the number of rainfall increases. It is very important for the growth of the grain. 

Nowadays, different areas have different customs during "Grain Rain", Picking and cooking tea leaves: "Grain Rain Tea" is the name for the tea made around the time of "Grain Rain" in the south of China. it is considered as one of the best kinds of tea. it not only has a strong and good taste but also can last for a long time in water. 

Blessing(祈福)to the sea: "Grain Rain" is a perfect time for fishing. Since it gets warmer and warmer, the sea also gets warmer and more fishes swim in the sea. Fishermen in the north often bless for safety and success on the sea. 

Killing insects: As the weather gets warmer. insects become more active. Farmers in Shandong, Shanxi and Shaanxi often use different methods to kill insects. 

Taking a bath: In some of the north-west areas, people take the shower in the river during "Grain Rain" period. They think it can help them be far away from the bad luck. 

青春期是人生发展的重要阶段，成为更好的自己是每一位青少年的孜孜追求。学校英文报刊发起"成为更好的自己"的征文活动，主题涉及"与人相处"、"生活方式"、"学习习惯"、"兴趣爱好"、"独立自主"等方面。请你结合自身经历，谈谈如何成为更好的自己。内容包括：(1)从上述几个方面任选2项，谈谈自己的经历和计划；(2)呼吁大家珍惜当下，把握青春，做更好的自己；

作文要求：(1)不能照抄原文不得在作文中出现学校的真实名称和考生的真实姓名；(2)语句连贯，词数 80个左右。作文的开头已经给出，不计入总词数，也不必抄写在答题卡上。

At the stage of puberty, I am going to make myself better.