Birthdays are strange things. The more you have, the more you try and pretend they don't matter, and the more {#blank#}1{#/blank#} . I'm not really sure why they think so. It's true that you are getting older, but as {#blank#}2{#/blank#} , “Who isn't getting older every day?” The problem may be that a birthday reminds people of all the things {#blank#}3{#/blank#} , but have not. I certainly understand that feeling, though I think {#blank#}4{#/blank#} that I most want to do — a kind of personal re-ordering (重新排序) of the to-do list. What makes you depressed(郁闷) on your birthday is that you realize your re-ordered to-do list is exactly the same as it was last year. That makes you feel{#blank#}5{#/blank#} , and not been anywhere. I have not had that experience this year. I look back at where I was last year and find things have changed since then.

    Lingling and her friends are talking about what they have done on some special days. Choose the right day they are taking about.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}⑴Lingling: My mother really loves me and cares about me. And so do I. So I bought some flowers and a cake for my mother on that day. She was really happy and kissed me.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}⑵Jason: We played a joke on Alex on that day. But he found the truth. Anyway, we really have fun that day.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}⑶Edison: We went to the city center to eat, sing, and count down together. When the new year came, all of us were really excited and made a new year's wish.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}⑷Lucy: We gave our teachers flowers and best wishes that day. They said we were naughty sometimes, but still love us.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}⑸Bruce: My family ate mooncakes and watched some TV programs that day. Of course the moon in the sky was really round and bright.

    Lucy's aunt lives in San Francisco. She knows something about China on television. But she wants to know more. 因此她正期待着参观中国。She is going to have a holiday next week. She is going to visit Beijing because she likes Chinese culture by plane and she will live in a hotel. In Beijing she is going to do some sightseeing, visit the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace and walk up the Great Wall.

    Lucy's aunt likes animals. She likes pandas very much. So she is going to visit Beijing Zoo to see the pandas there and take some photos of them. On the last day in Beijing she is going shopping.

    She wants to buy Lucy a present. She knows Lucy likes Chinese paintings and silk.

    To me, music is food and water. I can't live without it. I know this is not true for everybody. Usually lots of people go to concerts or listen to music records. Maybe some of you don't do these and you get along quite well, but music is everywhere in our life. For example when you watch movies or TV plays, will you find them interesting if there is no music? I'm sure you will find them boring. And when you are waiting for the train or the plane, you would like some music because it makes the time seem shorter.

    Some people like to sit by the sea and listen to the sound of the sea. Some enjoy listening to the singing of birds. Those sounds are some kind of music. So music has meaning for everyone in some way or others. Of course, it has special meaning for people like me. We spend our lives playing or writing music.

    Someone said, "Through music a child goes into a world of beauty, learns to take care of others and makes his mind and body strong."音乐真的在我们的生活中扮演重要的角色。

    Not many kids are willing to help around the house, but if you start early and then make a list of chores that need to be done and by whom, they'll soon come to accept it as a part of life.

    ①随着孩子们长大，他们或许会为在家里做家务索要钱。Should you pay them? It's up to you.

    Sarah doesn't think you should ever pay children for chores with money or rewards (奖赏) ."This will make them think that the chore is an 'extra (额外的事物)'that they don't have to do if they don't feel like doing it," says Sarah.

    "If children are trying to save for something specific like a computer game, it may be an idea to give them extra chores like washing the kitchen floor, watering plants or washing the car that you will pay for," "Liz says." ②Then at the end of the month they get a little extra pocket money. It teaches them about saving up, and working for the things they want."