Baseball is one of the favorite sports in the USA. Children play baseball in sports fields or in parks. At summer picnics, there is often informal (非正式的) baseball game. Boys and girls, young and old take turns to bat. Each team has 9 players.
   American football is perhaps the most popular sport in the USA. The football season begins when the baseball season ends. More people are interested in football than baseball. When there is an important game, thousands of people sit beside the radio or in front of the television to hear the result.

    Some students, parents and teachers in Shanghai were surveyed last month. According to the result of the survey, the generation gap (代沟) between students and parents as well as teachers is becoming wider. Here is what they said.

     Voice of the students:

         “Our parents hold too high expectations（期待）which put us under lots of pressure（压力. They care too much about our lives and studies,” one student said.

    “It's impolite that some students' parents read their children's diaries without permission!”one student said angrily.

    “Some of our teachers are so serious that we can't make friends with them at all,” another student said sadly.

    Voice of the parents:

    One mother said, “After school, my daughter usually locks herself into her room and spends lots of time talking with others on the phone. And I can't stand her clothes and hairstyle!”

    “I thought my son was doing very well in his studies. I didn't realize I was being cheated (欺骗)by him until I got a call from his teacher,” said a father.

    Voice of the teachers:

    An English teacher said, “Today, the role of the teacher is to put knowledge into students' brain. The power teachers have kept students away from them.”

    “Some parents pay too much attention to their children's grades. They never create a lively and colorful environment at home,” another teacher said.

    “In the past, teachers and students often played games together or talked with each other. Today, only studies and grades are talked about,” said a teacher.

    Voice of scientists:

    Scientists say that a school should be a place where students can learn not only knowledge, but also how to face failure bravely enough.

    Most people want to be happy, but few know how to find happiness. Money and success alone do not bring lasting happiness.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}In other words, we make our own happiness.

    Here are a few suggestions to help you be happier.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Too often, we spend so much time thinking about the future —for example, getting into college or getting a good job that we fail to enjoy the present. You should enjoy life's simple pleasures, such as reading a good book, listening to your favorite music, or spending time with close friends. People who have several close friends often live happier and healthier lives.

    Another secret of living a happy life is to be active. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Many people experience this by dancing, swimming or playing a sport. You can forget about your problems, and only think about the activity.

    Finally, many people find happiness in helping others. Studies show that people feel good when they spend their time helping others.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} You can help a friend with his or her studies, go shopping to buy food for an elderly person, or simply help out around the house by washing the dishes.

A. Having hobbies makes you forget about your problems and time.

B. Happiness depends on ourselves.

C. Happiness is important to everyone.

D. The first secret of happiness is to enjoy the simple things in life.

E. If you want to feel happier, do good things for someone.

     "Tome Stay is a form of study abroad program. It allows the visitor to stay with a local family to better understand the local lifestyle. It also helps to improve the visitor's language ability. If you wish to learn more about foreign cultures or to get foreign experience，you should join this kind of holiday. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} ," said a teacher during a school meeting last term.

    After this meeting,  {#blank#}2{#/blank#} . At last, I had such a chance to go on such a holiday with some of my schoolmates last month. We went to London, a place where I had wanted to go since years ago.

    After we got to London, we went to stay with different families. I was lucky that my host family（寄宿家庭）was a white couple who had a daughter about my age. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} . They were interested in me and I learnt a lot of things from then on.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} . After breakfast, a local teacher would come to take us in his car. Then we would have classes or go on a sight-seeing trip to different places of interest like Big Ben, London Bridge, and Buckingham Palace. We would go back to our own homes after the activities.

    The holiday was a valuable experience for me. I enjoyed every minute of it. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} . Three weeks later, we had to leave "home" for Hong Kong.