People all over the world celebrate the New Year. However, not all countries celebrate in the same way, and in some countries, the new year doesn't begin on the 1 day every year.

    In many countries, the New Year begins on 1st January, but people start celebrating on 31st December, New Year's Eve. In New York many people go to celebrate in Times Square. 2  they're waiting for the New Year, they listen to music, sing traditional songs and have fun. Just before 12 o'clock, everyone 3 down from 10: 10, 9, 8… As soon as it's 12 o'clock, everyone shouts very 4, “Happy New Year!”

    New Year's Day is often a family day. Some families get together for a special meal. When the weather is fine, many families go out for a 5.

    On New Year's Day, many people make resolutions for the new year. They 6a list of things, such as “I will help out more with housework. I will work 7 at school than others.” or “I won't spend so much time playing video games.” When they have made their 8, they read it to their family or friends and promise to 9 their resolutions(办法).

    So it doesn't matter how they celebrate. 10 people in countries all over the world, it's a time to say goodbye to the old year, and to welcome the new.

    British people are famous for apologizing (道歉) in almost every situation.  1 we are apologizing for asking a question, for our bad weather or we sneeze before others (打喷嚏),we are probably the number-one nation for apologies.

    We pride ourselves on our polite2 in public. As a result, we use the word "sorry" quite a lot—even when we don't really 3 it! Usually, if you want to ask someone for the time, you would start by saying "Sorry to bother you. Do you know the time?" If you're five minutes late for an appointment (约会), you would generally  4 the person by saying "Sorry, I'm late!"

    We use the word "sorry" in so many different situations that the meaning of the word has slightly 5over time. The two main dictionary definitions (定义) of "sorry" are: feeling sad for someone else because of their problems or feeling regret because you've done something wrong. Usually, when you want to ask a stranger a question, you 6 with "Sorry to disturb you." In this situation, we aren't saying sorry because we feel sad for that person or because we feel regret.

    So what does "sorry" really mean? Well, in the British 7, saying "sorry" is a way to be polite, especially to people who you don't know very well. It's also a very 8way to get what you want. 9, an actor asked different people on a rainy day if he could use their mobile phones. When he asked one group of strangers without apologizing first, he was only 9 per cent successful in borrowing their phones. 10, when he apologized to another group about the bad weather before asking if he could use their mobile phones, he was 47 per cent successful. So maybe saying "sorry" is not just being polite, but it is also a good method to get what you want too!

    Riding a Mobike on the street, you might hear some people speaking Chinese aloud. Turning to the right, you see a Sichuan-style restaurant. After walking into a store you see that Huawei Smartphones are 1. But you're not in China—you're in Manchester in Britain. In fact, you might see 2 things in many other cities. Chinese products have been 3 worldwide.

    Chinese food has been enjoyed in Western countries for a long time. To 4 local people's tastes, Chinese restaurants have made some changes to the 5 Unlike Chinese, Australian people don't like to eat meat with the bone 6. So Chinese restaurants there provide big pieces of meat without bones, 7 for fish.

    Some Chinese brands (品牌) are also becoming more 8. In many cities in Europe stores sell TCL televisions, Haier fridges and Lenovo computers. And more than half of US-owned drones (无人机) are Chinese models. They're not simply made in China, but designed and developed in the 9 .

    In the past, most Western people thought Chinese products were cheap and not dependable. But now, things have changed greatly. Made in China becomes cool. More and more people 10 Chinese brands.

    Different countries have different manners. For example, if you are a1in a Chinese house, when you have a meal, you usually do not2the food. You often leave a little to3that you have had enough. But in England, a visitor always finishes the food to show that he has4it. We must know the customs of other5, so that they will not think6bad-mannered. People all over the world7that a well-mannered person should be kind and8to others. If you9this, at least you will not go very far wrong.10likes a person with good manners, but no one likes a person with bad manners.

April Fool's Day

    April Fool's Day is a western festival. No one 1 exactly when and how April Fool's Day began. However, there are some stories about2 it came into being. One story3 like this: in the sixteenth­century France, the start of the new year was on April first. It was celebrated 4much the same way 5 it is today with parties and dancing into the late hours of the night.

    Then in 1562, Pope (教皇) Gregory introduced a new calendar for the Christian world, and the new year fell on January first. There were some people,6 who hadn't heard or didn't believe the 7 in the date, so they8 to celebrate New Year's Day on April first.9played tricks on them and called them "April fools". They tried to make them believe that something false was10. In France today, April first is called "April Fish". Frenchchildren fool their friends by taping a paper fish to their friends' 11. When the "young fool"12this trick, the prankster (恶作剧者) shouts "April Fish！" 

    Today Americans play small tricks on friends and strangers alike on the first of April. One13trick on April Fool's Day is 14 down to a friend's shoe and saying, "Your shoelaceis untied." School children might tell a classmate that school has been canceled (取消).15the trick is, if you fail for the joke the prankster shouts "April Fool！"

    In Britain today, on the first of April, even 16newspapers, radio and TV programs tell big lies. You17 read a science18 showing that doctors have found a way to cure (治愈) AIDS, 19you would probably listen to a piece of news about a UFO20on an island.