Sixteen is a special age in the United States. There's often a special celebration for a girl's 16th birthday—a big party called Sweet-16. It is like a wedding reception(结婚晚宴) in the number of guests and gifts handed out.

    About a month before the party, the girl's family sends out invitations to the guests. They must buy a special present for the birthday girl and the girl guests find good dresses to wear. A sweet-16 present usually costs $40 to $60. This is about $20 more than the usual-cost of a birthday present.

    The party itself is not held at someone's house. The hostess rents(租赁) a reception hall for the event. Food, cake and a DJ are provided. Around 6'clock, guests arrive and meet the birthday girl. Then the girl and her father have a special father-daughter dance. After that, guests dance for about 30 to 45 minutes.

    Then there is the most important part of the Sweet-16 party, the candle-lighting ceremony.

    The sweet-16 hostess stands behind 16 unlit(未点燃的) candles and dedicates(献给) each candle to her friends, family, and anything that she feels is important to her. A lot of crying and hugging goes on at this time.

    Afterwards, people sit and eat. Most guests begin leaving around 11 o'clock.

    This school year, I have been to two Sweet-16s. I am one of the youngest students in my grade (My birthday is in December). I'll have to wait another year before I can have my own special Sweet-16 party. I can't wait for it!

    Jane Austen ever popular

    This summer, the UK will honor its favorite writers, Jane Austen (1775-1817), by making her the face of the new £10 note. In the 200 years since her death, Austen has been getting more and more popular all over the world.

    And yet Austen's works are so English that it's rather strange she should be so popular all over the world. Her novels are so of their time that it's strange that she's still enjoyed in this very different age. Her most famous works including Pride and Prejudice, the one which she is most known for are about the world of the English gentry(贵族阶层)in the late 18^th century.

    Most of her works is about young women of that time. Women of the gentry could not work so their chances of happiness or even basic living depended upon finding a husband. This is a very serious subject matter, of course, but the joy of Austen's stories is her ability to make wonderful, but also touching, comedy out of something so serious.

    Take Pride and Prejudice as an example. Elizabeth Bennet is one of six daughters in a family that struggles with money problems. Her mother wants to marry off as many of them as possible.  Mrs Bennet is one of the great comic characters of English literature.

    The novel is developed by the love-hate relationship between Elizabeth and Mr Darcy. The pleasure of the novel is reading how these obstacles(障碍) are overcome and how the comical and unexpected ending is achieved.

    If we think about this story, it's clear why Jane Austen is still popular 200 years after her death, and why readers can still identify with characters from the long dead world of the 18^th century English gentry. Although there have been many changes since that time, it's still the greatest challenge in life for men and women to find the partner of their dreams.

Face the Stress

    Have you had a headache during a test? Have you ever been so worried about something that you have a headache or even can't sleep at night? If so, then you know what stress is. Stress is what you feel when you are worried about something. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}You may feel angry, sad, scared, or afraid—all of which give you a stomachache or a headache.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Some kinds of stress are beneficial and others are not. Good stress might happen when you're called to answer questions in class or when you have to give a speech. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} For example, you may do a better job in your test if the stress pushes you to prepare better before the test.

    On the other hand, bad stress can happen if the stress lasts too long. You may not feel well if your parents are fighting, if a family member is sick, if you're having problems at school, or if anything else makes you unhappy every day. That kind of stress isn't going to help you. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Make sure you keep yourself in mind: Sleep, exercise, leisure, and food. If you get enough sleep and eat healthily, and if you exercise and leave and leave time for fun, you'll probably feel less stressed.