Today is Saturday．It's also the Teachers' Day, Lily and Tom's mother's festival．They get up early in the morning and want to help their mother do the housework．They first clean the room and then wash the clothes．And then they make breakfast for their mother Lisa．

    It takes Lily and Tom a long time to make the breakfast．They make a chicken hamburger and some salad．These are Lisa's favourite food．They also prepare(准备) a glass of milk．They think it's healthy for their mother．Then they go to their parents' room with the food and drink.

    Dad sits on the sofa and reads a newspaper to Lisa．There is much interesting news(新闻) in it．Lisa also thinks it is fun．They seem very happy．“Good morning, Mum and Dad,” say Lily and Tom．Then they walk to their mother and say: “Mum, Happy Teachers' Day!”

Lisa looks at the children and the breakfast．“Thank you so much!” Lisa feels very warm now.

    Do you wear large T-shirts and baggy jeans? Or do you like rap? If your answers are “yes”, I think you like Hip-Hop. Hip-Hop is very hot now.

    Hip-Hop music started in the middle of the 1970s in New York. It is a kind of popular dance music with a regular beat (规律的节奏) and spoken words. The music, break-dancing and graffiti(涂鸦) make up Western Hip-Hop culture. Most of the Hip-Hop songs are about love, jobs or even games.

    Usually in rap, singers speak words very quickly to a certain beat. Most of the words are fun. Singers play off words to make fun of themselves or others. Hip-Hop music has few rules. Singers just do what they think and rap it out in a clever or creative way. That's why a lot of kids fall in love with the music. Many of them like wearing large T-shirts and baggy jeans. Today Hip-Hop is more and more popular across most of the world.

Small talk

    Americans often have short conversations, called small talk, about unimportant things with strangers or people they know but not very well. They may have small talk at parties, while waiting in line at the store, at family events or work. It's a way to say hi and express friendliness.

    Small talk is very useful. It can avoid uncomfortable silences and build stronger relationships. For example, when you first meet someone or talk to someone you don't know well, you can break the ice by making small talk. Small talk with a colleague(同事) about his child may help you to understand more of his life outside the office.

    In 2013, researchers from the University of Essex asked some people to make small talk in a study. They found small talk can make people happier. People who talked briefly(短暂地) with a waiter in a coffee shop felt happier than those who simply went in, ordered and left.

    However some people are not good at small talk. Here are some tips to improve your small-talking ability.

    Firstly, find common ground. When you have something similar with your speaking partner, that means you have something to talk about.

    Secondly, ask open-ended questions. They are suitable(合适的) for small talk. For example, if you ask visitors whether they like your city, they may simply say "Yes." But if you ask "What do you think of our city," they will have more freedom in how they answer.

    Thirdly, become a student. Nobody knows everything. So, as someone is answering one of your open-ended questions, they bring up something about which you know nothing. So, tell them! This lets the other person become the teacher. They feel good about sharing their knowledge and you get to learn something. It's a win-win situation.

    Finally, practice makes perfect. Like anything, getting good at making small talk takes practice.

    If you make small talk in your native language, you might become happier. If you are making small talk using English, you will most surely improve your speaking and listening skills.