Spring is a wonderful season to celebrate rebirth(再生) and new life. The long, cold winter is over. The weather is warmer and sunnier. The trees again have leaves and the flowers are blooming(开). The season represents(代表) hope, joy and beauty. At this time, many people think of this classical music piece — “Spring”, which shows happiness. Italian composer(作曲家) Antonio Vivaldi wrote it in the seventeen hundreds.

    However, not all songs about spring are happy. This song written and sung by K.D Lang is about dreaming of spring in cold dark places. She recorded “I Dream of Spring” in 2008.

Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein wrote “It Might as Well Be Spring” for the movie State Fair in 1945. Frank Sinatra sings it. It is a feeling of restlessness(焦虑) or excitement brought on by the coming of spring. Richard Rodgers also wrote “Spring Is Here”, this time with Lorenz Hart. Ella Fitzgerald sings this song about feeling lonely during this season.

    Frank Loesser wrote the sad song, “Spring Will be a Little Late This Year”. Why has the season been delayed(延迟)? Because the singer's lover has left her. Sarah Vaughn released(发行) her version of the song in 1953.

    By now you may be thinking, “Enough with the sad songs, already!” Ok, then how about a cowboy(牛仔) song? Gene Autry was one of America's most famous singing cowboys. He recorded “When It's Spring time in the Rockies” in 1937.

    And finally, we'll leave you with a sunny song called “Up Jumped Spring”. Freddie Hubbard wrote this jazz(爵士) song in 1977 and Billy Taylor Trio performs it.

    People celebrate(庆祝)birthdays in nearly every country in the world. And they celebrate them in many different ways.

    In Brazil, the special birthday food isn't a cake, but special candles(蜡烛). In China, people eat long noodles as a wish for long life. In Iceland, people have pancakes with sweet candies in them on birthdays.

    In Britain, people celebrate the birthday all day. The birthday child is lifted up(举起)by his or her classmates. That is to say the child can grow up happily and healthily.

    In Holland, children not only get presents, but they give things to others, too. They give cakes, cookies and candies to their classmates and teachers on their birthdays.

    In Mexico, it's good luck to give birthday greetings as early as possible in the day. So it's usual for the birthday child to wake up at midnight, with friends singing birthday songs.

    In Thailand, the birthday person holds a tall candle. The candle is as tall as the birthday person. It will bring good luck to him or her.

In many countries, birthday customs are changing. But one thing never changes—birthdays are special days for everyone.

    Besides chopsticks vs. knives and forks, there are more differences between Chinese and western dinning.

    Cooking methods

    While westerners boil, fry roast and bake, Chinese use more methods of cooking, like frying, stewing, boiling and steaming. Besides, Chinese cooks cut everything into small pieces, so people don't need knives to cut it but just pick up their food with chopsticks. Westerners cook food in big pieces and serve it with knives and forks for cutting it up.

    Ingredients and spices

    Chinese dishes use many ingredients seldom seen in western cooking, like animal feet, ears, tongues and so on. Chinese usually use animal or peanut oil to fry food; westerners use more butter and olive oil. Chinese cooks like to add spices when cooking, like ginger, pepper, garlic, etc. Western cooks usually use pepper powder, mustard(芥末), and tomato ketchup(番茄酱), etc.

    Serving the dishes

    On the western table, vegetable soup or salad is usually served as the starter, then the main course includes beef, chicken or fish. After the main course, normally some sweet food is served, which can be ice cream, cakes, fruits, etc.

    On the Chinese table, the cold dishes and drinking are first. After that, kinds of meat and vegetable dishes are served, to be followed by soup. Then Chinese usually have rice, noodles or dumplings as main course. At last, Chinese like having fresh fruit such as watermelons and pears after meal. That can make one feel fresh and cool in his mouth and stomach.

    Placing the dishes

    In western dinner, dishes are served in each person's own plate. So each person uses a big plate. In China, dishes are served at the middle of the table for all to share, and each person uses a small plate in front of him or her to hold the food.