2016 is the Year of the Monkey. Monkeys are so smart and cute, and so many people like them. They have become a part of culture. Here are some stories to help you learn more about
them.
New stamps for the year
The China Post Group made special stamps for the year. They made two styles. On the first one, a monkey hangs on a branch（树枝）, holding a big red peach. This means to give luck to people. On the other stamp, a mother monkey holds two monkey b abies in her arms. It shows the happy reunion（团聚） of families. The monkey stamps were for sale on Jan.5th.
Monkey show
In China, there is an ancient drama called Monkey Show. It tells the story of Monkey King. When actors perform, they will paint "monkey faces" with colors. Red is the main color. Interestingly, they don't draw eyebrows（眉毛）.
Influence on personality
In Chinese culture, the monkey is a symbol of wisdom. Those who were born in the Year of the Monkey are said to be smart and outgoing. They are also said to have strong leadership and social skills. They can solve all kinds of problems in life and be kind to others.
Fun Fact
Did you know? The world's smallest monkey is the finger monkey. It is only 10cm tall. They live in the Amazon rainforest （亚马孙雨林） of South America. Amazingly, they can turn their heads 180 degrees.

Flying kites —a popular hobby

People have been making and flying kites for about 2,000 years. No one knows for sure who invented the kite. Some historians (历史学家) believe the ancient Chinese might start the kite flying 2,000 years ago. And now it is still a popular hobby in China, Japan, Korea and other countries of the Far East where beautifully decorated kites appear in different colors. In China, there is even a special Kites Day on which children and adults fly kites. In Japan, families fly fish kites on Children's Day, May 5th.

    Simple kites are made by crossing two sticks and covering them with paper or cloth. And then people put a string at the end.

    Kites are made in many different sizes, colors and shapes. A flat kite is the oldest and simplest type of kite. It flies because air flows over and under the kite's wings. The pressure under the wings helps the kite lift into the air.

    Today most people fly kites as a hobby. Kite festivals are organized in many parts of the world.

    Nobody knows how many different languages there are in the world. The most widely used language is English. It's used by business people, airline pilots all over the world. It's also the first language of sports and science. So it's very important for us to learn English.

    English is most widely spoken in the world, while Chinese has the largest number of speakers. There are not only over one billion people living in China, but also many Chinese people living outside China. You can find large or small groups of Chinese people living in almost every country in the world.

    There are some other important languages in the world, too. Chinese is of course very important, especially in Asia. Arabic is widely spoken in many parts of Asia and Africa. Russian is spoken both in Europe and Asia. French is widely understood, not only in Europe, but also in parts of Canada, Africa and Asia. Spanish has a growing number of speakers all over the world, especially in Central and South Africa.

    What language do people speak in the United Nations? There are so many different languages in the world, but they decide to use only six of them. They are Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish. Everything spoken or written in one language is translated into the other five.

    Green is an important color in nature. It is the color of grass and the leaves on trees. It is also the color of most growing plants.

    Sometimes, the word "green" means young, fresh and growing. For example, a greenhorn is someone who has no experience. In the 15th century, a greenhorn was a young cow or an ox whose horns(角) had not yet developed. A century later, a greenhorn was a soldier who had no experience in war. By the 18th century, a greenhorn had the meaning it has today—a person who is new in a job.

    Someone who is good at growing plants is said to have a green thumb(大拇指). The expression comes from the early 20th century. A person with a green thumb can make plants grow quickly and well. The Green Revolution (绿色革命) is the name given some years ago to the development of new kinds of rice and other grains. It was the result of hard work by agricultural scientists who had green thumbs.

    Green is also the color used to describe the powerful feeling—jealousy(嫉妒). The green eyed monster is not a dangerous animal from outer space. It is an expression used about 400 years ago by the British writer William Shakespeare in his play Othello. It describes the unpleasant feeling when someone has something he wants.

    In most places in the world, a green light is a signal(信号) to move ahead. In everyday speech, a green light means approval(赞成) to continue with a project.