Birthdays are strange things. The more you have, the more you try and pretend they don't matter, and the more {#blank#}1{#/blank#} . I'm not really sure why they think so. It's true that you are getting older, but as {#blank#}2{#/blank#} , “Who isn't getting older every day?” The problem may be that a birthday reminds people of all the things {#blank#}3{#/blank#} , but have not. I certainly understand that feeling, though I think {#blank#}4{#/blank#} that I most want to do — a kind of personal re-ordering (重新排序) of the to-do list. What makes you depressed(郁闷) on your birthday is that you realize your re-ordered to-do list is exactly the same as it was last year. That makes you feel{#blank#}5{#/blank#} , and not been anywhere. I have not had that experience this year. I look back at where I was last year and find things have changed since then.

      Kitty is from England. Now she lives in China. She is fourteen. She is at a girls' school in Beijing. She gets up at seven. Then she has a wash and has breakfast at eight o'clock. After that, she goes to school by bus. She has four classes in the morning and two in the afternoon. At school, she studies Chinese, Maths, History and so on. She studies very well. She has lunch at school, but she comes home for supper. After supper, she does the homework. She goes to bed at nine. On Saturdays and Sundays, she usually gets up later and she doesn't do any homework. She usually plays games with her friends. Sometimes she watches TV with her parents. She is a lovely girl.

The Special Olympics

    The Olympics are some of the most exciting sports events in the world. But there is another Olympics about which you may not have heard. This is the Special Olympics, for people with mental disabilities.

    The first Special Olympic Games were held in Chicago in 1968. One thousand people competed in many events. Since then Special Olympic programs have been organized in all 50 states and more than 150 countries. Today more than a million people take part in the Special Olympics.

    Mentally disabled persons over the age of eight may take part in the Special Olympics. These people may also have physical disabilities. People have run in races using crutches or walkers. A young girl enter the long jump event with an artificial leg. A blind runner raced around the track with the help of his coach's voice. A deaf basketball team planned their plays using sign language.

    Winning is wonderful for people who may never have had much success. But training for and entering the Special Olympics is also important. The participants become more confident. They learn how to concentrate in order to play well. Then they use that concentration in school to improve their schoolwork. Like anyone else they feel great when they prove they can do something well.

    It's December. It is snowy and the weather is really cold in the north of China. You can see many children playing with snow. Some of them are making snowmen. Some are skating on the river. It's so cold that the water in the river freezes (冻结). It's a white world. How beautiful!

    But in Australia, the weather is hot now. Many people go swimming in the sea. They are having a good time. Jim and his friends are playing soccer near the sea. They want to swim after playing soccer.

    Why can they swim in December? It is winter, isn't it? Yes, it is in China. But it isn't in Australia. That's because China and Australia have different seasons in a year.

    Bob comes out of the station and at first{#blank#}1{#/blank#} This is the first time he has come to this town. He comes to see his good friend, Peter. Peter is a worker. He works in a factory. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    He walks in the streets. He passes a hospital, a post office, a bookshop and at last he gets to a school. Some students are coming out. He asks one of them, "Excuse me? {#blank#}3{#/blank#}"

    "Of course, I know. I live near there. My father works in that factory. It's outside this town，" answers the boy.

    "Is it far from here？{#blank#}4{#/blank#} " Bob asks again.

    "I'm going home now. You can come with me. I'll take you there. "

"That's great! Thank you very much!" says Bob.

    "You're welcome. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} We'll take the No. 1 bus there. "