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    How do you keep cool during summer? Air conditioners or electric fans are good tools in modern society. But1that, people could only use fans.

    Over 3,000 years ago, fans began to be used. They were made of feathers (羽毛), bamboo or silk. They came in different2, including round and square.

    Later, with the invention of paper, folding(可折叠的) paper fans became popular during the Song Dynasty. There are usually beautiful3on fans. Some are landscapes（风景）. Others are flowers and animals. Moreover, many great people including Su Dongpo, a poet of the Song Dynasty, and Tang Yin, scholar (学者) and painter of the Ming Dynasty, once painted their masterpieces (杰作) on fans. This made fans not only4tools in daily life but also great artworks.

    So, with its value ofbeauty, people take fans as a symbol of status （地位）. That's why in old China, emperors and scholars often held fans.

    Today, fans are also great collectors' items (藏品) and gifts. On the opening ceremony of the2008 Beijing Olympic Games, folding fans were   5to leaders and officials (官员 ) of othercountries. While they were6fans to get cool, they were also experiencing Chinese culture.

    Most of us like Christmas. On Christmas Eve, December 24th- the night 1 Christmas Day, children are very happy. They put their stockings(长筒袜)at the end of their beds before they 2. They want Father Christmas(圣诞老人) to 3 them some presents.

    Parents tell children that Father Christmas is a very 4 man. He arrives on Christmas Eve. He lands on the top of the kitchen and comes through the chimney(烟囱)in the fireplace. He 5 children a lot of presents.

    On Christmas Day, children often wake up very early in the morning. They can not wait (迫不及待)to 6 their stockings and they are 7 to see so many lovely presents. Then they get up and say. “Merry Christmas!” to their parents. Then the family usually 8 a big breakfast. They 9 the whole day playing with the new toys and 10 their friends. They greet each other with a hug(拥抱)and say, “ Merry Christmas!”

    Many people like to travel(旅行 ) on vacations. Now more and more travellers in the United States are spending nights at small houses 1inns instead of (代替) hotels. They get a2 for the night and the breakfast for the next morning.

    In the past five3 ten years, these bed-and-breakfast places have become popular in the United States. Many of these America's bed-and-breakfast inns 4old historic(历史上著名的) buildings. Some bed-and-breakfast inns have only5 rooms. Others are much larger. Some inns do not provide(提供) telephones or televisions in the rooms while(而)6do.

    Staying at a bed-and-breakfast inn is much different 7staying at a hotel. Usually the cost is much lower. Staying at an inn is like visiting  8 home. The owners are  9to tell about the interesting places to visit. Many travellers say10 enjoy the chance (机会) to meet local families.

FAVORITE FOOD

    Every country has1favorite food. Italians（意大利人）like to eat2. Indians（印度人）like to eat hot food. 3like to eat fish. Often they don't cook it.

    In England, one of the most popular4food is fish and chips. People usually buy it in5shop. They put it in6, and take it home, or to their workplace.

    Sometimes they eat it in the park or on the road.

    But the7favorite food isn't English, Italian, Indian or Japanese. It seems that American fast food is the most popular in the world. In New York, Moscow. Paris, London, and even in some big cities in China, you can find people8hamburgers and chips.

    Chinese food is9very popular in the world. In many cities you can find Chinese restaurants. People10Chinese food because it has different tastes and is usually very delicious!