Many, many years ago most people did not have beautiful books. Some families did not have books at all. The people 1 did have books had only a few.

    Instead of 2 books, people told stories. They would remember things 3 happened to them and would retell these tales to friends.

    Some stories you read in books today 4 to children many years ago by their fathers and mothers. 5 those girls and boys grew up, they, in turn, told their children the same tales.

    Sometimes the stories changed as one man told 6. That is why today there are different beginnings and different endings to the same folk tales. You 7 different names for all kinds of characters in the different versions(版本) of the tales. In this way the stories almost seem 8 different ones and not your favorite tales at all.

    Some people 9 stories. They would suppose 10 things which had happened could not really have happened. Such people became 11 as storytellers.

    In many of the tales, animals did the talking. In others, good men came to help bad men.

    Strange, exciting things 12. The different ideas made interesting stories.

    Some of the early tales, 13 them Mother Goose verses were told in rhyme. The poems were learned by boys and girls at home and at school.

    What Mother Goose rhymes do you know and remember? Do you think there was 14 a Mother Goose? Mother Goose stories and rhymes are 15 good ones that we read and enjoy them today, years after they were first told.

    People all over the world celebrate Valentine's Day(情人节).However, the holiday 1differently in different countries 2each culture has its own Valentine's Day customs(习俗).

    For example，people in the United States and  Japan  both  celebrate  Valentine's  Day 3 February 14.But in Japan，only romantic partners come together, while in America，it can be shared by anyone 4is close，friend or lover.Chocolate is the most popular gift in the US 5it is common in Japan，too.However, in the US other 6of gifts are also given，and many people exchange cards.

    The biggest 7is that in Japan，only girls and women 8chocolates to boys and men，but in the US boys and girls will give cards or small gifts to all of 9friends.And while American men and women both receive gifts，women usually get 10expensive gifts than men.That's why I would like to be a man in Japan but a woman in the US!

    Mother's Day is a holiday for mothers. It is celebrated in the United States, England, Sweden, India, Mexico and other 1. Little by little, it 2 widely celebrated.

    Mother's Day falls on the second Sunday in May. 3, many people send 4 of love to their mothers. Those whose mothers are still living 5 a pink or red rose, while those whose mothers are 6 wear a white one.

    The 7 of a day for mothers was first given by Miss Anna Jarvis of Philadelphia. As a result of her hard work, the celebration for the first American Mother's Day 8 in Philadelphia on May 10, 1908. Soon the 9 became popular all over the 10 and around the world.

    Dinner customs (习俗) are different around the world. If you are a guest in Ghana (加纳), these pieces of1will help you a lot.

    In Ghana, dinner is usually from four to six in the afternoon. But there are no2rules (规则) about time. Whenever a guest arrives, a family3food. When you go to a home, the person4receives guests takes you to the living room first. At this time5welcomes you. Then you go to the dining room. There you wash your hands in a bowl of water. All the food is on the table.

    In Ghana you usually eat with your fingers. You eat6the same dish as everyone else. But you can only eat from one7of the dish. It is impolite to get food from8side of the dish. After dinner, you wash your hands again in a bowl of water.

    Most meals in Ghana contain a dish called fufu. People in Ghana9fufu from the powder (粉末) of some plants. Sometimes they cut fufu with a saw(锯子) 10 it is very hard. You must chew(咀嚼) fufu well, or you may get sick. You should only eat fufu with the fingers of your right hand.