Most American families are smaller than the families in other countries. Most American families have one or two parents and one or two children each.

    Children in the US will leave their parents' home when they grow up. They usually live far from their parents because they want to find good jobs. They often write to their parents or telephone them. And they often go to visit their parents on holiday. Parents usually let their children choose their own jobs. Americans think it important for young people to decide on their lives by themselves.

    Children are asked to do some work around their house. And in many families, children are paid（支付） for doing some housework so that they learn how to make money for their own use.

    At midnight at New Year's Eve people in Rome and Italy throw (扔) all the things they no longer want .The streets are filled with old chairs, beds, clothes and dishes…… In Madrid, Spain, new year comes in more quietly (安静地). People go to the main square, each holding a bag of grapes. As the clock strikes (敲) twelve ,the people eat grapes .

    In Tokyo people eat noodles at New Year's Eve. This food is said to bring long life. Early the next morning, some Japanese families climb Mount Fuji. There they watch the first sunrise (日出) of the new year.

    In China, New Year's food include (包括) a whole fish and a chicken. The chicken must be presented (呈现) with a head ,a tail and two feet to symbolize (象征) completeness (完美).

Molly is a 12-year-old girl. She has blonde hair and black eyes. She's of medium height. She's very friendly. She has a lot of friends and her best friend is a 14-year-old boy. She is always the center of attention (关注) and everyone loves her. 

Jeff is an 11-year-old boy. He has blonde hair and brown eyes. He's of medium build. His parents are very busy. They don't have much time to stay with him. He spends most of his time with his grandparents. He doesn't like to talk in front of people. But he's very smart. 

Joe is a 13-year-old boy. He has black hair and big eyes. He's very tall. He's very nice and everyone loves him. He likes sports a lot. He's on the school basketball team. His friends think he can be a great basketball player in the future, but he wants to be a doctor.

I'm Li Fang. I'm a Chinese girl. I like English best because it's very interesting and useful (有用的). I like speaking English with my classmates. I join the school English club. I go to the club on Saturdays. Our English teacher is Miss Gao. She loves us very much. But she is very strict with us. And we love her too. She often tells us some funny English stories. She likes sports very much. After class, she often plays volleyball with us. She also plays the piano very well. She often plays the piano and we sing and dance. Miss Gao is really good with us. 

My favourite sports are volleyball and swimming. I usually go swimming on Sundays with my friend, Han Mei. My favourite animal is a dog. I often play with it after school. It's my friend too. 

Ways to ring in the new year

When New Year comes, people like to celebrate the beginning of the year in different ways. Here are some clever ideas to ring in the new year.

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On New Year's Eve, many cultures around the world open a window as the clock rings at midnight to let out old year's air, bring in the new air, and have good luck.

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On sticky notes (便利贴), write down what you hope will happen in 2024—for yourself, your family or the world. Then stick them on a board or bedroom wall where you can read them for encouragement.

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Challenge yourself in 2024. For example, if you want to learn to cook, you could offer to help your family prepare dinner every Friday night in January. You could help choose the recipe, supermarket for the ingredients, and then do the cooking.

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Write "2024" on a bottle. When good things happen or someone gives you a hand in the year, note them on pieces of paper and put them in the bottle. Read your notes and reflect on the year you had until December, 2024.

What else can you do to celebrate the beginning of the year? {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

 There is no one like you in the world, so you should learn to be happy with yourself. As we all know, nobody {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(be) perfect. So if you are not the most beautiful or {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(smart) person, that's okay. If you feel that you need to make yourself better, try your best {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(change). If you have tried your best, but you still can't make yourself happy, try this way. Ask yourself two simple {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(question). First, are you happy with who you are?{#blank#}5{#/blank#} the answer is yes, there is nothing to worry about. If you' re okay with{#blank#}6{#/blank#}(you) and you' ve done your best in everything, you should be happy. Second, have you given yourself enough time{#blank#}7{#/blank#}(make) yourself better? You know it takes time.

 Self-confidence(自信) is also very {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(importance). If you are confident, you' ll be okay with the things you do. Here is some advice if you' re not confident. First, find out your talents(天赋){#blank#}9{#/blank#} try to use them. Second, don't always compare yourself{#blank#}10{#/blank#} others. Third, forgive(原谅) yourself for some mistakes you have made.