In Canada you can find dogs, cats, horses, etc. in almost every family. These are their pets. People love these pets and have them as their good friends. Before they keep them in their houses, they take them to animal hospitals to give an injection(打针) so that they won't carry diseases. They have special animal food stores though they can get animal food in almost every store. Some people spend about two hundred Canadian dollars a month on animal food. When you visit people's home, they would be very glad to show you their pets and they are very proud of them. You will also find that almost every family has a bird feeder in their garden. All kinds of birds are welcomed to come and have a good meal.

    They are free to come and go and nobody is allowed(允许) to kill any animal in Canada.

During the old times, children didn't have smart phones, iPads or computers to play. They: thought of interesting games to play in their childhood.

●Stone（石头）balls

During the Qing Dynasty, kicking（踢）a stone ball around was a popular sport in the northern part of China, and it was often played in the winter to keep warm. Children made stones into small balls and kicked along with feet.

●Flying kites

Kites have quite a long history. The earliest kites were made of wood （木）, not paper. These days, the three most famous kites are the Beijing kite, Tianjin kite and Weifang kite, which each is very special. The swallow-shaped kite is the most popular Beijing style.

●Hide-and-seek

Hide-and-seek is a traditional game for children, popular around the country. There are two ways to play: Cover a child's eyes and ask him to catch the other kids while the other kids run around him. Or, more commonly, the children hide（躲）and one child must try to find them.

●Watching shadow plays（皮影戏）

The closest thing to watching a film or television for fun during the old times was going to see a shadow play. The artists manipulate puppets（操纵木偶）behind the screen, telling stories with music. During the Qing Dynasty, shadow play art was the most popular, and was played for every important time.

As the weather gets warmer，there are few things that are better to do than travel．But traveling might not be that fun for everyone，especially for those who have motion sickness（晕动症）．

Motion sickness is also called travel sickness．It is a common experience for many people．Depending on how you travel，it can be called carsickness or seasickness．People with motion sickness feel very uncomfortable while they are in motion．They feel sick and dizzy，like the room around them won't stop spinning．

It is generally believed that motion sickness happens when your senses become confused （困惑的）with each other，Scientific American reported．

We use different parts of our body to sense movement．Our eyes tell us if we are moving．The inner ears （内耳） contain a special liquid that helps us sense our direction and balance．Our muscles react to movement．

When you move around，these body parts work well together．But when you are in a car or an airplane，they get confused．Your inner ear signals that you're moving．This mismatch gives us motion sickness．

But some people are less sensitive to motion sickness．This may be because they have certain genes （基因） that prevent mismatching senses，Bethann Hromatka，told the Atlantic．

Although there are many ways to deal with motion sickness，scientists believe that the key is to simply try to adapt to it．For example，some astronauts do special exercises that give them mild motion sickness．After a week or two，the astronauts become used to it and don't feel uncomfortable anymore，a NASA flight doctor，told the BBC．

"How are you? " is a nice question. It's a friendly way that people in the United States greet each other. But when a person say "How are you ? ", he hopes to hear the answer "Fine," though the person's friend isn't fine. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}They are common ways of saying"Hello"and "Hi".

Sometimes people also don't say exactly what they mean. For example, when someone asks, "Do you agree?" the other person may be thinking, "No, I don't agree. I think you are wrong."{#blank#}2{#/blank#}It's a nicer way to say that you don't agree with someone.

{#blank#}3{#/blank#}For example,when a person wants to finish talking with other people on the phone,he may say "I have to go now." Sometimes he often gives an excuse." Someone is at the door", "Something is burning" and so on.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}.It's a polite way to stop a conversation and it doesn't hurt the other person's feelings.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}And it's a part of the game of language.

A.People don't always say exactly what they are thinking.

B.It's interesting when people want to finish talking.

C.I don't think so .

D.But it doesn't sound very polite,so they may say,"I' m not so sure."

E.The reason is that "How are you?" isn't really a question and "fine" isn't really an answer.

F.The excuse may be real or it may not.

G.People often greet with"How are you ?"

January 1st is the New Year's Day, the first day of the year. It is a legal(法定的)holiday, and all banks, stores and schools are closed. Many people invite their friends to come and visit them in the afternoon or evening.

The only legal holiday in February is Washington's Birthday. Although Washington was born on February 22nd, his birthday is now celebrated on the third Monday of February. Some states also celebrate Lincoln's birthday on February 12th. These two, the United States' most famous presidents, were both born in February. The last Monday in May is Memorial Day(纪念日). This holiday remembers many service members, men and women, who died for their country. Americans celebrate Memorial Day with services in cemeteries(公墓)and churches.

America's great national holiday, Independence Day, falls on the fourth of July. It celebrates the birth of the United States. It was on this day that the colonists(殖民者)announced their independence from England. They had to fight hard for the next seven years to win this independence.

The first Monday of September is Labor Day(劳工节). This holiday honors(向……表示敬意)the working people of the United States. There are sorts of celebrations and speeches on this day, too. People go to all kinds of places to enjoy the fine weather at the end of summer.