2016 is the Year of the Monkey. Monkeys are so smart and cute, and so many people like them. They have become a part of culture. Here are some stories to help you learn more about
them.
New stamps for the year
The China Post Group made special stamps for the year. They made two styles. On the first one, a monkey hangs on a branch（树枝）, holding a big red peach. This means to give luck to people. On the other stamp, a mother monkey holds two monkey b abies in her arms. It shows the happy reunion（团聚） of families. The monkey stamps were for sale on Jan.5th.
Monkey show
In China, there is an ancient drama called Monkey Show. It tells the story of Monkey King. When actors perform, they will paint "monkey faces" with colors. Red is the main color. Interestingly, they don't draw eyebrows（眉毛）.
Influence on personality
In Chinese culture, the monkey is a symbol of wisdom. Those who were born in the Year of the Monkey are said to be smart and outgoing. They are also said to have strong leadership and social skills. They can solve all kinds of problems in life and be kind to others.
Fun Fact
Did you know? The world's smallest monkey is the finger monkey. It is only 10cm tall. They live in the Amazon rainforest （亚马孙雨林） of South America. Amazingly, they can turn their heads 180 degrees.

    The Vieira family moved to the United States in 1981. At that time, they decided to stop speaking Spanish at home and only communicate in English. This was because they were now living in an English-speaking country.

    Now the Vieira children are adults, and they sometimes travel to Spain to visit their family and friends. But they cannot communicate with them. Unfortunately this is common. When people move to new countries, they often leave their own customs and mother language behind. This is a mistake because there are many benefits to knowing more than one language.

    One advantage of speaking more than one language is that you can communicate directly with more people around the world. You do not have to depend on others to talk for you, so you're more independent. People who know only one language must use others to help them communicate.

    Furthermore, speaking a second language also allows people to experience other cultures and customs more effectively. Local expressions, vocabulary, and even jokes can have a powerful effect on a person's understanding of another culture. So, knowing more than one language increases your knowledge of other cultures.

    Finally, having more multi-language speakers improves relationships between countries. If people from different countries can communicate well, the world can become closer. Countries will then have more respect for each other and better understand each other's problems.

    The benefits of knowing more than one language are clear. In fact, there are no disadvantages. It is very sad that many people don't try to learn another language. It is even worse when people let themselves forget their mother language and become silenced.

    Most people in America like having the surprise party. It is very popular. They think it is very exciting to have surprise parties for their friends or family members. They often plan a surprise party for a special event like someone's birthday. If you want to know what a surprise party is like, please look at the following example.

    One Saturday night, Sam's wife asked him to go to the kitchen and bring her a glass of water. Sam walked to the kitchen. When he opened the door, he saw a "bear(熊)"standing in front of him! Sam was very scared and wanted to run away at once. Just then the "bear" took off his costume (服装). It was Sam's friend John! When he turned back, he saw some other people standing behind him. All of them said "Surprise! Happy birthday!" to him.

    In fact, we can have many kinds of surprise parties. A successful surprise party always makes people feel surprised and excited. Would you like to plan a party like this for your friends or family members?

    Mother's Day is a holiday for mothers. It is celebrated in the United States, England, India and some other countries. In a short time, it becomes widely celebrated Mother's Day falls on the second Sunday in May. On that day many people send gifts of love to their mothers. Those whose mothers are still living often wear a pink or red rose or carnation(康乃馨), while those whose mothers are dead wear a white one.

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

    In China, people do the same on the day for mothers, And, in some cities, people sometimes ask a song to be broadcasted for his or her mother only. This might cost a little money for some of them, but, as it is said, "Love is invaluable."

    On May 8, 1999, just the day before the Mother's Day that year, a Chinese mother, a heroic(英雄的) mother was killed in criminal bombing(罪悉轰炸)in Yugoslavia(南斯拉夫). Her name is Shao Yunhuan, a reporter who wrote lots of articles(文章)for Chinese newspapers. All the Chinese will remember her forever.

Today, many people are too busy working and hardly ever exercise. They may have1 time, but they don't go out. Watching TV or playing on computers becomes a habit for many people. They think they are the best ways to relax because they often feel2 after a day's hard work.

It's fine if they do that3 , but it's not good if they do that too often. Sitting on the sofa to watch TV or playing on computers all day will make people fatter and fatter. It isn't4 at all.

Here are some5 to help you keep healthy. First, 6 to exercise three times a week and thirty minutes each time. Don't7 too much time playing computer games at home. Taking a break after playing computers for 40 minutes is good8 you. Second, go to bed early and sleep well. Good sleeping habits are very important,9 . Third, eat healthy food like fruit and vegetables. Don't eat too much meat. It's bad for health. Last, always be happy.

If you have a good lifestyle(生活方式), you' ll be in good health.10 the ways, and you will have a healthy and happy life.

Some people don't make any plans before taking a trip. They think it will be more exciting and have more fun with no plan. But in fact, it is not good. Making vacation plans is very important. 

{#blank#}1{#/blank#}For example, if you want to visit a place but you don't book a hotel, you may have no place to stay at night. So it is necessary to make plans to make your trip better. 

Before going to a place, look into things. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Besides, remember to get information about what to do and how best to go to the place. You may miss out on seeing some things if you don't look into what you can see in the place. 

You won't forget things to take. You need to plan what things you have to buy and what things you need to put in your bag. For example, you arrive at the airport, but find that you forget to bring your plane ticket! {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

{#blank#}4{#/blank#} No one wants to spend more money than they want to. If you surf the Internet before you go on a vacation, you may find some cheap plane tickets and hotel rooms. 

You can save time. By planning your way and looking into transportation time, you can make the most out of your days and save time to do the other things you like. 

Write a title （标题） for the passage. （请用约5个词回答）{#blank#}5{#/blank#}