People use their mouths for many things. They eat, talk, shout and sing. They smile and they kiss. In the English language, there are many expressions using the word “mouth.”

    For example, if you say bad things about a person, the person might protest and say “Do not bad mouth me.” Sometimes, people say something to a friend or family member that they later regret because it hurts that person's feelings. Or they tell the person something they were not supposed to tell. The speaker might say: “I really put my foot in my mouth this time.” If this should happen, the speaker might fee l down in the mouth. In other words, he might feel sad for saying the wrong thing.

    Another situation is when someone falsely claims another person said something. The other person might protest: “I did not say that. Do not put words in my mouth.”

    Some people have lots of money because they were born into a very rich family. There is an expression for this, too. You might say such a person, “was born with a silver spoon in his mouth.”

    This rich person is the opposite of a person who lives from hand to mouth. This person is very poor and only has enough money for the most important things in life, like food.

    Parents might sometimes withhold sweet food from a child as a form of punishment for saying bad things. For example, if a child says things she should not say to her parents, she might be described as a mouthy child. The parents might even tell the child to stop mouthing off.

    But enough of all this talk. I have been running my mouth long enough.

    We spoke to three students from around the world about different national holidays．There are different customs (习俗) for each festival．

Tan Xiaodong.15．Hong Kong, China

    “It'll be Chinese New Year soon．Before it we'll clean the house and decorate(装饰) it for good luck．Every shop is going to close for a few days and we'll go out a lot to celebrate in the streets．We might go and see the lion and dragon dances in the city center．I love this festival．”

    Wendy, 16, Sydney, Australia

    “Australia Day is on 26th January and it's an important holiday here．We always have a Monday off, so we celebrate for three days．My parents and I go to the countryside for a picnic and friends always come over．Many people go to beach parties or street parties and there's lots of music and dancing．What fun!”

    Amy, 14, New York, the USA

    “The first Thanksgiving Day was hundreds years ago when Europeans who came to America thanked God for his help．It's still a very important day for families to be together．This year we're going to visit my parents and we'll eat a delicious meal of turkey．Thanksgiving Day is on the fourth Thursday in November every year．”

    First Frenchman： I once heard someone shout, "Look out." I put my head out of a window and a bucket (桶) of water fell on me. It seems that "Look out" may mean "Don't look out".

    Second Frenchman： I was once on a ship and heard the captain shout, "All hands on deck(甲板)." I put my hands on the deck and someone walked on them.

    Third Frenchman： I once went early in the morning to the doctor's and his nurse came to the door and said, "He's not up yet. Come back in half an hour." When I went a second time for him, She said, "He's not down yet." I had to go away again. Later I thought the doctor should be in the house in the evening, so I went there once more. "Oh, how sorry I am! He's not in! I'd better tell him to wait for you if you could come tomorrow," said the nurse. "Well! He's not up, he is not down, and he is not in. Please tell me where he stays!" I said angrily.

    The homestay(寄宿家庭) provides English language students with the good chance to speak English outside the classroom and the experience of being part of an American home.

    What to Expect

    The host will provide places to live in and meals. Rooms will be cleaned every day. And the host is there to offer help and advice on your physical and mental(精神的) health.

    Living Area

    Host families are mainly in Zones 2, 3 and 4. Most hosts don't live in Zone 1 because much of central New York is the trading centre. Zones 3 and 4 often offer larger houses in uncrowded areas. But it's very convenient to travel to the centre of New York by subway.

    Meal Plans

    It's important to know that few American families still provide a traditional cooked breakfast. Your breakfast mainly includes fruit juice, bread and coffee. Cheese, fruit and cold neat are not part of the breakfast. Dinners are usually made up of meat or fish with vegetables followed by desserts, fruit and coffee.

    Friends

    If you wish to invite a friend to visit you, you must ask your host for permission(许可)fir because some families feel uncomfortable when there are strangers at their home.