1． Winter vacation is coming. Most students want to have a good trip this winter. Here is some information about trips for you.

2．How much do you know about Albert Einstein?
Albert Einstein, born on March 14, 1879 in Germany, was a great scientist in the world. He was strange because he hated haircuts and new clothes. He believed in peace. All his life, he hated war. However, his most famous idea, E ＝ mc², helped create the world's most dangerous weapon (武器). Many people think he was the smartest person in the world. But Einstein said that He thought like a child with many questions and unusual ideas.
What did he like?
Einstein liked learning sailing (帆船运动). He sailed in small boats all his life. He once joked, "Sailing is the sport that takes the least energy!"
When Einstein was a child, his mother made him take violin lessons. At first, he didn't like the violin. But then he learned to love music and became a good violinist. Later, he said, "Love is the best teacher."
Why is the sky blue?
In 1910, Einstein asked a question which many children often ask, "Why is the sky blue?" After his careful research, he answered the question like this: "It's because light is made up of many colors including blue. When light travels to Earth, gas particles (气体微粒) spread the blue light all over the sky." His answer is true in physics.

3． Gift giving is different in different countries. Here are some introductions in some countries. In America, expensive. pngts are not right. Instead it is appropriate (适当的) for you to take your friend who you want to thank to dinner or sporting event.
Australia is known for its friendliness. So. pngts, such as a business diary, or a coffee cup might be appropriate in a business meeting. Anything more expensive than these kinds of. pngts could cause embarrassment. The most common form of showing appreciation in Greece is probably an evening's entertainment. If you do present a. pngt, avoid personal things, such as ties and shirts. If you are invited to a Greek home, flowers or a cake for the hostess are an appropriate. pngt.
When you are invited to a person's home for dinner in Italy. It might be nice to bring flowers or a box of chocolates for your hostess.
Gift giving is popular in Germany and flowers are often given as presents. But if flowers are taken to a hostess of a dinner party at her home, you mustn't take red roses because red roses mean you love her. An even number of flowers such as 2, 4, 6, 8 means bad luck, but the number is appropriate like 5, 7, 9 or 11. If you come from a foreign country, gifts that reflect your home country are popular, when you visit a German home, and you might want to bring small. presents. for the children of the family you are visiting.

4． Deb and Sara were sisters. They lived with their parents on a farm deep in the countryside. Growing up in the countryside gave them so much (1)       . As children they were never bored because there was always (2)       to do on the farm. Every day they would (3)       up early and help their parents feed the cows before school. In the evening, after they had finished their homework, they would work in the fields (4)       the sun went down. Weekends were their favorite time because they could have picnics in the country and when the weather was really (5)       , go camping.

5． Many students have hobbies, such as reading, painting, growing vegetables in their gardens, and looking after animals. Some hobbies are relaxing and (1)       are creative. Hobbies can develop your interests and help you learn new skills.
David Smith is a student, and his hobby is writing. (2)       the summer of 2000, he spent four weeks on a summer camp. As well as the usual activities, such as sailing, climbing and mountain biking, there was a writing workshop with a professional (3)       . "She asked us to imagine that we were in a story. Then we wrote about our (4)       at the camp." In senior high school David wrote a story about teenage life, and it (5)       as a book in 2003. Many teenagers love his (6)       , and as a result, David has become a(7)       young writer. David has been very lucky (8)       his hobby has brought him enjoyment and success, but he is also interested in many other things. "I like playing volleyball, too," says David. "I spend some of my free time playing (9)       for my school team. Maybe I'll write more books in the future, but I'm not sure."
It's sometimes difficult (10)       that we shouldn't spend all our time on our favorite hobby. There are many other interesting things to do in life, and we should try to do something new or different.

6． What are magic words? Words like "thank you", "please" and "sorry" can work wonders in our daily life. These polite expressions are used every day in American — among strangers, between friends or with family. (1)      
(2)       What should you do when you receive a. pngt for your birthday? You'd better sit down and write a thank-you letter. We say them when someone hands us a letter, passes us a book, offers us a bottle of water, or lends us an umbrella.
"Please" is another important word, but many people often forget to say it. It is not polite to ask someone for help without saying "please". (3)       It may be a book, a pen, or more milk. It may be in the classroom, at home, or at the bus stop. We can use "please" to make a request.
We should also learn to say sorry. (4)       Sometimes we have forgotten something or broken a promise, so we need to explain with the word as a beginning. "Sorry" is such a word that can make people forget wrongs.
"Thank you! Please! Sorry!" — these words are simple but useful. (5)      

7． One a cold and dark midnight, a young little girl, called Nannan, woke up to pass water (撒尿). She got up and down her bed, walked to the bedroom door and opened it by 1.             (her). She looked outside and walked 2.b            , for it was so dark in the hall that she feared. Her mother said, "Don't be 3.             / əˈfreɪd/, honey. Take courage (勇气)!" "What's courage?" she asked, running to her 4.             (mother) bed. "Courage is the brave breath," her mother answered.
The girl held out her little hands, saying, "Mum, 5.b             some of your breath of courage to me." After her mother blew out two mouthfuls of breath into her cold hands, the little girl clenched her fists (握拳) 6.             (nervous), worried that the "breath of courage" would run away. Then with her fists clenched, she walked out of the bedroom 7.             / təˈwɔ:dz/ the bathroom without fear.
Her mother said to herself, "It will be nice 8.i             someone can blow some kind of 'breath' to me. Then I can hold it in my hands whenever I feel terrified or lost."
In fact, mostly, what we are terrified of is nothing but the fear in our mind. Who we should defeat (战胜) is nobody but ourselves.
We can't avoid 9.             (meet) difficulties in our life. We should learn to deal with them.
10.             an interesting story!

8．Do You Know When Basketball was Invented?
Basketball is a much－loved and active sport that is enjoyed by many for fun and exercise. It is over 100 years old and is played by more than 100, 000, 000 people in over 200 countries. It is believed that the first basketball game in history was played on December 21, 1891. Then in 1936 in Berlin, it became an event at the Olympics.
Basketball was invented by a Canadian doctor named James Naismith, who was born in 1861. When he was a college teacher, he was asked to think of a game that could be played in the winter. Dr. Naismith created a game to be played inside on a hard floor. Dr. Naismith divided the men in his class into two teams and taught them to play his new game. Players on the same team must work together to get the ball in the other team's basket. At the same time, they need to stop the competing team from getting the ball into their own basket.
Today, the popularity of basketball has risen around the world, with many young people dreaming of becoming famous players. In China, you can sometimes see people playing basketball in parks, schools and even factories. Basketball has not only become a popular sport to play, but it has also become a popular sport to watch. Although America's NBA games are the most famous, the CBA games are becoming more popular in China. The number of foreign players, including Chinese players, in the NBA has increased. There are also more and more foreign players in the CBA. Many young people look up to these basketball heroes and want to become like them. These stars encourage young people to work hard to achieve their dreams.

9．春节即将来临,春节是中国的传统节日也是你最喜欢的节日.在节日前人们打扫房子、买新衣服,节日期间人们穿上新衣走亲访友.假如你是Dale,请用英语写一封信给你的笔友Frank,根据以下提示介绍春节.
First, introduce the festival and when it is celebrated;
Then talk about what people do and eat;
Finally, explain why you like it best and how it makes you feel.
提示词:lunar calendar(农历) ,Chinese New Year's eve(除夕), reunion dinner (团聚晚餐),lucky money(压岁钱)
要求:1.书写工整,语句通顺,语法正确,字数在80字以上,不可超过100词.
2.文章开头和结尾已给出,不计入总词数,可适当发挥.
Dear Frank,
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Dale