82. holding a festival　 　　83. enjoying auspicious food　

76. Egypt　 　77. Rome　 　78. Vietnam　 　79. Dates　 　　80. March 23　 　　81. April 13　

5．

New Year traditions all around the world

　　　 “Happy New Year!” Everyone will greet each other with these words as they meet each other over the next couple of weeks. But it wasn’t always January 1 that marked the New Year.

　　　 At least 4,000 years ago, the ancient Egyptians and Babylonians marked the changing of the year. In Egypt, the year started when the Nile River flooded, enriching farmers’ fields. This happened at the end of September.

　　　 The Babylonians held a festival in the spring, on March 23, to kick off the next farming cycle. The Babylonian celebration lasted for 11 days.

　　　 The date January 1 was picked by the Roman Emperor Julius Caesar as the change of the year when he established his own calendar in 46 BC. The month of January originates from the Roman god, Janus. He is pictured with two heads. One head looks forward and the other back. They represent a break between the old and new. The new calendar was in time with the sun and it has been used until the present day.

　　　 In Vietnam, the New Year holiday happens in February. They buy fresh flowers and a peach blossom to put in their house, following the Vietnamese custom.

　　　 Thailand has its specific New Year’s date; it’s different from the normal calendar. The Thai New Year is celebrated on April 13. On this day, Thai people play with water, throwing it on each other. It is intended to bring good luck during the New Year ahead.

　　　 In China, the more favorable New Year is usually celebrated in February according to lunar calendar (阴历). On New Year’s Eve, all family members sit together at table, enjoying lots of auspicious foods such as dumplings, chicken to bring good luck.

New Year traditions all around the world

84. selling pumpkins　 85. selling decorating accessories

80. celebrated in Rome　 81. a huge parade82. some funny clowns 　　 83.carved pumpkins　

76. Black cat 　　　　 77. Making-ups 　　　　　 78.Ways of perform 　79. Halloween parties 　　

4．

“Trick or treat, trick or treat! Give me something good to eat!” It is Halloween! Kids dressed in costumes, neighbors giving out candy! It is just an amazing holiday! This year I decided to be a black cat.

The black cat is a sign of bad luck, but is also a sign of Halloween. Halloween began in the Mediaeval-years. A festival was celebrated in Rome and people walked in parades with masks and costumes. The people carved faces into pumpkins and lit them with a candle inside. These were thought of as to ward off all the evil and bad spirits. That is why people sell pumpkins everywhere during the Halloween season. Soon after the name of this festival evolved into what we call present day-Halloween!

Every year in New York City, there is a huge parade, there are floats and people walk around in costumes. Some are animal featured, some are scary and spooky like the skeleton and some are funny like the clown. It is very fun!!!

Some people have Halloween parties. Stores sell a variety of costumes; the most popular costumes are the witch, the ghost, many from the old movies. Many stores sell decorating accessories(附属品) like fake spider webs, real pumpkins and plastic ghosts. So, if you are a Halloween lover, you can turn your home into a haunted house! That is absolutely cool!

Halloween

81. "I Love L.A”　 82. beautiful　 83. Tony Bennett　 84. San Jose　 85.　 Z-Z Top

76. Cities　 77. California 78. Frank Sinatra　 79. third largest. 80. Los Angeles

3．

Most Americans have a city they like best. Over the years, American songwriters have described these feelings in music. More songs have been written about America's biggest city, New York, than about any other city. Many others dream about leaving their small towns to go there. They want to become rich and famous. Frank Sinatra sings about this dream in the most popular song written about New York.　 　 Almost three-million people live in the middle western city of Chicago, Illinois. It is now America's third largest city. It used to be the second largest city. So, of course, it needed its own song. Judy Garland sings the song, "Chicago, Chicago. "

　 One of America's most exciting cities is Las Vegas, Nevada. In nineteen-sixty-four, Elvis Presley starred in a movie called "Viva Las Vegas." Here is the song from that movie. It is sung by the group Z-Z Top.

As we all know, one of the most beautiful cities in America is San Francisco, California. The most popular song about the city is called "I Left My Heart in San Francisco." Tony Bennett recorded it in nineteen-sixty-two. It sold more than three-million records.

Many people love Los Angeles, California. It is now America's second largest city. Los Angeles is popular because the weather is warm and the sun shines almost all the time. Randy Newman sings about his feelings for the city in the song, "I Love L.A." Not everyone, however, loves Los Angeles. Some people do not like all the big roads around the city. They like living in a smaller place. A place like San Jose, California. Dionne Warwick sings about going back to this city. The song is, "Do You Know The Way To San Jose."

Songs about American Cities