In our family, we have a special way of telling our sons about Santa without lies. It involves both good acts and Christmas spirit.

When they are 6 or 7, I take ______“for milkshakes” at the local______. We get a table, order our drinks, and the following speech is made:

“You sure have_______a lot this year. Not only are you taller, but I can see that your______ has been stronger as well. In fact, I think you are ready to ______ a Santa Claus yourself.”

“You have probably found that most of the Santas that you see are people ______ like him. Well, now you are ready to do your first job______ a Santa.”

The children usually pick someone they know. They choose to find something that the person really needs, and ______ let them know where it comes from.

My oldest son chose the old lady next door. He______that she came out every morning to get her paper in bare feet, ______ he realized she needed slippers. We went to the supermarket and a warm pair of slippers for her. He wrote on a card, “Merry Christmas from Santa”, then put the ______ under her gate. The next morning, she was out getting her paper, wearing the slippers. You can imagine how ______he was at that moment.

Over the years, he chose a good number of neighbors and friends, always coming up with special presents just for them. One year, he polished up his bike and gave it to one of our friend’s daughters. This family is too ______to get a new one for the girl. When she saw the bike in the yard with a big bow on it, the look on her face was almost as ______ as the one on my son’s.

When the time came for my next son to join the “Santa club”, my oldest came along to help with the speech. ______ of the club’s members have ever felt that they had been lied to --- because they were let in on the Secret of Being a Santa.

1.A. him B. her C. me D. them

2.A. hotel B. bookstore C. supermarket D. cafe

3.A. grown B. seen C. developed D. improved

4.A. body B. heart C. face D. skill

5.A. meet B. find C. become D. change

6.A. dressed up B. looked up C. put up D. took up

7.A. as B. for C. with D. to

8.A. never B. seldom C. often D. usually

9.A. understood B. accepted C. regarded D. noticed

10.A. or B. so C. but D. because

11.A. box B. note C. card D. paper

12.A. relaxed B. nervous C. excited D. peaceful

13.A. poor B. rich C. common D. funny

14.A. shy B. good C. afraid D. strange

15.A. None B. Each C. Most D. All

A hobby is an activity we can do in our free time, so that we can keep ourselves busy with something that makes us happy. Different people have different kinds of hobbies, according to their personal likes and dislikes. Hobbies are activities we choose to do, but not activities we have to do. There is a lot of difference between wanting to do something and having to do it. We only want to do those things we like to do, and things that give us pleasure and peace of mind.

Hobbies play a very important role in our lives. For example, they are a way of connecting us with our inner self. The time devoted to taking up a hobby is our own time. This is the time when we can connect and communicate with ourselves. During this personal time, we can do whatever we like. Doing things according to our own wishes gives us a sense of inner satisfaction, and also helps develop self-confidence.

Hobbies also help discover talents. There is a possibility that we are interested in a certain activity, but have never had a chance to try it. If we develop our interest as our hobbies, it’s quite clear that we’ll do it with great interest. So, even if we have never tried a certain thing before, we can still learn to do it. The hobbyists’ hidden talents can be discovered, and this can make them feel more confident.

It’s human nature to try to know more about the things we like. The moment we pursue(追求) some activities as our favorite hobbies, we want to gain more knowledge about the same hobby. Whether it’s gardening, cooking, painting or collecting stamps, we always try to get a deeper understanding of what we’re doing, so that we can do it more correctly. What’s more, we also happen to meet people with similar tastes and sometimes, owning rich knowledge about their hobbies. Besides gaining knowledge, hobbies also provide us with a chance to meet people who share similar likes and dislikes with us.

Whatever our hobbies are, they can be developed at any age, as a child or as an adult. However, if we begin at a young age, we can get more time to experience the joys. The hobby may grow with us, and some day, may also take us to great heights.

Why do we take up hobbies?

Paragraph outline

Supporting details

Meanings

★Hobbies are activities we do in our spare time and can make us happy.

★Hobbies are activities we do according to the 1. we make.

Advantages

Helping connect with the inner self

★The time 2. on the hobby is our personal time when we can be free to do anything we like.

★We’ll feel 3. and become more confident.

Helping discover talents

★We can learn a lot by trying some activities with great interest.

★We’ll be able to find our hidden talents.

Helping gain knowledge

★When pursuing a hobby, we should try our best to 4. it well, and then we gain a lot of knowledge.

★We can also meet some learned people and learn a lot from them.

Conclusion

5. all hobbies can be developed at any age, yet it’s better to develop one when we are young.

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