Last summer my son, Eric, left for university in another country. Our once lively house became quiet and _______ . I missed him so much that I started sending him messages on the phone, mainly to say hello or to give him a word of warning.

I did get Eric’s messages, but most of them were about _______ . They were no different from the notes he used to leave _______ the white board when he was at home.

“I bought a new pair of shoes. They cost me ＄90. Please help!”

“Money is running short _______ I’ve bought some books for my research paper. Help me please!”

Recently however, Eric begins to send me all kinds of articles: some funny, some touching and some worth _______ . He says they will help me understand young men better and keep up with the times.

I read the articles slowly, like a careful student, with mixed feelings as well my kid, who followed me around not long ago, has now become my _______ . So I write back. “I’ve read all those articles. I’ll take _______ as a loving son’s expectations towards his mother. He must be thinking that his mother is still _______ enough to accept new things. That makes me feel proud. What we parents lack (缺乏) most is the ability to learn and _______ , in both body and mind. Thank you, my son. ”

In this way we share ideas and __________ each other, with a gentle and beautiful language we seldom use. Every time I read those messages, I feel my heart filled with warmth.

Bike-to-Work Day is held every year across North America on the third Friday of May. It was started by the League of American Bicyclists in 1956. Its aim is to promote (促进) the bicycle as a serious choice of getting to and from work. In today’s world where global warming is a serious issue, the bicycle is a perfect way of reducing our carbon (碳) footprint.

Cycling to work is a healthy alternative (选择) to driving or taking public transport. A healthier society means there is not so much pressure on the country’s health system. Of course, it depends on how far you live from your place of work.Another benefit of cycling is feeling more creative and full of energy once you get to work, which will improve your performance.

Bicycles are the most common form of transport in the world. There are about one billion worldwide. This makes it the most popular invention ever. Even in high-tech Japan, it is impossible not to see businessmen, farmers, mothers or workers in the streets on their bikes.

Bicycles were invented in the 19th century and haven’t changed much since. Its shape is the same as before. We use bicycles today for amusement, fitness, Olympic competition, mail delivery and lots more. Without the bicycle, much of the world might stop working!

Table manners are how to behave when you eat a meal, for example, how to handle cutlery (餐具) and how to eat in a polite manner. Following them will help you avoid mistakes at table.

Japan

It is “perfectly” okay to make a noise when you eat noodles. But in China, avoiding the noise is necessary. Chopsticks touching the rice bowl is not only impolite, but also means having no food. It’s important to say thanks before and after a meal.

Russia

Your wrists should be placed on the edge (边缘) of the table while eating, fork in the left hand and knife in the right hand. Keep your hands in sight. It is not good manners to rest them on your legs. Keep your elbows off the table. Leave some food on your plate to show that the host has given you enough to eat, or the host will ask if you’d like to have a second helping.

France

In France, a meal is like a ceremony. People enjoy it and make it a special event.

Unlike Russia, it’s regarded as good manners to finish everything on your plate. People often cut bread directly on a table cloth rather than on a plate. Tear your bread into small pieces before eating. Taking a bite from the whole piece is very impolite.

In ancient China, willow branches (柳枝) were often used as a gift to friends and family members who would leave. Do you know why willow branches are a symbol of saying goodbye?

One reason is that willow trees are strong. They can live in any soil, wet or dry, north or south.

Because of this special feature, when saying goodbye to loved ones, giving a willow branch is a way to tell them you hope they will easily get used to their new living environment.

Another reason is that, in Chinese, the pronunciation for the willow tree “柳” is similar to the character “留”. So giving a willow branch in ancient China was like asking the others to stay, even though you know that they must leave.

It’s said that this custom became popular during the Han Dynasty. At that time, Baqiao, a bridge in Chang’an, today’s Xi’an, was a common place to say goodbye. People often stopped there and handed willow branches to people who were going to depart.

Willow branches, as a symbol of saying goodbye, were often mentioned in poems, especially at the time of the Tang and Song dynasties.

Do you know anyone born in the Year of the Tiger?     41     Are they brave, strong and determined? If so, then they are a typical “tiger”.

In Chinese culture, tigers are seen as the king of all animals.     42     Tigers are seen as fearless animals, so that’s why in China you can see pictures of tigers on the walls of houses and temples to ward off (抵御) danger and disasters.

Tigers have an important cultural meaning not just in China, but across Asia where they live in the wild. For example, in South Korea, the animal is a symbol of justice, humanity and righteousness in local folk tales. Both the 1986 Seoul Asian Games and the 1988 Seoul Summer Olympics used a friendly cartoon tiger is the mascot.     43     In the West, tigers are also seen as powerful animals.     44     If we say someone “works like a tiger”, we mean he or she works hard. If you want someone to calm down, you can say to them “easy tiger”.     45     It means having strength. There are also some other phrases about, such as “a tiger can’t change its strips”, “paper tiger” and “have a tiger by the tail”.

56. 提示：中国是一个礼仪之邦。“不学礼，无以立。”《论语》中的这句话告诉我们，不学会礼仪礼貌，就难以有立身之处。作为祖国未来建设者和接班人的青少年，了解中国传统礼仪和习俗是重要的。请以”My advice about Chinese customs”为题写一篇短文，介绍你了解的中国习俗。