The older woman, Jessica, stands under me, waiting for the younger woman to arrive and take the keys. Jessica is moving to a new city.

I listen. “Thirty years in this home,” Jessica tells the younger woman. “We raised our two daughters here near the tree. It’s even harder to say goodbye than we expected.”

Jessica is happy that the buyers are another young family, with two daughters. She’s told the younger parents about me. I’m special. I’m a 250-year-old American tree, and I’ve watched kids play out here since the house was built near me in 1923. Starting in 1930, an illness killed all my cousins on this street—and in most of America. But I was lucky to be all right. I grow very well. The grass under me will never grow because of my shade. Jessica and her husband had to take away a nearby underground oil tank (箱) so as not to hurt my roots (根).

I like the new family. The mother loves to enjoy me through the window. I’ve met the new children. One of them, Pam, will grow to love trees. In a few years, she will sit under me when she needs someone to understand her. She’ll tell her parents she wants to live in the tree house.

Laoshan Damantou, also known as Laoshan Large Steamed Bread, is a famous traditional food in Qingdao, China. It is made from flour (面粉) and water, and steamed to perfection. Laoshan Damantou is soft with a little sweet taste.

The history of Laoshan Damantou can be dated back to the Ming Dynasty. According to the history, a monk (和尚) from Laoshan Mountain brought the recipe (食谱) for this bread to the local villagers. Since then, it has become a popular food in Qingdao and even in other parts of China.

One of the special characteristics of Laoshan Damantou is its size. It is much larger than a normal steamed bread, usually weighing about 1 kilogram. This makes it perfect for sharing among families and friends. In addition, the bread is often filled with lots of things such as meat, vegetables, and seafood, adding to its deliciousness.

Laoshan Damantou is not only a tasty food, but also has cultural meaning. It stands for the hardworking spirit of the people in Qingdao and their love for simple yet satisfying food. Today, it is an important part of the local food culture and-a must-try for visitors to Oingdao.

In 2023, the giant panda He Hua, nicknamed (绰号) Hua Hua, and her caretaker, Tan Jintao (known as “Grandpa Tan”), won the hearts of many people. Crowds of visitors go to the Chengdu Research Base (基地) of Giant Panda Breeding in Chengdu to take a look of Hua Hua.

When Hua Hua runs, she seems a moving rice ball. When other pandas knock her down, Hua Hua simply lies down and continues eating. Tan is 51 years old, and has been working at the base since 1999. His job is to care for pandas aged 2 to 3 years old. As many pandas have grown up and become parents, Tan has gone from being a “daddy” to a “grandpa”.

Tan wakes up at 6 a. m. to provide bamboo and water for the pandas. In the morning, while the pandas enjoy their outdoor activities, he quickly does some cleaning. Sometimes, he also adds bamboo for the pandas at night. In the afternoon, Tan coaches Hua Hua, using fruit and other food to encourage her to stand up to make her legs strong.

Before each meal, Tan asks Hua Hua with “果赖! 果赖!”. When Hua Hua hears it, her eyes shine with excitement and runs to him quickly.

Tan said his work gives him a sense of happiness, but also it needs great patience and care. When preparing milk for the pandas, he makes sure the boiling water cools down enough to match their body temperature! He washes his hands before feeding pandas every day.

As Hua Hua became popular, Tan also got widespread attention. For Tan, the pandas are like members of his own family. “Taking care of pandas is like taking care of my own children. Watching them slowly grow up gives me a great sense of achievement.”

Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving in the United States, which is considered the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. It is a day when shopkeepers offer huge discounts (打折) to get customers into their shops.

The term “Black Friday” was first used by the Philadelphia Police Department in 1969 to describe the disorder (混乱) on the day after Thanksgiving when shoppers (A) flooded into the city’s shops. Since then, Black Friday has become an yearly event enjoyed happily by both shoppers and customers.

On Black Friday, people wake up early and line up outside shops before they open. Some even camp out overnight to make sure they get the best deals. The day is known for people’s wild behaviour atmosphere (氛围) , with people pushing others to get their hands on discounted things.

However, Black Friday has also been criticized (批评) for encouraging people to spend money they may not have.   (B) In recent years, more and more people have chosen to shop online instead of joining the crowds in shops.

Even though there are these criticisms, Black Friday keeps an important day for shoppers, who depend on the holiday shopping season to sell their goods (商品). It is said that all the goods cost Americans over $7 billion on Black Friday in 2023 alone.

Black Friday is a day ①__________ Double Eleven online shopping event in China. On that day, when the shop doors open, lots of people ②__________ the crowds into the shops and ③__________ the discounted goods. In 2023, people in America ④__________ over $7 billion on Black Friday.