【推荐1】Halloween is just around the corner! People in the West celebrate it on Oct 31 every year. Children usually go trick-or-treating.       1    

But because of COVID-19, many cities have advised people not to go trick-or-treating this year. “     2    ”, as health experts said.

But this will not stop Halloween fans from keeping the tradition going. For example, Elizabeth Lusty from London came up with an idea for her two children.     3    Then they'll plan a safe route so that children can take the candy without coming into contact with others.

    4    He and his 6-year-old daughter made a contact-free candy chute (滑道). It spreads from the family’s front door to the sidewalk. They can send candy down the chute to trick-or-treaters outside.     5    “This is something that the kids will enjoy. We   are trying to keep our Halloween spirit.” Beattie   told CNN. “They're doing it to have a good time, and we need that now more than ever.”

【推荐1】There are some popular family videos that are being posted on Chinese social media these days.     1     The parent enters the room smiling, turns around and calls out to their own parent; the grandparent then enters smiling and calls out to their parent—the great-grandparent.

The format (形式) of these videos is being described as the “four-generation challenge”. It started on Chinese short-video platform and has been popular since it spread to social media in other countries.     2     “I have to give that to China. Family devotion is usually a strong value,” wrote one Facebook user Antonie Yupud. The “four-generation” videos have not only touched foreign viewers, but also given them a deeper look into Chinese family values.

In most East Asian cultures, it is common for many generations of a single family to live together under one roof.     3     In most Western countries, most families are nuclear families (小家庭), or families that are made up of just children and their parents.

In Western culture, privacy and independence are highly valued.     4     Many of them apply for loans and work part-time jobs in order to pay for college and rent. If they choose to continue living with their parents after becoming an adult, it can be seen as a sign of immaturity (不成熟) or failure.

    5     That might be why the “four-generation” videos have won so many hearts around the world.

【推荐3】Valentine’s Day is coming! Shops are filled with chocolates and hearts. In most countries, people celebrate Valentine’s Day on February 14th. In Japan, there are two Valentine’s Day. The first one is on February 14th, when women make and give chocolates to their boyfriends, male friends, colleagues and bosses. The second one is on March 14th and it was introduced in the 1960 by a marshmallow（棉花糖）company. Since the marshmallows were white, the company called it White Day.

On White Day, Japanese men give presents to women. They give expensive gifts to the women who gave them chocolates on February 14th. They do this to thank women for their love and care over the past year.

Shops earn a lot of money on these two days. A recent survey shows that 70% of women in Japan celebrate Valentine’s Day. On the other hand, only 39% of men celebrate White Day. Chocolates are not their only choice of gifts. The Japanese also make or buy cookies and sweets for their loved ones on Valentine’s Day.

Not only do adults celebrate Valentine’s Day but children around world, celebrate it, too. In America, children like visiting their neighbors and singing songs. Their neighbors give them sweets or fruit as rewards. British children hold parties and give cards to people they like. In general, heart-shaped lollipops（棒棒糖）and chocolates are the most popular gifts among the children.

So don’t forget to go shopping this Valentine’s Day. You may even want to buy a gift for yourself.

【推荐1】Live Small

In Europe and North America, the size （规模）of a family is getting smaller, but homes are not; in many countries they are getting bigger. Bigger homes are more expensive, and heating（加热）them in cold weather is bad for the environment（环境）. Many people think it’s time to talk about the size of our homes. Sixteen-year-old Austin Hay is one of them.

Now, Austin is building a home on his parents’ driveway （车道）. It has everything important, like a washroom, a kitchen and a bedroom, but it’s only 2.4 meters wide and 3.7 meters long.

“When I was a child, I wanted to build a tree house,” Austin says. “But this house is on wheels （车轮）, and that’s cool!” Austin doesn’t do any building during the weekdays — he’s busy with homework and playing baseball. But he usually works hard on his house on the weekends. Right now, I’m working on the doors. They’re really easy, so my dad isn’t helping me. He only helps with the difficult things.”

Austin is sleeping in his little house this summer. There isn’t a fireplace, so in the winter he’ll move back across the yard to his parents’ house. And in the future? “Going to college is very expensive in the US, but it’ll be cheap（便宜的）for me because I can take my little house with me. I can live in it anywhere.”

【推荐3】People often say that the Englishman’s home is his castle (城堡). They mean that the home is very important and personal. Most people in Britain live in houses rather than flats, and many people own their homes. This means that they can make them personal, and change them in any way they like. Most houses have a garden, even if it is a small one, and the garden is usually loved. The house and the garden are the private space of a person. In a crowded city a person knows that he or she has a private space which is only for him or herself and for inviting friends.

People usually like to mark their space. If you are on the beach you may have spread your towels around you; on the train you may have put your coat or small bag on the seat beside you; in a library you may spread your books around you.

Once I was travelling on a train to London. I was in a section for four people and there was a table between us. The man opposite to me had his briefcase (公文包) on the table. There was no space on my side of the table at all. I was unhappy. I thought he thought that he owned the whole table. I had been reading a book about nonverbal (非语言的) communication so I took various papers out of my bag and put them on his case! When I did this he suddenly became angry and his eyes nearly popped out (突出) of his head. I had taken up his space! A few minutes later I took my papers off in order to read them. He immediately moved his case to his side of the table.

【推荐1】

Every country has its special festivals, so does Spain （西班牙）. Spain is famous for its Tomato Festival, called La Tomatina.

It happens in a small town Bunol on the last Wednesday of August every year. During the festival there are all kinds of activities but the most exciting part is the tomato fight. It takes place at the end of the long celebration. You are encouraged to throw tomatoes in the fight.

There’re many stories about how the festival began. One of the stories goes that during the 1940s, some friends started a tomato fight, while another story is about a local band. Anyway, everyone in Bunol seems to have a different story.

Before the tomato fight, there are parades （游行）, musical bands, street parties and so on. On the day of the fight, shopkeepers cover their windows and doors in order to keep away from the tomato fight. At the same time, a lot of tourists and local people come to the town square together. Then large trucks full of tomatoes arrive. From the back of the large trucks, a great town band starts to throw tomatoes at others. Then the crowds fight back, throwing the tomatoes at anything and anyone. Soon the streets are in the sea of red tomato juice.

Everyone is supposed to follow a small number of rules: You must squash （压烂） the tomato before throwing it and you are only allowed to throw tomatoes.

It is usually over in less than half an hour. Everyone then sets off to the river to clear up. Sounds like fun!

【推荐3】On Christmas Eve, the night before Christmas Day, children are very happy. They put their stockings(长袜) at the end of their beds before they go to bed. They want Father Christmas to give some presents. Father Christmas is a very kind man. He comes on Christmas Eve. He lands on top of each house and comes down the chimney(烟囱) into the fireplace and brings children a lot of presents.

Christmas Day always begins before breakfast. Children wake up very early. They can’t wait to open the presents in their stockings. Then they wake up their parents and shout ‘Merry Christmas!’

Do you know what Christmas means? Christmas Day is the birthday of Jesus Christ. When Christ was born, many people gave him presents. So today, people still do the same thing to children.