1 . Little New Year usually falls a week before the lunar New Year. It is also known as the Festival of the Kitchen God, the deity(神) who oversees the moral character of each household. Here are five things you should know about the Little New Year, another sign of the start of spring.

1.Offer sacrifices to Kitchen God

One of the most distinctive traditions of the Little New Year is the burning of a paper image of the Kitchen God, who will report on the family’s conduct over the past year. The offerings to the Kitchen God include pig’s head, fish, sweet bean paste, melons, fruit, boiled dumplings, barley sugar, and Guandong candy. Most of the offerings are sweets of various varieties. It is thought that this will seal the Kitchen God’s mouth and encourage him to only say good things about the family when he ascends to heaven to make his report.

2.House cleaning

According to Chinese folk beliefs, during the last month of the year ghosts and deities must choose either to return to Heaven or to stay on Earth. It is believed that in order to ensure the ghosts and deities’ timely departure people must thoroughly clean both their persons and their houses, down to every last drawer and cupboard.

3.Paste paper-cuts to windows

In the Little New Year, old couplets and paper-cuts from the previous Spring Festival are taken down, and new window decorations, New Year’s posters, and auspicious(吉利的) decorations are pasted up.

4.Bath and hair-cut

As the old Chinese saying goes, whether they’re rich or poor, people often have a haircut before the Spring Festival. The activity of taking bath and haircut is often taken on the Little New Year.

5.Preparations for the Spring Festival

People start to stock up necessary provisions for the Spring Festival since the Little New Year. Everything needed to make offerings to the ancestors, entertain guests, and feed the family over the long holiday must be purchased in advance.

2 . The New York See It All Tour is exactly what it sounds like: an all-inclusive guided tour of New York City.

One of the most famous parks in the world, Central Park is a man-made wonder. Not only is it the first public park built in America, but it is also one of the most frequently visited parks, with over 25 million guests per year. Set in the middle of busy Manhattan, its grounds serve as a safe harbor, not only for athletes, and musicians but also for lots of migratory birds each year. One can spend an entire peaceful day wandering its grounds, gazing upon nearly 50 fountains, monuments, and sculptures or admiring its 36 bridges.

Hudson River Park is a waterside park on the Hudson River that extends from 59th Street south to Battery Park in the New York City district of Manhattan. Bicycle and pedestrian paths, including the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway, span the park north to south, opening up the waterfront for the public to relax. The park includes tennis and soccer fields, children’s playground, dog run, and many other features.

Washington Square Park, located in the heart of Greenwich Village, is a very popular and often crowded square. People from all backgrounds gather to this large square dotted with trees.

The Central Park Zoo is a small 6.5-acre zoo located on Central Park in New York City. The zoo began in the 1860s, making it the first official zoo to open in New York. The zoo was improved in 1934, with the addition of many new buildings ranged in a quadrangle around the sea lion pool. Finally, the zoo was repaired in the mid-1980s and reopened in 1988, replacing the old-fashioned cages with naturalistic environments.

3 . “It’s over! Thank goodness!”

School was over and I was tired. I sat at the front of the school bus.

Janie, the driver, always tries to break the uncomfortable atmosphere by talking. I try to listen politely, but usually I’m too busy thinking about my day. On this day, however, her talk was worth listening to.

“My father’s ill,” she said to no one in particular. I could see worry in her eyes. I had never seen her like this before. She always meets students with a smile.

With a sudden chance of interest, I asked, “What’s wrong with him?”

With her eyes wet and her voice unusual, she answered, “Heart trouble.” Her eyes lowered as she continued, “I’ve already lost my mum, so I don’t think I can stand losing him.” I couldn’t answer. My heart ached for her.

I sat on the seat thinking of the great pain my own mother was thrown into when her father died. I saw how hard it was, and still is, for her. I wouldn’t want anyone to go through that.

Suddenly I realized Janie wasn’t only a bus driver, which was just her job. She had a whole world of family and cares too.

I shouldn’t have been so selfish. I paid no attention to Janie because she was a bus driver. I had judged her by her job and brushed her off as unimportant.

I shouldn’t have been so selfish and self-centered. Understanding people is an art.

6 . When you're eating dinner with your family, do your parents ever remind you to finish all the food on your plate? If so, you should know it's not just because they want you to be healthy.

They also want to stop food waste.Every year, 1.3 billion tons of food was wasted around the world, according to the UN.That was about one-third of all food produced each year. We made a survey in 34 countries to see how much food was wasted in different countries. For example, the UAE(阿联酋)wasted the most food, with each person wasting about 1,000 kilos every year on average. However, some countries have worked hard to use their food resources wisely. France wasted the least amount of food, according to the survey. France was the first country to pass laws that banned food waste. It was not allowed to throwaway fresh food. Another law forced French restaurants to provide bags for people's leftovers(剩饭菜) .

China was the 23^rd for food waste in the survey. China's food waste was around 18millon tons every year, enough to feed up to 50 million people for one year. Facing this situation，China has been working hard to reduce food waste. In early 2013, a movement to prevent food waste called“empty plate”began. It has become popular among both government officials and general public.

8 . On July 20, Yu Yifei, a 26-year-old medical intern(实习生)at People's Hospital of Zhengzhou, made his way home in a subway train on Line 5 after his first day's training. When downpours struck the city, he _________ about a dozen people trapped in a flooded subway train as the rainfall in Zhengzhou reached 201.9 millimeters between 4 pm and 5 pm, a totally new _________ in the history of Zhengzhou.

Flood waters _________ a barrier and entered the underground area. The train came to a sudden stop before the water began _________ in the carriages, trapping passengers inside. Thus Yu, _________ to leave and fearing for his life, made a _________ call to his father.

As water continued to flow into the carriages, passengers' _________ rose. When subway workers arrived to withdraw them, Yu _________ to get out. As he made his way to safety, he heard a cry for help from someone needing a doctor. He quickly _________ the white medical coat given to him at the hospital __________ and returned to the platform to save him. On seeing him, a number of frightened people were greatly encouraged and their spirits __________. Some even applauded him.

As more passengers were pulled from the __________, Yu instructed others in the key steps to save a victim from drowning. He __________ CPR, or first aid, to those in low-temperature shock from the cold water and near death from drowning. One of the passengers, a female doctor, nearly died. After __________ consciousness and strength, she joined Yu in treating others. Yu was __________ and needed all his concentration to perform another CPR procedure.

That night on a subway station platform, he __________ an exhausting six hours giving CPR to passengers who __________ survived drowning. He also treated the injured. He __________ the subway station at about midnight, with the white coat spotted with blood and __________. Three hours later, he met his father. With tears in eyes, his father and people __________ smiled and gave him the thumbs-up.

10 . In England, there are а few сhаіnеd (用锁链栓住) lіbrаrіеѕ still hidden away in medieval (中世纪的) buildings. The following list is based on those libraries that are open to tourists.

Wells Cathedral Library, Somerset

The medieval library of Wells Cathedral was built in the mid-15th century. Most of the 2,800 volumes (书) in the collection today were got in the 16th to 18th centuries. The earliest book is a copy of Pliny’s Naturalis Historiae printed in 1472. The library also has a set of Aristotle’s works finished in 1497.

Phone: 44 (0)1749 674483

Cost: Guided tours cost ￡10 per person

Merton College Upper Library, Oxford

The oldest part of Merton College Library, known as the Upper Library, dates from 1373. Presently, one remade book chain is provided as an example of how the chained library might have looked. Although the original chains are gone, the library is a step back in time.

Phone: 44 (0)1865 276310

Cost: ￡5 per person; ￡3 for University members

Wimborne Minster Library, Dorset

The Chained Library of Wimborne Minster dates to the mid-17th century. After the Trigge Library of St Wulfram’s, it is one of the first public libraries in the UK. Many of the book chains survive at Wimborne.

Phone: 44 (0)1202 884753

Opening Times: Daily, 10:30 am-12:30 pm and 2 pm- 4 pm

Cost: Free

Hereford Cathedral Library, Hereford

The library of Hereford Cathedral has collected 229 medieval manuscripts (手稿) and 1,200 early printed books. A key attraction in the library is the famous medieval Mappa Mundi dating back to 1300. Hereford Cathedral has been named Autism Friendly and joined in Disabled Access Day, an event in the UK to celebrate accessibility across the country.

Phone: 44 (0)1432 374200

Opening Times: Monday-Saturday 10 am-4 pm (last admission 30 minutes before closing)

Cost: Grown-up, ￡6; Student, ￡5