1 . I’d never been to a Day of the Dead festival before. As my dad and I looked around for seats, I _______ Marco, my best friend, hurrying toward us. “Hi, Mr. O’kane,” he _______ my dad. Then he turned to me. “Nate! Will you help me?"

“Whatever you need,” I said.

Marco threw me parts of a _______ : Mexican sandals（凉鞋）, a straw hat, a cane(手杖), a gray wig, and an“ old man” mask（面具）. “My cousin couldn’t_______ !” Marco’s voice rang with worry.

“It’s part of a traditional dance” he said.

“You expect me to dance? ” I _______ . “I don’t dance!”

Marco smiled. “It’ll be fun. And hurry! We’re _______ late.”

“ We’re going to do a lot of stomping(跺脚). Slow at first. Keep one hand _______ on your back, like an old man with an ache.” added Marco.

The speakers _______ : “Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time for The Dance of the Little Old Men!”

“Be quick,” Marco _______ to me to follow his lead.

We all began stomping slowly to music. I could only see ________ the small holes of the mask. I continued to stomp, trying to ________ what to do. I leaned on my cane and kept a hand low on my back. After a few minutes of dancing like that, my back ________ started to ache.

The music ________ . And we stomped quickly. Performing with Mexican sandals was ________ . People laughed as we hopped and kicked, but after a moment the laughter turned into cheers.

Marco gave me a thumbs-up. As the audience clapped for our group, I said to him happily, “You were right. That was ________ .”

2 . College Student Guide to Thanksgiving Break

Thanksgiving break, for many college students, is a big gift in the middle of fall semester. Lots of students go home for Thanksgiving, but some stay on campus.     1     Whatever your situation, though, there are things you can do to make sure you squeeze every last drop out of the long weekend.

Thanksgiving is nearly always about friends and family. However, every college student has a unique situation. Not all the students choose to return home for Thanksgiving.    2     If you find being back home stressful, try planning to see friends or a trip to your favorite coffee shop.

For many students, it’s the first chance they have to visit friends from high school. If you had a large circle of friends» getting to see everyone you wanted to see might be hard.    3     So it is wise to try to plan group activities where you can spend time with as many of your old friends as possible.

Thanksgiving is one of the busiest travel times of the year, so knowing what to expect can prevent a fun trip home from turning into a travel nightmare.    4     The other half is planning your route home. If you plan to fly back home, book tickets at least six weeks in advance.

For most students, Thanksgiving falls either right before or right after midterms. So while you’re relaxing over the break, it doesn’t mean you can let your academics slide.    5     Even if your professors didn’t assign you anything over the break f you probably have a larger project to work on. Remember the end of the semester is really only a few weeks away.