2 . Ways to Make the Most of Your Summer Vacation

After a busy school year, there’s nothing wrong with watching TV, sleeping late or playing video games all day long. However, summer is the best time to have fun and prepare yourself for the next school year or the world beyond the classroom.     1    .

• Take a course to learn to cook. Nothing surprises and delights a family more than a teenager who can cook. You can contact community centers in your area to find out about cooking class offerings.    2     — look through your family cookbooks, choose a dish, gather the ingredients (原料) and follow the directions.

• Play a new sport to keep healthy.     3    . Consider tennis, swimming or golf. Playing an individual sport also looks great on a college application. Local sports clubs are the best places to look for beginner classes.

• Volunteer to make a difference. Choose volunteer opportunities based on the things that matter most to you.     4    , if you enjoy spending time with senior citizens. Try to keep a journal of your volunteer experiences. You can use your experiences as inspiration for writing tasks in high school.

•     5    . College life is very exciting, especially if you’re a rising junior or senior. Every college has a website, so start by visiting college websites that have majors that interest you. You can also read college review websites to get a sense of things like how much colleges cost and what students think about their schools.

3 . Happy Campers Summer Retreat

As a parent, your child’s health and happiness are the most important things to you, which can be difficult to achieve. The Happy Campers Summer Retreat was developed to help parents with this challenge.

Founded in 1998 by Michael Gibson, our summer camp is open to children during the holidays, from May to September. We look after lots of children every single year. Our camp is based in the Colorado Mountains, and it offers a lot of different activities for children.

Our program helps improve:

• Physical fitness

• Problem-solving skills

• Social skills

• Sports ability and experience

The Happy Campers Summer Retreat can benefit all children. Some children are good at school, but rarely active. Our program will help encourage an interest in sports. Other children are mainly interested in sports. These children will not only play sports, but will also learn new skills, such as teamwork skills, social skills, and communication skills. Children will also have the chance to try new activities. Our program is designed to help develop a complete and fully active child.

At very affordable prices, our program is available to any family in America. Your child’s stay can be as short as a week or as long as six weeks.

Why not call us today or click here to join our camp? Take action now and give your child this great chance!

今年暑假，我和我的家人一起去美国旧金山体验多元文化(diverse cultures)。导游告诉我这座美丽的城市确实(definitely) 被1906年发生(occur)的一场可怕的地震摧毁过。我们的第一站是传教区(the Mission District)，这里以漫画艺术(comic art)著名。第二站是当地的一家博物馆，在那里我了解到淘金热(gold rush)始于旧金山。许多中国人来到(head to)这里闯世界(seek their fortune)，为了谋生(earn a living)他们做了一系列(a series of)的工作，并定居(settle)了下来。第三站是唐人街，我去了一家爵士酒吧(jazz bar)，并选(select)了一家广东餐馆就餐。总之，我不得不承认(admit)我在那里真的玩得非常高兴。

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The Lunar New Year     1     (celebrate) by around 1.5 billion people across the world.

Lunar New Year     2     (vary) in different countries, but celebrations usually involve families gathering together for feasts. Schools and     3     (business) shut for a few days as the celebrations take place. Traditional foods include dumplings, rice cakes and noodle soup,    4     are thought to bring happiness and wealth. Spreading good fortune is a major theme, and firecrackers are lit     5     (drive) evil spirits away. Parents and grandparents give children money in envelopes. There are parades (游行) and performances,    6     (include) lion dances and dragon dances. Chinese New Year is the     7     (large) Lunar New Year celebration, and takes place over 15 days, ending in a lantern festival.

The Chinese zodiac (十二宫) is divided     8     12 blocks. Each block lasts a year and is represented by     9     animal. This year is the Year of the Ox. The date for Lunar New Year is worked out through the traditional Chinese Lunar calendar, which is based on the Moon's     10     (move). It depends on the new moon arriving in Asia between January and February.