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 . I remember to this day the feeling of the cold wind causing my ears to hurt. However, that didn’t _________ me at this time. It was Hogmanay and the bays of the town were carrying out the _________ of going from house to house on this special evening.

It is thought that the tradition came from the Vikings who were settlers in the Western Isles. Honestly, that wasn’t _________ to me. I was out and about having _________.

There were about 25 houses to visit in my town of North Boisdale. The start time was 19:00 and all the boys would _________ at one end of the town and begin to _________ each house. Each person had a pillowcase (枕头套) that would be filled with goodies (好吃的东西) _________ from householders.

Outside each house one person would ask the man of the house for permission (许可) to _________. Once inside the house a candle would be lit by the oldest boy in the group and _________ the candle would be passed round all family members. After that, the mother of the house would bring out the __________. Fruit, biscuits and of course sweets. On __________ each house the oldest boy in the group would __________ the family luck in the coming year.

After being to each house the pillowcases would be __________ and heavy and it was at the last house that the fun began. The pillowcases would be __________ and the goodies shared out equally.

The last house would also provide a small party that would, __________ before midnight so all the boys were home before the bells.