The holidays can be one of the happiest times of the year. However, all of that holiday happiness comes with high costs. The good news? 【小题1】 Here are some ideas to get you started.

♦ Book your flight early and on “off” days.

The price of travel during the holiday season increases. However, strategically (战略性地) booking your flight can help save big on your airfare. 【小题2】 For Christmas, aim to fly on Dec. 17 or 18. This might allow you to escape the high fares.

♦ Make DIY gifts that people will actually like.

It’s possible to make gifts that are inexpensive but valuable. Homemade gifts offer a personal touch that a store-bought item can’t.【小题3】 Maybe you have an uncle who loves golf and you love to paint. You could paint him a portrait (画像) of his favourite golf course.

♦【小题4】

Instead of flying, you can use many other cheaper ways of travelling. One idea is to take a train back to your hometown, which offers both beautiful views and low prices. You can also make friends along the way with other locals who are heading for your hometown !

♦ Find other ways to celebrate.

【小题5】 You can find tree lighting ceremonies, Christmas light displays, free concerts, and perhaps charities where you can donate your time. There’s nothing like volunteering to help you to experience the real meaning of the holiday.

American writer Theodore Seuss Geisel, better 【小题1】 (know) as“Dr. Seuss”, is one of the world's most famous authors of books for children.

March 2, 2018 was his 114th birthday. He was born in 1904 in Massachusetts and 【小题2】 die) in 1991. 【小题3】 his honor, March 2 is called both “Dr. Seuss Day” and, in many places,“World Book Day”. The aim of  the observance (纪念) is to celebrate literature and urge children around the world to read.

Dr. Seuss is famous for his fantastical and 【小题4】 (humor) books for young children. His books 【小题5】   (fill) with colorful pictures and fun rhymes. Dr. Seuss’ 【小题6】 (work) include “The Cat in the Hat”,“Green Eggs and Ham”and“The Lorax”.

Dr. Seuss helped generations of children learn to read and to love reading. His books have been published in some 20 languages.

Many people used “World Book Day” 【小题7】 (express) thanks for Dr. Seuss' books. If you missed out on World Book Day, you will have 【小题8】 chance later this year to celebrate books and reading. The United Nations marks World Book and Copyright Day on April 23. That is the date on 【小题9】 several of the world's 【小题10】 (great) writers died. They include England's William Shakespeare and Miguel de Cervantes of Spain.

   Chances are the first Monday in September is a day off from school for you. If it is, you can _______ a man named Peter McGuire. Who's Peter McGuire?According to_______  , he's the founding father of Labor Day. On September5, 1882, McGuire led a_______ of 10, 000 workers in New York City一workers who took the day off from their jobs to hold a parade(游行) and a picnic. The_______ came to be known as Labor Day，and the idea_______ throughout the country. In 1887，Oregon became the first state to make it a statewide holiday, on the first Saturday in June. And in 1894，President Grover Cleveland_______ a bill that made . Labor Day a(n)_______ holiday, on the first Monday in September一the date we still celebrate to this day.

Labor Day began as a day for workers to protest, (抗议)_______ poor working conditions一long days, low pay and a lack of job security. Back in Peter McGuire's day, you could be_______ just for calling in sick -________  you were really too sick to work. Twelve-hour workdays were also________  . And workers had only short breaks for meals and other necessities.

McGuire went to work at the age of eleven, ________ newspapers on the streets of New York City. He had to help________ his family. McGuire saw poor working conditions first-hand. And he________ those conditions himself. That urged him to help________ the first trade unions in the United States.

The workers hoped strength in numbers would________ their employers to improve working conditions. They weren't always ________ . But' thanks to their________ the eight-hour workday and the five-day workweek became common practices. So did________ vacations and sick days. As for Labor Day itself, it became a day________  labor for most workers. So thanks to Peter McGuire, Labor Day means a day off from school for you and your teachers.

Have you heard from Singles’ Day (November 11) in China? Many people stay up lately, shopping online to get big savings. Well, the US has something like it calling Black Friday.

Black Friday is one of the bigger shopping days in the US. It always fell on the day after the Thanksgiving holiday. On Black Friday, stores will offer special deal, just like Singles’ Day in China. Shoppers will often wake up very early to wait in the line at stores after they open. Sometimes, the crowds will be such big that it is impossible get inside the store. People sometimes fight over things because there are only a few left.

Glad to hear from you. I'd like to tell you something about the Qingming Festival.

Best wishes !

Yours ,

Li Hua