There are many fun, free activities that you can do as a family. All that is required is a bit of imagination and some time. And the best part is that these are the kind of fun, family memories a child will remember for a lifetime.
Family Game Night
Kids often get games for Christmas or birthdays, and would love to have a chance to play with their family. Or, make up some games of their own. Charades(哑谜猜字游戏) is a fun game that will challenge children to use their imagination. Divide the family into teams and let each team come up with words and the other has to act them out.
Family Art Time
Pick some time for the family to sit down and come up with their own art. It doesn't need to be just a drawing-take some old magazines, let the kids cut out pictures and paste them into their own shape. Or let them use leaves, branches and whatever else they can find to make something from their imagination
Family Picnic
Taking the family for a picnic is a great way for some fun that doesn't cost any money. If the weather is nice, take them to a park or playground and let them have a day of playingFamily Field Trip
A family field trip doesn't have to cost a cent. Ask a nearby farm if you can bring your kids out for a tour to see some of the animals. Or take them to a park to find certain items from nature. Ask a local business if you could bring the family for a tour to see how things work—you might be surprised at the number of people who would be excited to share what they do with others, and it could be an interesting lesson for kids.
The way you use your cellphones around your family can have an effect on your relationships. Cellphones can make you feel more connected, but they can also distract (使分心) you and your family from connecting with each other in person. While some people need to check their phones for work or emergency (紧急情况) purposes, it's important to make meaningful connections through face-to-face communication.
Some people have trouble putting away their cellphones. They might feel they can't control how often they pick up their phones or how long they use them. They might feel the need to often check phones without a real reason or feel upset if they don't have an opportunity to use their phones. Using cellphones for work purposes during family time can increase worries and unhappiness among family members. While using their cellphones, parents talk to their kids less, reply more slowly, and overreact to being interrupted. And ignoring their partner while on the phone is linked to lower relationship satisfaction among couples.
Once you've given some thought to your own cellphone use, think about the rules you want your family to follow when you're together. To get your family on the same page, call a family meeting. Review each person's current cellphone use and areas where you think some changes might help. It's not just about simply cutting cellphone use down. Instead, consider what you're using your phone for and what activities you want to carry out.
For example, are you or your children using phones to stay connected, learn something new, do schoolwork, or do something else? If you have kids, ask their opinions on your own phone use. You might be surprised by what they have to share. Use good communication skills by practicing active listening and showing curiosity about what each family member has to say.
Less phone use also usually means less screen time, which enables kids to spend more time outdoors and be more physically active. When teens spend more time actively with their parents, they tend to set higher educational goals.
The English language is changing, and you are responsible! Whether we consider changes in grammar, spelling, pronunciation, or the very vocabulary of the language, you have played your part and continue to do so.
When we first learned basic grammar and spelling, perhaps in elementary school, we might have gotten the impression that these things were sacred (神圣的). The rules that apply to such things might have been presented as unchanging and unchangeable. While this way might be helpful in teaching children, it's far from accurate.
The English language, like many others, is a living, growing, ever-evolving (不断演变的) thing. Like it or not, you are involved in this change. These changes take many forms. Grammar and spelling have changed greatly over the years and centuries, with the spelling differences in different countries today a reflection of this. While the language of a thousand years ago might be called English, most of us would hardly recognize it today as the same language.
The first involves changes in the pronunciation of words. Many are familiar with the differences between the British and American ways of pronouncing certain words. In addition to these differences, the pronunciation of many words has changed over the years because of how you have decided to pronounce them. For example, consider the word "err". The traditional pronunciation of this word rhymes with the word "her" Older dictionaries show this to be the primary or only pronunciation. However, in recent years, more and more people have been pronouncing it so that it sounds like "air". Another change in the language involves the addition and removal of words. The makers of dictionaries decide which words deserve to be officially adopted as part of the English language. Through the centuries, many words have come from other languages. In fact, English has probably done this more than any other language in the world, which is why spelling and pronunciation rules for English have so many exceptions.
Of course, many slang words (俚语) have been just short-lived fashions that have died out quickly. Others, though, have been adopted by mainstream society and become respectable, as have many technical terms. So then remember, the next time you repeat the newest expression to hit the streets, or make up your own words, you may be contributing to the future of the English language.
Americans often try to say things as quickly as possible. So, for some expressions, we use the first letters of the words instead of saying each word. Many common expressions or long names are shortened this way
B-Y-O-B is a short way of saying, "Bring Your Own Bottle." The letters BYOB are often found at the bottom of a written invitation to a simple social event or gathering of friends. For example, let's say I had a New Year's Eve party. I might include on the invitation, "Please come to my party and BYOB." The bottle each person brings is what the person wants to drink at the party or wants to share.
However, an invitation to a special event—such as a wedding—would never say BYOB. An invitation to an official or very special event often has other letters written at the bottom. The letters are R-S-V-P. These letters represent the French expression "Répondez S'il Vous Plaît". In English the words mean "Respond If It Pleases You". Americans use the letters as a short way to say, "Please reply."
Another expression usually used for business and not parties is A-S-A-P. So, a colleague might say she needs something done ASAP. It means "as soon as possible". She might also need something done by C-O-B. That means she wants to finish it by "Close Of Business" or the end of the workday.
Beginning letters are often used to represent the names of universities. A famous one is MIT. That is short for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Another major university is UCLA. Almost no one ever says its real name, the University of California at Los Angeles. That takes way(大大地;远远地) too long!
As an English learner, you often feel anxious when you have to speak English in front of others. Here are some solutions to help you build confidence in speaking English.
Adopt a practice and repetition routine. When something becomes natural to you, you begin to feel confident of doing it. And the only way you can arrive at this "natural" way of doing things is through practice and repetition. So write down what you may talk about and then practise saying it aloud and repeatedly before an English meeting.
You may lose confidence when your spoken English is misunderstood by listeners. In most cases, it's because the listeners are not used to your accent or you speak too fast. There is no doubt that speaking slowly is easy to achieve.
Don't run away from uncomfortable situations. It is natural for any human being to avoid uncomfortable situations when possible, but you will build your confidence in the uncomfortable zones.
All in all, learning to speak English confidently doesn't happen overnight.As the saying goes, "No pains, no gains." As long as you make enough efforts, you will surely improve your spoken English, and then you will naturally become confident of speaking English in front of others.
A. Purposely speak more slowly.
B. Try to understand your listeners.
C. It takes time and you need to make continuous efforts.
D. Well, it's the same principle as speaking English confidently.
E. It is common to make some mistakes when you speak English.
F. However, going from an unconfident speaker to a confident one is possible.
G. The secret is to be fully prepared, and then you will overcome the uncomfortable situations.
Last year, I told my family that I didn't want or need anything for my birthday. 1 , I wanted them to think of a way to share a 2 in their world for me. My husband and my daughter did something different, but 3 .
The week of my birthday my husband went to a local cafe and told a waitress that he wanted to 4 pay for the breakfast of a family. The waitress was 5 and said it was her last day at work there and this had never 6 . When the family finished eating, the waitress told them their 7 had been paid. The mom started crying and the dad stood up, trying to 8 who might have done it, but my husband was outside 9 the whole thing. He told me he had such a wonderful 10 in his heart that he would like to do it a few more times.
My daughter was on a 11 budget so she 12 the week smiling more at people, and letting someone go before her at the market. She just took the time during my birthday week to slow down and be 13 and kind to a stranger and her co-workers.
When we finally all got together for Mother's Day and my birthday, everyone was in tears as each person 14 what they had done. As you can see, it was the 15 birthday ever!
I want to do something special for my 15-year-old son, who has always been a perfect boy. He worked all summer to earn enough money to buy (he) a new racing bicycle instead of asking for money from me. Then he spent hours and hours on it. I loved my son so much I bought him a pair of sunglasses and (glove). When my son (ride) the racing bicycle, he looked very cool. He dreamed taking part in a race and winning.
On November 10th, my birthday, when I went to the kitchen to start the milk and bread in the morning, I found beautiful guitar on the table, beside which was a card, (say), "Happy birthday to my mother." I was surprised and then began to sob. I remembered once I joked to my family that I wanted to learn the guitar to make my life (wonder). I had forgotten it, but my son remembered. He took it (serious), and bought me one as a birthday gift. After wondering how my son could buy this expensive gift, I realized that my son had sold his racing bicycle (get) me the guitar.
"Surprise!" was the first thing I heard when I opened the door. My family and friends were all smiling at me. There were colorful balloons all over the house, a big poster saying "HAPPY BIRTHDAY", and of course a cake with 12 candles. It was a wonderful feeling. I knew that I had finally turned twelve and I might possibly get the thing I wanted most.
I saw my mom and dad coming towards me with a small box which seemed to be a birthday present. When I opened the box, I couldn't believe my eyes. I had really gotten a mobile phone! Throwing myself into their arms, I let out a cry of joy, "Thank you! I love you guys!"
"You're welcome. We knew this was going to make you happy but we didn't only get you this because you turned twelve, but also because you are doing well in school. We expect you to keep getting good grades."
"Of course I will," I said confidently.
As soon as I got to school the next morning, I was showing off my phone and asking everyone for their number. It was cool how I got so many contacts on the first day.
It felt like I didn't even exist in that class anymore. I wouldn't pay much attention to the teachers because I was too busy on my phone. However, I didn't get caught using it.
I am pretty sure that the teacher did notice that I stopped paying attention to her because a week later we took a test and I failed. What was worse, my mom had to sign the test.
It was hard to show my mom the test. She was used to seeing A's and B's on my tests. Finally, I showed it to her, and she couldn't believe it. She was angry but most of all, she was disappointed.
注意：续写词数应为150左右。
Realizing the reason for my failure, my parents started to dislike the fact that I had a phone.
Then I started to wonder if I was wrong.
