17．
　　Children all over the world like to celebrate their birthdays. American children are not different. American children (1)       celebrate with a party. They invite their friends to join the celebration. The party may not be held on the (2)       of the birthday if it comes on a school day. It may be held on the closest weekend.
　　Today two kinds of parties are the most popular. One is held (3)       parents make the house beautiful with balloons and colored paper. They prepare a special birthday meal. The children play games. Another kind is held away from home. Some are at a (4)       restaurant. The children eat pizza and ice cream. The waiters also sing and tell jokes to the children. Other parties may be held at a park, or a movie theater, or some other places.
　　Every birthday party has a birthday cake with candles on it. There is one candle for each year of a birthday boy or girl's (5)      . When the candles are lighted, everyone sings the special birthday song:HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
　　As Americans grow older, their birthday parties change. In fact, many people stop having them. They say they would like to (6)       how old they are. Yet they
like to remember the happy birthday parties of their childhood.

46．Post your problems on the blog (博客) and get other bloggers' advice!

47．　　Mr. and Mrs. William are having their holiday in Rome. It is an old city, and a new city, too. They are staying in a very good hotel in the center of the city.
　　Rome is (1)       a beautiful city. The air is fresh; the sky is clear and blue. Cool wind makes people feel (2)      . Every day in the morning, the Williams stand by the hotel window, watching the cars (3)       on the streets. They walk from one place to another. Sometimes they go into a store and buy some presents (4)      their friends and relatives at home.
　　People in Rome are hospitable and friendly. The Williams like to talk with the local people and each year they make some new friends in the city. "(5)       you are in Rome, you will do what they do and forget all the (6)       from work." Mrs. William says. "Rome is the best place to relax."

48．　　We all know that it is important to get exercise. But how can we get enough exercise and have fun as well?
　　The (1)a       is: team sports! Team sports are great. When we're playing, our friends will encourage (鼓励) us if we are doing a good job, and there will be friends to give us useful advice on how to play the sport (2)b      . Many times, we get to meet and make some new friends!
　　We play team sports for fun and good (3)h      . We play team sports to learn about the team spirit (精神). However, some teams try hard to (4)w       every game and become very competitive. If we are on such a team, we will have too much pressure (压力). And we may even get hurt.
　　Sometimes it can be hard to find a team that works for us. But we can always start one! Start a team with some of our best friends and find (5)o       what kind of sports we like. It could be swimming, basketball, dancing, or (6)s       else.
　　And while we're playing team sports, we should (7)r       to play safe, too! We need to listen to our parents and teachers before we have fun!

49．　　Life in an American high school is an interesting experience. The high school course is divided into four years. School usually starts at 8 a. m. and ends at 3 p. m. Students usually have lunch at school.
　　When the school day ends, some students go home, but many still stay at school for after-school activities. There are many activities and clubs to choose.
　　American high school students like to be "popular". This means being a good student, being active and being well-liked by others. Popular students are elected (选举)to join the student union.
　　There are many social events such as Spring Dance and School Picnic during the school year which involve(包含) all the students and teachers.
　　Most American high school students have a part-time job during the school year and a full-time job during summer. Parents encourage their children to work because it is part of growing up and becoming responsible. Most high schools have a job list to help students find work. Teenagers really enjoy their jobs.

50．(以"……的变化"为题写一篇不少 于 60 个词的短文, 标点符号不占格. ) (注意:短文中不得出现任何人名校名及其它相关信息, 否则不予评分. )
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