It was 1 birthday.She got a letter from her uncle.“Dear Mary，” he wrote in the letter.“Happy birthday.I'm sending you some 2 .They will arrive tomorrow.I hope you'll like them.”

    Mary was very 3 .She liked eating eggs and chicken.“I can keep the chickens 4 their eggs or eating them，”she thought.

    When the chickens arrived the next day，they were put in a box.She took the box off the truck and began to carry it into her garden，but the box was so heavy that she dropped(掉)5.

    The box fell on the ground and broke open.The chickens all 6 out.They ran here and there.Mary 7 hours in trying to find them.8 few days later her uncle came.He asked，“Did the chickens arrive safely？”“Yes，but I dropped the box.It broke open and the chickens ran everywhere.9 took me the whole morning to 10 them，”Mary said.

    “Did you find them all？”asked her uncle.“I hope so，”Mary answered，“but I only caught eleven of them.”

    “That's very interesting.I only sent you six，” her uncle said with a smile.

    Some British and American people like to invite friends for a meal at home.You should not be upset if your English friends don't invite you home.It doesn't mean they don't like you!

    Dinner parties usually start between 7 and 8 p. m. and end at about 11 p.m. Ask your hosts what time you should arrive.It's polite to bring flowers,chocolates or a bottle of wine as gifts.

    Usually dinners start with drinks and snacks.Do you want to be extra polite?Say how much you like the room,or the pictures on the wall.But remember－it's not polite to ask how much things cost.

    In many families,the husband sits at one end of the table and the wife sits at the other end.They eat with their guests.

    You'll probably start the meal with soup or something small,then you'll have meat or fish with vegetables,and the dessert.It's polite to finish everything on your plate and to take more if you want.

    Did you enjoy the evening?Call your hosts the next day,or write them a short “thank you” letter.British and American people like to say “thank you,thank you,thank you” all the time.