阅读理解
WHAT MAKES YOUR HOUSE A HOME?
The words "house'" and "home'" don't mean the same in English. A house in towns and cities is a building with four walls and a roof (屋顶)，usually in a street with lots of other houses around it. In most houses there are rooms for different activities. So people can eat in the kitchen, sleep in the bedrooms, wash in the bathroom and relax in the living room.
But a home is a house full of people with their favorite rooms. For example, my favorite room is my bedroom. It has al my things in it so it's a bit untidy but I love it. My mum loves reading in the comfortable armchair in the living room. Jasper, the cat, lies under her feet by the hot fireplace. My younger sister Sally spends a lot of time in the garden -she loves playing there with her friends! My big sister is away at university so her bedroom is the room for keeping things. And my dad can cook really well so he's usually in the kitchen.
When I'm away from home I sometimes feel homesick (思乡的). Of course, I miss all my music, my games, my books and my photos, but I also miss everyday family activities. Our house is noisy in the morning before work or school. Then, when I get back in the evening, Jasper jumps on me with his dirty cat feet and there is the fantastic smell of my dad's cooking.
So home is the people and animals who live in a house, and the things in the rooms that are special to us. It's the activities we do, our feelings and the relaxing environment around us. But home is also the community (社区) we are part of. I often take our neighbors' dog, Milo, out and they look after Jasper when we're away. And every summer, when it's not dark in the evenings, there's a big party in our street with al the neighbors. That's what home is for me.
