【明報專訊】It's December now. Christmas is just around the corner. What are the Smarties doing right now?

“ Bill: I'm really excited about Christmas. ”

“ MoMo: Yes, I love this festive season so much. ”

“ Bill: Oh, we don't need these. Why are you buying them? ”

“ MoMo: I'm going to donate them to the food bank. ”

“ Bill: What's that? Food bank? Do you have a savings account there? ”

“ MoMo: Food banks are not any usual banks. They are charities which distribute collected food to the needy. Christmas is a season of sharing, so I'm trying to do a good deed. ”

“ Bill: Me too! I want to stay on Santa's Nice List. ”

◆Know more

A lot of people are struggling to make ends meet every day. We can help by buying extra food for the people who cannot afford to feed themselves or their families. We can donate canned food, cereal, pasta, noodles, etc. to local food banks. Some food banks also accept toys and toiletries. At Christmas, food banks collect festive foods such as candies and chocolates. Christmas is a time of giving and sharing. You can also make a difference this Christmas by giving a stranger a meaningful gift.

■English highway﹕Make ends meet

''Make ends meet'' means ''to have just enough money to buy the necessities''.

e.g. He was unemployed and found it hard to make ends meet.

Many families struggle to make ends meet.

■Glossary

festive (adj) 節日的

struggle (v) 掙扎

afford (v) 買得起

toiletries (n) 洗漱用品

[Smarties' Power English 第265期]