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Earthquake are common: thousands of them happen each day. But most are too weak to feel. During a 1 earthquake, there is often a great noise first. Then the earth 2 terribly and many houses fall down. Railway tracks break and trains go 3 lines; a great many factories are destroyed; thousands of deaths are caused, and many more lose homes. Besides the great damage and deaths caused by the earthquake 4, other accidents such as fires often 5.
More buildings are destroyed and more deaths caused.
It is well-known of the dangers of an earthquake, 6 for centuries man has been making researches on earthquakes. More than 2000 years ago, 7, a Chinese scientist named Zhang Heng invented a machine which could 8 from which direction the seismic waves（地震波）had come, and this machine is still used by scientists today. Now we know much more about earthquake and 9 they happen, but we still can't 10 exactly when and where an earthquake will happen, and can't stop it from happening.
The world's population is larger and larger. There will 1 much more people next century. The earth will be more crowded and there must be a little room 2 each person. Perhaps there will be 3 room only on the earth a few centuries later. That will be serious to humans.
So human are 4 of a good way to solve the problems.
The moon is the 5 that is nearest to us. Maybe man will 6 on it some day. According to the scientists, studying, we know that there is no air, no plants, no water and no life there. So scientists are doing experiments 7 many ways. They 8 solve a lot of problems 9 humans can live on the moon. I'm sure the dream must 10 in the future. Maybe it is in the next century.
People like dolphins because they are both lovely and clever. They have an 1 IQ (智商).
Dolphins can 'talk'. Scientists try to ‘talk' with dolphins, and the results make them 2. They find that dolphins 3 understand them so well.
4 animals enjoy playing, but dolphins like to make their games different. On a beautiful day in 1997, scientists on a beach 5 a little dog going into the sea. They were surprised to see the dolphins come up to the dog and then start throwing(扔) it into the air. The dog 6 the 'game' and kept playing with the dolphins for over an hour.
Dolphins live in a very different world from 7, but they are very good at our 'IQ tests(测试)'. For example, in the picture above, a dolphin jumps 8 the water when he hears a whistle noise(哨声). He does this because he will get a fish 9 an award.
There is 10 much to learn about these lovely friends.
Christmas is coming.1 you are thinking what gifts you need to buy, the Alice Ferguson Foundation is busy 2 the environment by building relationships between people and nature.
At the 3 of the year, it designs events to help children celebrate Christmas without increasing the amount of 4 they create.
Hanna Seligmann who works for the foundation, said they 5 that from Thanksgiving Day to New Year's day, the household trash increases by 25 percent. Many young people do not know the6 they throw away do not decompose (分解), or break down, at the same rate. For example, paper dissolves（溶解） in about four weeks. A metal can take up to 100 years. A plastic bag will not decompose for 450 years. Glass takes 1,000 years.
Hanna Seligmann shows adults and children 7to reduce waste during the holiday gift-giving season.
She encourages using things that are 8 in our houses like newspaper or old magazines. With imagination，children can wrap gifts in a 9 napkin or even a beautiful scarf. In fact，there's no better way to celebrate the holiday by giving10to the planet.
We all know that the panda is the treasure (珍宝) of our country. Then how about its droppings (粪便)? They are treasure, too. How?
The panda keeper1an adult panda with about 25 kilos of bamboo every day. Of that, the panda will eat about 11 kilos — the most2parts. Because the panda cannot digest (消化) all the bamboo completely, its droppings3much of undigested (未消化的) bamboo. Can people make use of it? Sure, someone4in turning it into toilet paper.
"In my opinion, it's a great5 ， " a panda keeper says. "In the past, we just threw away the droppings6rubbish. But now workers come and take the droppings away. They use the droppings to make7. They also make notebooks and bookmarks. "
8 ， the paper doesn't sell well at the Panda Base. It is not popular with9. Most of them won't buy it after they visit the Panda Base. "A box of tissues (纸巾) is 43 yuan ， " they said. "That's quite10. " If you see the tissues at the Panda Base, will you buy them?
Do you often drink bottled drinks? Of course 1 is so cool to get a cold one right out of the fridge, right? But all those plastic bottles use a lot of oil and 2 the environment. Americans buy 3 bottled water than any other nation in the world. In order to make all these bottles, 17 million barrels (桶) of oil 4up. That's enough oil to keep a million cars going for twelve months.
Many people choose 5 the bottles away after having the bottled drinks. In fact, instead of going out with the trash, plastic bottles can be turned into carpeting for clothing. Remember this: Recycling one plastic bottle 6save enough energy to power a 60-watt light bulb for six hours.7 , for every six water bottles we use, only one is recycled. The rest are sent as garbage (垃圾). Or, even worse, they end up 8 trash on the land or in rivers and oceans.
So why don't more people drink water from the kitchen? Some people drink bottled water 9 they think it is better for them, but that's not true. The chemicals in the bottles themselves may get into the water which can do harm to people.
So next time when you have drinks or water, please 10 to use a glass at home or carry water in a steel bottle. And if you want to do something more, try to collect plastic bottles and send them for recycling.
The Earth moves round the Sun, and the Moon moves round the Earth. When the part of the Earth turns to the Sun, it is day. When the part of the Earth 1 away from the Sun, it is night. The Sun is much 2 than the Moon. But sometimes the Moon 3 bigger than the Sun, because it's much 4 to the 5. The Sun is very bright. It 6 very strong light. The Moon looks quite bright 7. But it 8 give any light at all. The light from the Moon comes 9 the Sun. The Moon looks much bigger and brighter than the stars. But in fact the stars are much bigger and brighter than the Moon. They look 10 than the Moon because they're much farther away from us.
You either have it, or you don't—a sense of direction, that is. But why is it that some people could find their way across the Sahara without a map, while others can lose themselves in the next street?
Scientists say we're all born with a sense of direction, 1it is not properly understood how it works. One theory is that people with a good sense of direction have simply worked harder at developing it. Research being carried out at Liverpool University supports this idea and suggests that if we don't use it, we lose it.
"Children as young as seven have the ability to find their way around." Says Jim Martland, Research Director of the project. "However, if they are not allowed out alone or are taken everywhere by car, they2develop the skills."
Jim Martland also emphasizes that young people should be taught certain skills to 3their sense of direction. He makes the following suggestions：
If you are using a4, turn it so it relates to the way you are facing.
If you leave your-bike in a5place, put it near something like a big stone or a tree. Note landmarks on the route as you go away from your bike. When you return, go back along the same route.
Simplify the way of finding your direction by using lines such as streets in a town, streams, or walls in the countryside to guide you. Count your steps so that you know6you have gone and note any landmarks such as tower blocks or hills which can help to find out where you are.
Now you need never get lost again!
Do you know the universe? When we talk about it, we mean the earth, the sun, the moon and the stars, and the space1them. Many of the stars cannot be seen because they are too far away.
The moon travels round the earth. It is our satellite. It is quite near us in space. It is only 3, 800, 000 kilometers2, and it has been visited by man already. So far, no man has traveled3than the moon, but spacships without people have reached other parts of the universe. Man-made satellites have been sent up into space by many countries. These satellites go4the earth and help us to learn more about the earth and other things. Most countries use these satellites to send and receive message. For example, with their help China can send5TV and radio programs to the other side of the world. Foreign countries can send their programs to China. We can also use satellites to help us make telephone calls to foreign countries.
Many people like to watch TV. Watching TV is one of the most important activities of the day. TV1the outside world closer to people's homes. Some people say the world is smaller than before because of TV.
What' s going2in other countries? How do people live in faraway places? Is there a good sports game somewhere? What's life like in the deepest part of the3? If you want to4these and other questions, just turn on the TV and watch it. Of course, people can also learn through reading or listening to the radio. But TV can help them learn better and more easily, because they can hear and watch, too. TV can give5new ideas. It's a wonderful thing.
Many animals use some kinds of "language". They use signals and the signals have meanings.
For example, when a bee has found some food, it goes 1 its home. It is 2 for a bee to tell 3 bees where the food is by speaking to 4, but it can do a little dancing. This tells other bees where the food is and 5 it is.
Some animals show how they feel by making sounds. It is not difficult to tell if a dog is angry 6 it barks.
Birds make several different sounds and 7 has its own meaning. Sometimes we humans make sounds 8, for example, we make sounds like "Oh!" or "Ouch!" to show how we feel about something or when we 9 something on our feet.
We humans have languages. We have words. These words have the meaning of things, actions, feelings or ideas. We are able to give each other information, writing down words. We can 10 what has happened or send messages to people far away.
In many big cities in the world, the overuse of cars is thought to be one of the main causes of air pollution.
What will cars be like in the future? Some experts(专家) think that today's cars are in trouble1they use too much petrol (汽油). They say the cars of the future will be much, much smaller. They will be made2engines (发动机) or air conditioning. They'll have no radio or lights. Tomorrow's car will be an open air car with no doors or3It needn't have a pollution control system because it won't use petrol. In fact, this new car will be pushed by the driver's feet. Very4people will be killed in accidents, because the speed will be five miles per hour5However, we are also told not to6beautiful colors, because the cars will come in grey only.
Other car experts do not hold the same idea. They are7that the future will be happier. They think that all our8will soon be solved by car companies with the production of the Supercar. Tomorrow's car will be9, faster, and more comfortable than before. The Supercar will have four rooms, TVs, running water, heat, air conditioning, and maybe a swimming pool. Large families will travel on long trips10If petrol is in short supply (供应), the Supercar will run on water.
When you use a computer, do you think about the mouse? This little plastic tool makes using computers so much1. It has a history that goes back nearly 50 years.
In 1963, American computer pioneer Douglas Engelbart2a prototype (原型) mouse. On April 27, 1981, the first computer system with a mouse and user interface (界面)3. This design plays an important part in the personal computing world4today.
The invention of the mouse was the beginning of a new age.5the mouse, computer users had to use complex (复杂的) tools and difficult code (编码) to connect with their computers .
Some say6like the touchscreen (触摸屏) iPad will mean the end of the mouse, but others believe the mouse will be around for a while longer.
"It's easy to7 , and you don't need to take your eyes off the screen to use it. These are the8for its long life," says Ken Perlin, a professor at New York University.
Scientists are now working on adding9things to the mouse. Recently, they made a "soft mouse", which is made from a soft plastic material. Using10is like touching a cat, so some computer users have started calling it a "cat".
There is an internet saying: One day the "cat' may eat the "mouse".
Many of us enjoy watching animals in the world. But do you know they can teach us?
Geese(大雁), for example, teach us a very good lesson about 1. In the fall. Canada's geese fly to the warm south to get away from Canada's cold winter. They lift off in no order. Yet 2 they form a V shape, with one bird leading the group.
This V shape allows geese to 3 energy. When the front bird moves its wings up and down, the resulting force of the air lifts the next one. This continues down the line. The bird in front has the 4 job. When it gets tired, it moves behind, and 5 bird moves into the lead By 6 the role, the group can travel great distances (距离).Geese flying in a V shape can fly 70 percent farther without rest than birds flying alone.
7 the long flying travel, geese communicate with one another. They honk (鸣叫)to encourage the birds up front to 8 the speed. They also cheer each other 9 working toward a common goal.
What have we learned from the lovely geese's experiences and skills? 10 together! Whether it is our personal lives or our jobs, we need other people. We need the spirit of teamwork!
Sailing for the planet
On August 14, 2019, Greta Thunberg set sail for the United States.
The 16-year-old girl is 1 across the Atlantic Ocean on a sailboat. She is heading 2 New York City. She will 3 a United Nations climate-change summit (联合国气候变化大会) there in September.
Greta lives in Sweden. She refuses to fly because airplanes produce carbon emissions (碳排放) 4harm the planet. Cruise ships are also big polluters. She 5 like greener transportation wherever she goes.
In July, the team behind the Malizia Ⅱ 6 to bring Greta to the United States. The Malizia is a high-tech racing 7. It produces electricity using solar panels (太阳能板) and underwater turbines (涡轮). Greta hopes to create zero carbon emissions on her journey 8 the Atlantic.
The 60-foot boat was designed for ocean races not for 9. It has no toilet or shower. Passengers will eat freeze-dried food. The trip is expected to 10 two weeks.
Greta says, "It's not very comfortable, but I don't 11 it. I need only a bed and just the basic things. "
Greta will be joined by her father and by a documentary filmmaker, who will 12 the trip. Two members of the boat's team, Boris Hermann and Pierre Casiraghi, will also follow them.
Greta has become 13 for promoting (推动) climate awareness (意识). In March, 2019, Greta was nominated (提名) for the Nobel Peace Prize. The winner won't be known 14 October. If Greta wins, she will become the 15 winner ever of the award.
Giant pandas are beautiful black- and- white animals. They look like1.They mainly live in China. They are very2and peaceful. They like eating3. They seldom eat meat. Baby giant pandas spend a lot of time4their mum's milk more than fourteen hours a day! Mother giant 0-pandas have only one5two babies at a time. There are no more than 2,000 giant pandas in the world now. Sadly it's very6for giant pandas to stay alive(活着的) in the wild. Their number is getting7because their living places are becoming farmlands. If farmers keep taking up the land, giant pandas won't have anywhere to live. A Also, people kill them8their fur(毛皮). If this goes on, then there will be no giant pandas in the world. So， what action(行动) can we take? We should9letters to newspapers and magazines about giant pandas in China. We should tell them about the problems for giant pandas. If more people know about these. problems， then maybe they will do something10.
Have you ever heard of e-waste(电子垃圾)? How do you deal with your MP4 players, mobile phones and when your computers, they're broken or you want a new one?
Most people just throw them away. With the 1of electric industry, e-waste pollution has become a serious problem. According to the United Nations, in 2014, people around the world produced 41.8 million tons(吨) of e-waste and only2 less than 20％ of it. The US was 3waster in the world, producing 7.1 million tons. China came second, 4 6 million tons.
It's important to pay attention to e-waste. It can be5valuable or harmful, depending on what we do with it. E-waste is a valuable urban mine（城市矿藏）. The value of the metals, like gold and silver is high and the metals can be reused.6 if people throw them away, the toxic(有毒的) chemicals can7the earth or air, and they will affect the environment and people's health.
Now, Apple recycles people's used products in China when they are buying new8. The company will test and repair them and then sell them at lower prices.9e-waste, we can buy longer lasting electronic products. If you don't want your electronics, find a new home for them. You can also take them to see10 companies can offer recycling programs.
