You probably don't think about soil often, but the following report may help you learn about science of soil.

What is soil made of?

Soil is made of sediments (沉积物) and humus(腐殖质). Sediment is small pieces of rock broken down over time by rain, ice, and wind. Sediment is often found in water. Humus comes from decayed(腐烂的) plants and animals. It helps give plants a lot of the food they need to grow.

How does soil form?

Over centuries, rock breaks down into very small pieces.

The rock pieces mix with humus.

The humus gets thicker and thicker over time. Soil is formed(形成)l

How are soils different?

Soils can be different colors and have different textures(质感). Texture is how the surface of an object feels. Color and texture are two features(特征) of soil.

Plants and soil

Plants do not grow well in some soils. Sandy soi1 is too dry. It does not hold water. Soil with too much clay is too thick. Most plants grow well in dark, rich garden soil that has different sediments and a lot of humus in it.

     Life today has brought new problems. One of the biggest is pollution. Noise pollution makes us talk more loudly and become angry more easily. Water pollution makes our rivers and lakes very dirty. Air pollution is the most serious kind of pollution. Both water pollution and air pollution are not only dangerous to our health, but also dangerous to animals and plants.

     Many countries are making new laws to fight pollution. Factories must now clean their water before they throw it away. They can not let out dirty smoke into the air, either. More and more cars are now using a new kind of fuel(燃料) which does not pollute the air.

     Laws are not enough. We must all help. We can use paper bags, not plastic ones. We can keep old cans and plant flowers in them. Everybody must help to fight pollution because we can keep our country clean.

Information Card

    Do you know "World Reading Day"? It is on April 23rd. It is the eighteenth "World Reading Day". As we know books are very important for us.

    In Germany, more than 70% of the people like reading: They often read. They read in their homes. They read in libraries. They read in parks. They even read in hospitals. Parents often read books for kids.

    It is easy to buy books in Germany. There are many bookshops in Germany. They are in big cities and small town. A bookshop can sell many books every day. Germans also like to buy books on the Internet. More and more people buy books on the Internet.

    In Germany, people often have reading parties. They are happy at the parties.

    Do you love reading? Hope you enjoy it!

C

    Once upon a time，there was a king who had gone to visit neighboring kingdoms．He was gifted a pair of baby parrots by the king of the last kingdom where he was visiting．They were the most beautiful birds that he had ever seen．so，after returning to his kingdom，he called for a bird trainer and asked him to train parrots．

    The king also set up a place in the palace garden for the parrots．He often looked at them from his palace window．As time passed，one day the trainer came to the palace and told the king that though one of the parrots was flying high in the sky，the other one was not moving from its branch since the day it had arrived．

    When hearing this,the king summoned the best trainer from all his land and the nearby kingdoms．They came quickly and tried their best, but none of them could make the parrot fly!He even asked his courtiers to try to find a good way to make the parrot fly but they all failed．The parrot was not moving from his branch at all．Finally，after trying everything，the king thought to himself："Perhaps I need someone who may be more familiar with natural habitat．"He asked his courtier to get a farmer from the countryside and take him to the parrot to see if he could understand the problem with the parrot．

    The next morning，the king was surprised to see the parrot flying high above the palace gardens．He asked his servant to call that farmer to meet him．The servant quickly went and found the farmer．The farmer came and stood before the king．The king asked him，"How did you make the parrot fly?" With his hands folded with respect，the farmer said to the king，"It was very easy．I just cut the branch where the bird was sitting．"

    As a mother of three young girls, Alison Cowan worried about her daughters growing up too fast. From asking for the latest toy to wanting to wear make-up, it seemed to Alison and her husband. Alan, that their children were never satisfied with what they had.

    The girls would ask for a toy, but would lose interest in it as soon as their friends had something new. Birthday parties were no longer just a few party games and blowing up balloons. All the parents seemed to invite professional performers and compete over who could give the most expensive party bag. At just seven years old, Amy and her friends were paying more and more attention to their appearance. It was a feeling that many parents would have.

    However, few would dream of leaving a comfortable family life and a comfortable house to move their family 3. 000 miles away to Africa in search of a simpler life. But last June, Alison and her husband, Alan, moved with their daughters to Kampala in Uganda, to show them a different lifestyle.

    For almost a year, the girls play in the red, dusty streets with local children and visit markets to buy fresh fish and vegetables for dinner. They have been able to play and use their imagination away from the distractions(分心) of the consumer-driven society. Now, instead of competing over who has won a computer game, the girls think about things like the frequent water shortages and electricity cuts in certain areas. "At times, we've been without water for five days. The girls always accept it, though. Their world before had been so small, but now they understand 93."