In England and Australia， it is more common than in the United States for a student to take a gap year(间隔年). What is a gap year？ After high school， it's time for students to go to college. But some students don't go to college directly. ①They will spend one year traveling or doing some other activities before entering college. The year is called a gap year.

On the one hand， students can learn a lot during a gap year.②Before the gap year ， students who take a break from their education will come back to college. When they come back， they will have a clear opinion about what they want to do in their life. ③ may ， learning ， they ， their ， towards ， attitude(态度)， change.

On the other hand， delaying(延期) college for one year can mean increased education costs of 8% or more. Besides higher education costs， the cost of the gap year can be large. That depends on the activities the student chooses.

Taking a gap year has advantages and 　④　. After considering all the things， I might take a gap year. My dream is to be a tour guide. I will spend one year working as a travel agent. That would be a wonderful experience for me.

    Mrs. Wilson is not tall with curly hair. She comes from Australia. She is our math teacher. But I don't like maths. It's too difficult and boring. Mrs. Wilson is 25 years old. She is very shy and kind of serious. She never plays games with us. She often sees the films on weekends. And she enjoy reading very much. She has lots of books in her bedroom.

Where you sit and how you fit

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} For more than seventy years, researchers and teachers have studied the link between the place where students choose to sit in class and what they are like as people and learners. Where do you usually decide to sit? Have you ever really thought about the reasons for your decision?

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} But is this really true? Well, some researchers say it is not. In fact, shy students often choose the back row because it is far away from the teacher and they don't want to answer questions. At the back, students probably won't speak much, but in big classrooms, it can be hard to see the board and hear what the teacher is saying. This could be the reason why students who sit here often get lower grades on tests and exams. For students with poor eyesight or hearing, a seat at the back of the classroom is not a good choice.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} However, they like watching and listening rather than joining in. These students are usually also very good at taking notes. Next time you miss a class, borrow notes from someone who sits here. On the sides of the classroom you will generally find modest and thoughtful people. These people usually get good grades in school and are interested in learning.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Then the statistics (统计数据) say you probably like your teacher. You probably also have a good relationship with your classmates. Caring, outgoing, and cheerful people usually sit in the middle. They are normally serious about learning and feel disappointed with low grades on tests and exams.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Students who sit here usually want to discuss things with the teacher and are often very interested in the subject. They want to be in the best place to see and hear everything the teacher does and says. The only problem with sitting here is that it can be difficult to see and hear what other students do and say in class. So, if you really want to hear what everyone says in class, choose a different place to sit.

    GIY stands for "grow it yourself'. There is a new fashion for growing your own food. And there are a lot of reasons why growing your own food is a good idea.

    GIY helps reduce carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions (排放物). Food in supermarkets travels a long way, which produces a lot of CO₂. If you grow as many vegetables as you can at home, you can help save the earth.

    GIY can be good for people's health. Compared with supermarket vegetables, vegetables you grow by yourself are better for your health. Because they have more nutrients (营养品) and they don't have chemicals.

    GIY can also save your money and make you popular. First of all, seeds are much cheaper than vegetables. And secondly, you can save more by planting the most expensive and the most productive (多产的) vegetables. Thirdly, you can give your vegetables to friends and neighbors, which will make you very popular.

    Don't worry if you don't have much space. To GIY, you don't even need a garden. You can use pots on your balconies (阳台). And don't worry if your space could get much sunshine. You can plant vegetables that don't need a lot of sunshine.

    Grow your own vegetables now. You will have both a healthier body and a healthier social life.

    People burn coal, gas and oil to get energy But there are problems with these fuels (燃料). (A)________, these fuels cause pollution. Pollution makes the air and water unsafe for humans. Secondly, these fuels will not last forever. One day, we will run out of these fuels.

    Scientists are looking for new kinds of energy. One is heat from the Earth. We know that (B)地球中央非常热. We cannot reach the center of the Earth, but in some places the heat from the Earth's center comes to the surface of the Earth. Perhaps you know about some of these places One place is volcanoes (火山). It is very dangerous to go near an active volcano, (C) _______ we cannot use the energy from this.

    Another kind of heat from the Earth is hot springs (温泉). In these places, hot water comes to the surface of the Earth. If this water is near a town, the hot water can be sent in pipes (管道) directly to people's houses to heat them .In Iceland, this is a common way to heat houses.

    (D)In Australia, scientists are looking for ways to make energy using hot rocks under the surface of the Earth. They want to pump (抽水)water onto the hot rocks .When the water hits the rocks, it makes stream(蒸汽). The steam is piped to power stations where (E) it is used to make electricity. The electricity can then be sent all over the country.

Dear humans,

It's the first time I write to you, my Children. I sent you many messages in the past, but you didn't take them seriously. So I decide to write you a letter.

First, let me tell you more about our family. Dear humans, besides you, I have many other children. Some of them fly in the sky; some of them swim in the water; some live in ice-covered places; some run in the grasslands.

They might be very close to you, or even live in your house. But there are others that you may never have the chance to meet.

You bring them home to be your pets, friends and helpers. You put them in the zoos. You kill them for their meat and fur. And you even hunt them for fun. They bring you money and happiness, but they also bring you illness and death.

I hope you remember that wild animals are not your food, clothes or furniture. They are not killers, either. They are, in fact, your brothers and sisters. You should grow up together. I'm worried that one day you will be lonely if you keep killing them.

So, grow up, humans. Grow up to be more loving and caring. I hope you and all the wildlife can live happily in my arms.

Yours,

Mother Earth