Is it possible to be born shy? Many scientists say yes. They say 15 to 20 percent of babies behave shyly. These babies are a little quieter and more watchful than other babies. Interestingly, these shy babies usually have shy parents. As a result, scientists think that some shyness is genetic.
    Family size might causepeople to be shy as well. Scientists at Harvard University studied shy children. They found that 66 percent of them had older brothers and sisters. As a result, they became shy. At the same time, children with no brothers and sisters may be shy as well. Growing up alone, they often play by themselves. They are not able to learn the same social skills as children from big families.

    You may also be shy because of where you were born. When scientists studied shyness in different countries. They found surprising differences. In Japan, most people said they were shy. But in Israel, only one of three people said so. What explains the difference? One scientist says the Japanese and Israelis have different opinions of failure. In Japan, when people do not succeed, they feel bad about themselves. They blame（责备）themselves for their failure. In Israel, the opposite is true. Israelis often blame failure on outside reasons, such as family, teachers, friends, or bad luck. In Israel, freedom of opinion and risk taking are strongly supported. This may be why Israelis worry less about failure and are less shy.

    For shy people, it can be difficult to make friends, speak in class, and even get a good job. But scientists say you can get over your shyness. They suggest trying new things and practicing conversation. And don't forget—if you are shy, you are not the only one.

      Mobile phones are very popular with people. They are becoming smaller and more convenient.

Now the scientists in Canada made a smartphone (智能手机）from electronic paper. The PaperPhonc is flexible. People can control it by bending it or writing on it with a pen.

      Though the PaperPhone is only millimeters (毫米）thick, people can do many things with it. For example, people can use it to make phone calls, read books, watch movies and play music. So many people use it as a computer.

The scientists think there will be no paper in the office. And people can store what they want in the PaperPhone.

The scientists from Queen's University in Kingston, Canada said the PaperPhone would be in style in the future. It may be the end of paper and printers.

To make people be interested in this kind of mobile phones, the scientists will make it more beautiful. People will see the PaperPhone on May 10th this year.

    In most parts of the world, many students help their schools make less pollution．They join environment clubs．In an environment club, people work together to make our environment clean．

    Here are some things students often do．

    No-garbage lunches．How many lunch bags do you throw away after lunch? Environment clubs ask students to bring their lunches in bags that can be used again．Every week they will choose the classes that make the least garbage and report them to the whole school．

    No-car day．On a no-car day, nobody comes to school in a car including the students and the teachers．Cars give pollution to us, so remember:

    Walk, jump, bike, or run!

    Use your legs! It's lots of fun!

    Turn off the water! Do you know that some toilets can waste twenty to forty cubic meters of water an hour? In a year, that would fill in a small river. In the environment clubs, students mend those broken toilets．

    We love our environment．Let's work together to make it better．

    I am an apple. I'm a kind of sweet1You can find me grow in many places of the world, but I can't grow well in very hot places2 very cold places.

    I am not like my cousins 3and bananas. I am rounder than a pear and bananas are4than me. I am delicious,5people all over the world like to eat me. They can usually eat me6washing me. They can also cook me to 7all kinds of food, sometimes they put me in cans（罐头）to send me to other places of the world. Almost everyone can have 8 to buy me because I'm so cheap.

    I can also help people get9 There is a saying10English: An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Don't you think that I'm very great? I have many vitamins（维生素）inside, they are 11for you. I really wish to make you happy and healthy. so don't forget to 12me as often as possible（尽可能经常地）.

    But I also need your13, if you want to make me taste better, you must14 me well. Thank you for your love. I'll try to grow well and15sweeter. Then you will like to eat me a lot more.

    On a rainy day, about 150 volunteers worked for eight hours to clean up Carson Creek that is near a river. About nine tons of trash(H l)was taken out from there.

    "We did a good job, "said Alan Specter, the organizer of the event, "Were planning to come back here one more time, three years from now, Of course, we hope that there won't be so much trash next time."

    The trash came in all shapes, sizes, and colors: bottles, bicycles, batteries, furniture, clothing, plastic bags, dolls, and even a golf bag with a full set of golf clubs(球杆).

    The dirty and tiring work was done by two volunteer groups Save the Bay and Watch the Whales. Most of the volunteers came from a local police station and a fire station. And some of them were old people who had already retired (退休)。

    That day, it rained a little. All of them wore boots, gloves and raincoats. The work took place along a two- mile river with over 500 big yellow trash bags every where.

    No one found anything that cost much. A five- year-old boy found an earring which he thought might be worth a million dollars. He said he'd sell it. Then he'd donate half of the money to Watch the Whales, and use the other half to buy his favorite ice- cream every day.

    Many people laughed at the boy's story. However, it was easily found that the environment there did become better.