A seabird named Lydia recently made a 26-day nonstop(不间断的)journey of about 2,500 mi­les, just to search for food for her baby. She is fitted with a satellite tracking device (卫星跟踪仪). Her trip started on Oct. 18 from Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean. The trip is known as the lon­gest nonstop journey by one of these endangered seabirds.

      Before that, this kind of birds was known only to fly a few hundred miles from where they live, staying away for just a few days at a time. They usually fly over the sea.

      The scientists feel it strange that Lydia made such a long, nonstop journey and flew overland. So the above facts raise some serious questions about efforts to stop the decline(减少)of the birds. The number of the birds has fallen by 10 percent over the past 20 years.

Besides, the scientists are surprised that she was away from her baby for such a long time. They wonder why she needed to go that far. Maybe it shows that fish resources (资源)around Christmas Island are not large enough now. That might explain the slow decline of the bird 一 sea pollution(污染) is serious.

根据短文内容回答下列问题。

    Camping in your backyard is full of fun, whatever your age is. It's great for keeping us relaxed. It offers chances to check the night sky and to be noisier than usual. It lets us have friends over to stay who might not fit inside the house! Follow these instructions and you'll have a night you'll never forget!

    Put up your tent.

    Depending on the number of family members and guests, you may need more than one tent. Tell your friends to bring their tents if needed. Follow the instructions or check out the articles on how to put up a tent on the Internet.

    Prepare your bedding.

    You'll want your guests to be able to relax in comfort. Put something soft to lie on on the floor: A blow-up air mattress or thick comforters may work well. Fill the tent with soft toys and blankets(毯子). Have lightweight sleeping bags or cotton blankets. They are especially important if you live where the night temperatures drop greatly.

    Prepare a seating area.

    If you have a picnic table, that would work best. If not, set up a few chairs and a small table to set out drinks and food. A simple choice is to lay out a blanket in the sun, so that your friends can eat and talk. Be sure the grass isn't wet!

    Make memories.

    Plan some activities. You're camping in the backyard, so it's time to make the most of being outdoors.

    Have a camera nearby to take silly photos of you, your family members, and your friends. Take one large group shot with everyone smiling and laughing. Be sure to make copies for everyone!

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    Many scientists think that life may be very different by 2050.

    First of all, TV might not be used by 2050. People will choose music, films, programs and newspapers on the computer. And they can smell(闻) and touch things on the Internet. That sounds really interesting.

    Water pollution(污染) will become the most serious problem by 2050. Human beings will need more water than today. There will be less fresh water on the earth.

    Cars will not only run on the land but also fly in the air by 2050. That can help to alleviate the heavy traffic. There won't be any accidents, because computers will control the traffic. What's more, the speed of the plane will be much faster. It'll take only 2 hours for people to fly from Los Angeles to Tokyo.

    Robots will become very popular by 2050, because they don't ask for money and can work 24 hours a day. We'll see robots everywhere — factories, schools, hospitals, shops and homes.

    By 2050, medicine will be improved a lot. Cancer and AIDs won't be serious diseases.

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    The young woman at the airline check-in desk meant no harm. She greeted a customer with a question which would be no problem in Chinese," What's your problem?" But this question is impolite in English, and the customer became very angry. In this situation, the young woman should say." May I help you?" or" How can I help you?" Then she would not be facing an unhappy traveler.

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    Maybe you would like something. Instead of saying" Giving me a hamburger," say," Could I have a hamburger, please?" or "I'd like a hamburger." English speakers often use the expressions" please "and" thank you". When requesting something, use" Can I" or "Could I". In formal situations," May I" is the best.

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    When someone asks your opinion, you don't want to make them feel upset by saying something they think is unkind. Maybe someone asks," What do you think of my idea?" Don't say," It's a terrible idea." if you don't like it. Say," I don't think it's the best idea." Then people will accept your opinion more easily.

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    When you can't accept an invitation, don't say." I can't. I'm busy" Refuse in a more indirect way." I'm afraid I can't…" or" I'd love to, but…" or" That sounds great, but..." These phrases soften the message and make it easier to accept.

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    Avoid saying others have done wrong. Don't say," You don't understand me." Say, Maybe I need to make clear what I mean." Give special attention to" I" or" We" rather than" you". Take time to learn polite phrasing. Then you'll make your communication with people more pleasant.

    Alice and John are in the music club at their school. Alice plays the violin and John plays the drums. There are two groups in the school music club: the training group and the concert group. Everyone starts in the training group!

    "When I first started to play the violin it sounded terrible!" Alice said. "My family asked me to practice outside."

    After a year's practice, Alice and John play much better. Now, they are both in the concert group and they are learning more difficult music. "We're learning the music from the film Pirates of the Caribbean. It sounds fantastic!" John said. "Playing in the club with other kids is a lot of fun."

    Playing an instrument (乐器) is not only fun. It also helps children learn to concentrate (集中注意力). "I have to concentrate when I'm practicing," Alice said. "And now it's easier for me to concentrate on my schoolwork."

    Playing an instrument can also help children become more confident. As John said, "I was scared when I played in front of a lot of people for the first time. But now I really enjoy it."