We live in computer age(时代). People 1 scientists, teachers, writers and even students use computers to do all kinds of work. But more than 30 years ago. 2 couldn't do much. They were very big and expensive. Very few people were 3 in them and knew how 4 them. Today computers are smaller and 5. But they can do a lot of work. Many people like to use them.

    Computers become very important because they can work 6 than people and make fewer mistakes. Computers can 7 people do a lot of work. Writers now use computers to 8. Teachers use them to help teaching. Students use them to 9. Computers can also remember what you 10 them. Computers are very useful and helpful. They are our friends. Do you want to have a computer?

A

    After a long day's study at school, you are very tired. So after school you go home to relax. When you get home, a robot greets you. He's happy to see you and helps you take your school things to your room. He listens to you talk about your school life and tells you a new joke. And he tells you to call your cousin and to say "Happy birthday". And then he helps you with your homework.

    This is your future, and the robot's name is NAO. NAO has a small body, big eyes and a large head. He can walk and dance. He listens and talks, and he even learns and thinks for himself. His creators (创造者) predict that the robot will be in people's homes before 2040.

    This $16,000 robot knows who you are. NAO can even expressemotions (表达情感). He is a self-guided robot. A self-guided robot can sense (感觉), think and act. Other robots might do two out of the three. For example, a robot might sense things using cameras and think using computers, but with no arms, he can't act. Another robot can move and sense things, but he can't think for himself. These aren't self-guided robots. But NAO can do them all.

    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.

    It's March 12^th. Li Li and Lin Tao are digging on a hill nor far from their school. In China, people across the country plant trees1on this day.

    The idea of planting trees was first put forward in 1911 by Sun Zhongshan, the great2 in China's history. He said more trees were needed as a3against flood(洪水)and drought. In 1915, April 5^th was named as Tree Planting Day. Then, in 1979, the day4to March 12^th, to 5the date on which Sun Zhongshan died.

    "Everyone has heard of the Great Wall of China," says Li Li. "But have you heard of the Green Wall of China? That's the biggest tree planting 6 of all. "The Gobi Desert in the north of China was 7every year. So in 1978, a tree planting project was started to 8 Gobi spreading. The government and local farmers have been planting millions of trees to build a great green "wall" along the edge of the desert.

    "Tree planting has become a tradition in China now," says Lin Tao. "Almost everyone does it on March 12th. Many people also plant a tree on a 9 day. My parents planted a tree when started school. And my cousin planted 10 on his wedding (婚礼) day. We do it for the environment and for ourselves."

    Everyone knows people need water. But do you know just how1water is to living things?

    Maybe you feel lucky2your life isn't hard. But it doesn't mean that you don't have to worry about water. We all face serious water3.

    One of them is water pollution. All kinds of things from cars, factories, farms and homes4our rivers, lakes and oceans dirty. Polluted water is very bad5, people to drink. And dirty water is bad for fish,6. Now, 34 percent of all kinds of fish are dying out.

    How do cars and factories make our water dirty? First, they pollute the air. Then, when it7, the rain water comes down and makes our drinking water dirty. Dirty rain, called acid rain, is also bad for plants, animals and buildings.

    8people have made wells to get clean water. But there still isn't enough. Scientists9that in 30 years, more than half of the people in the world won't have enough clean water.

    When we don't take care of our water, we are hurting everyone. It's time to start learning how to save more water for10and our children.