Are you shy? If you are, you are not alone. In fact, close to 50 percent of people are shy. Almost 80 percent of people feel shy at some point in their lives. These days, shyness is becoming more and more common. Now, scientists are trying to understand shyness. They have some interesting ideas about why people are shy.

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 cause people 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.

    Nearly all our food comes from the soil. Some of us eat meat, of course, but animals live on plants. If there were no plants, we would have no animals and no meat. So the soil is very necessary for life. The top of the ground is usually covered with grass or other plants. There may be dead leaves and dead plants on the grass. The waste matter(粪) from animals also falls on it.

    All soil needs food. If we do not give it any, the plants will be weak. Farmers found that animals' waste is the best food for the soil, but chemical fertilizers(化肥) are also very useful. The same crop（庄稼）should not be grown in the same place every year; it 's better to have a different crop. A change of crop and the use of a good fertilizer will keep the land good.

    We all need a healthy environment, but we produce waste every day and it is harmful to our environment. Though we are young, we can still do something to help. In fact, even the simplest everyday activities can make a real difference to the environment. Here are some ideas for you to live a green life.

    Remember these three words; reduce, reuse and recycle.

    Reduce means" use less". Don't waste things. This saves money and reduces pollution and waste going into the environment. Before we buy something new, think if it is really necessary or maybe the old one will be just as good! When we do buy thing, choose local products if possible, and try not to buy too many things from abroad.

    Reuse mean" use again". Use things for as long as possible. When we buy things, make sure that they last a long time. We should take care of them so that they will last, and we should repair them if we can instead of throwing them away and buying new ones. Don't use a paper cup or a paper bag. It's better to use a china cup(瓷杯) and a lunch box because you can use them again.

    Recycle means" change things into something else". Although it takes energy to change something into something else, it's better than throwing things away or burning them. Find out what can be recycled in your neighbourhood and take part in recycling programmes. We should also buy products made from recycled materials, such as recycled paper, to help save trees.

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    Robots are playing an important role in our life. They help us a lot.

    In factories, robots can help people do lots of work. They work faster and do not need a rest. People will feel bored if they do the same job again and again, but robots will not. And they can work in same dangerous places. Usually people cannot.

    In our homes, robots are useful, too. They can help us do some cooking. They can help blind people read newspapers and help the old people move some heavy things. They are our best friends. They are clean and do not need to eat food.

    However, robots are not as clever as people. They cannot think like us. If we do not "'teach" them how to do things first, they can do nothing.

    When your pen is broken, the battery in your toy runs out, or you have some leftover food, what do you do with these things? You will probably throw them all into one trashbin. But actually, all of these pieces of trash need to be sorted (分类) separately.

    Garbage sorting is a big problem worldwide. In recent years, some Chinese cities have been working hard on it.

    Shanghai has worked with Alipay to create a "green account (账户)" service for its residents (居民). Account holders get points by correctly sorting their garbage. Through the Alipay app, they can exchange the points for milk, phone cards and other products. The city is asking all of its residents to sort their garbage into four groups: wet, recyclable (可回收的), harmful and dry.

    Wet waste is also known as household waste. "They are things you don't want but that pigs can eat," Guangzhou Daily explained.

    Paper, metal (金属), glass and other things that can be reused are recyclable waste.

    Harmful waste includes things like medicine, batteries and fluorescent bulbs (荧光灯泡).

    Finally, any waste that's not wet, recyclable or harmful will go in the "dry waste" bin.

    Many other Chinese cities are also using this method to sort their garbage. For example, Shenzhen has been sorting its garbage into the same four groups since 2012. Students there also receive waste-sorting guidebooks that they must study.

    China is improving its waste-sorting efforts. There is still a long way to go. But it's never too late to learn how to sort your trash properly and protect the environment.

    If you don't sort your garbage, all of it will go to a landfill (垃圾填埋场) and be buried together. These landfills can take up large areas of ground that could have been used for planting trees. The electronic waste you throw away, such as batteries, can pollute the soil and water. Other pieces of garbage, like the metal part of a pen, can be used to make other things if they are properly recycled.