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   Your brain controls everything you do. It makes it possible for you to think,

Learn, create and feel; to blink(眨眼) and breathe and for your heart to heat –this fantastic control center is your brain. It is so amazing that a famous scientist once called it "the most complex(复杂) thing we have yet discovered in our universe".

Can this small grey organ(器官) , which weighs less than one and a half kilos, really do so much? Amazingly , your brain contains about 100 billion neurons(神经元) -it would take you over 3, 000 years to count them all. Believe it or not, the activity in your brain never stops. Your neurons create and send more messages than all the phones in the world. And although one neuron creates only a little electricity, all your neurons together can produce enough electricity to power a light bulb (灯泡).

    So exactly how fast does your brain work? Well, imagine this: a bee lands on your foot. Neurons in your skin send this information to your brain at a speed of more than 240 kilometers per hour. Your brain then uses other neurons to send the message back to your foot to shake the bee off quickly. These neurons can send this information at more than 320 kilometers per hour. No computer has your brain's unbelievable ability to deal with the amount of information coming from your eyes, ears and other sensory organs.

    But how does your brain allow you to learn things that you will use in the future? The structure (结构) of your brain changes every time you have a new thought, remember or learn something. For example, riding a bike seems impossible at first, but soon you are able to do it. How? As you practice, your brain sends "bike riding" messages again and again soon, the actions are learnt and you are able to ride a bike easily from then on.

    There are some easy things you can do to protect(保护) the environment and the earth. Choose ideas from the list or come up with a few of your own.

    ●Plant flowers grass or trees.

●Whenever you visit a park or beach, take away what you bring there—-keep rubbish in a bag until you can put it in a dustbin.

    ●Turn off the lights, TV sets when you leave the room. This saves a lot of electricity.

    ●Turn off the tap when you brush your teeth. You can save some water by not letting it run. Also, use a glass cup instead of a paper cup because this saves paper.

    ●Keep the doors and windows closed in winter to keep warm air in.

    ●Give your old books and magazines to a library instead of throwing them away.

    ●Give your old clothes to poor children you know instead of throwing them away.

    ●Use both sides of paper.

    ●Stop pouring dirty water into the rivers or the lakes nearby.

    ●Encourage all your friends to do the same things you do to help protect the earth.

    You don't have to wait until Earth Day to do these things. Make every day Earth Day.

    If everyone makes a contribution (贡献)to protecting the environment, the world will become much more beautiful.

    Most people agree that trees look nice, but not everyone knows that trees can also help cities save money. A few years ago, the US Forest Service studied trees in Chicago. They found that just one tree can save a city hundreds of dollars over its lifetime.

    Trees can save money by helping people save energy(能源). Trees stop the sun shining on buildings. They also block(挡住) the winter wind. That helps people use less energy to make their homes or offices warm or cool. Saving energy is saving money.

    Trees have another way to help a city save money. When it rains, there will be a lot of water in a city's sewers (下水道). Cities need lots of money to clean that water. But before the rainwater gets to the dirty sewers, trees can take some into themselves. With the help of trees, there is less water to clean.

Bradford City Matters

    Welcome to the winter edition（版） of City Matters.

    "Don't Drop It; Stop It!"

    Put rubbish in your wheelie bin（有轮大垃圾筒）.

    You must put your rubbish in your wheelie bin to keep your environment clean. Don't pile your rubbish up（堆放） in your house or garden-use a wheelie bin or one of our larger bins.

    You can buy a wheelie bin from our Waste Management Section at 01943 874122.

    You can tell us about mice or rubbish in your area by phoning our Public Health Unit at 01943 874146.

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    Did you know that you can get a 50 fine（罚款） for dropping rubbish on the streets? Our Council officers are on the streets of Bradford looking for people who drop rubbish. They will fine people who drop litter. This is part of our "Don't Drop It; Stop it!" campaign（运动）.

    Don't fill your bin-recycle.

    Just think how full your bin gets over the holidays.

    To reduce your waste:

    Say "no" to unwanted bags.

    Take your own bags to the supermarket or reuse old ones.

    Get your free shopping bag from our Advice Center.

    Recycle your waste.

    Take bottles to your local recycling center.

    Buy recycled things.

    Cards and paper are good examples.

    Our competition winners

    As part of our "Don't Drop It; Stop It!" campaign, community groups from the north, south, east and west of the city-500 volunteers-entered our competition to clean up their area. The goal was to make the city cleaner for those who live, work, shop or play there.

    The four winners were: High Trees Parent Group, South Bradford Community Project, The Bridge Community Association and Forest Youth Group.

    A dog can't speak any words, but it can "talk". It has feelings just as you do.

    Sometime it may feel angry or afraid. Watch a dog closely, and you can find out how it feels. You can see what it is trying to tell you. When you are afraid, you may look down. When a dog is afraid, it may run away. When you are angry with other people, you stare at them. An angry dog also stares. Sometimes the hair along its back stands up.

    Do you feel guilty(有罪) when you do something you shouldn't do? Dogs can feel guilty, too. Sometimes when l come home, my dog gives me a guilty look. Then I know he did something wrong. Dogs need love and care. Some dogs are very unhappy when they are alone for a long time. Some dogs even snap(撕咬）if they don't get enough care.

    You may have a dog or you may know a dog. Take care of it well if you want to have fun with it. Take it for a walk. Don't make it do too many things. Try not to punish it again and again for doing the same thing. Always remember, a dog has needs and feelings just as you do. Talk to a dog, and it will talk to you.

    What should you do if there's an earthquake at school? How can you protect yourself when you are caught in a stampede(踩踏)?March 28, 2016 provided you with a good chance to learn about safety.

    This day was called the National Day of Education on the Safety of Elementary and Middle School Students(NDESEMSS)(全国中小学生安全教育日). The theme of the day was to give students more knowledge about safety and make sure their lives are safe.

    A survey done by the China Youth and Children Research Center showed that school accidents kill more elementary and middle school students than anything else. The main accidents come from stampedes, earthquakes, fires and sports injuries(伤害).

    What can we do to keep ourselves safe? Staying calm is the first and most important rule when facing accidents. But different accidents have different self-protection advice.

    A stampede is possible anywhere. The larger a crowd gets, the more likely stampedes become. When students around you begin to push, stand still and try to hold onto something, or stay in a corner until the crowd leaves. If you fall down in a moving crowd, cover your head with both hands. Lean to(偏向) one side, curl up(蜷缩) your body and bend your legs.

    Earthquakes are common natural disasters(灾难). When you feel the ground shake, drop down, take cover under a desk and hold on. You should stay indoors until the shaking stops. If you are outdoors, don't stay near buildings, trees or power lines.

    When there's a fire, follow the teachers' instructions, leave the classroom quickly and use a piece of wet cloth to cover your mouth and nose so that you don't breathe in smoke.