In 1845, a deadly disease struck the farms of Ireland, killing all the Lumper potato plants. In another place or time, the death of single crop species (物种) might not have been so important. But in Ireland, in 1845, people depended almost solely on the potato for food. The death of one species caused a terrible famine(饥荒). Now, some scientists are worried that such a famine could happen again, but on a much wider scale.

    Over the centuries, farmers have discovered thousands of different species of food crops. Each species has special qualities. Some can be grown in very hot or cold climates. Others are not affected by certain diseases. However, you won't find many of these species in your local supermarket. To feed the seven billion people on Earth, most farmers today are growing only species of plants and farming only species of animals that are easy to produce in large numbers.

    For example, in the Philippines, there were once thousands of varieties of rice: now fewer than 100 are grown there. In China, 90 percent of the wheat varieties grown just a century ago have disappeared. Scientists believe that over the past century, we have allowed more than half of the world's food varieties to disappear.

    One solution to this problem is to collect and store the seeds (种子) as many different plant varieties as we can before they disappear. The idea was first suggested by Russian scientist Nikolay Vavilov. In the 1920s and 1930s, he collected around 400,000 seeds from five contients. More recently, others are continuing the work he began.

    In the U.S. state of Iowa, Diane Ott Whealy wanted to protect historic plant varieties, like the seeds her great –grandfather brought to the U.S. from Germany more than a hundred years ago. She and her husband started a place called Heritage Farm, where people can store and trade seeds.

    More importantly, the people at Heritage Farm don't just store the seeds; they plant them. By doing this, they are reintroducing foods into the marketplace that haven't been grown for years. These food species are not just special in terms of appearance or taste. They also offer farmers food solutions for the future, from the past.

Do you know about koalas? The koala is 1 Australian animal. It 2 gray and brown fur(皮毛). And the fur on 3 belly(腹部) is white. Koalas eat and sleep in eucalyptus trees(桉树). 4 almost never get down the trees so somebody thinks they are 5 . They are active 6 night and sleep all day. People often think that koalas are friendly animals 7 they look very cute. But they may scratch(乱抓) people if they are not happy. They have sharp claws(利爪). So please 8 friendly to them. In the past, koalas were often hunted(被捕获) because of their beautiful soft fur. Now they are a protected species(被保护的物种) and it's not right 9 them. We need koalas and other animals, because they are our dear 10 ! 

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Store Guide         Here's a list that shows what is on each floor of a department store.

In many places on Earth the weather changes during the year. These changes are called seasons. 

Spring Spring starts when the day and night are of the same length. The weather gets warmer and sunnier. Trees and plants start to grow. Many animals have their babies in spring. 

Summer Summer begins on the longest day of the year. In the north this is on 21 June. Summer is usually the warmest and sunniest time of the year. Fruit grows on trees and plants. Young animals grow bigger and stronger. 

Autumn Autumn starts when the day and night are of the same length again. During autumn, the leaves change colour and fall from the trees. Some animals collect food before winter comes. 

Winter Winter begins on the shortest day of the year. In the north this is on 21 December. The weather is co lder and in some places there is lots of snow. Plants and trees stop growing. Some animals, like snakes and bears, find places to hide and sleep. This is called hibernation. 

Fun facts

●When it is summer in the north, it is winter in the south. 

●At the North and South Pole there are only two seasons. 

●In tropical (热带的) places near the Earth's equator (赤道) there are two seasons: a"wet" season and a"dry" season. 

注意：（1）可在思维导图内容提示的基础上适当拓展信息。（2）不能照抄原文；不得在作文中出现真实校名和学生的真实姓名。（3）语句连贯，词数80 左右。作文的标题和开头已给出，不计人总词数。

My Friend and I

Everyone should have friends. Friends are important in our lives. My best friend is