The population of the Earth is growing faster. It is important that we look after the Earth. We need it! The Earth gives us a lot of things. We also give the Earth a lot, but some of the things are not good.

   In nature, when something dies, other animals and plants get food from it. Every animal or plant gives food for other animals or plants. However, animals can't get food from many of the things that we "give" the Earth. Animals and plants can't eat metal, plastic and glass. These things will stay in the ground for many, many years.

   Some rubbish is very dangerous for plants and animals. In some places, many animals live together. One animal makes food for many more animals. If we put rubbish and chemicals in the water, the plankton(浮游生物) can die. If there isn't any plankton, many animals have nothing to eat.
   So what can we do? Don't leave any rubbish in the countryside! Don't make so much rubbish!

    Hello, everyone!  1 to Class 3. I'm your new English teacher, Mr. Yang. Now let me tell you our class  2. First, you can't be late 3 class. You must 4 on time. Second, you must bring your English books and notebooks to every 5. Third, you must   6 English during the pair work activities. If it's 7 for you, you can ask me for help. Fourth, if you have any  8, you must put up your hands(举手). You can't talk or stand up without permission（未经许可）. These are all the rules. They are good for you,  9 you must follow them. I hope we can have a good 10 every day.

    Can plants eat people? Maybe not, but there are many plants that eat meat. Some of them are big and they can eat small animals. One famous meat-eating plant is the Venus flytrap(捕蝇草).

    The Venus flytrap is a very strange plant. It grows in dry parts of the United States. Its leaves are like the pages of a book. They can open and close very quickly. The fly (苍蝇) cannot get out. In about half an hour, the leaf presses (压) the fly until it is dead. Then, the plant covers(覆盖) the fly. Slowly, the plant eats the fly.

    Why do plants do it? Most plants get what they need from the sun, the air, and the ground (地面). In some places, the ground is very poor. It doesn't have all these important things, especially nitrogen(氮.). Animal meat has a lot of nitrogen, so many plants eat meat to get what they need.

    Let's hope that some of the bigger plants don't get the same idea!

Oil paper umbrellas have a history of over 1000 years in China. Yuhang in Hangzhou i s known for making oil paper umbrellas for over 230 years. Umbrellas here take more than 70 steps to make. And it takes at least a week to make one. In 2007, this kind of umbrella was added to Zhejiang Province's Intangible Cultural Heritage List. 

Oil paper umbrellas used to be seen everywhere here. However, as steel-ribbed( 钢 骨的 )umbrellas appeared, the oil paper umbrellas became less used in daily life. Instead, they turned into decorative(装饰性的) artworks. 

To bring the art to life, some umbrella-making masters in Yuhang have improved oil paper umbrellas. As the traditional paper is easy to break, they use a thicker paper. So the umbrellas can be opened and closed 1, 000 times without breaking. And a lighter kind of bamboo is used to make ribs. So, the umbrellas weigh less. This kind of umbrellas has won the hearts of many young people. 

There are many deserts on the earth. And here are some facts you may find interesting. 

What are deserts like?

Deserts can be hot and dry places. Rain may not fall there for months or years. Some deserts are sandy and stony (多石的). Deserts can also be very windy places. The wind can change the shape of the deserts. It moves sand around from place to place. 

Temperatures in the deserts can vary very much. During the daytime, the temperature may reach 40℃ even in the shade (阴凉处). At night, deserts can become very cold. In winter there may even be a frost(霜冻) in the early morning. 

Living in the deserts

The camel is sometimes called"the ship of the desert". It stores food in its hump (驼峰) and can go for days without water. It has large feet which help it not to fall into the soft sand. Its long eyelashes keep out the sand during sandstorms. 

An oasis is an area of the desert where water may be found. The water may be in pools or under the ground. People and animals visit an oasis to find something to eat and drink. Plants grow at an oasis. Some farmers are able to grow crops there. 

The Arabian Desert

The Arabian Desert lies between the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf. In some parts of the desert, it is too hot for people to live. Oil was discovered under parts of the desert. This oil has made some countries in the area very rich. Much of the money has been spent building fine cities with lovely parks and lakes, and people live a comfortable life there. 

"Life is short, but there is always time enough for courtesy (礼貌);

— Ralph Waldo Emerson

 People love being polite. You might have noticed we are always saying"please", "thank you","excuse me", and"sorry".

 When making a request, you ask someone to do something for you. ▲, it may not help them in any way.

 Sometimes, you might make a request, and that request can be difficult for the other person to do. So it is necessary to make sure that you are being polite when making a request.

 To do this, you might include some words such as"can", "could", or"please" to soften(使温和) your approach. They may make it look like you are asking a question instead of making a request. However, don't worry — the listener will understand you.

 For example, if you are in a restaurant and say"I want the bill(账单)" to the waiter, your request will be considered very direct. You might use this kind of language if you are angry or have had very bad service. However, if you wish to sound polite, you might consider speaking like this:

"Can I have the bill, please?"

"Could I possibly have the bill, please?"

We can also use polite language to ask for permission(准许). For example, just sitting down next to someone without asking might be considered a bit forward (鲁莽的). If that person is waiting for a friend, you may create an uncomfortable situation. You can ask for permission first. For example:

"Would it be OK if I sat here?"

"Do you mind if I sit here?"