Clothes are traditionally made of natural materials, such as cotton, leather and wool. They are all from plants or animals, but that doesn't mean they're friendly to the earth. For example, farmers have to use a lot of chemicals to grow cotton plants.

    Scientists are now looking for new ways to make clothing materials. They hope the new materials are both comfortable and good for the earth. Scientists have worked out how to make materials out of cornhusks (谷壳), chicken feathers and rice straws.

    "They used to be useless things. We always have a problem of how to deal with them," Yang, a scientist says. "Now, we can turn them into beautiful materials. Chicken feathers are better than other things. They have small air pockets like honeycombs. That means it will be very warm if you use them to make a jacket or sweater, and I think more and more people will like to buy these kinds of clothes."

    When the weather is hot, you go to a lake or an ocean. When you are near a lake or an Ocean, you feel cool. Why? The sun makes the earth hot, but it cannot make the water very hot. Although the air over the earth becomes hot, the air over the water is still cool. The hot air over the earth goes up. Then the cool air over the water moves in and takes the place of the hot air.

    Then you may ask, "Why is the ocean full of salt?" Scientists will say that the salt comes from the rocks. When the rocks get very hot or very cold, they crack (爆裂). Rain falls into the cracks. The rain then carries the salt into the earth and into the rivers. The rivers carry the salt into the ocean. And then you may doubt, "But the ocean does not get more salty every year. Scientists are not sure about the answer to this question.

    We know a lot about our world. But there are still many answers that we do not have, and we are curious about them.

    When people think of tigers, words like" strong" and " dangerous" come into their mind. But now, the big animal is calling for our help. There were once eight kinds of tigers in the world, but three died out during last century. In the past 70 years, the number of Siberian tigers has gone from as many as 300 to somewhere between 18 and 22.

   World Wildlife Fund started a programme. It is about to put an end to tiger poaching(非法狩猎) and save wild tigers. China, together with 12 other countries, has joined in. The aim is to double the number of wild tigers in the next ten years.

According to the research by Chinese officers and WWF, the Siberian tiger is already one of the planet's most endangered animals. "If the government doesn't do anything, it's quite possible that there will be no more Siberian tigers in China in 10 to 20 years." said Zhu Chunquan, director at WWF Beijing office.

    Wild animals such as deer and wild bears are tigers' main food. The poaching of these animals is the greatest danger to tigers. Another one is the trap(陷阱). "Volunteers from WWF remove traps every year, but we cannot clear all the traps ourselves," Zhu said. The most important thing people can do is to save the animals tigers eat." To protect the tigers, we need to call on more people to stop hunting wild animals."

    Why do we play sports? You might say "to get exercise" and you'd be right. To have fun? That's true, too. But there's more. In fact, there are at least five more reasons. According to the report, people who play sports get 1 more than just healthy.

    People who play sports do better in school. You might think that playing sports will 2 all your study time. But a research shows that students who play sports do better in school than 3 who don't. Exercise improves learning and memory, which can help students become more active in class.

    It's 4 that people who play sports learn teamwork and goal setting skills. Sports teach valuable life skills. When you work with coaches, trainers, and teammates to win games and achieve goals, you're learning 5 to be successful. Those skills will serve you well at work and in family life.

    Sports are good for people's health. Besides being healthy and keeping a healthy weight, people who play sports are also less possible to smoke. And 6 in life, people who exercise have fewer chances to have cancer (癌症)or some other illnesses.

    Playing sports improves confidence. People who play sports feel better about themselves. Why? It builds confidence when you know you can practice, improve, and 7 your goals. Sports are also a feel-good activity 8 they help people get in shape, keep a healthy weight, and make new friends.

    Exercise cuts the pressure. Playing sports can make you have less 9 and help you feel a little happier. A person's mood (心情)improves during exercise. Friends can also help improve your mood. And being on a team creates close relationship 10 friends. It's good to know your teammates will support you - both on and off the field!

Gardening is a popular activity all around the world. But what about people who do not have the space to garden? Not to worry! Today, we will give you information about growing beautiful window boxes. 

Location and safety

Window boxes are not just for the outside edge of the window, they can also sit on other places such as, walls, porches, or front steps. This window box can be on the front steps to a home and the owners can entered their window boxes. 

But safety first: People do get killed by falling window boxes. Make sure your window boxes are safe so they will not come down in a storm. If you feel your window box could be unsafe, you can have an indoor window box.

Light and water

Before you choose plants, check your window box location for light and rain. Window boxes dry out faster than in-ground plants, so they need more water. And if a window box is close to a wall or other structure, it may not get enough rainwater. 

Even if all your windows get little sun, do not give up. You can get a great look using plants that love the shade. Many shade-loving plants like spiderworts and verbenas，have leaves in beautiful colors and interesting shapes. 

The "wow" factor

What gives some window boxes their "wow" factor while others are just so-so? Create a theme! This is a central idea for the plants. For example, you may have a window box that is all cactuses or all edible plants. Or you could select only purple violets or green basil, then you'll have a color-themed window box. 

Besides having a theme, upkeep is also important. You should cut off anything dead, water your window boxes often and change things a lot. 

There are 24 solar terms(节气)in China. They can guide farming activities and are believed to be an outstanding achievement by ancient Chinese. 

Grain Rain" is the sixth solar term in the 24 solar terms and it is the last solar term in spring. It falls on April 20 this year. The term"Grain Rain" came from a folk story. When Cang Jie created writing characters, grain came down from sky like rainfall. Therefore, the Yellow Emperor named this day as the "Grain Rain". When this day comes, the number of rainfall increases. It is very important for the growth of the grain. 

Nowadays, different areas have different customs during "Grain Rain", Picking and cooking tea leaves: "Grain Rain Tea" is the name for the tea made around the time of "Grain Rain" in the south of China. it is considered as one of the best kinds of tea. it not only has a strong and good taste but also can last for a long time in water. 

Blessing(祈福)to the sea: "Grain Rain" is a perfect time for fishing. Since it gets warmer and warmer, the sea also gets warmer and more fishes swim in the sea. Fishermen in the north often bless for safety and success on the sea. 

Killing insects: As the weather gets warmer. insects become more active. Farmers in Shandong, Shanxi and Shaanxi often use different methods to kill insects. 

Taking a bath: In some of the north-west areas, people take the shower in the river during "Grain Rain" period. They think it can help them be far away from the bad luck.