People know the danger of fires. It's good for a family to learn how to prepare for a fire. Here are some suggestions：

    Put a smoke alarm in the house. Smoke from a fire causes the alarm to go off. The alarm makes a loud sound. The sound tells everyone to leave the house at once.

    Make escape (逃脱) plans. They should know all the ways out of the house. If there is a fire， everyone follows the plan to get out. Part of the plan is to check all the windows to make sure they can be opened easily.

    Buy fire extinguishers (灭火器) in the house. Everyone in the family should know how to use them.

    Practice for a fire. They do fire practice because they teach children about fire safety. Everyone in the family should know the following fire rules：

    ＊Don't open a hot door! The fire can grow more quickly if you open the door.

    ＊Stay close to the floor! Smoke can be more dangerous than fire； the best air is near the floor because smoke rises.

    ＊What will you do if your hair or clothes start to burn? First， stop! Don't run! The fire burns faster because of more air. Drop! Fall to the floor. They roll! Turning over and over will make the fire go out. Put a blanket (毯子) around you to keep air away from the fire that may still be on you.

    There are many possible causes for fires. A wise family is ready all the time. If there is a fire， don't forget to call 119 for help.

The Vine That Ate the South

    Kudzu is a fast-growing vine (蔓生植物) that covers a large area in the southern United States. It is so common that one might think it is a native plant, but it is not. Kudzu was brought to the United States from Japan in 1876. Many Americans thought it was beautiful, and they began to plant it. They didn't know it could grow up to a foot a day during the summer months. Nor did they know it would grow up and over anything in its path (路径).

    In Japan, kudzu experienced cold winters and a short growing season. But in the United States, it has a very long growing season with warm and wet southern weather. It is fine weather for the vine to grow fast.

    In the 1920s, people used the vine to feed farm animals. Ten years later, the government supported to plant kudzu because it kept soil (土壤) from washing away. However, by the 1950s, the government no longer wanted people to plant the vine. Twenty years after that, the government said it was a harmful plant.

    The vine grows up trees and buildings, making some beautiful shapes. However, trees die after kudzu covers them because they cannot get enough light. Scientists are looking for ways to kill the vine. They used poisons (毒药)to kill the vine. However, some of the poisons made it grow even better. Scientists also find it difficult to dig up Kudzu. The plant is really tough.

    Because kudzu is so hard to kill, some people are making the best of it. So they try to find different uses for the vine. They find the vine can be used to make paper and baskets, it can be used to feed the goats, and it can even be eaten by people. Scientists are studying it in the hope that the vine can be used as a medicine. At the very least, kudzu serves as an example of the unexpected results that can come from non-native plants.

The Giraffe

    The giraffe is the tallest modern land animal. It can be over 5. 5 meters tall. Its neck bone may be 1. 9 meters long. Yet the giraffe has only seven bones in its neck, the same number as in the human. Even a small bird has many more bones in its neck than in a tall giraffe. Each bone in a giraffe's neck is very long, while the bones in a human's neck are small. That makes the difference. A female giraffe gives birth to one baby at a time. The baby, called a calf, is about 1. 9 meters tall at birth. By the age of eight it is full-grown. The giraffe can live for 30 years; the giraffe is good at running; it can run 30 kilometers per hour. The giraffe likes to live together, usually 7~10 a group. The giraffe eats mostly leaves. Because it has a long neck, it can reach the leaves high up on the trees.

Do you feel lonely when your best friend isn't around? Here's our advice to you—and to all kinds who feel lonely sometimes. 

It's hard when a best friend isn't around—maybe because he or she moved to a different school or a different class. You may feelleft out during break（间歇）or lunchtime. You want to make new friends, but how do you find them? Maybe it seems like everybody else already has his or her own friends. But remember, there's always room for more friends. 

Start by looking around your classroom—think about which kids you'd like to play with during break. Look for chances（机会）to say hi to them, smile, and be friendly. Offer（主动提出）to share something or express（表达）your appreciation（欣赏）to them. Invite someone to play with you or say "Do you want to sit here?" in the lunchroom. When you're at break, walk over to kids you want to play with, act（举止）friendly, and say "Hi, may I join you?" or just join in. 

If you have trouble（问题）doing this or if you're feeling shy, ask your teacher to help you make new friends. Teachers are usually pretty good at matching（相配）people up. The best way to make friends is to be a friend. Being kind, being friendly, sharing, saying nice things, offering help—pretty soon, you'll have one, or two, or even more new friends. 

You might still miss that special best friend. But when you see each other again, you can share something you didn't have before he or she left: You can introduce him or her to your new friends!

Confidence is very important in your daily life.It can help you develop a healthy attitude.A study shows that confident people are much happier.They may have more chances to succeed.But how do you become more confident? {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

Speak louder

When you are not confident, you are more likely to speak in a low voice and others can hardly hear you. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}.Aloud voice can help you build up your confidence.

Encourage yourself

Write down a list of things that you've done well during the day - for example, finishing tasks on time, telling a joke that made everyone laugh, etc.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

Get rid of fear

{#blank#}4{#/blank#}.But it's easy to overcome fear if you understand that failure is a part of life.Don't hide your head just because of your mistakes.Try to start again and believe you can do a better job.

If you like singing, sing as much as you can.A hobby can make you outstanding.It will also make you happy and confident. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}