Deserts are found where there is little rainfall or where rain for a whole year falls in only a few weeks' time. Ten inches of rain may be enough for many plants to survive (存活) if the rain is spread throughout the year, If it falls within one or two months and the rest of the year is dry, those plants may die and a desert may form.

    Sand begins as tiny pieces of rock that get smaller and smaller as wind and weather wear them down. Sand dunes (沙丘) are formed as winds move the sand across the desert. Bit by bit, the dunes grow over the years, always moving with the winds and changing the shape. Most of them are only a few feet tall, but they can grow to be several hundred feet high.

    There is, however, much more to a desert than sand. In the deserts of the southwestern United States, cliffs (悬崖) and deep valleys were formed from thick mud that once lay beneath (在……之下) a sea more than millions of years ago. Over the centuries, the water dried up. Wind, sand, rain, heat and cold all wore away at the remaining rocks. The faces of the desert mountains are always changing--very, very slowly--as these forces of nature continue to work on the rock.

    Most deserts have a surprising variety of life. There are plants, animals and insects that have adapted (适应) to life in the desert. During the heat of the day a visitor may see very few signs of living things, but as the air begins to cool in the evening, the desert comes to life. As the sun begins to rise again in the sky, the desert once again becomes quiet and lonely.

    In America, the school day usually starts at 9 a.m. and finishes at about 4 p.m. The school subjects are different from1. In China, we always2Chinese, math, English, P.E. and so on. But in America, students have more3, such as cooking and driving lessons. Their school life isn't just4study. They also have more things to do than（比）Chinese students. There are many clubs（俱乐部） in American schools, 5. If the students are interested in sports, they6join different sports clubs. American students also have art clubs, language clubs and some7clubs. From 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m., they do8things in these clubs.

    Maybe you think English is very popular in the world, so American students don't need to 9any other language.10that's not true. American children from the age of seven have to learn a foreign language. For example, they learn French or Chinese.

How to keep on your exercise plan during winter? Here I'll give you some suggestions.

To stay active during the winter, you should first make it as easy as possible to do your exercise. Second, make something different before you {#blank#}1{#/blank#}doing exercise. The following advice will give you some ideas for making winter exercise more comfortable and more enjoyable.

Put your sports clothes in the dryer. If you want to exercise outside, you might keep the clothes in the dryer for a few minutes before that. It's often harder to {#blank#}2{#/blank#}when it's cold outside. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}clothes fresh from the dryer is just one way to get your body warm.

Take a hot shower. If it's really cold outside, you might even try a quick shower to get yourself warm before you do exercise.

Walk indoors. Walking is a good way to {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. To get out of cold weather of winter, you can simply walk indoors, probably in the living area of your room. Walking indoors makes you {#blank#}5{#/blank#}and gives a warm temperature to do it.

    Dragon Boat Festival is a fun Chinese holiday. Usually, it's in June or July. Both children and adults（大人）like this holiday.

First, there are dragon boat races. Dragon boats are very long. They have bright colours, In each boat, there are many people rowing（划）. There's also somebody beating a drum（击鼓）. The winners（获胜者）of the races can get a lot of money.

During Dragon Boat Festival, people also eat a special kind of food-rice dumplings. To make these dumplings, people prepare（准备）many things. Then they can make different flavors of dumplings. Some are sweet（甜的），some are salty（咸的）. They all taste good. People give them to friends.

On the evening of the holiday, families have a big meal together. Dragon Boat Festival is a great time for everybody.

Are you interested in robots? If so, try out robot Little Q at our science center from August Ist to August 6th. Little Q is a cute robot with a round head, two big eyes and two long legs. It's like a big toy that our children will love.