One sunny afternoon, I went for a walk on the beach. There I saw a special crab (螃蟹). It had two claws (螯).一个螯比另一个人螯大得多、长的多。I had never seen such a crab before. So on my way home from the beach, I walked into the library.

    Luckily, I found a book named Come with me to the Edge of the Sea. It had many pictures of animals living near the sea. The pictures of male fiddler crabs (雄性招潮蟹) looked quite like the crab I found on the beach. I learned a lot about that kind of crab.

    Sometimes a fiddler crab puts the small claw across the big one. It looks like it is playing the fiddle (violin) when it does this, so some people call it the fiddler crab Sometimes it waves its big claw. It looks like it is saying hello. That's why other people call it the calling crab. Fiddler crabs' eyes are on long eye stalks (眼柄). They can put up their eye stalks to look around~ It makes them look taller.

    These crabs are very small. There are lots of other, bigger beach animals that want to eat them. They dig holes in the sand (在沙子里挖洞). The holes are their homes. They are safe inside them. Sometimes the sea water can bring food into their holes.

    Albert Einstein (1879～1955)

    Early Life

    Albert Einstein was born on 14th March, 1879 in Germany. He has been an extraordinary (非凡的)person since he was born. Einstein wasn't able to speak a word until three. He was curious(好奇的)and imaginative. He loved watching things carefully and asked a lot of questions about them. His questions were often hard to answer for teachers.

    Schooling

    Einstein started school in 1885. Though he did well in maths and science, he failed in many subjects like history, geography and languages. He was not the teachers' favourite. He didn't enjoy going to school. Einstein finished high school in Switzerland and entered a university in Zurich. He graduated(大学毕业)as a teacher of maths and physics in 1900.

    Scientific Work

    After graduation, Einstein worked at the Patent Office. He spent much time studying physics. By 1909, Einstein had become a top scientist. Though he became successful in the field of science, he still put great effort in scientific research. Finally, he won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1921.

    New rules and behavior standards（标准） for middle school students came out. Who are the most excellent students? Middle schools use a new way to decide that. The best students won't only have good grades. The following are some of the new rules.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Have you ever copied others' work during an exam? Don't do it again. That's not what an honest student should do. If you played computer games for two hours in your room, don't tell your parents you were doing your homework.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} April is Bird-Loving Month in China. Is your school doing anything to celebrate? You should join! That way, you can learn more about animals and learn how to protect them.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} When your classmates are in trouble, remember to give them a hand. You know a friend in need is a friend indeed. Try to do more for others.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Try to stay away from Web pages that are bad for you. Find good websites and use them for homework.

     {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Have you ever thought that people could live on the moon? Maybe you can discover a new planet someday. Don't look down on new ideas. You should welcome them because new ideas can make life better.

    [1] In today's world, the most successful companies are the ones who understand how important it is to make contacts（联系）around the world. However, doing business in different countries isn't simple. It is important to know the local customs and traditions of the people you are dealing with, which is the best way to impress(使…印象深刻)your hosts.

    [2] One example that comes to mind is of a German company that has recently tried to gain (获得)a new contract in South Korea. The German visitors arrived at the Korean company's office early in the morning and spent the whole day in long meetings. By the evening, the Germans were so tired that they politely turned down the Korean's invitation to go out for dinner and drinks, since they wanted to return to their hotel and get some rest. The Germans did not understand that in South Korea business talks often continue into the evening. The Germans only came to realize that they offended(冒犯)their hosts after they had lost the contract.

    [3] In Europe or the USA, business is seldom discussed into the evening. However, it is important to be on time for a meeting. If you are ①__________, your hosts may think you do not care. In fact, it is better to arrive at least ten minutes before the meeting starts. This way, you can show how keen(强烈的) you are to do business with them. You will also have time to talk with your hosts before you sit down to discuss business.

    [4] However, in many countries meetings may not start on time. There are many ②_____________for this, such as transport difficulties, unusual weather and the breakdown of cars.

    Sometimes the time of day is also important. In South America and many countries in southern Europe, people have a short sleep after lunch. Therefore, if you try to arrange(安排) a meeting for the early afternoon, you may find that not many people will③__________, or that your hosts will be unhappy.

    Instead of studying abroad during college, more and more Chinese teenagers have chosen to do so as early as in high school, Students from China make up about 42 per-cent of the international students at high schools in the US, according to the latest study by the Institute of International Education. So, what is the main attraction for Chinese high school students to study abroad? What is overseas life like？We interviewed several students. Have a look!

    Pan. 15. Moreau Catholic High School in San Francisco, California, US

    In the future, I want to go to college in the US. Studying in high school here will help me get used to college life in the future. Also, I want to improve my English

    Studying here is not easy. Instead of exams like in China, we have more projects in class. For example, we have to make a PPT about a historical figure and then design a creative item for that person, such as a painting.

    Zhao. 15. Unionville High School in Toronto, Canada

    For me, experience matters. It's good to have the experience of living in another country. Unlike other international students, my parents accompanied me, which makes my life here much easier.

    In Canada. I have more time to develop my interests. I can choose classes I like.

    However, taking the entrance examinations to high school and college at home would be great. It's a shame that I have no chance to do that.

    Zheng. 14. Walsh Jesuit High School in Cleveland, Ohio. US

    I want to try different cultures and education styles. Two years ago, I visited some famous universities in Boston, such as Harvard and MIT. The academic atmosphere(学术氛围) deeply impressed me. Every student seems to spare no effort on academics. I saw students doing morning exercise everywhere and I watched a football game. I found that school life in the US was colorful. So I decided to study in the US.

Differentweather makes people feel different. It influences health, intelligence andfeelings.

InAugust, it is very hot and wet in the northern part of the United States.People there have heart trouble and other kinds of health problems during thismonth. In the Northeast and the Middle West, it is very hot at some times andvery cold at other times. People in these states have more heart trouble afterthe weather changes in February or March.

Theweather can also influence intelligence. For example, in a scientific report,IQ of a group of students was very high when a very strong wind came, but afterthe wind, their IQ was 10% below. The wind can help people have moreintelligence. Very hot weather, on the other hand, can make it lower. Studentsin many schools of the United States often get worse on exams in the hot monthsof the year（July and August）.

Weatheralso has a strong influence on people's feelings. Winter may be a bad time forthin people. They usually feel cold during these months. They might feelunhappy during cold weather. But fat people may have a hard time in hot summer.

Low air pressure may make people forgetful. Research shows that people leave more bags on buses and in shops on low-pressure days. However, at about 18℃, people become healthier and stronger. People feel best at this temperature.

Areyou feeling tired, forgetful or unhappy today? It may be the weather's problem.