Have you ever had lucid (清醒的) dreams? Recent studies suggest that the number of people having them is on the rise. Someone having a lucid dream realizes they are dreaming and may from then on" direct" the action, or they may simply " watch" the dream unfold. The sense of awareness (知道) makes it different from a dream that is simply very lively and true to life. And although the description may seem strange, the process is far from alien to many of us.

Studies suggest that the number of people in the Western world experiencing lucid dreams, which happen once in a while, has risen by between 10 and 40 per cent since the 1980s. Today, they are so common that about one in eight of us will have one in our lives. But still, little is known about what causes them or what is behind the rise.

Research carried out at the respected Harvard University in the US shows that the brain is working hard during lucid dreams. In fact, the level of the mental (精神

的) activity in some parts of the brain is similar to that of a person who is awake. Lucid dreamers seem to share certain personal characters. For example, in general they are quite creative. They are also good at digging deep into problems and going out of their way to solve them. Furthermore, they always believe in personal responsibility rather than letting society carry the can.

Our nightmares (噩梦) may show our waking worries, with the five most common ones-- falling, being run after, feeling disabled, being late and the death of a loved one. Men are more likely to have nightmares about fights or being fired while hair and tooth loss appear more in women's nightmares-perhaps showing worries about losing their looks. Research has also found that women have more nightmares than men. Their dreams are also scarier and more unforgettable.

Life in the future will be different from life today. Many changes will happen. But what will the changes be?

The population (人口) is growing fast. There will be more people in the world and most of them will live longer than people live now. 

Computers will be much smaller and more useful, and there will be at least one in every home. And computer studies will be one of the important subjects in school then. People will work fewer hours than they do now and they will have more free time for sports, watching TV and travelling. Travelling will be much cheaper and easier. 

There will be changes in our food, too. More land will be used for building new towns and houses for all the people. Then there will be less room for cows and sheep, so meat will be more expensive. Maybe no one will eat it every day. Instead (相反), they will eat more fruit and vegetables. Maybe people will be healthier. Work in the future will be different, too. Robots will do dangerous and hard work. Because of this, many people will not have enough (足够的) work to do. This will be a problem. 

When I was in the third grade，I watched a video that showed the discovery of King Tutankhamen's tomb（陵墓）.I remember Carter，going through a narrow hole in the tomb with a candle.A workman asked what he could see."Wonderful things!"Carter said.From that moment，I knew what I wanted to do with my life.

So I decided what I wanted to be at the age of nine，and I made it happen.Seems easy，right？Not quite!The road wasn't easy!I did my studies—university（博士）.But along the way I was told many things，"Shawki was too young and she had no experience.She should get married and have kids".I also needed money（申请补助金）.The first five replies I got said no.Six months later the last reply came and I was excited about it.Finally，I could start my own digging.

Today，I'm lucky to work as an archaeologist（考古学家）.I study the lives of people who lived in Egypt's Nile Delta（埃及的尼罗河三角洲）

For anyone thinking about a job，I would say：Never give up.If you want to do something.keep trying.If people tell you"no"，use that—it will push you.At the beginning

Second，focus on your goals.You don't have to follow people.If they say something has never been done，make it happen.You may be the first to do it!There are always challenges

Nature is amazing! Take a close look at the world of insects, and you'll discover many unbelievable things. Consider butterflies (蝴蝶), for example. They have beautiful wings and magical flying skills. On summer days, you always see them flying freely over flower gardens and wild fields.

But did you know how butterflies become the flying insects? It is one of the wonders of nature. In the beginning, the mother lays a small and colourful egg on a leaf or stem of a plant. It is hard to believe that the egg will become something completely different in a few days. It becomes a walking insect. This insect is called a caterpillar. It now has legs, eyes and a large body. A new life begins. The caterpillar can eat, walk and see. But it is still not a butterfly.

Soon, after growing big, the caterpillar makes a cover for itself. It covers itself in the nice protective blanket (保护层) and goes to sleep. This is known as the "pupa (蛹)" stage. After some time, the blanket breaks and a wet butterfly appears. It now has six legs, a mouth, eyes and wings. Shortly, the beautiful butterfly spreads (张开) its wings and flies away. After a few weeks, this butterfly lays her eggs, and the cycle (循环) begins all over again.

This is just one example of the wonders of nature. Look around the natural world, and you will learn many truly amazing things.

Rock climbing（攀岩） did not become a sport until late in the 1900s. But now it has become a popular outdoor activity. While rock climbing may still be necessary for mountain climbing，most people just climb low mountains for fun. 

If you have ever done rock climbing，you will know that it is not a very easy sport. Indoor and outdoor rock climbing both need practice. What most people don't know is that rock climbing is one of the sports that depend on your body and mind（意志）. 

To climb successfully，one must use wonderful skills. One of the important rules is to always have three parts of your body on the rock face. Another important rule is that your arms only hold you close to the rock face while your legs are pushing you up，the closer you are to the rock face，the easier it is to climb. 

Rock climbing is a wonderful sport. Once you start to learn how to climb，you'll find more fun. People who like games such as chess playing or problem—solving may love rock climbing，because they are nearly the same in the way of thinking. For anyone who wants to get into beautiful shape，rock climbing is a fun and good way. Anyone who enjoys a difficult game and loves the outdoors should think of taking rock climbing as a new hobby.