Every living thing on Earth is either a plant or an animal, right? Wrong! Many organisms（有机体）in our world are neither. Some of them float through the air, and some lie hidden in the ground. They do not need sunlight to survive, and if the weather becomes too cold, they can become inactive until conditions improve.

    What are these? They are called fungi(菌类), and you see them almost every day. Many kinds of fungi seem disgusting, such as the green black things that appear on the food which are left too long in the refrigerator. But other kinds are not so bad. For example, the yeast that is used to make bread and mushrooms (蘑菇) are both fungi.

    What makes fungi different from plants and animals? An animal can move around by itself. Fungi get around too, but they don't have feet, wings, or tails. They have to wait for wind or some other outside force to move them. Plants are different from fungi because they have chlorophyll（叶绿素）. It helps them make food from the energy in sunlight. Fungi do not have chlorophyll.

    Some fungi are bad, while others are not. Some fungi cause diseases, such as athlete's foot, which makes feet uncomfortable. Other kinds of fungi can be used to make medicines, which have saved many lives.

    Fungi clean up more than wounds, though. They are the world's first recyclers. Without fungi, our world would be a mess. Since fungi cannot make their own food as plants do, they must get their food elsewhere. Many fungi get their food from dead plants. They break them down and turn them into soil. The fungi get a meal, and the world gets a housecleaning.

Abingdon School Open Day

    The Open Day this year will be on Saturday, 1 October 2011. The Open Day is for all the family, with activities and displays(展示) about all aspects(方面) of the school. All the teachers, students and parents will attend. The day starts at 9:30 a. m. and finishes at 2:30 p.m.  You are welcome to arrive at any time during the lessons in the morning and afternoon. Please read the outline of Open Day events.

    If you can't come to the Open Day, that's all right. There are many other chances(机会) to visit Abingdon School

    St Helen School and St Katharine School Open Day will be on the same date, so you can also visit those two.

    Parking at the school on the Open Day may be limited(有限的), so you can also park your cars in Lotus Supermarket's car park.  It's just a three-minute walk away.

The map of Abingdon School can be found on the school website-www. abingdon. edu.

Nowadays the TikTok app  is welcome in many countries. In China, it's {#blank#}1{#/blank#} app called Douyin. Over 1 billion people use the app, not only adults but also children. It's easy {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(see) people watch short videos everywhere, at home, on the bus, on the train…People do many kinds of {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(thing) on Douyin, such as shopping, singing songs, dancing, cooking, making funny short videos and so on. More and more {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(famous) TV or film stars join them, they sell a lot of products on Douyin. Are you a {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(fan) of them? Do you want toknow {#blank#}6{#/blank#} to shop on Douyin? Here are some steps.

●Come into a live stream.

●Choose which products you want.

●Pay for {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(this) products.

●Wait for 2—3 days, and you'll receive them.

Most people are able to do Douyin shopping. It can {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(change) our life. But many people still worry {#blank#}9{#/blank#} the quality of the products. Also, people will buy too many things that are useless for them.{#blank#}10{#/blank#} it's important to shop on Douyi n properly*.

I'm Sara. I'm a middle school student. At school, we have nice subjects—math, English, Chinese, science, geography, history, art, P.E. and music. My mother is a Chinese teacher and she says Chinese is beautiful and important. I like Chinese. I always read Chinese books before I go to bed. I also like history. It is my favorite subject. Mr. Brown is great fun. In his history class, I can learn many interesting stories.

Mr. Green is my math teacher. He says math is useful and interesting, but I think it is boring. My science teacher, Mrs. Smith, is nice. I listen to (听) her carefully (认真地) in class. But I can't do well in the science exam. I don't know why. This subject is really difficult for me.

We always have art, P.E. or music in the afternoon. For me, the classes in the afternoon are fun and relaxing. In the P.E. class, I like to play ping-pong with my P. E. teacher. Mrs. Miller plays very well.

Have you ever read Little Women by US writer Louisa May Alcott? The classic has been changed into plays, films and television programs many times because of its popularity since it came out in 1868. It tells a story of a mother raising her four daughters, while their dad is away fighting a war. Meg, the eldest, wants to live a better life very much. Jo, the second-born, wants nothing more than to be a writer. Beth is a sweet girl who loves music and always brings joy to others. The youngest daughter, Amy, dreams of being an artist. The girls feel hopeful about the future even though their dreams may not come true. 

After reading Little Women, I have a feeling of warmth and kindness from the family. 

Dads have Father's Day. Mums have Mother's Day. Kids have Children's Day. But, do our grandparents have a special holiday? Yes, they do!

The Double Ninth Festival is a special day for elderly people in China. The festival is on the ninth day of the ninth month of the lunar calendar. As the Chinese word for nine has the same sound as the word for long, people take the Double Ninth Festival to show their wishes for long life to the old. 

There are many traditions for this festival. On that day, families get together and climb mountains for luck and in the hope that elderly people will live much longer. They also drink chrysanthemum wine(菊花酒) and wear a plant called zhuyu to celebrate it. Both chrysanthemum and zhuyu are regarded as clean plants that can clean houses and treat diseases. 

Respecting(尊重) the old is shown not only on this special day but also in daily life. For example, when an older person enters a room, everyone stands up. When there are several guests at the table, the host usually introduces them from the oldest to the youngest. When a younger person is giving something to an older person, two hands are used. On a crowded underground or bus, younger people always offer their seats to the old. 

It is a traditional virtue(美德) in China to respect elderly people. That's because the Chinese know that elderly people have knowledge and experience that young people can learn from. So, Chinese people are proud of being old. Besides, to respect the elderly people is to respect yourself tomorrow.