We always think that it's OK for us to leave our plants home during our vacation as plants won't scream like pets, right?

    A recent study done by a group of scientists at the Tel Aviv University has discovered that some plants will scream when they are under stress.

    The research was carried out on tomato plants and tobacco plants by cutting their stems (茎) and depriving (剥夺) them of water. A microphone was placed 10cm away from them. When their stems were cut, the plants started "screaming" between 20 and 100 kilohertz, and the scientists guess that this scream is probably meant to warn other plants nearby.

    When the tomato plants' stems were cut, 25 ultrasonic (超声的) pain sounds were recorded in an hour, and at the same time, 15 ultrasonic pain sounds were recorded from the tobacco plants. When they were deprived of water, the tomato plants recorded even more pain sounds with 35 pain sounds in an hour while the tobacco plants recorded about 11 pain sounds.

    The plants also acted differently to different kinds of stresses. For example, the tobacco plants gave out a stronger "scream" when they were deprived of water than when their stems were cut. But plants that were in no immediate (立刻的) danger gave out less than one ultrasonic sound per hour.

    The group of scientists said that plants are not as quiet as we had always thought, but in fact their voices are so high-pitched that we just can't hear them.

    Last year, another study has found out that plants feel pain when they are touched or hurt and they will give off a terrible smell.

Hello, I'm Peter. I come from Japan. I can speak a little Englishand French(法语). But I can't speak Chinese. I get up at 6: 00 andgo to school at 7: 30 in the morning. I ride my bike to school everyday. I usually get to school at 7: 50. I like P. E. best at school. It isexciting. I don't like math. I think it is difficult and boring. I want tovisit China. I want to learn kung fu.

My name is Jill. I come from the USA. I'm 13 years old. I walkto school at 7: 40 a. m. and I get home at 5: 30 in the afternoon. Ihave lunch at school. I like music best. It is relaxing. I want to jointhe music club.

I'm Mark. I'm from the UK. I can speak English and a littleFrench, but I can't speak Japanese. I like art and I want to join the artclub. I also like math, because it is interesting and fun. I have a pen friend in China. His English name is Jack. I want to see him one day

Get Ready for Junior High

New places, new faces, new things to do and new ways to do them ... Are you ready to start your junior high?

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Before the first day of school, take a practice run(路线演习). How long will it take to go to school? After the run, you will know. You don't want to be late for your first class.

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You will have your new timetable(课程表) on the first school day. You can have a copy(副本) for home. Every night, have a look at the timetable and prepare for the next school day.

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If you don't understand the lessons in one of your classes, ask your teachers for help after the class. They will be happy if you try your best!

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You'll have more classes, more homework, and more subjects. So you should make full use of your time. After you get home from school, do your homework first. And make it a habit(习惯).

Remember that the new place will give you a new start. So don't worry!

What do you do to get ready for your junior high? (不超过10个词) {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

Hello, everyone! I'm Ann, 1 13⁃year⁃old girl. Now I live in Hangzhou 2 my family. 

I graduated from Hangzhou Shanghai World Foreign Language Primary School. I love all my3 there. Now, I'm in my first year in Hangzhou Wenlan Middle School. I will do my best4 hard. 

I have5 interests. I'm good 6 English. English is my favorite. I plan7 English by8 classic books, such as Jane Eyre, The Old Man and the Sea and Gone with the Wind. Also, I like playing ping⁃pong and writing stories after school. 

My dream is9 a surgeon(外科医生)so that I can help and save people. I know it will be hard, but as the song We Are All Dream Chasers goes, with the strength(力量)of our hearts, no matter how far away our dreams are, they will come true. 

Let's10 dream chasers together, friends! 

Most of us need friends, but some of us do not know how to make friends. My teacher Mr. Smith gave me some advice

{#blank#}1{#/blank#} you make friends, you must decide who you want to choose to be your friends. Most people like to have friends who like to do the same things {#blank#}2{#/blank#} they do. Think about your favorite things and try talking to your classmates about your {#blank#}3{#/blank#}（hobby）

The quickest way to make {#blank#}4{#/blank#} friend is to smile. If you do so, people think you're friendly. At first, it may not be easy to smile. However, remember that nobody {#blank#}5{#/blank#}（like） a long or cold face

One easy way to talk with people is to say something nice about them. Just think about {#blank#}6{#/blank#} you feel when someone says something nice about you. Doesn't it make you want to keep {#blank#}7{#/blank#}（talk） with a person?

Ask {#blank#}8{#/blank#}（you） new friends questions about them. Who's their favorite singer? Where do they live? Who's their teacher or what do they do after school? Sometimes you can make friends {#blank#}9{#/blank#} （easily） if you ask more questions. 

After making some friends that share the same interests. It's always fun {#blank#}10{#/blank#} （ play） or do something together. And this is the right way to make a friendship closer. 

In the USA, many children need a carpool. A carpool is right for children who live far from school and whose schools don't have school buses.

 Parents are often busy and they don't have enough time to drive their children to school every day. So they think of a new idea. They use a carpool. That means that a group of students shares a car and they go to school by car together. There are usually four or five kids in a carpool. Their parents take turns(轮流) driving the kids in their cars.

 Getting to school in a carpool is convenient(方便的) for parents and students. Students can get to school easily if they choose to go in a carpool. What's more, it can help their parents save a lot of money.

 Teamwork is really important in the carpool because nobody wants to make the others late for class. If you sit in the car and wait for classmates for a long time, you' ll probably get a little unhappy. But your carpool friends might feel the same way when you keep the waiting.

 It's a great lesson in responsibility(责任) that you learn before school ever starts — in the carpool.