Green is an important color in nature. It is the color of grass and the leaves on trees. It is the color of most growing plants, too.

Sometimes, the word green means young, fresh and growing. Sometimes, it describes something that is not yet finished or plants that are not ripe.

For example, a greenhorn is someone who has no experience, who is new to a situation. In the fifteenth century, a greenhorn was a young cow or ox whose horns had not yet developed. A century or so later, a greenhorn was a soldier who had not yet had any experience in war (战争) .By the eighteenth century, a greenhorn had the meaning it has today——a person who is new in a job.

About one hundred years ago, greenhorn was a popular expression in the American west Old—timers used it to describe a man who had just arrived from one of the big cities in the east. The greenhorn didn't have the skills that he would need to live in the hard, rough country.

Someone who has the ability to grow plants well is said to have a green thumb. The expression comes from the early nineteen hundred.

A person with a green thumb seems to have a magic touch that makes plants grow quickly and well. You might say that the woman next door has a green thumb if her garden continues to grow long after your plants have died.

The Green Revolution (革命) is the name which was given some years ago to the development of new kinds of rice and other grains. The new plants produced much larger crops. The Green Revolution was the result of hard work by agricultural (农业的) scientists who had green thumbs.

Giraffes are the tallest animals on the Earth. Male giraffes can grow to a h{#blank#}1{#/blank#}of about 17 feet. An adult giraffe can look into your bedroom window on the second floor.

Giraffes only live on the continent of Africa. The only giraffes in China are f{#blank#}2{#/blank#}in zoos or animal parks. V{#blank#}3{#/blank#}love to see the giraffes because they are so tall.

Giraffes love to eat leaves. With their longest necks, they can e{#blank#}4{#/blank#}eat leaves from the tops of trees. Giraffes don't d {#blank#}5{#/blank#}much water. They get much of the water they need from the leaves they eat.

You can learn a lot in a club. After you join a club, you can know how to play basketball, how to cook or how to speak English. These new things make you better. Also, good chances like a basketball match, a music festival or an English show, are easy to get when you are in a club. 

In a club, you can meet new people and make friends with them. Then, you can play games and have a great time with them. They can be your teachers too, and you can get new things from them. 

At last, joining a club makes you busy. You always have things to do, so your life will be quite interesting. 

Some Useful Ways to Cheer You Up

No one can be happy all the time. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Here are some suggestions for you when you are in a bad mood.

{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Friends can help each other by realizing that they are not alone in their feelings. Talking to parents is important, too. Parents can share their own experiences of dealing with bad moods. Teachers are also there to talk with you and make you feel better.

Do some exercise. Go for a run, play some tennis, ride your bike, or punch a punching bag（打沙袋）. They can help you get over from your bad moods.

Get enough sleep. Though it can be hard to find enough time, getting enough rest is very important. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

Make your feelings on paper. Writing can help you express your thoughts and feelings. Painting, music or other art forms are also helpful.

Feel easy to cry. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}In fact, it often makes a person feel better. If you find that you are sad, bored, or hopeless much of the time, or if you just can't seem to feel happy, you can have a cry. It can help you feel relaxed.