A tornado (龙卷风) is a kind of strong storm with air which moves in a circle quickly. They can move over 200 miles per hour and cause a lot of damage (损坏). As they move across the land, they can easily pick up cars, trucks, and even houses, and then throw them very far. It is important to find a safe place if a tornado gets close.

A safe place could be a basement ( 地下室) or the lowest floor. If you are in a home without a basement, try to find a first-floor bathroom or a small room without windows in the middle of your house. You should curl up (蜷缩) into a ball and cover your head and neck with your hands.

But there are some people who actually want to get close to tornadoes. They are scientists who want to learn more about tornadoes. One of the best ways to do this is to get as close as possible to the tornado. They use special tools to measure (测量) what is happening in and around a tornado.

One special tool is called a tornado probe ( 探测仪). Inside the tornado probe, there are sensors (传感器) to measure wind speed, temperature, pressure, and direction.

Some probes even have cameras, so the scientists can see and understand what it's like to be in a tornado.

To be able to get these measurements, the scientists have to get a tornado probe near or into a tornado. Scientists will try to guess where a tornado will go next. Then they drive to that location and put down the probe. If they do not guess correctly, they pick up their probe and try another place. If they are right, the tornado will go near or even right over the probe. Then they take all of the measurements

from the probe and use them to predict where future tornadoes may form (形成) and travel. And they can give people some warning to keep away from a dangerous tornado.

If you have seen the movie Journey to the Center of the Earth(《地心历险记》), you may wonder about the underground forest world. But such worlds can really be found in real life, too!

In early May 2022, a team of Chinese scientists and explorers found a large sinkhole (天坑) in Leye county, Guangxi. It is 306 meters long, 150 meters wide and 192 meters deep. "It didn't take us long to reach ground to walk on at first. We soon realized that we were nowhere close to the bottom of the 192-meter-deep sinkhole." Li Xinchen said. They also found trees up to 40 meters high and plants that came up to their shoulders, which makes it hard for scientists to walk in the forest. For them, the underground forest is almost like a spider web (网).

According to Xinhua News Agency, the local people in Leye county are no strangers to sinkholes. The county is called "the museum of sinkholes" where people have found 30 sinkholes so far. These sinkholes are formed because of the special karst landscape (喀斯特地貌). Karst is an area of land made up of limestone (石灰岩), which is a soft rock that can be easily mixed with water. When rain water flows through little cracks (裂缝) in the bedrock, the cracks are slowly enlarged. Over time, as the underground structure of the land becomes too weak to support the surface (表面) of the earth and then it falls slowly, opening up huge sinkholes. What's amazing is the great size of China's sinkholes.

"In China, they have this unbelievable karst with large sinkholes. In other parts of the world sinkholes might be far more undersized, only a meter or two in diameter (直径)," US researcher George Veni told Live Science. Sinkholes don't just look cool, they are gifts of life. Many of them are home to ancient plants, animal and microbe (微生物) lives. They also provide water for 700 million people worldwide.

The new year is coming with wishes and hopes. Do you want to make a change?

James Green, 13, the US Last year I wasn't {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(开心的). I got tired of going to the hospital and taking much medicine, so I hope to be healthier this year. I plan to climb {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(山岳) and go cycling every weekend to make myself stronger. I hope I can {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(保持) it. 

Emma Smith, 14, the UK

I am good at playing {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(排球) and I'm in the school team. This year we will play {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(对抗) the SUPER. We all wish to {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(打败) them to show we are the best. However, it won't be easy, so we need to spend more time {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(训练) harder. 

Zhang Chenxi, 15, China

I want to get into an excellent school in our city. Only top students have the {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(时机) to get there. I am poor at maths but I will work harder to{#blank#}9{#/blank#}(改善) it. The most important is I should be{#blank#}10{#/blank#}(安静的) in class than before. 

Going out for a picnic is a good way to play with others. A lot of people would like to go{#blank#}1{#/blank#}a picnic when they have time. If you're one of them, here are{#blank#}2{#/blank#}things you have to know.

Where to go

It can be a park, a zoo, a hill or a farm. They are all very good and right for your picnic.

Who to go with

You can ask your friends, your family or your{#blank#}3{#/blank#} to go with you. They can {#blank#}4{#/blank#}you a lot. For example（例如), they can look after（照顾）you when you're in need.

{#blank#}5{#/blank#}to take with you

You can take bags with some food, drinks and anything you need.{#blank#}6{#/blank#}it may be heavy to take many things. If you go with others, you can ask them to take some{#blank#}7{#/blank#}things.

What to do

You can get some water, cook food and go{#blank#}8{#/blank#}. You can fly a kite, too.

What NOT to do

Don't play with water. Don't litter（乱扔）here and there.

When I was eight, I got a book about stars. That was the beginning of my lifetime hobby. 

I used to go outside with my mum at night and look at the sky. After stars {#blank#}1{#/blank#}, the sky looked like black velvet(天鹅绒) with millions of diamonds(钻石). How beautiful and {#blank#}2{#/blank#}! I shared the {#blank#}3{#/blank#} of seeing stars with my mother. 

Studying stars is great fun for me. Once I learn a little about stars, I soon want {#blank#}4{#/blank#} more. I never {#blank#}5{#/blank#} lonely on my way because stars are always there. Now it is my career. 

Actually, everyone can turn their hobby into their career, too. Anybody has a chance to achieve their dreams. You just need to enjoy what you do!