Why do plants grow in some places but not in others? Why does some land have so many plants growing on it, while other land has almost no plants growing on it at all?

    To grow, plants need several things. One is warmth. In very cold places almost nothing grows. Plants also need water. In very dry parts of the Earth only a few unusual plants can grow. That's why there are almost no trees or grass in dry deserts.

    Plants must also have a place to put down their roots and grow. They find it difficult to grow on hard land. The town is built(被建立) on hard land. The plants there have only the soil between the cracks of the stones to grow in.

    Another thing plants must have before they can grow is food. What will happen if we try to make things grow on the sandy beach? A few plants, such as grass, will grow in sand, but most plants won't. Even if the weather is warm enough and we water the plants each day, many of them will die because the sand on this beach has almost no food for plants.

Computer

    There are all kinds of machines. They are used in many different ways. One kind of machines is called computer. A computer can do many things. A computer can do maths problems. People can do maths problems,too. But they can't do it as fast as a computer. Computers remember things. Computers remember everything people tell them. People can not remember as many things as computers. Computers help to tell what the weather will be like. Computers help to fly rockets and spaceships.

    There are a lot of ways computers are used. They are used in thousands of ways. But they are not alwaysused in the same way. Some computers do just a few things. Some computers can do a lot of things. There are huge (巨大的) computers. There are small computers, too. There may be computers in your school. Do you know what they do?

    Sometimes we meet people who change us. They bring magic(魔法) into our lives. Bridge to Terabithia (《通往特雷比西亚的桥》), the latest movie from Walt Disney, tells us such a story.

    Jess Aarons is a different kind of kid. He doesn't have too many friends in school. He is distant (疏远的) from his family as well. Jess wants to be the fastest runner in his school. He spends all of his time training for a race.

    But something strange happens. He's beaten, not by a boy but by a girl! As you might think, his pride is hurt.

    You wouldn't think Jess, and the girl, Leslie, would become friends. But the two kids open up to each other. Leslie shares her love of magic with Jess. Jess loves drawing. But before meeting Leslie he's never told anyone about it.

    Together they discover a secret world. They get to it by using a rope to swing across a river. There they fight against their enemies, from the Dark Master to school bullies (欺负弱小者).

    Can the kids beat their enemies? See the film and find it out for yourself.

    Being street smart is an important skill tohave and a good way to take care of yourself.

    Always carry your phone with you, but do notlook at1 whileyou are walking. Being able to communicate or call for help is important, so keepa list of useful numbers. But put your phone away while you are walking so thatyou can keep your2 upand see what's going on around. If you do need to check your phone,3 andlook at it quickly.

    Don't wear earphones4 you are out. If you have to5 something when you're out, use only oneearphone or play it at a very low volume(音量).

    Travel with6 or family members when possible and never go anywherewith a stranger. It's7 tobe careful with strangers. Remember not to get into a stranger's car if they callyou over.

  8 darkand out-of-the-way places. Do not take short cuts through dark areas, even if itwill make your trip much faster. If you have to go to unsafe places, go9 someone you know or speak to someone over the phonewhile you are there.

    Run and shout if you feel unsafe. Run away asfast as you can towards a police station, hospital, or nearby business for10.Shout as loudly as you can to get the attention of people nearby.

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.

青春期是人生发展的重要阶段，成为更好的自己是每一位青少年的孜孜追求。学校英文报刊发起"成为更好的自己"的征文活动，主题涉及"与人相处"、"生活方式"、"学习习惯"、"兴趣爱好"、"独立自主"等方面。请你结合自身经历，谈谈如何成为更好的自己。内容包括：(1)从上述几个方面任选2项，谈谈自己的经历和计划；(2)呼吁大家珍惜当下，把握青春，做更好的自己；

作文要求：(1)不能照抄原文不得在作文中出现学校的真实名称和考生的真实姓名；(2)语句连贯，词数 80个左右。作文的开头已经给出，不计入总词数，也不必抄写在答题卡上。

At the stage of puberty, I am going to make myself better.