As parents, you can help children deal with the fear of natural disasters (自然灾害) and help protect them from being hurt by telling them how disasters happen, and what to do when disasters happen. Here are some tips for you:

◆ Find out what disasters are possible in your area by visiting your local library;

◆ Think about where your family should go if your house is destroyed（毁坏）.

◆ Teach children the warning signs and signals in your area and practice what to do if a disaster happens.

◆ Once you know the danger, ask your children to help check the safety in your house. You and your children can also work together on a disaster plan and prepare a disaster box with food, water and necessary tools.

◆ If a disaster does happen, pay attention to your children's behavior. Changes in behavior, for example, acting strangely, mean that your children need help.

◆ Allow children to share their feelings about what has happened such as drawing a picture or writing a story.  

◆ Let friends and neighbors help you if they can.

◆ Continue to tell your children that they are loved.

阅读理解

    You've got plenty of emails from your mom, and maybe even a few from dear old grandma. But have you ever received a message from a river?

    Now, Ireland's River Lee is sending out much information, thanks to wireless(无线的) technology. In a program called the DEPLOY project, scientists have put some sensors(传感器) in rivers that can find pollution levels.

    Instead of asking scientists to collect water samples several times a day, the government can now examine pollution levels in the water, and find out if there is anything polluted entering the river. This makes it much easier for scientists to protect the environment, since problems can be discovered before a serious pollution accident really happens.

    People in the area can also receive free reports from the river, so that they can find out whether the water is safe for swimming or boating on a certain day. And people can also know if the water is clear enough for them to drink and use.

    The DEPLOY project has not only started in Ireland, also the same programs have started in thousands of places around the U.S. Now you live in a world in which you could receive information with your mobile phone about environment. The technology should help to make us know more about the pollution that surrounds us—which just might get us all a little more involved with trying to clean up our world.

    When some plates(板块)of the Earth move suddenly, an earthquake happens. Many earthquakes begin under the sea. Earthquakes may happen anywhere on the Earth. They often happen near the mountains.

    During an earthquake, the shakings make rocks rise suddenly and even crack(断裂) open. Houses fall down. People are killed or hurt, and sometimes the whole villages or cities are destroyed.

    Can we do something to keep ourselves safe from earthquakes? Scientists have studied earthquakes and made maps that show the “earthquake belt（带）”. In area of these belts, it's possible for earthquakes to happen. In these areas we should build strong houses to fight against earthquakes.

    In the future, Scientists will be able to tell when and where an earthquake will attack before it happens. They can also tell people what to do and how to deal with it.

    You don't have to be a weatherman to tell people about the weather. If you notice the animals, the sky and the world around, you can predict weather on your own.

    Examine the moon or sun, but do not look at the sun directl or it will hurt your eyes seriously. If you see a ring around the sun or moon, then warm weather follows. A golden ring around the moon warns us that a storm is on the way. A watery yellow sunset is a sign that rain may be near. Feel the direction of the wind. A wind blowing from the east shows that a storm will probably happen. A wind from the west means a sunny day. Monitor the clouds. There are three things about clouds you should look for: movement, color, and change. As a rule , the higher the clouds, the better the weather.  And the lower the clouds , the worse the weather will be.

    The rainbow has a message, too. If you see the sun in the east and a rainbow in the west, the rain may be coming your way. If the sun is in the west and the rainbow is in the east, the rain will be moving away from you. Look at your shoes as you walk through the grass in the morning. If the grass is wet with dew (露珠), then you can expect dry weather. But if the grass is dry, then it will be wise of you to take your umbrella.

    Life in space is much different from life on earth. How do astronauts live in space?

    Eating    In the past, astronauts could only eat small pieces of dried food. But now they are able to eat more everyday food like fruit, vegetables and ice-cream.

    Sleeping    All the people on the ISS（国际空间站）have their own rooms. They should be tied（系）to their beds, or they'll fly away! That seems like a hard way to sleep, but astronauts say sleeping is really not too bad.

    Exercising    This is more important in space than on earth. Astronauts exercise on bikes and other machines（机器）for about two hours every day. That way, they can still be healthy when they get back home.

    Having fun    Astronauts can read books, play cards, listen to music or send emails to their friends and families when they aren't working. Sometimes they just sit and look out of the window. It's also much fun!

    We know people can be nice, but what about animals?

    Scientists say that some animals are capable(有能力的)of being nice. Animals that live in groups-like foxes, chimpanzees(大猩猩), and elephants-follow rules. They have to follow rules to get along and to survive(生存). However, animals can act nicely, even when they don't have to. Here are some surprising stories about animal behavior.

    Most people usually walk away when someone is unkind to them. Marc Bekoff, a researcher at the University of Colorado, saw a female(母的)red fox do just that. The female fox was unhappy because a male(公的)fox played roughly(粗鲁地)with her. When she walked away, the male fox showed her that he wanted to play nicely. He lowered his head and rolled on his back. The female fox gave him another chance, and this time, he played more gently.

    Geza Teleki is a scientist who studies chimpanzees in Tanzania. One day, Teleki hiked far away from his campsite. He didn't have any food. Teleki wanted some fruit from a tree, but the tree was too tall. A young chimpanzee watched him curiously as he tried to get something to eat. The chimpanzee climbed the tree, picked the fruit, and gave it to him!

    An elephant in Kenya hurt his trunk(象鼻子). He needed help because he couldn't put food into his mouth. Researcher Kayhan Ostovar watched silently. He saw the hurt elephant show his sore trunk to a healthy elephant. The healthy elephant didn't need any more information. He took a bush and put it carefully into his new friend's mouth.

    Hippos(河马)and crocodiles are usually good friends. They hang out together in rivers. But Karen Paolillo, a wildlife expert in Zimbabwe, saw something surprising. One day, a crocodile tried to eat a monkey that was next to a river. A hippo ran quickly to the crocodile and chased it away. Why did the hippo attack(攻击)the crocodile? Paolillo says hippos sometimes protect other animals from crocodiles.