Miss Kate taught physics in a New York school. Last month she was explaining to one of her classes about sound, and she decided to test them to see how well they had understood her explanation. She said to them, "Now, I have a brother in Los Angeles. If I was calling him on the phone, and at the same time you were 80 meters away, and were listening to me from across the street, which of you would hear what I said earlier, my brother or you and for what reason?"

A boy at once answered, " Your brother, Miss Kate, because electricity travels faster than sound waves(声波).

"That's very good." Miss Kate said, but then Jenny said, "I don't agree. Your brother would hear you earlier because it is 11 o'clock here, it's only eight o'clock in Los Angeles."

You probably don't think about soil often, but the following report may help you learn about science of soil.

What is soil made of?

Soil is made of sediments (沉积物) and humus(腐殖质). Sediment is small pieces of rock broken down over time by rain, ice, and wind. Sediment is often found in water. Humus comes from decayed(腐烂的) plants and animals. It helps give plants a lot of the food they need to grow.

How does soil form?

Over centuries, rock breaks down into very small pieces.

The rock pieces mix with humus.

The humus gets thicker and thicker over time. Soil is formed(形成)l

How are soils different?

Soils can be different colors and have different textures(质感). Texture is how the surface of an object feels. Color and texture are two features(特征) of soil.

Plants and soil

Plants do not grow well in some soils. Sandy soi1 is too dry. It does not hold water. Soil with too much clay is too thick. Most plants grow well in dark, rich garden soil that has different sediments and a lot of humus in it.

    Online schools are becoming very popular with many people today. And now, even regular students are going in for online education. As it leaves them with enough time to do other things, such as a part-time job or a hobby, along with studying. However, as with everything, there are two sides about online schooling.

    Let's start with the good side. Online schools cost very little. You don't have to spend money on books, or bus fees. Also, since you can work along with studying at an online schools, you would not need to take an education loan. Another benefit of going to school online is the freedom it provides. You can study wherever you want—in your house, at a cafe or even in a park. Some people who want to study further, now no longer have to take a break in their jobs, thanks to online schools.

    However, those students who often need a push from their teachers to do well have a very high chance of not doing well at online schools. When studying in a class, different topics in a given subject are discussed and different students give their points of view. This is something that online schooling cannot provide.

    Also, there are many employers who prefer students with a regular and traditional degree to those who have an online degree. The employers feel that students who go to full-time colleges have more knowledge compared to those who have online degrees.

    In general, it can be said online schools are good for some, while others should give them up! A person should see the situation he is in and then decide whether or nor to choose an online school.

    Members of an international organization are called the Global Greeters. They offer travelers the chance to get to know a city as well as local people do.

    Unlike the professional guides(专业导游), the volunteer greeters act more like neighbours. They take visitors to visit the city–either on foot or public traffic—to discover favourite neighbourhoods, cafes and parks.

    All the programs work a little differently, but the basics(基本项目) are the same. The tours are free and last anywhere for two or four hours. Volunteers can be all ages, and their ages and interests try to match the travelers.

    New York City(USA)

    Big Apple Greeter is the pioneer “welcome visitor” program founded in 1992 by New Yorker Lynn Brooks. More than 300 volunteers now can welcome guests from all over the world in 22 languages. Greeters explain the New York City subway and bus systems and show guests around one or more of their favourite neighbourhoods. Like many greeter organizations, Big Apple accepts online donations to help with its daily costs.

    Houston(USA)

    Houston Greeters will organize activities such as golf, biking or an outing to an Astros game(太空人队的比赛). Another activity is to arrange a tour in need of a particular interest.

    Chicago(USA)

    Chicago Greeters help visitors visit one of the city's many famous neighbourhoods. The group organizes walks through Ukrainian Village on the Near North Side and Andersonville, home to Scandinavian restaurants and shops and Middle Eastern bakeries. Guides will also organize tours around themes such as fashion, film or public art.

    France

    In France, English speaking volunteers for Parisien d'un Jour lead visitors through hidden corners of Paris, often ending with a lively discussion on a café balcony. Guides in Lyon organize walks around themes such as shopping, markets and sports.

    Can you imagine a world without a writing system for your language? It may be hard to picture it now, but a man named Sequoyah lived in such a world. Sequoyah was a member of a native American tribe(部落), the Cherokee. Cherokee people speak their own language, but for hundreds of years they did not have a system of writing. Without a writing system, the Cherokee had no newspapers or books before 1809.

    Sequoyah was probably born around the year 1770 and lived with his mother in a small village in the mountains of Tennessee. When he grew up, he became a blacksmith(铁匠). When he was doing business with those “English-speaking people”, he noticed that they used paper with marks to record their thoughts and ideas. Sequoyah called these pieces of paper with marks “talking leaves”. He began to wonder why people who spoke Cherokee did not have a way to write down their words.

    In 1809, Sequoyah decided to give the Cherokee their own “talking leaves”. At first he tried to make a different symbol for every word in the Cherokee language. But in that case, there would be so many symbols and too hard for people to remember, so he decided to make a picture for each syllable (音节). After much hard work, Sequoyah invented 85 symbols. In order to see whether it would work, he helped his six-year-old daughter Ayoka learn each symbol and found she could learn to read and write very quickly. Sequoyah's invention was a success!

    Before long, Sequoyah's writing system had spread far and wide. Cherokee people living in all different parts of the country learned to read and write. In 1825, Sequoyah's system was made the official written language for Cherokee people. To this day, Cherokee speakers still use Sequoyah's writing system. In some parts of the United States, you can see street signs and billboards written in both English and Cherokee. Sequoyah will always be remembered for his important contribution（贡献）to Cherokee people.

根据短文内容，回答下列问题。

    Our dog Abbey died last month. My 4-year-old daughter Lucy missed her a lot and asked if we could write a (A) __________to God to make sure he could (B) look after Abbey well. I told Lucy that I thought we could, and she dictated (口述) these words:

Dear God,

    Will you please take care of my dog? She died yesterday and is with you in heaven. I miss her very much. I am happy that you let me have her as my dog even though she got (C) sick. I hope you will play with her. She likes to swim and play with balls. I am sending a picture of her so when you see her you will know that she is my dog. I really miss her.

Love,

Lucy

    We put the letter in an envelope with a picture of Abbey and Lucy and addressed it to God/Heaven. Yesterday, we received a package addressed "To Lucy" with this note:

Dear Lucy,

    Abbey has arrived in heaven.

    (D) 她不再生病。Her spirit is here with me just like it stays in your heart. Abbey loved being your dog. You don't need to worry about (E) her. She's being looked after very well here. Thank you for the beautiful letter and thank your mother for helping you write it and sending it to me. You have a wonderful mother. I send my blessings every day and remember that I (F) __________you very much. (G) By the way, I'm easy to find. I am wherever there is love.