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.

    Most people drink tea in the world. But tea does not mean the same thing to different people. In different countries, people have different ideas about drinking tea.

    In China, for example, tea is often served when people get together. Chinese people drink it at home or in tea houses at any time of the day. They often use hot water to boil tea leaves.

    Tea is also important in other Asian countries. People in these countries have a special way of serving tea. They hold a tea ceremony in their houses when important guests come. It is very old and full of meaning. Everything must be done in a special way in the ceremony. There is even a special room for it in their houses.

    In the United States, people usually drink tea at breakfast or they drink it after meals. Americans usually use tea bags to make tea. This way is faster and easier than the way of making tea in teapots. In summer, most Americans drink iced tea. They like to put some ice in their tea.

    Tom and Tim are twins(双胞胎). They are four years old. It's very difficult for people to tell(辨别) who is Tom and who is Tim.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}The two boys like to jump, draw pictures and play ball games.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}But they don't like to take a shower(淋浴).

    Today, Tom and Tim come back from outside(外面).{#blank#}3{#/blank#}.After twenty minutes, Tom goes out.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}Their mother takes Tim into the bathroom(浴室). But the boy doesn't want to go in.

    "No! No! Mom, I'm Tom.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}”

    "Shut up(闭嘴)! I know you are Tim.”

    At that time, the boy out of the bathroom is so happy, because he doesn't need to take a shower today.

    Students learn their lessons in class. In class teachers teach them. Students sit in the classroom and listen to the teacher. This is a way of learning. Is this the only way for students to learn something? Of course not. There is another way to learn. That is teaching themselves. For example, if you can't remember something when you are doing your homework, you can look it up from your book to find the answer. This is a way to teach yourself. And it is not a difficult thing. We can do this at any place and at any time.

    How do you teach yourself? The first thing you must do is reading. Read something you are interested in, or those you have to read. The second is that you must ask yourself questions. The question is something you don't understand, or something you want to know more about it. You can write down these questions. A clever student is usually good at asking questions. The third is to answer the question yourself by thinking hard, by reading the text or other books, and sometimes by asking other people. This is the way of teaching yourself. And you must do this all by yourself. If you keep doing like this for a long time, you are sure to succeed in your study

A. Lost: An ID card. My name is Betty. My telephone number is 867—1234.

B. Found: A purple pencil box. You can call Bill at 256—9856.

C Lost: I lost a ruler. I's blue. If you find it, please call me at 870—2678.

D. Lost: An apple phone. It is a mobile phone. It can store(储存) 500 telephone numbers.

E. Found: An English dictionary. Please call Jim. Phone number: 136— 2796—2311.

{#blank#}1{#/blank#}⑴Tony found a blue ruler in his desk, but it is not his ruler. Whose ruler is it?

{#blank#}2{#/blank#}⑵Mike has an English dictionary, but he can't find it. Can you help him?

{#blank#}3{#/blank#}⑶Linda lost a purple pencil box. There are two pencils and a ruler in it.

{#blank#}4{#/blank#}⑷Peter found a mobile phone last week.

{#blank#}5{#/blank#}⑸Lucy found an ID card in the school library.