The power of nature

    There are some things in nature that we cannot stop from happening. We cannot stop the power of nature. A flood comes when there is too much water on the land. Sometimes， it is after a big storm when too much rain falls on the land. Sometimes it is after a big storm at sea， when too much sea water comes onto the land. The fast flood water can hurt us and can hurt our homes. We cannot stop a flood from coming， but we can try to stop the water from coming into our homes. We can try to stop the water by making a wall. We can use sandbags to make the wall.

    An earthquake comes when the land moves. The land goes up and down and in different directions. Then land can crack（断裂）. An earthquake can hurt us. We can get hurt by things that fall down in an earthquake. Falling things can start fires. We cannot stop an earthquake from coming， but we can try to make our homes strong so that they will not fall down in an earthquake.

    A tornado（龙卷风）is fast air that goes around and around over the land. A tornado can pick up anything. It can break anything that is in the way. A hurricane（飓风）is a big storm with fast winds and strong rain. It begins at the sea and can come onto the land. Its fast winds can hurt us and our homes. We cannot stop a tornado or a hurricane from coming， but we can get out of its way. We cannot stop the power of nature， but we can go to places where we can be safe.

    Americans love sports--they love to play them, to watch them on television, and to talk about them. But this hobby sometimes has serious results-- at least to the players. For example, when people play tennis, sometimes they hurt their elbows(肘部) and in this way they develop "tennis elbow". Also it is easy to hurt a knee in a football game. These injuries happen while the player is having fun, but they still hurt.

    A few months ago Kathleen Simmons, who loves playing volleyball, hurt her knee in a volleyball game. Her doctor told her that she needed a very difficult operation(手术) or she might not be able to play again. She felt very sad and didn't know what to do.

    Then Simmons learned about "video operation". Simmons found a hospital that was using this new science and went to see the doctor there. The doctors told her the operation could help.

    For this operation, her doctor didn't have to open her knee. Instead he put a very small camera lens(镜头)inside her knee. The lens sent back pictures, which appeared on a television screen. As he worked, he could see the inside of her knee on the TV. With the help of the large pictures on the screen, the doctor knew exactly what to do when he was making the repairs.

    Simmons started walking five days after her operation. Now, six months after her operation, Simmons can do everything she did before her injury. She can play volleyball again."

Information Card

    Farming in the USA today is very different from that 100 years ago. In those days, farmers did not have many machines to help them. They had animals. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}This meant that farms were smaller than they are now. Farmers also worked in a different way in the past. In those days, farmers grew fruits and vegetables and kept cows, pigs and chickens to feed their families. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Farmers have a very special life in many ways. First of all, they can't leave the job at the end of the day. They live on the farm and there is always work to do. Second, a lot of farm work is outdoors, so the weather is very important for farmers. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} A lot of bad weather means farmers will lose money. Finally, farmers work with plants and animals. They understand nature better than other people do.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Spring is a time for planting. Farmers are busy getting the fields ready and then planting the seeds(种子). In summer, farmers must take good care of the plants. Some may need water. Other plants may have problems with insects or diseases. Then in fall, the fruits or plants are ready for picking. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Winter is a time for rest or for work on the farm machines.

A. Farm work changes with the seasons.

B. That is a very busy time for farmers.

C. But animals work slowly compared to machines.

D. It is also important for the success of their farms.

E. Today farmers grow things on the farms so they can sell them.

    I am a student of a middle school. My class teacher is Mrs. Green. She is more than 30 years old. She is our English and History teacher. She is strict(严格) and at the same time she is very kind.

    In our school, there is a playground. We do morning exercises, play basketball and volleyball there. Our PE teacher, Mr. Jackson teaches us to do ball games. He was once a successful sportsman. He is our hero. Our school also has a swimming pool. We take swimming lessons there.

    Our school building is very large and the school hall is on the ground floor. Every year, we have a prize—giving ceremony(颁奖典礼)in the hall.

    Connor Bloom had an amazing two weeks at Stanford University this summer. Eyery part of the experience was amazing. The particle accelerator(粒子加运器), the chance to meet like minded kids from across the world? You guessed it. . .

    Bloom, 14, an eighth-grader at Whitefish Middle School in Montana, US, participated in a special camp at Stanford University. The camp holds many different classes for students who want to challenge(挑战)themselves.

    When Bloom looked online and saw that Stanford was to hold the "Gified Youth" program, he signed up(报名). "I like physics and math. 1like to study new things and find out everything about them, "said Bloom. " That's what made me want to sign up. "

    He handed in his test scores from fifth grade on, wrote an article and got recommendation(推荐)letters from teachers. Bloom stood out among thousands of students and got the invitation.

    Bloom had a great time with 86 students from all over the world. On the first day, they learned college-level math. Over the next four days they got to work in laboratories(实验室). They even touched a dead body to learn about how the human body works.

    In the second week, they saw the school's particle accelerator, "I never saw such a machine before, "said Bloom. " But it was just the mental workout(智力测验)1 was hoping for. "

    Bloom did more than just study for two weeks. He made friends with students from China, India and Japan. He worked together with other students in class to learn better. He spent his free time with kids who were also music fans.

    "Once we got to know each other, we helped each other out, "he said. " We learned a lot from each other. that's for sure. "