The Smallest Life Around Us

    Tiny plants and animals live all around us．We cannot see them because they are so small，but they are everywhere. They live in the soil，in the air，and in rivers and oceans．They grow on mountains and in caves．Some live in the ice at the north and south poles; some live where it is very hot．They are found throughout cities and in the country. They grow on other plants and animals．Some are even living on you，on your skin，hair，and inside your body，in your mouth，nose，and all through your body．

    These tiny plants and animals are called microbes．The word microbe is made from two other words：micro，meaning small，and bios，meaning life．So，microbe means small life．

    Microbes have been on earth for a very long time．They may have been the first forms of life to be alive．Today there are more microbes in the world than all other living things．

    People did not know microbes had existed（存在） long．They were too small for them to see．But people did see many changes in their world﹣important changes．And they did not know what caused them．They saw food that they kept too long change color and begin to smell bad．They saw cuts and wounds grow red and painful and become worse. They saw old plants and leaves and trees crumble apart on the forest floor and disappear into the soil．Such changes were a natural part of the world，but people did not understand them．They did not know these changes were evidence(证据) of tiny plants and animals growing all around them.

    In many high schools, there are strict rules about using mobile phones. If your phone rings in class, for example, the teacher will be very angry.

    Every mobile phone has a ringtone (铃声). It tells you that someone is calling you. Now, there is a ringtone called “mosquitotone (蚊子铃声)”.

    Mosquitotone has a special sound. Only children and teenagers can hear it. As we get older, we are unable to hear some sounds with high frequencies (频率). As a result, a child or teenager can hear the mosquitotone ringtone, but someone of 20 or older can't.

    But sometimes, people over 20 can hear the ringtone. One British student's phone uses mosquitotone. In class, the student's phone rang. The 22-year-old teacher looked at the student and became unhappy. “I heard that. You know the rule：no mobile phone in class. ”

    Not all the students are interested in mosquitotone. Jerry Jones, a high school student of 17, says, “Using mosquitotone too often is bad for our hearing. I may use it for pleasure, but not in class. It's unfair(不公平的) to the teachers！”

    What do parents think of mosquitotone？“I think it is perfect for places like movie theaters,” says Connie Neeson, 44. “Think about it. You're watching a film and someone's mobile phone rings. Mosquitotone is good because many people don't hear it. However, it also has a bad influence（影响） on their study if students use it in class. ”

    There are millions of different animals in the world, but some are in danger, and some may soon die out. People can never see them again. Mark and David wanted to find some of these rare animals, so they climbed mountains, crossed rivers, and walked through rainforests.

    A Bat, a Cat or a Squirrel?

    Mark and David found the aye-aye. The aye-aye has bright eyes. It has ears like a bat, a body like a cat and a tail(尾巴) like a squirrel. Some people think the aye-aye brings bad luck. They killed(杀死) many of them, and cut down a lot of trees where the aye-aye lives as well.

    A Strange Parrot

    Mark and David found the biggest parrot in the world that cannot fly. Many years ago, some animals came to the place the parrots lived in, and killed many of them. Now there are only a few left.

    Another Special Animal

    Mark and David went looking for a manatee. A manatee looks like a seal and a hippo. In some places where manatees live, the water in the river gets low. Then the manatee swims to the place where there is more water. Many get stranded(搁浅), and some are killed by other animals and people, too.

    After Mark and David returned, they made a film about these animals. They want to show the world these strange but interesting animals. They want the world to know there are not many of them left, and they all have a place in our world.

    If you go shopping in any toy store, you can see clearly the differentgames and toys for boys and girls: there are a lot of pink toys on one side ofthe store for girls; and dark colored cars, guns, and soldiers for boys. Somebig stores with toys may even have a pink floor for girls and a blue floor forboys. In fact, it is difficult to buy a toy for a girl that is not pink.

    Somepeople think that too much pink is bad for girls. Sue Palmer, writer of ToxicChildhood, is very worried that most girls over the age of three are crazyabout the color. According to some scientists, this happens for two reasons. Firstly,most companies offer too many products in pink. Also, many parents think theirlittle daughter looks cute in pink. Sue Palmer says that girls at this agecannot make proper decisions by themselves, but the pink can affect (影响) the choices and thedecisions they will make in the future.

    Someparents are worried too-for example, Vanessa Holburn, thirty-two, who has twogirls under the age of four. Their bedrooms are a sea of pink and Vanessa isnot happy. "Pink says that you are soft and gentle. Blue says that you arestrong and powerful. I want my daughters to be strong and powerful. I'm worriedthat pink will not help them with that,"she says.

    Butnot everyone thinks there's something wrong with pink. Grayson Turner is afather of three girls and he isn't worried at all. "People forget thatthings change all the time," he says. "My girls used to love pink whenthey were little, but as they get older, they change." Turner explainsthat his twelve-year-old daughter never wears pink clothes anymore. "Thislove of pink is just a fashion and all fashions change," he adds. "It'sonly since the 1940s that people have started dressing girls in pink-beforethat it was a color for boys."

    How green are you? Do you know how to be green?

    We all need a healthy environment, but we produce waste every day and it does harm to our environment. Though we are young, we can still do something to help. In fact, even the simplest everyday activities can make a real difference to the environment. Here are some ideas for you.

    Reduce

    Reduce means "use less". Don't waste things. This saves money and reduces pollution and waste going into the environment. Before we buy something new, think whether it is really necessary or maybe the old one will be just as good! When we do buy things, choose local products if possible, and try not to buy too many things from abroad.

    Reuse

    Reuse means "use again". Use things for as long as possible. When we buy things, make sure that they last a long time. We should look after them so that they will last, and we should repair them if we can instead of throwing them away and buying new ones. Don't use a paper cup of a paper bag. It's better to use a china cup and a lunch box because you can use them again.

    Recycle

    Recycle means "change things into something else". Though it takes energy to change something into something else, it's better than throwing things away or burning them. Find out what can be recycled in your neighbourhood and take part in recycling programmes. We should also buy products made from recycled materials, such as recycled paper, to help save trees.

    So please remember these three words: reduce, reuse and recycle.