In the deserts(沙漠)of North Africa and Saudi Arabia lives the smallest fox with the largest ears. This animal is the fennec fox.

Fennec foxes have ears that are 5 to 6 inches long. That's big for an animal that weighs less than four pounds. Their ears help shed (去除) body heat. And, as you may have guessed, they also provide great hearing.

    It's also interesting to think about the hair of fennec foxes. Why would a fox that lives in the desert need a thick, fur coat? Actually, the desert isn't always warm. During the nighttime, a desert can be terribly cold! A fennec fox's fur keeps them warm during those desert nights. They also have long bushy tails that they use as a blanket. And the hair on their feet protects them from the hot sand in the daytime.

    Fennec foxes live in small communities of dens (兽穴).They spend most of the day sleeping in their dens, out of the hot sun. Then, when night comes, they come out in search of food. In addition to(除……之外) their great hearing, fennecs also use their great sense of smell and big eyes to track down dinner.

    Fennecs eat both meat and plants. They like eating birds, eggs, insects, snails, fruit and leaves best. Fennec fox mothers have one to five babies at a time. Sometimes they are in danger. They have to be careful with predators (捕食性动物), such as caracals (a type of wild cat) , jackals, eagle owls, hyenas and humans. Humans catch them for their fur and to sell as pets.

      If you think you're too shy and want to be a little braver, try the following. You can make it.

             There's no need to hide it. When they get to know you're a shy kid, they'll understand you better. This also helps you feel easier in talks.

              When you smile, people think you're friendly and easy to talk with. Remember that other people have feelings, too, and ①most people will stay away from an angry-looking face.

      Take one small step at a time. If you find it hard to start talks, say something nice about people around you.         Doesn't it make you want to keep talking to that person?

      Turn your attention elsewhere.         ②Don't waste(浪费) time worrying about your looks or whether people like you or not Don't lose heart Each time after you say “hi” or smile at someone for the first time, say “I did it!” to yourself.        

Keep trying and one day you'll never be shy when you talk to others.

    I'm an English teacher and I often volunteer to teach kids English in the countryside or poor areas. These experiences have left me so many sweet memories.①

    Once I came to volunteer at a school in the southwest of China. The day before I left, I read Dr. Seuss' Happy Birthday to you to my students in class. It was just my birthday that day. When we got to the part about the birthday horn (号角) — you can play it to make everyone know it's your birthday — I made a joke about how I would like a birthday horn as well. During the afternoon break(课间) that day, all the students in my class got together and made me a horn out of paper.而且他们把他们的名字和心愿都写在了上面。②When I got back into the classroom, they presented it to me with great pride. It was a surprising but sweet present for me. I brought the horn back home and hung (悬挂) it on the wall in my bedroom. It always reminds me of those lovely kids.

    Do you often think of life in the future？Will we study at home？Will we have robots？Will we fly to the moon easily？Everyone may have his or her views about that. Life in the future will be very different from life today. Between then and now many changes will take place, but what will the changes be?

    There will be changes in our food. Maybe no one will eat meat. Instead, people will eat more fruit and vegetables. People will stay away from junk food. Maybe people will be healthier.

    Computers will be small and useful. Maybe we will even put the computer into our pockets(口袋). There will be at least two computers in every home. And computer studies will be one of the most important subjects at school.

    Work in the future will be different, too. Dangerous and hard work can be done by robots. People will work fewer hours than they do now. And they will have more free time for sports, watching TV and traveling.

Life in the future