A tornado (龙卷风) is a kind of strong storm with air which moves in a circle quickly. They can move over 200 miles per hour and cause a lot of damage (损坏). As they move across the land, they can easily pick up cars, trucks, and even houses, and then throw them very far. It is important to find a safe place if a tornado gets close.

A safe place could be a basement ( 地下室) or the lowest floor. If you are in a home without a basement, try to find a first-floor bathroom or a small room without windows in the middle of your house. You should curl up (蜷缩) into a ball and cover your head and neck with your hands.

But there are some people who actually want to get close to tornadoes. They are scientists who want to learn more about tornadoes. One of the best ways to do this is to get as close as possible to the tornado. They use special tools to measure (测量) what is happening in and around a tornado.

One special tool is called a tornado probe ( 探测仪). Inside the tornado probe, there are sensors (传感器) to measure wind speed, temperature, pressure, and direction.

Some probes even have cameras, so the scientists can see and understand what it's like to be in a tornado.

To be able to get these measurements, the scientists have to get a tornado probe near or into a tornado. Scientists will try to guess where a tornado will go next. Then they drive to that location and put down the probe. If they do not guess correctly, they pick up their probe and try another place. If they are right, the tornado will go near or even right over the probe. Then they take all of the measurements

from the probe and use them to predict where future tornadoes may form (形成) and travel. And they can give people some warning to keep away from a dangerous tornado.

Can you get enough sleep? With so much homework it's often difficult for you to get enough sleep. However, you should know that enough sleep keeps you healthy and stops you from getting fat.

A group of American scientists do a study among the local (当地的) kids aged between 8 and 13. The study finds that if kids sleep for an extra hour each day, the chance of getting fat will be reduced (减少) by about 30%. Why? Because if kids don't get enough sleep, they will be tired. When they are tired, they don't exercise enough. Besides, kids like snacks. If they are awake for an extra hour each day, they will have more time to eat snacks or other unhealthy foods.

How much sleep should kids get? Scientists suggest that kids aged between 5 and12 should sleep for ten to eleven hours a night. For older kids, eight to nine hours will do.

 "BANG!" the door was shut loudly. I was just standing there, with my father standing on one side, and I on the other side. We were both in great anger. "Never set foot in this house again!" my father said angrily. With tears in my eyes, I rushed out and ran along the street. The street lights were shining. I felt sad and walked aimlessly (漫无目的地) . 

I didn't know whether it was because I had grown up or because my dad was getting old. He always put his opinions on me. We were just like two people in two different worlds. It felt like there was an iron door between us that could never be opened. 

My heart was frozen (冰冷的) on this hot summer night.As I walked on, there were fewer and fewer people on the streets. When I finally reached my house, I saw that the light was still on. 

"Perhaps my dad is throwing away some of his old stamps," I thought. "Perhaps he thinks they are useless." I never had the courage to tell him that I liked collecting stamps. All the lights were off except my father's. 

Dad was always like this. Maybe he didn't know how to express himself. After shouting at me, he never showed any moments of regret (懊悔) . This was how he always was. He had been a leader for so long that telling everyone else what to do had become his second nature. 

The light was still on. With the key in hand, I opened the door nervously. When I opened the door, tears ran down my face. I suddenly realized that the iron door that I had imagined between us did not exist (存在) at all. Love- it's second to none. 

Do you know why you get angry so easily, but your friend smiles all the time? It's because you both have different personalities. Then what is personality? It's about how people think, behave and react to everything around them. 

So what makes people think and behave in certain ways? Part of the reason is that people are born like this. A baby gets its genes and blood type when it is still inside its mother. These may help decide what the baby will be like. 

But one's personality doesn't stop here. Family life, school learning and life experiences can also make you the person you are. But this doesn't mean you can't change your personality. You can always try to make yourself better. Don't get too worried if you don't have a good personality.     ★      This is a good way to start making changes. 

For example, if you don't know how to make friends, find out why. Is it because you're too shy? If so, tell yourself to smile at people. Start talking to people kindly. But don't give yourself a hard time about it all. After all, it's not easy to change lifelong habits in one night. Just keep trying, One day you can see that you can turn over a new leaf and be a new you! 

At school, students learn some different subjects in the classroom. These days, a new subject becomes popular. That is school gardening(园艺). Students learn it outside the classroom. It is not only an interesting subject, but also a great way to keep healthy. 

In the gardening class, students can learn a lot. When some young students have food, they always ask, "Where does the rice come from?"    ▲     And they can learn to do things with their own hands. They can also learn some teamwork skills and care about nature , others and themselves! 

The school garden doesn't have to be very big. Students can have a lot of fun in it. At first, teachers decide what vegetables to grow. Then they grow them with students. Carrots and tomatoes are their favorites because it is nice for them to get a carrot or a tomato, wash it and eat it right in the garden. Some vegetables are easy to grow, but others need a long time. This can teach students hard work pays off( 功夫不负有心人). 

Gardening is an important subject. Students should learn it at school.