Miss Kate taught physics in a New York school. Last month she was explaining to one of her classes about sound, and she decided to test them to see how well they had understood her explanation. She said to them, "Now, I have a brother in Los Angeles. If I was calling him on the phone, and at the same time you were 80 meters away, and were listening to me from across the street, which of you would hear what I said earlier, my brother or you and for what reason?"

A boy at once answered, " Your brother, Miss Kate, because electricity travels faster than sound waves(声波).

"That's very good." Miss Kate said, but then Jenny said, "I don't agree. Your brother would hear you earlier because it is 11 o'clock here, it's only eight o'clock in Los Angeles."

    In most parts of the world, many students help their schools make less pollution. They join environment clubs (环境俱乐部). In an environment club, people work together to make our environment clean.

    Here are some things students often do.

    No garbage (垃圾) lunches. How much do you throw away after lunch？Environment clubs ask students to bring their lunches in bags that can be used again. Every week they will choose the classes that make the least garbage and report them to the whole school.

    No car day. On a no car day, nobody comes to school in a car-not only the students but also the teachers！Cars give pollution to our air, so remember:

    Walk, jump, bike or run.

    Use your legs! It's lots of fun.

    Turn off the taps! Do you know that some toilets can waste twenty to forty cubic (立方的) meters of water an hour？In a year, that would fill a small river！In environment clubs, students mend those broken toilets.

    We should love our environment. Let's work together to make it better.

The Special Olympics

    The Olympics are some of the most exciting sports events in the world. But there is another Olympics about which you may not have heard. This is the Special Olympics, for people with mental disabilities.

    The first Special Olympic Games were held in Chicago in 1968. One thousand people competed in many events. Since then Special Olympic programs have been organized in all 50 states and more than 150 countries. Today more than a million people take part in the Special Olympics.

    Mentally disabled persons over the age of eight may take part in the Special Olympics. These people may also have physical disabilities. People have run in races using crutches or walkers. A young girl enter the long jump event with an artificial leg. A blind runner raced around the track with the help of his coach's voice. A deaf basketball team planned their plays using sign language.

    Winning is wonderful for people who may never have had much success. But training for and entering the Special Olympics is also important. The participants become more confident. They learn how to concentrate in order to play well. Then they use that concentration in school to improve their schoolwork. Like anyone else they feel great when they prove they can do something well.

    It's getting hotter and hotter outside. Summer is already here! Summer means high temperature, more outdoor activities and all kinds of fruit and vegetables. How can we stay fit in this exciting season? Here are some good ideas:

    Eat and drink properly

    What is healthy to eat in summer? Fresh and light food. Fish can be a good choice. It can keep your body energetic and help fight against the burning sun. Colourful fruit and vegetables is another good choice. They not only please your eyes, but are full of healthy chemicals(化学物质). Tomatoes can help protect your skin against sunburn. Blueberries are good for your brain and eyes. The more colour, the better!

    With all those summertime activities you will be thirsty. What to drink? Water. Water has zero calories(卡路里) and is the perfect drink to stop your thirst. Try not to drink too many energy drinks, sports drinks and soda drinks which have lots of sugar and caffeine(咖啡因) in them.

    Stay active and cool

    Summer is a great season to enjoy outdoor activities and play. It's also a good time to lose weight. If you are lucky enough to be near a body of water, try water sports like swimming, surfing, water skiing and so on. These sports keep you cool and active at the same time. You'll have no problem beating the heat and keeping fit as well. .

    Be careful of the        

    Summer allows us more chances to get outside ，but it also means more possibilities to get burnt by the sunshine. If you are going outside, keep away from the sun when it's the strongest- usually between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. If you have to stay in the sun for a long time, sunscreen(防晒霜),a big hat and a long-sleeve jacket will be necessary,

Tom and Jerry

    Tom the cat and Jerry the mouse are two of the most popular cartoon characters in the world. In the short cartoons, Tom is always trying to catch Jerry, but he never has any success. Almost every cartoon ends with Tom in trouble and Jerry laughing at him. The stories are full of fun and have a long history.

    William Hanna and Joseph Barbera both worked for MGM in the late 1930s. Their boss told them to make funny cartoons. Together they thought of the idea of a cat and a mouse. They thought it would be funny if the mouse was clever and always got the cat into trouble.

    The first Tom and Jerry cartoon was shown in cinemas in 1940. It was a great success. Over the next 17 years, they made many Tom and Jerry cartoons. Most of them are around seven minutes long.

    In total, Hanna and Barbera made 114 Tom and Jerry cartoons. The cartoons were so good that they won a number of awards. The famous cat and mouse remain popular today, as the cartoons are still shown on television around the world.