Is it good to be in a middle school? Most American children think so. In America, middle schools often have sixth, seventh, and eighth grades. It is different in different places.

    For children, going to a middle school is a big change. Most middle schools in America have a special day for new middle school students. On that day, they are showed around the school by their new teachers. And they could know a lot about the history of the school. They also would make friends with the old schoolmates (校友).

    They will grow up and learn some different and difficult things in a middle school. A new middle school student will learn foreign languages, computer, music and art, health, and other skills, such as cooking.

    A middle school will have sports teams, clubs and have activities for children. They can choose what they like and join them. If they are good at singing, playing basketball or something else, or if they want to learn, they can join them. Most American children think it's good to be in a middle school.

SAVE THE OCEAN

STUDY TOUR

 Every year, more than 1.1 million tons of plastics end up in the ocean. It can take centuries for the waste, such as plastic bottles and single- use bags, to break down. That seriously harms(伤害) wildlife living there. Are you an eco- warrior(生态卫士)? Are you ready to help save the ocean from plastic pollution?

China's Tiangong space station can help scientists study space. It is also a place for astronauts to live and work. How much do you know about the lives of astronauts working in the space station?

For astronauts in space, exercise is important. The environment is very different in space. Doing sports helps astronauts stay healthy. How do they exercise? There are good exercise machines in the space station. They make it easy for astronauts to keep healthy. 

There is no gravity, so astronauts can't take showers like us. Is there a bathroom in the space station? How do they keep themselves clean? Tiangong has a special bathroom. Astronaut s can clean themselves with a wet towel (毛巾). 

What do astronauts eat in the space station? There is bread and milk for breakfast. There are also tasty Chinese dishes, like Kung Pao Chicken, fried rice and fried noodles. There is a special "fridge" to store (储存) food. The food stays cool in it. 

What if astronauts miss their families? There is special communication equipment (交流设备) in the space station. Astronauts can have private (私人的)"sky- to- earth" calls with their families. The astronauts often wear a headset (耳机). It not only helps them talk with each other, but also makes it possible for them to talk to the ground from any place. 

Nadia Comaneci, a famous gymnast(体操运动员), was born in Romania in 1961. 

When she was doing cartwheels(侧手翻) on the playground at the age of 7, a PE teacher saw her. He told her family that she was very good and advised Nadia to train in the capital of Romania. Although it was a long way from her home, Nadia went because she loved gymnastics. 

After that, she trained hard and took part in lots of competitions. Later, she was named as one of the Athletes of the 20th Century. 

In 1976, Nadia went to the Olympics in Canada. She was so fantastic in the competition that everyone waited for the score, a high score. But the scoreboard showed 1. 00!

Everyone was surprised. There wasn't a sound for a moment. Then a voice came, " Ladies and gentlemen, Nadia Comaneci. . . 10!"

The audience(观众) cheered very loudly. So what happened? Well, when the scoreboard was built, no one thought a score of 10. 00 was possible. The decimal point(小数点) was in the wrong place! In fact, the scoreboard only had three digits(数位) to show scores, such as 9. 50 or 9. 85 at that time. 

In the 1976 Summer Olympics, Nadia Comaneci scored a perfect 10, which was thought impossible before. From then on, she was looked as a hero. In 1984, she got retired(退休的).