If you can find a tree which has been cut down，you will see many rings，or circles，on the base of the trunk.By learning to read these rings，you can find out about the tree's life.

    The number of rings tells you how old the tree is.Each year，new wood is formed on the outside of the tree.This new wood is light in color when the tree is growing in spring and summer，and dark in winter when the tree is not growing much.So，if you count the rings of dark­or­light colored wood，you can often find out how old the tree is.

    You can also tell which years have been good years and which years have been bad years.When the light­colored rings are very wide，it means that the tree has been growing quickly that year.If the rings are narrow，it has been growing slowly.If the rings on a tree trunk were greatly magnified，you would be able to see why the rings are light­colored when the tree is growing quickly and dark­colored when the tree is growing slowly.The tree trunk is made up of microscopic tubes，like some pipes，carrying water from the soil，through the trunk，and up to the leaves.They are wide and thin­walled when the tree is growing quickly and they are carrying a lot of water.They are narrow and stuck together when the tree is not growing so quickly.

    When a tree is old，the tubes in the centre of the tree don't carry water.The walls of the tubes have become thick with materials which have stuck along them over the years，forming a kind of wood called“heartwood”．This kind of wood is darker in color than the young，growing wood on the outside of the tree.

    You don't very often see whole tree trunks which have been cut across.But once you learn to read a cross section of the wood，you can see much more in wood which has been used to make boxes，houses and other things.

    In most wood，instead of seeing the trunk cut across，you are seeing it cut along its length.Because you don't see the whole tree，you can't tell how old it is.

Title：{#blank#}1{#/blank#} of a Tree

    China is making great effort to protect its cultural relics. In early May, State Administration of Cultural Heritage (SACH) added 1,943 unmovable cultural relics sites to the list. So the number of these sites on this list will increase to 4,295.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}The newly added sites were reviewed(评审) by more than 130 experts. They spread around Shanxi, Henan, Hunan, Hebei and Jiangsu provinces, including 795 pieces of ancient architecture and 516 ancient ruins.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}In an interview, the head of the SACH said that new types of cultural relics sites have been newly listed to get protection at first, including industrial relics, rural architecture and cultural landscapes.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}For example, some are in the north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.Despite great achievements during the years of effort, problems still exist.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}Historic relics get stolen and antiques are taken abroad secretly.The head of the SACH said that people has faced a challenge to the protection of cultural relics for a long time. So, balancing the relationship between economic development and protection of history is important. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} He also used good examples of protection, describing how some cultural relics sites have become education bases for young people and popular tourist places, where a lot of people spend their holiday.

Making Peace with Your Parents

    As a teen, you're going through big changes physically and mentally. Your interests are increasing.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Here is the challenge: Kids need to explore the world in new ways, and parents need to protect them from the dangers that are all out in that world. These conflicts can easily set off fireworks in otherwise calm houses. Sometimes conflicts can't be avoided. But by paying attention to the building blocks of successful relationships, you can work towards making home a happy and healthy place for you and your parents.

    For example, try to find a time to talk when your parents are not angry, tired, distracted or hungry. A good time to talk is when you're all relaxed. Timing is everything if the conversation begins to turn into an argument, you'd better calmly and coolly ask to stop the conversation for now.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Listen to what your parents are saying, and repeat it back to them. This shows them that you're listening. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Respect is the building block of good communication. People who respect each other and care about each others' feelings can disagree without getting things ugly.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} How do you build trust? Trust comes by actually doing what you say you're going to do. Some teens find that doing fun activities with their parents can improve their relationships. Sometimes we forget that parents are more than rule-maker—they're interesting people who like to watch movies and go shopping—just like their teenagers!

    What do you do if you are trying your best, but your relationship with your parents continues to be rocky?{#blank#}5{#/blank#}You can find supportive adults, such as a teacher or a coach, who can lend an ear. Remember you can only change your own behavior. Your parents are the only ones who can change theirs.

A. You may consider seeking outside help.

B. And then you'll be able to accept what your parents say.

C. You can pick it up again when everyone's more relaxed.

D. Faced with the challenge, children don't know what to do.

E. And your desire to take control of your own life is growing.

F. It also gives them a chance to clear things up if you're not on the same page.

G. You are more likely to get along with your parents and have more independence if your parents believe in you.

    How to prepare for exams?

    Here are some tips you can read with your child.

    The first step in preparing for examinations is to set a fixed time each day to study and a schedule to say when to start the revision and for which subject. The plan should include how many chapters to revise and how many worksheets (活页练习题) to work on. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Parents who do not know the examination schedule can search “exam timetable” to see the official examination schedule. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    The second thing is to decide on the place to study. Some need total silence in a library before they can concentrate while others like to have some background music like in the cafeteria, {#blank#}3{#/blank#}So there is no need to tell your child to change the study place if he is producing the desired results.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}For lessons, pupils must participate in lessons and discussions actively. For exercise, work on the simple ones in the textbook. For theory, pupils can use the mind map method to summarize the facts.

    At last, be smart. Focus on chapters that are the core of the subject or difficult chapters. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Next the most effective way to revise is to use an active approach.

B. Making good preparations counts.

C. The mind map can help you a lot in your revision work.

D. Your child has to be self-disciplined (自律的) to follow the plan.

E. It is not necessary to read from the first to the last page.

F. The best time to start revision is one or two months before the examination.

G. Both are alright as long as your child is comfortable with it.

    Directions: Read the following passage. Fill in each blank with a proper sentence given in the box.

    Each sentence can be used only once. Note that there are two more sentences than you need.

    Are Your Clothes Causing Pollution?

    Very small pieces of plastic, called microfibers, are polluting rivers and oceans. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Clothes worn for outdoor activities and exercise are often made of artificial material, which is useful in keeping warm. But they contain very small plastic fibers, which may also be harming the environment when you wash them. When people wash these clothes, very small pieces go down the drain with the wash water.

    Studies on microfibers in the environment

    Pollution caused by plastic is not new, but recent studies have shown the effect of microfibers in the environment. Studies show very small microfibers are ending up in our waters, which may come from waste water treatment factories. A 2015 study found them in fish from California.

    Microfibers, effect on food supplies

    Beyond the waterways, the researchers say microfibers may end up in soil and agricultural lands. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} This means there is much to be learned about microfibers and the environment. Some studies have shown that microfibers end up inside sea animals, like oysters. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Researchers say that the fibers tend not to move into the tissue of the fish, but it needs more study.

    Steps to save or keep microfibers from the environment

    Until more information becomes known, there are steps to take to reduce the amount of microfibers in the environment. People should use less of the artificial materials. If we already have those in our lives and we're using them, an important step would be washing them less. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} A bag is being designed in which to wash these clothes. It traps the microfibers in the bag and it may be available for purchase soon.

A. New technology may also help.

B. So if these microfiber s have been found in fish and seafood, are they safe to eat?

C. They can also move around the atmosphere.

D. Studies are conducted on how much of the microfibers is released

E. The source of these microfibers may surprise you: your clothes.

F. Washing machines keep microfibers from escaping with w ash water.