Puff and Pip lived in a burrow （地洞）. They were both pleased with1 home.
One morning，a deer passed by and asked them， "2 can you live in this dry，dusty place？You should go out and find a better home. "3 his words，their home didn't look as good as it was before. They started to notice all the bad things about it，4 the two friends set off for something better.
Soon，they came to a lush （茂盛的） field. "This is a better home，" said Pip. "Look at all that grass!" As they walked into5 field，they heard a strange sound. A big machine6 in their direction. "This is not a better home!" Pip shouted. They rushed out of the field.
They continued their search. Next a sandy hill7 . "This is a better home，" Pip said. "Digging is easy for us. " Then they heard8 strange sound. A giant sand hill crane flew down on them9 the sky. "This is not a better home!" Pip shouted. As the crane flew of，the two left there10 .
Next they came to a watering hole. "This is a better home，" Pip said. "Much11 to water and food!" Puff's eyes grew wide. "Yes!" As the friends took a drink of water，they saw some cattle12 straight for them. "This is not a better home!"
Pip shouted. "It's hard13 a better home，" Pip said. "Why did we ever leave the one we14 ？"
"Maybe ours is good enough，" Pip said， "but we15 take an adventure walk now and then，" he added. "Just to see the world a bit. " Puff nodded.
It was time to go back to school. I was excited to see friends I hadn't seen in a really long time，but，to be honest，I was also1 about everything new. I was carefully well prepared. Everything went according to plan--until，well，it didn't.
My new teacher，Mr. Jax，who seemed very strict and 2 ，started out by going over the class rules. Then he asked each of us to tell a quick story about our summer holidays.
Most kids seemed shy after being away from their friends for a while. As Susan3 her family's road trip，I heard a familiar sound coming from under my desk. Was it the 4 my hamster made？I had no idea when，why，or how Mr. Nibbles had sneaked into （偷偷溜进） my backpack，but there he was!
My heart stared beating super fast. "Arizona，it's your 5 . Would you like to share？" said Mr Jax. Then he asked， "Are you all right？"
Ack!Now everybody's looking at me!And I just wanted to6 into a hole in the ground. It took a minute，but I finally remembered to breathe slowly and7 . Then I explained what was going on.
Luckily，even though Mr. Jax was really serious，he was also really8 !
"Don't worry，Mr. Nibbles，" he said softly. "The first day of school can be challenging for all of us. "
He found a deep bin and put a box and a little bowl of water in it. Then he asked the class if anyone wanted to share9 to help Mr. Nibbles feel more comfortable.
As we discussed this，I noticed that everyone was beginning to10 . Trying to figure out how to help Mr. Nibbles helped all of us feel less worried.
The idea of living underwater is often brought up for human beings. It seems to be a great way to keep the land from being too crowded.
In the 1960s，Jacques Cousteau's team built the world's first underwater lab（实验室）. It was called Conshelf I. Two men lived inside of it for a week. Cousteau then improved his lab. In 1963，Conshelf Ⅱwas set up. Since then，there have been many other underwater labs. Aquarius is the only one still running today. It is located 20 meters below sea level in Florida.
The past few years has seen great improvements in technology. The conditions are still terrible. Aquarius only has 37 m2 of space inside of it. Hot water is limited. Showers have to be short. Food is mostly freeze-dried，or jam sandwiches.
Maybe not. Some companies have been working on underwater hotels. These hotels have larger rooms，hot showers and lifts to take guests down. One day，they may actually live up to the romantic dream we have of living underwater.
A. Will life underwater always be like this？ B. This time，the scientists spent 30 days underwater. C. In fact，people have always tried to make it possible. D. It feels even smaller when you are sharing it with other people. E. However，inside underwater labs，things haven't changed much. |
"I'm sorry I'm working on your birthday，" Tom's mother says while leaving. Tom's sister is leaving for shopping. Tom wants to go with her，but his sister just asks him to enjoy his birthday. Tom finds his father also busy working on his computer. Tom feels sad.
Tom phones his best friend Neil. Neil's mother answers， "He is playing football in Winston Park. " "No one has any time for me，" Tom thinks.
When Tom comes to Winston Park，he sees lots of mothers and fathers with their children. Everyone looks happy. Neil says "Happy birthday" to Tom and goes back to play football. Tom watches the game for ten minutes，but Neil doesn't speak to him again.
Tom sits down on a seat and finds a black bag. There is a camera. Tom uses it to take a photo of the black bag，but he doesn't want it. He deletes it. However，when he puts out his hands to take the bag，he finds it nowhere. He doesn't understand.
He takes a photo of a squirrel and then another of some flowers. The same thing happens when he deletes the photos. Tom puts the camera down. He feels afraid.
Tom wants to play with Neil. He takes a photo of their football secretly and deletes it. As he expects，the ball is gone. But they soon have a new ball to continue playing.
Tom sighs.
Later，Tom walks to his mother's coffee shop. Thinking about having an afternoon with Mum，he takes a photo of the dirty plates and cups and deletes it.
"Tom？" Mum says， "Where are the cups and plates？" His mother is angry now. "I can't close the cafe，Tom!" she says. "This is my job! Now，please，tell me where the cups and plates are？"
The door opens. Tom's sister comes in. "What's this？" she says and takes the camera from her brother. "Is it new？"
"Give it to me!" Tom says.
Annie doesn't listen. She puts the camera to her eye and presses the PHOTO button. "This isn't a good photo of you，Tom，" Annie says. "No! Don't press any buttons!" Tom shouts. But it's too late. Annie presses DELETE.
B . 
C . 
D . 
Have you seen lions walking in the streets？It happens at the beginning of each new year. These lions dance to the beat of a drum. But these are not real lions. They are dancers who are in lion costumes （服装）.
There are different types of lion dancing. One of them is called jong （高桩）. In this dance，the dancers use their martial-arts （武术） skills to jump from pole to pole，which is more than 240 centimeters high.
The lions are part of a tradition that is centuries old. This tradition was first stared in China. It is meant to bring good luck in the coming year. Usually，a lion is made up of two dancers. One dancer controls the head. The other controls the tail. "I don't only think of it as a sport，" says Anthony. He is a member of the New York Chinese Athletic Club. He performs as the lion's head. The head can weigh 10 kilograms. Lion dancing is important to Anthony. "It really shows who we Chinese are，as well as the spirit of courage，wisdom and other Chinese traditional cultures，" he says.
In the past，lion dancing was performed mostly by men. But it is more inclusive today. LionDancingMe is a lion dancing group. It is located in California. There are boys and girls on its team. They dance together.
"Anyone can take up lion dancing. We have to have confidence that we can do it，" Ananda，a girl in LionDancingMe says. Lion dancing will likely continue to change，but a team's sense of community will never change. "Many overseas （海外） Chinese see the lion as a symbol of China，" Ananda says. "The lion dancing reminds us of the culture of our motherland. "
Have you ever asked somebody a question but they didn't reply because they were looking at their phone or computer？ Or perhaps you've gone online to play a game just for 10 minutes but when you check the time，hours have passed. The charity Fairplay wants people to stop using digital devices （电子设备） for one day every week. Is it a good idea to do so？ Tom and Sue give their opinions on this matter.
Unplugging can help you raise your spirits，says Ben. | Screens shouldn't be all or nothing，says Sue. |
Many people spend too much time online. That can be bad for health. Studies have shown that it can affect sleep，so people will get tired during the daytime. Even though technology is an important part of people's lives，less time spent online means more time to live in the real world. Whether it's playing sports or baking，painting or reading a book，a day of line would help people enjoy their hobbies. Hobbies can make people feel more relaxed. Having one screen-free day a week would bring families together. Screens can reduce the time you spend with loved ones and can also cause other problems. A day without screens is a good idea the whole family can follow. | Although some people think people will miss something important in the real world when they scroll on social media，receiving a funny dog video from a friend can still make you feel happy at that moment. In fact，research has shown that screen time can develop young people's education. They can get what they want in a second without going out. It's also difficult and unwise to spend a whole day of line – people depend on digital devices to keep in touch. What if you find yourself in danger and need to reach someone？ Surely it's better to take daily breaks and turn screens off during mealtimes and an hour or two before bed. A healthy balance is the goal. |
①Enjoying hobbies.
②Playing sports better.
③Getting people closer.
④Being good for health.
⑤Developing young people's education.
Mike loves cats very much. He wants to buy a pet cat and he joins a chat group named Happy Cat Shop （7）. Now he is talking with the shopkeeper，Lily.
Happy Cat Shop （7）
Mike：Good morning Lily!Could you tell me more details about cats？
Lily：Good morning，Mike!Definitely!Cats provide friendship，fun and entertainment for people of all ages.
Mike：It is said cats are independent.
Lily：Yes. But they still have basic care requirements. They need regular meals，exercise，entertainment and vet （善医） care.
Mike：I see. What should I consider before I decide to own a cat？
Lily：There are a number of things to consider：the reasons why you want a cat，the amount of time you can spend caring for your cat，the cost of feeding and caring for a cat，your lifestyle，and arrangements for your cat when you travel.
Mike：Thanks. I'll think it over. Any other tips for choosing a c cat？
Lily：You have many choices when choosing a cat：a kitten or an adult，long-haired or short-haired，male or female. Remember that the type of cat you desire may not suit your lifestyle，family or environment.
Mike：What are the differences between a kitten and an adult cat？
Lily：
Lily：As you can see，kittens are lovely，but they require a lot of attention and more protection. They need regular exercise，playtime and training. Sometimes they may play with your furniture （家具）.
Mike：Kittens are So cute!But I only have time after work. How about adult cats？
Lily：Adult cats：
➢are usually not as destructive to furniture as kittens.
➢are just as likely to make friends with you as kittens.
Mike：Great! Before I buy one，will it be carefully checked for health problems？
Lily：Sure. Before they are sold，all cats will be regularly checked by a vet.
Sam was setting up tables in the driveway. He noticed a brown bear up a tree nearby.
"Mom! there's a bear over there!" Sam called in f .
"What if it comes down and attacks us？" asked Sam's little sister Sarah.
"We'll keep a safe distance away，" Mrs. Miller replied.
Then she asked Sam，"Will our yard （庭院） sale go on？"
"C " said Sam. "I put up so many signs. "
Sarah agreed with her brother. "We've been r for the yard sale for days. "
"I know we can get the bear to come down if we just brainstorm the right idea，" said Sam.
"Like the idea you had for the squirrels？" his mom asked.
Two weeks before，Sam tried to stop the squirrels font eating all the birdseed. He dug a pit around the bird feeder and d his mother's flowers.
"This is different，" Sam said. "I promised you I'd draw all my ideas first before I actually do anything. "
"We could move our trampoline under the tree so the bear could jump onto it，" Sarah suggested.
Sam drew the idea on his notepad. "Our trampoline is too bouncy，" he said. "Maybe I'll p a really bad song to get the bear out of the tree，" Mrs. Miller laughed.
