I remember my mother reading to me when I was a small child. I remember watching as she showed me the words she read.” Can you say that?” she asked.

    “A for apple," Mom said many times. I listened carefully, then pointed at the letter and repeated it. Time and again my mother listened to me as I sounded out letters and simple words. By the time I reached kindergarten I could read simple sentences. A year or so later I remember running home and telling her I was in the “Red Birds”, the top group in my second grade class.

    During my high school years I remember using a Reader's Digest magazine to challenge my mother to Word Power competition. We read the words given by Reader's Digest and wrote a definition( 定义)for each word. We checked our answers and compared our scores. My beginning junior years Mom won most the challenges, but my senior year I began to beat my mom most of the time. “It's about time." She said.

    I remember Mom giving me a lifetime love of reading. Whenever I read a good book I appreciate (感激)this gift given me by my mother.

    When I was in my twenties, I travelled alone through the UK. In order to 1 locations that the public transportation couldn't get to, I bought a(n)2 car, drove it around for three months and sold it before I returned to Australia. The car cost most of my money, so I lived mainly on3during that trip, it being cheap and filling. In Ireland, my4 was stolen, and it was impossible to get another. So for the rest of the trip I 5out in my car, being too poor to afford bed and breakfast.

    One morning, I 6 in my old Skoda under a twisted tree on a remote lane in the Irish countryside, with no more than a 7 house in sight. I had a terrible desire for a 8 cup of tea and some hot water to make porridge with 9 I would not have to eat the cold leftovers from the previous day.

    My thermos (暖瓶) had gone cold overnight so I knocked on the door of the house. A woman opened it. Hot water? She 10 let me get away with just that! I was invited indoors, seated at the breakfast table with the 11 and given a delicious breakfast, as much as I could eat. I was 12 to eat something more than porridge! I 13 being friends with the whole family.

    That was only one of many acts of 14strangers showed me when I was traveling alone in foreign regions. One London businessman rushing to work, seeing me 15 offered to pull my ridiculously heavy suitcase 16several flights of stairs in the underground. After he'd done so, with a smile and a wave, he 17 into the crowd.

    Kindness gets 18. The other day, I was able to point out a rare parking spot to a young man who had been driving around the railway car park, looking 19 desperate. His grateful smile was all the 20 I needed as I dashed off to catch my train.

You probably don't think about soil often, but the following report may help you learn about science of soil.

What is soil made of?

Soil is made of sediments (沉积物) and humus(腐殖质). Sediment is small pieces of rock broken down over time by rain, ice, and wind. Sediment is often found in water. Humus comes from decayed(腐烂的) plants and animals. It helps give plants a lot of the food they need to grow.

How does soil form?

Over centuries, rock breaks down into very small pieces.

The rock pieces mix with humus.

The humus gets thicker and thicker over time. Soil is formed(形成)l

How are soils different?

Soils can be different colors and have different textures(质感). Texture is how the surface of an object feels. Color and texture are two features(特征) of soil.

Plants and soil

Plants do not grow well in some soils. Sandy soi1 is too dry. It does not hold water. Soil with too much clay is too thick. Most plants grow well in dark, rich garden soil that has different sediments and a lot of humus in it.

①尽量不在偏僻的地带行走                     ②男女生之间要少说话，保持一定的距离

③受到侵害时应沉着冷静、机智求援     ④对于异性邀请，要保持警惕