魏勇

A

How to Improve Your Reading Comprehension

Are you trying to read a book and have no idea when a character appeared and became the most important character in the book？ 1

Keep Notes

Find any type of paper to keep notes in. If youre reading for a class， try a notebook. But if youre reading for fun， get as many pieces of paper as you think youll need for the story.

Write down what you remember about each chapter， section， or even paragraph. If your reading comprehension is already decent， you may only need to take occasional notes.

Try writing down characters and their relationships on one page and a basic time line for the story on another page. 2

Let Information Guide You

If you are reading a textbook or a newspaper， use the organization of the piece to guide you. In addition to the table of contents， section headings， and titles.

3 Pay attention to the following： The syllabus or class outline. The homework assignment（s）. What the instructor emphasizes in class. Any available sample tests or quizzes.

Read books over again

Reading teachers talk about this concept called fluency. 4 To be fluent， you want to be able to read 90 words a minute. That seems like a lot， but with only a little bit of practice， you should be able to get there. What kind of practice？ Re-reading！ Read books over again， twice or even three times. After the first time， the words will read easier and fluency will improve.

5

Whether that helper is a teacher， a friend， or a parent， read with someone above your level who youre comfortable with talking to and asking questions.

A.Read with a helper.

B.Draw a family tree， if it helps.

C.Get better at identifying words.

D.Fluency is the ability to read words at a certain speed.

E.Have a dictionary or a computer with you while reading.

F.Read this article to help improve your reading comprehension.

G.If you are reading for a class， guide yourself using another set of clues.

B

5 tips for saving water

Do you know how to save water？ Here are some ways to keep your water usage down during the daily life.

Go with the flow

Taking a shower uses around two-thirds less water than taking a bath， but this is providing youre only in the shower for a few minutes and its not a power shower. 1

It uses less water per minute and shouldnt leave you showering in a dribble（滴水）.

Feeling flushed？

About a third of the water we use at home is for flushing the loo（馬桶）， but you can save a lot by only flushing when theres something solid. If this doesnt appeal， you can restrict the amount of water used for each flush by fitting a water-saving loo. 2 So it doesnt use as much water to flush.

3

One of the best ways to save water is to install a grey-water recycling system. This typically takes waste water from the bath， shower and basin and uses it for the loo and outside tap. Reducing your water usage is an all-year-round job.

Dont be a drip

4 Because it will soon waste litres of water. Often the tap just needs a new washer， which isnt hard to fit. You can also save water by fitting flow restrictors.

Let it rain

In the garden， rainwater can be collected in a water butt by connecting it to a downpipe， which is a fairly simple DIY job. This makes watering the garden easier. 5 There are different versions， but its often a system that collects rain from the guttering and pumps it to where its needed. More than half of the water we use at home could be replaced by rainwater in this way， so it could make a big difference.

A.Control.

B.Recycle.

C.Use the waste water for more times and you will see.

D.If you have a dripping tap， fix it as quickly as possible.

E.Youll save most water by fitting a flow-restricting shower.

F.A more advanced version of this is a rainwater harvesting system.

G.You can also put something， like a brick， in the water box.

C

Soil

What Is Soil？

Soil is the loose top layer of Earths surface. Plants depend on soil. It holds them up. It provides them with food and water.

Soil is made of particles. These very small pieces mostly come from rocks broken down by weathering. 1 The part of soil that comes from living things is called organic matter.

Soil Life

2 They include worms， bacteria， and fungi. Fungi are like plants， but they arent green. And they have no leaves， flowers， or roots. The organisms feed on dead plants and animals. They cause them to break down. The decayed plant and animal matter is called humus. Humus makes the soil dark. It provides nutrients plants need to grow.

Soil Layers

Soil develops in layers. The top layer consists mostly of humus. It is called topsoil .The next layer down is called subsoil. Subsoil contains more rock particles than topsoil and less humus. It is not as good for growing plants. The layer below the subsoil has many pieces of rocks. The pieces get bigger when they are deeper in the ground. Most plants cannot grow in this rocky layer. The soil layers all rest on solid rock. 3 The pieces of rock in soil come from bedrock.

Types of Soil

There are many types of soil. Soils can be many colors. 4 Texture is the size of the particles that make up soil. Clay is a type of soil with very small particles. The particles are packed together tightly. Clay can hold a lot of water， which makes it heavy and sticky. Sand has much larger particles than clay. It feels rough. Theres a lot of air space between the particles. 5

A.It is called bedrock.

B.Many small organisms live in soil.

C.They can also have different textures.

D.And coal and gas are also found here.

E.So water drains through this soil easily.

F.Human beings could not have enough food without soil.

G.Other soil particles come from rotting remains of plants and animals.

D

Tips to Keep Indoor Air Pollution Levels Lower

While the number of potential indoor pollutants is large， there are several things you can do to reduce the air pollution in your home and reduce your health risks.

1. 1

One of the simplest and easiest ways to reduce the pollution in your home is to open the windows and let a little fresh air in. Because most homes have little air flow， opening the windows for as little as 15 minutes every day can improve the quality of the air youre breathing.

2. Decorate With Plants

2 Greenery improves your mental and emotional health as well. Try adding one of these top 10 plants in your home or apartment to improve your air quality and reduce your stress levels.

3. Dont Smoke in the House

3 Second-hand smoke from cigarettes， pipes and cigars contains over 200 known harmful chemicals， endangering your health.

4. Dont Use Scented Candles or Room Fresheners

Candles and air fresheners release VOCs（揮發(fā)性有機污染物）into your home. You might enjoy the scent， but its not worth the risk to your health. Instead， remove all garbage from your home as often as necessary and keep soiled laundry away from the living areas. 4

5. Have Your Air Ducts Cleaned and Change the Filters（濾網(wǎng)）

The air ducts from your forced air heating and air conditioning units can be a source of pollution in your home. If there is mold growth， a buildup of dust and debris or if the ducts have become home to vermin， its time to call a professional and have them cleaned. 5

A.Open the Windows.

B.Ask smokers to go outside.

C.Test your home for some poisonous gas.

D.Clean with white vinegar and baking soda.

E.Keep your room in damp and humid environment.

F.Change your filters every three months or even less if they appear to be dirty.

G.Houseplants are effective decorations that brighten your space and purify the air.

E

Five tips for safe running

Running may be good exercise， but it can be difficult on the body. Here are five commonly shared ideas among fitness experts to reduce the risk of injury for people new to running or jogging.

Take it easy

1 Most people get running injuries when they push themselves too hard. The body needs time to get used to increases in distance or speed. Muscles and joints need time to recover.

Listen to your body

Most running injuries do not come out of the blue. Usually， there are warning signs.

2

Get good running shoes

There is no single best shoe for every runner. 3 More importantly， you should replace your shoes every 500 to 800 kilometers.

4

Take time after each run to write down notes about what you did and how you felt. Look for patterns， things that happen over and over again. For example， you may find that your knees ache when you run on consecutive or back-to-back days. But perhaps you feel great when you rest in between running days. These notes will help you identify the best workout for you.

Cross train

As we said earlier， running is hard on your body. So physical fitness experts suggest some form of cross training to improve muscle balance and to help you stay injury free.

5 These exercises are easier on the body.

A. Take good notes.

B. Find a good partner.

C. Do not run too much， too soon or too fast.

D. You may think that running is more beneficial than other sports.

E. You should find the shoe that offers the best fit and support for your feet.

F. They may include body aches， sore muscles and pain that does not go away.

G. They say swimming， yoga， and riding a bicycle are good exercises to combine with running.