Every year, thousands of young inventors show their ideas at NICEE. Some kids get invited to NICEE. The main goal of NICEE is to help kids know real problems and find ways to __________ them.

To support this __________, many schools now have invention clubs. Kids in the clubs work together. They look __________ ways to make life better. They might invent something to make a job __________ or make people safer.

For example, Lucca wanted to help people __________ his grandmother. She had to wear a breathing mask(面罩) in the hospital. That made it hard for others to hear her __________. So Lucca invented a new mask. It has a microphone. It __________ the person’s voice to a speaker(扬声器). Now users can talk with others.

Inventions can be simple. One winner, Maddox, made a new garden shovel (铁铲). The shovel has marks on __________ to help gardeners know how deep to dig their holes.

__________ kids choose an idea, they have to build a model that works. They cannot spend more than $50. The invention must be something new. It also must fit inside a certain space.

NICEE shows the best inventions from the states. Young inventors get to meet one another. They see others, great ideas. Some of them win prizes. They can __________ learn about ways to sell their inventions.

There are three famous towers to the south of the Yangtze River—the Tengwang Pavilion the Yellow Crane Tower and the Yueyang Tower.

The Tengwang Pavilion is in Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province. A Tribute to the Tengwang Pavilion (《滕王阁序》) written by Wang Bo in the early Tang Dynasty made the pavilion well-known at that time. On the fifth floor, you can have an amazing bird view of the city. The best time to visit the pavilion falls in March to May and September to early November.                    

The Yellow Crane Tower sits in Wuhan City, Hubei Province. You can read some poems written in different dynasties on the third floor, which won fame for the tower. Its cultural importance made it the symbol of Wuhan. On the top of the tower, you will enjoy a beautiful view of the Yangtze River, its bridge and the buildings around the tower in Wuhan.

The Yueyang Tower lies in Yueyang City, Hunan Province. It’s a 19-meter-high building which is made of wood. From the top, you will see the white sails of passing boats under the blue sky. The tower was made very famous by the works of Fan Zhongyan who was a great politician and writer during the Northern Song Dynasty.

About 750 years ago, a man named Marco Polo went to China. He started in Europe and traveled more than 5, 000 miles. He crossed some large deserts. The journey took almost three years. There were no planes or trains then. So how did Polo make the trip? He rode a camel.

Like horses, camels can work as pack animals. They can carry many pounds of cargo (货物), such as food and supplies. That is very helpful for a long trip. They act as “ships of the desert”.

Camels do well in the desert. They can go for several days without water. They can survive a long time without food, too.

There are two kinds of camels. One kind has one hump. The other has two. These humps store fat. If needed, the fat turns into water.

Camels have other special ways to deal with desert life. They have a thick coat. This keeps them warm at night and cool in the day. They have long eyelashes and an extra eyelid. These help protect their eyes. Camels also have thick lips. They can eat all kinds of plants, even thorny ones.

They are not picky about food. That is good because few plants grow in deserts. They also have very large feet. These help camels walk on sand. Camels can run on sand, too. They can go about 25 miles per hour. That’s about as fast as a racing bicycle.

Camels have carried people and things for thousands of years. Today they play other roles in the modern world, too.

Families celebrate National Grandparents Day in many ways. Every year at this time, we hear from our readers sharing their stories to give thanks and express love to their grandparents. Here is Cindy’s story.

Nothing sounds better than a swim on a hot summer day. However, many teens, including some who are good swimmers drown each year. When someone is drowning, it’s often silent and happens very quickly.     36    . Here are some tips on how to prevent drowning when you go for a swim.

Never swim alone—even for a moment. You should go swimming with adults and make sure that they are able to keep you safe.     37    .

Enter the water carefully and feet first. Go in feet first so that you can know how deep the water is. Diving into unsafe water can lead to serious injuries.

    38    . Take some time to stretch your body before you enter the water. Get your body prepared and safety will surely follow.

Learn lifesaving skills.     39    . CPR is one of the lifesaving skills that can help others who are near drowning.

Choose swimming areas carefully.     40    . Choose the areas with safety facilities and lifeguards.

Remember: in case of emergency, it’s always important to call for help first! All in all, keep swimming safety in mind when you are in and around the water.

The Space Engineering Program in China dates back to the 1970s. More and more teenagers become interested in it. Below are some great achievements during the process of China’s space exploration (探索).

China’s first man-made satellite Dongfanghong 1 made China the ____________ country to send a satellite independently. Tiangong Program made it possible for scientists to ____________ so that more astronauts can live and do research in space. _____________ landed on the moon’s dark side. Pictures and videos sent back by China’s first Mars probe allowed us to see this ____________ planet at such a close distance. Thanks to the achievements above, China is now one of the leading countries in space exploration.

61. 你校英语社团面向毕业生举行以“成为更好的自己”为主题的征文活动，请你结合自身经历，从“make friends”, “have a healthy lifestyle”, “develop good study habits”, “take up a new hobby”, “be independent” 五个方面任选一至两项，写一篇英语短文投稿。

At the beginning of a new life, I’m going to make myself better. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________