There was once a farmer who had a large field of corn. He worked on it with the _________ care, but the corn was dying _________ there had been no rain for a long time. He felt very _________.

One day, as he stood looking up at the sky, two little raindrops saw him. One said to the Other, “Look at that farmer. I feel very sorry _________ him. He works so hard in the field, but now it _________ up. I wish I might help him.”

“Yes,” said the other,” _________ you are only a little raindrop. You can’t wet _________ one plant.”

“Well,” said the first, “I know I _________ do much, but perhaps I can cheer him a little. I’ll go down to show my support, if I can’t do _________ more. Here I go!”

The second one said, “Well, I think I can do that, __________. Here I go!” So down went the two raindrops. One fell on the farmer’s nose, and the other on a thirsty plant.

“What’s that?” The farmer cried, “ __________ raindrop! I do believe we’ll have a shower（阵雨） soon.”

By this time other raindrops had seen what __________ did. One said, “If you two are doing such a good job, I shall follow!” And down it went. “And I!” said __________. “And!” they all said, until a whole shower went down and the corn __________ all because one little raindrop tried its best __________ what it could.

I’m my mother’s third girl. When I was born, the doctor gently explained to my mother that my left arm was missing, below the elbow (肘). Then she gave her some advice, “Don’t treat her any differently from others.” And she did.

There are five girls in my family, and we all had to help out. Once when I was about seven, I came out of the kitchen, “Mum, I can’t peel potatoes. I only have one hand.” “Get back to peel these potatoes, and don’t ever use that as an excuse for anything again!”

Of course I could peel potatoes—with my good hand and my other arm. “Jenny, if you try hard,” she said, “you can do anything.”

Once in the second grade, our teacher had each of us race across the monkey bar (攀爬架).

When it was my turn, I said no. Some kids laughed. I went home crying.

The next afternoon Mum took me back to the school playground. “Now, pull up with your right arm.” She advised. She praised me when I made progress. I’ll never forget when I was crossing the bar, the kids were standing there with their mouths open.

It was the way with everything. Mum had the courage to face anything. And she taught me I could, too.

The Science Museum is the most friendly museum in London. As is known to all, shouting and running are not allowed in most museums, and touching the exhibits(展品) is also forbidden. But the Science Museum in London is different. It is noisy!

People talk about what they can see and do here, and there are some very noisy machines, too. If you want answers to any of your questions about science, this is the right place. On the second and third floors, you can learn some knowledge about communications, the environment, chemistry and so on. For example, you can understand how people dig coal(煤) from the ground and use it to create energy.

The Launchpad on the third floor is the most popular room because you can experience lots of physics experiments (实验) in it. For example, if you want to fill a bag with sand, you have to control a kind of truck on wheels and move it into the correct place. You can also find out how people travel into space and back again by spaceships. On its fourth and fifth floors, you can learn about what medicine was like in the past. Comparing the medicine of the past with today, you will feel very lucky to see a doctor in the modern hospitals!

People of all ages can visit the Science Museum in London for free. It’s very interesting. You can always find something new to you and have a wonderful time here. The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., so you can enjoy yourself here for either a few minutes or a few hours.

If you go to London, don’t miss the chance to visit the Science Museum.

Bridges are built over roads, rivers, or railways. They appeared a long time ago. Back then, they were built with stones, ropes and logs(原木). Some were very simple, like a footbridge (人行桥) made out of a big tree.     56     This is because we have better technology today.

Bridges are a mix of maths, physics, design, and architecture(建筑). They are designed by skilled engineers and they take years to build.

Bridges must be strong enough to support not only their own weight, but also the weight of the people and vehicles(交通工具). They must last a long time and be built in a way that protects them from earthquakes, strong winds, and freezing.

    57     Let’s take a closer look at each one.

Arch (拱) bridges were invented a long time ago by the Romans. They were built out of stone or brick(砖).

Beam bridges are horizontal (水平的) beams supported by many columns.     58       These bridges are very old as well, and people used stone and trees to build them.

Suspension bridges have a tower (索塔) on either side. The towers are connected by cables. They are more modern, with the first ones being built in the early 19th century.

The oldest bridge in the world is the Zhaozhou Bridge in China.     59     But if you’re looking for one of the most beautiful and famous bridges, it would be the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. It’s a suspension bridge built in 1937. It has is 2. 78 kilometers long. If you think that’s long, you should see the Danyang-kunshan Grand Bridge in China. It’s over 164. 85 kilometers long!     60    

We all want to protect our environment, but most of us are too busy or too lazy     76     make big changes that will improve our lifestyle and save the environment.

Here are some suggestions for     77     (protect) our environment.

Use compact fluorescent light bulbs (紧凑型灯泡). It’s true that these bulbs are more expensive, but they last much     78     (long) and they can save energy. So in the long term your electricity bill would be     79     (reduce).

Donate. You have lots of clothes or things you want to throw away. If they are still valuable, give them to someone who     80     (need) them. You may also choose to give them to organizations. These organizations may sell them and collect a little money. Not only will you protect the environment, but you’ll also help people     81     need.

Turn off your devices (设备). When you don’t use a house device, turn it off. For example, if you don’t watch TV, turn it off. Turn off the light when you leave a room. It’s     82     easy habit to keep and you can save energy and money.

Walk or ride bikes. Driving is one of the biggest     83     (cause) of pollution. If you want to use your car, ask       84     (you) the following question: Do I really need my car? Walk or use your bike if the journey is short.

Rainwater. Rainwater is very     85     (use) in our daily life, so try to hold it when it rains. This water can be used for different purposes.

These suggestions above are good for the environment, and they help you save some money.

87. 转眼间，你已经是一名九年级学生了。你还记得刚升入初中时的自己是什么样子吗？这两年在你身上发生了哪些变化？请以“My changes”为题写一篇英语作文，请你根据下面的要求完成这篇作文。

My changes

I’m in Grade 9 and I have changed a lot. First, ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________