When the days grew long in the middle of summer, Lisa liked to go to the park and watch the clouds.

One day, Lisa saw a cloud that looked like a standing dragon. After a few minutes, it became a flying dragon. Then it seemed to change direction. Another cloud moved in to mix with it, and the dragon changed into a dancing elephant. Then it became a sitting dog then a barking dog, and then a tiger.

“This is better than TV!” Lisa shouted.

Mrs. Thomas, the music teacher at Lisa’s school, was playing tennis with her son in the park. She heard Lisa’s voice. She gave the tennis to her son and came to Lisa.

“Hi, Mrs. Thomas!” Lisa said. “Look at those clouds. They keep changing! First, they looked like a dragon, then an elephant, then a dog, and now a tiger!”

Mrs. Thomas looked up. “A tiger?” she said. “That looks like a horse to me. It’s running towards the sun. That’s so lively.”

Lisa looked again. She was right! “How do clouds know how to make so many shapes?”

“The clouds don’t know how to make shapes. Your imagination helps you see those shapes in the clouds,” Mrs. Thomas answered as the horse changed into a chicken.

There are many deserts on the earth. And the following are some facts you may find interesting.

What are deserts like?

Deserts can be hot and dry places. Rain may not fall there for months or years. Some deserts are sandy and stony. Deserts can also be very windy places: The wind can change the shape of the deserts. It moves sand around from place to place.

Temperatures in the desert can vary enormously (非常). During the daytime,the temperature may reach 40℃ even in the shade (阴凉处). At night deserts can become very cold. In winter there may even be a frost (霜冻) in the early morning.

Living in the desert

The camel is sometimes called “the ship of the desert”. It stores food in its hump (驼峰) and can go for days without water. It has large feet which help it not to fall into the soft sand. Its long eyelashes (睫毛) keep out the sand during sandstorms.

An oasis is an area of the desert where water may be found. The water may be in pools or under the ground. People and animals visit an oasis for water and food. Plants grow at an oasis. Some farmers are able to grow crops here.

The Arabian Desert

The Arabian Desert lies between the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf. In some parts of the desert, it is too hot for people to live. Oil was discovered under parts of the desert and in the Arabian Gulf. This oil has made some countries in the area very rich. Much of the money has been spent building fine cities with lovely parks and lakes, and people live a comfortable life there.

The Chinese ping feng (folding screen) is an ancient invention and traditional Chinese furniture. Its earliest common use dates from the Han Dynasty. The term ping feng means protection from wind, showing its purpose at the very beginning.

As time passes, it has been made into different sizes with colourful paintings. On screens usually appears a dragon. It stands for nobility and power. The peacock, a beautiful bird, can be seen on screens, too. It’s a symbol of everlasting life. Beautiful flowers, which mean wealth and good luck, are also chosen as popular design of the ping feng. All the design carry people’s beautiful wishes.

Behind the ping feng lies an interesting story. In the past, the unmarried daughter of a rich family was not supposed to see or be seen by men except her father, brothers or very close male cousins. When an admirer paid a visit, however, she might take a secret look at him from a screen behind which she would be completely hidden. Her father would discuss poems with the young man and ask him to create one. If the daughter and her father were satisfied with the young man’s poem and his looks, she might agree to take him as a husband.

Today the ping feng is back in fashion for its beauty and its practical (实际的) use as furniture. Acting as a moving wall or divider, it can be the perfect match for modern sofas and walls, which adds style to them.

The ping feng is more than beautiful furniture.