Sitting on exercise balls brings more than a smile to students and teachers.
Some fourth-graders at Conrad Weiser West Elementary School in Womelsdorf love their new chairs-—probably because they're not really chairs at all.
The kids are sitting on the air-filled balls. But different from those just for exercise, these have small legs that keep them from rolling. Sitting on a chair all day in school can make anyone want to move around. So, more and more teachers are letting students have a ball. By using exercise balls instead of common chairs, teachers find students' posture(姿势) and attention improved.
Dotti Pownall, a fifth-grader teacher in West Virginia, has been using balls as chairs since December 2008. "The students love them." she says. Pownall took a survey of her students. She found that 80 percent, thought sitting on the balls helped them concentrate(专注) better:
"Besides, they’re fun,b" says Pownall.
According to WittFitt,b a company that has sold balls to more than 200 schools, they can improve kids' posture and classroom behavior.
Exercise ball chairs are getting popular in classrooms, from preschool to college. Some adults (成人) even use them at work.
Lisa Witt felt so strongly about the use of balls as chairs that she started WittFitt. She said the company not only encourages the use of balls but also educates teachers and students on how to use them. "We sell balls in 24 states in America, three provinces in Canada and Japan." says Witt.
【小题1】Sitting on exercise balls can______.

根据短文内容，从下面选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项来补全短文。其中有一项是多余的。
Everyone needs friends. But how do you find real friendship and keep it?
The American writer Sally Seamans tells young students some smart ways to find friends.       16      . You plant the seed (种子) and take care of it to make it grow.
First, you should choose a friend. What makes a good friend? It is not because a person has money or good looks.         17         For example, if you have a bad day, a good friend could listen to your complaints (抱怨) and do his or her best to help you. To make a friend, you can’t be too shy. You should make each other happy and share your lives.
But things can not always be happy.         18          What should you do when you have a fight with your friend?          19          When there is no one around, have a good talk. If he or she doesn’t want to talk, you can write a letter.
There are three steps to be friends again:
Tell him or her how you are feeling,       20         Remember that friendship is one of the most important things in your life.

Island University has a competition for middle school students.

Read about the competition on their web site.

School Competition

 Students! Here is your chance to help the physically disabled(残疾人). Think out a robot or a machine to help them live better. There'll be three prizes. The winning schools will each get $15,000. Read the information below:

        What do you have to do?

·Try to know problems faced by the physically disabled in Hong Kong. Write a 200-word article on the difficulties these people have to suffer each day.

·Try to know modern inventions that help the physically disabled. Then think out a robot or a machine that will improve the lives of the physically disabled. Draw your invention. You can make as many drawings as you like to show your invention. You can even make a small model of your invention.

· Write a short description of your invention.

Who can join?

All middle school students in Hang Kong.

So, come on! Join the competition, and get the chance!

1.Where can you find the information?

2.Why is the school competition held?

3.What prize will each winning school get?

4.How many words should be written on the difficulties the disabled have to suffer each day?

5.Who can join the competition?

When we see a cigarette box, we’ll see “ Smoking is harmful to your health” on it. Children are not    36  to smoke by their parents or teachers. But in many countries  37 is becoming a bigger problem for young people. Most smokers   38  in their teens or earlier.

Some students think smoking is very cool, and they can see many people smoking around them. They want to have a   39 .

“If young people start smoking early, they will probably get addicted （上瘾的）to nicotine（尼古丁）. And it will be very hard to  40   later on,” said a professor. A study shows smoking is a problem for many Chinese teens.  41    can we do to make them stop smoking?

Some people think we can make a law. Teenagers under 18 are not allowed to smoke,   42   they should be fined. Parents should give up smoking. They can set an example （树立榜样）43   their children.

“Every year about four million people die of smoking. And if people  44   smoking, the number will increase （增加）10 million a year from now on,” said the World Health Organization. So we must learn and tell others about the  45  of smoking.