Scientists may have found an answer to water shortages (短缺 ). It is a material that collects water from the air. How did the scientists get the idea? Well, they got it from an African desert beetle （甲虫）.

First, let's learn about the African desert beetle. The beetle is an expert （专家）at surviving in dry conditions. Its shell is covered with small bumps （凸起）. These small bumps help the beetle to collect drops of water from the air. In this way, the beetle stays alive.

Scientists spent a lot of time studying the bumps. They tried to create some new materials to collect water from the air. These new materials will help people who live in very dry areas to get water. In this way, people can solve the problem of water shortages.

It is a kind of bio-inspired （仿生的）technology. The scientists say this technology could help in many areas of life. They said it could help power plants. It could also help with heating and air conditioning.

Another scientist, Joanna Aizenberg, said that she was looking forward to getting more new technologies from nature. She said, "Everybody is excited about the research on bio-inspired materials. "

Once, there was a shepherd (牧羊人). 【小题1】 He was very happy and hoped these wild sheep wouldn’t leave.

It snowed that night. The next morning, the shepherd couldn’t take his sheep to the mountains. Instead, he had to feed them inside. 【小题2】 But he gave more of the food to the wild sheep. He thought the extra (额外的) food would stop them from leaving.

It snowed for several days. During that time, the shepherd’s sheep ate very little. 【小题3】 At last, the snow stopped, and the shepherd took all the sheep out. As soon as they got to the foot of the mountain, the wild sheep started to run away.

“Wait! 【小题4】 Why do you run away?” the shepherd shouted.

One wild sheep stopped and said to him, “We’re leaving because you fed us better than your own sheep. 【小题5】 Yesterday, you were kind to us, but tomorrow you might be different. If more wild sheep join your herd (牧群), you will give us less food, too.”

The shepherd finally realized his mistake. He was sorry that he didn’t take good care of his own sheep.

① Do you know anyone born in the Year of the Tiger? Are they brave, strong, purposeful and energetic? If so, then they are a typical “tiger”.

② The tiger has been a cultural symbol in China since long ago. It’s believed to be the king of all animals, as the patterns on its forehead look like the Chinese character for “king”. So the tiger was seen as a symbol of royalty（皇族）and power in ancient times. The tiger talisman（虎符）is one such example. The tiger talisman, which has two halves, was used by the emperor to transfer troops（调兵遣将）. When the emperor wanted to transfer troops, his messenger（信 使）brought half of the talisman and matched it with the other held by the general. Only when the two halves were matched can troops be transferred.

③ Besides cultural symbols, the tiger is quite meaningful in the Chinese and English languages. In English, if someone “catches a tiger by the tail（尾 巴）”, it means he is in a dangerous situation. The Chinese phrase “Paper tiger” describes a person who is only strong on the outside. As one of the most fierce（凶猛的）animals in nature, the tiger has developed a similarly strong image in different cultures.

④ For the Chinese people, the tiger has been the symbol of protection for its strength and power as well. After the birth of a child, parents often put on a tiger hat and tiger shoes on the baby as a way to keep dangers away from their beloved child.

⑤ The tiger is also a common cultural symbol in the West. Tigger（跳跳虎）in the cartoon Winnie and Pooh is strong and energetic. In the book Life of Pi, the writer chose a tiger as the partner for Indian boy Pi on his journey   in the Pacific Ocean. The fierce tiger was a symbol of the boy’s wish to live on.

⑥ May the strong and heroic tiger lift the world out of trouble and sickness into happiness and health. Happy the Year of the Tiger!