Have you ever heard of netball? It is a team sport which is similar to both basketball and handball.

Netball was first played in England in 1895 at Madame Ostenburg’s College. In the first half of the 20th century, Netball’s popularity continued to grow, with the game being played in many countries, it is particularly popular in Australia and New Zealand. In 1995 Netball became a “recognized” sport of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and one of the International Netball Federation’s goals is to encourage the IOC to include netball in the Olympic Games Programme in the future.

There are seven players on each team and they each wear a bib (号码布) which shows the name of the position they play. Players must throw the ball to one another and the aim of the game is to pass the ball to the “Goal Shooter” or “Goal Attack” who can shoot the ball into the net to score a goal. However, the key rules of netball are that you cannot bounce (拍) the ball and you cannot move your feet when you have the ball. This is called the footwork rule and it can be quite difficult to grasp (掌握) for young children playing the game! A full match lasts for one hour and in a single match often about 100 goals are scored which shows what a fast-paced and exciting game netball is!

Netball is typically played by women and girls. However, at many universities, there are mixed netball leagues (联赛) in which teams must have both male and female players.

In the UK, there are many different ways to try to attract women to play netball. One such plan is called “Back to Netball” which encourages women who have not played netball since they were at school to rediscover their love for the sport and get back on the court! Walking Netball is another variation (变化形式) of the sport aimed at older women and those who want to exercise in a gentler way. So, why not watch a video of netball online and then have a go for yourself?

March 22 is World Water Day. The theme last year was “groundwater”. We can’t see groundwater. It’s under our feet. But it plays an important role in our lives. About 98 percent of Earth’s fresh water is groundwater. It is 60 times as plentiful as the fresh water in lakes and rivers. On the 31st World Water Day this year, let’s keep focusing on the water resource.

The world’s water moves between lakes, rivers, oceans, the air and the land in a cycle. It is a continuous process, with no beginning or end. The sun heats the water. This changes water into vapor（蒸气）. It is called evaporation, which makes the first step of the Water Cycle. When the water vapor reaches up in the sky, it turns into tiny drops of water. These water drops come together to form clouds. This process is called condensation. When the cloud becomes too heavy and it can’t hold any more water inside, it will give out rain or snow. This is known as precipitation.

Now, more and more countries are facing the problem of water shortage. There are some reasons for this. Firstly, with the population increasing fast, more water is needed. Secondly, climate change makes things worse. There are other reasons for water shortages. For example, water pollution makes it harder to get clean drinking water. Factories and farms don’t use water efficiently.

In the face of serious water shortage, we should raise awareness（意识） of protecting water. Meanwhile, we need to take action to save water. Let’s take a look at how Timmy saves water every week. （L=Litre）

①Many scientists find that colors can change people’s feelings. It’s very interesting.

Some colors can make people feel relaxed, and some colors can make people feel nervous. Now, this kind of knowledge is being used in many places. For example, school walls are always painted green because green makes students feel relaxed. It is also good for the students’ eyes. Some books are also green or light blue for the same reason. Restaurant owners not only have to know how to make food, but also have to know how to make money. Here are something they’ve learned from scientific (科学的) studies. ②红色使人饥饿。Many fast food restaurants have red furniture or walls. Brown makes customers want to eat quickly and leave. Many restaurants, especially fast food restaurants use brown tables and chairs to make customers eat fast. Soft colors like pink and light blue make people feel relaxed. They spend more time eating.