Step out of your door and what do you see? Ever since humans walked here and there on the Earth, we have been crazy about nature. And this gave birth to the subject called “natural history”.

It began with ancient scientists who looked at the diversity (多样性) of the natural world. Soon, more and more “naturalists”—those who study and practice natural history-were busy studying, collecting and naming the world’s animals, plants and so on. Observing (观察) skills are the key tools of a naturalist. They helped naturalists find out the secret of life on the Earth.

Today, natural history museums around the world offer people a place to think about natural history. But it has a long way to go.

In China, natural history as a field is developing quickly. Books and apps (应用程序) on plants and animals are very popular. Environmental protection groups and activities have all seen great growth during the past years. And behind it is China’s push to build an ecological civilization (生态文明).

Natural history is now seen as a kind of lifestyle. When you visit a natural history museum or just step out in the nature, you can enjoy the nature and learn about the secret of life at the same time. “Naturalist lifestyle” is good for the mind and the body.

We need naturalists now more than ever. The secret of life on the Earth is still incomplete, and the pieces are changing rapidly. So come on and discover your part!

Our skin (皮肤) is like a bag that we live in. 【小题1】 Our water is like the water in the sea. It is very salty. Also, like the ocean, we can lose our water. The wind and the sun could take it away. Our bag of skin keeps our body’s ocean from drying up.

Our skin keeps out sunshine. 【小题2】 Skin also keeps out dirt. That’s important because some kinds of dirt can make us sick. 【小题3】 It feels warm things, cold things, things it touches, and things that hurt it.

Our hair is a special kind of covering. It helps us keep things out of our eyes, ears and nose. Hair is also good for keeping us warm. When we get goose bumps (鸡皮疙瘩), our body hairs stand up and hold air close to our skin like a thick quilt. 【小题4】 Some animals have more hair than others, so they have a better blanket (毯子) for cold weather.

Our nails (指甲) are another special skin which are very hard. 【小题5】 Our nails aren’t as strong or sharp as the nails that animals have. But they are just good for the basic human needs.