Microorganisms

A microorganism is an organism that is microscopic (usually too small to be seen with the human eye). Microorganisms are the smallest of the small and the simplest of the simple. They form the largest number of living organisms on the planet. There are trillions of microbes around the Earth.微生物是一切肉眼看不见的微小生物。它们的形体微小，构造简单，是地球上数量最多的生物。它们广泛分布在自然界中。

微生物的种类 Types of microorganisms

There are many types of microorganisms such as germs, viruses, fungi and protozoa.微生物有许多种类，例如细菌、病毒、真菌和原生动物。

 Microorganisms are part of our lives. Some are harmless and useful to humans. They have benefited the human race in many ways. However, there are also harmful microorganisms. These microbes can threaten our lives too. 微生物和人类的关系非常密切。有些对人类有益，是人类生活中不可缺少的良伴；有些却对人类有害，对人类生存构成威胁。

IQ Corner

Keong and his family visited the zoo on Sunday. At the zoo, Keong wanted to take photographs of the lion, giraffe, rhinoceros and gorilla. Unfortunately, he found all the animals snoozing away. Were they really sleeping?

 

Actually, the lion, giraffe, rhinoceros and gorilla are all sleeping. 
Do you know there are many ways in which animals sleep? 

• There isn't much difference in the manner they sleep, that is lying down on the ground. However the lion is an exception. It sleeps with its head facing upwards showing that it has no fear of being attacked while it is sleeping.
• Animals do not sleep for long. When a giraffe drops its head, it means the giraffe is sleeping. Normally, a giraffe does not sleep for more than 20 minutes.
• When a rhinoceros sleeps, its ears stand on end. Animals are often alert. This shows that the rhinoceros is still aware that enemies could attack. So it is really difficult to tell whether an animal is sleeping or not. 

Living And Non-living Things

Living Things

Living things are things that are alive. Examples are people, cats and flowers. The following are the needs and characteristics of living things. 生物是有生命的物体，例如人、猫、凤仙花等等。以下是生物的特征。  

They need food and water 

Food and water are the basic needs of living organisms.  
食物和水食物和水是组成生物的基本来源。

They breathe 

Living things must breathe in oxygen to stay alive. 

生物必须呼吸才能生存。 

They grow

Babies grow to become adults. Seeds germinate to become plants. 

婴孩成长成人，种子发芽

They reproduce Living things reproduce as when mother gives birth to a baby and a cat gives birth to kittens.  生物会繁殖新一代，如母亲生小孩，母猫生小猫。 They move Animals can move. This happen when people walk and birds fly. Plants cannot move from place to place but they move upwards through their trunks and downwards through their roots. 动物会移动，如人会走、鸟会飞。植物不会到处走，却可以慢慢移动一部分的茎和根。

长成植物。