MAIN IDEA

A tornado is a rotating column of air that comes down from a thunderstorm cloud to the ground. It is important to know what to do during a tornado. If you are in the path of a tornado, go to your basement if you have one. If you don’t have a basement, take cover in a closet in the center of your house. Tornados can be scary if you are outside. If you see a tornado outside, find a ditch and lie flat in it. Your school may have regular tornado drills Always be on the alert for any tornado watches or warnings issued for your area.

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Hummingbirds are different from other birds. A hummingbird is the only bird capable of backward flight. It is unique because it quickly moves its wings forward and backward. All other birds flap their wings up and down to fly. The wing movements of a hummingbird allow it to hover in position, fly upside down, and move more rapidly. Hummingbirds can also start flying at maximum speed and stop flying instantly! All other birds have to push off with their feet to begin flying and then work their way up to their top speed.

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Honeybees are important because they help to pollinate plants. Pollination is necessary for the growth of fruits and vegetables. This is why honeybees are sometimes called "nature's farmers." Honeybees also produce honey. Honey is a delicious and healthy sweetener. Many people enjoy eating honey on toast, in tea, or in other foods. Beeswax is another product that honeybees make. Beeswax is used to make candles, lip balm, and other products. Honeybees are important insects for a variety of reasons.

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Apples can be used to make delicious treats. One popular treat is apple pie. Many people enjoy apple pie because it is sweet and tart. Another popular apple dessert is apple crisp. Apple crisp is made with fresh apples, butter, sugar, and spices. It is then baked until it is golden brown and bubbly. Applesauce is another favorite apple dish. It is made by cooking apples until they are soft. Applesauce can be eaten plain or with spices added to it. It is also a popular ingredient in many recipes. Apples have been a favorite fruit for centuries.

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Tails help an animal to move and swing. Monkeys, for example, balance in the trees, and kangaroos use their tails to balance while they jump. Crocodiles use their tails to spin them around and around when they need to catch their prey, while scorpions often have poison in their tails. Beavers use their powerful tails to pat ground down hard and solid. Almost all fish use their tails for swimming and to steer their movement. Whales, dolphins, sharks, and many others use their tail as a sort of rudder to steer them in a certain direction. Birds' tails are very important for steering as well.

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There are definitely some creatures in this world that rank as the top most intelligent animals! Chimpanzees are some of the smartest animals on the planet. In fact, some Chimpanzees can do better on memory tests than some humans can. Elephants and goats are also intelligent. Both animals have amazing long-term memories, meaning they can remember people and places for a long time. Orcas (also called “killer whales”) are also very bright. Orcas have their own language and have deeper emotions than humans.

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It isn’t pleasant to look at, but bird poop plays an important role in plant growth. Birds that eat berries end up pooping out berry seeds, which helps new plants grow somewhere far from its parent plant. It is important for these seeds to be dropped far away from their parent plant. If several seeds fall next to an existing plant, they have less chance of growing because they have to share space with the adult plant. The adult plant often shades the seedling from the sun, which means the small plant may not get enough sunlight. Birds help prevent this problem by dropping seeds far away from their parent plant.

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The Flightless Ostrich is the largest bird in the world, but the size of this bird isn't its most interesting attribute. Ostriches can reach a speed of 70 kilometers per hour when they run, this is faster than a horse! Ostriches may look harmless, but they're not. When threatened, Ostriches can use their legs to perform a powerful front kick. This kick can injure or even kill predators, such as a lion. Male ostriches can even sound scary--they roar like lions! What is the main idea?

Ants are tiny, but if you look closely at this tiny insect you will learn they are able to do amazing things. Ants are very strong. It's hard to tell, but they can do more with their muscles than we can. If we had the muscles of an ant, we could each lift a car! Because of their strength, ants can carry food from place to place in order to feed their ant colonies. Teamwork is important to ants, and they have a large team. Scientists estimate that for every one person in the world, there are one and a half million ants!

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Have you ever seen a Black Widow spider? The venom of this spider is 15 times stronger than a rattlesnake. Most people who are bitten by a Black Widow don't experience permanent injury, but the venom does cause people to have aches, pains, and even trouble breathing. Female Black Widows eat male Black Widows, which is how these spiders earned their name. When eating another insect or spider, a Black Widow injects venom into its prey. When the prey can no longer move, the Black Widow eats it.

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