At the beginning of July, I was a staff member for a high school program. We took a group of students out onto Fujimae Tidal Flat. When we got to the flat, I could see something pink far away in the mud. I started walking toward it. I got closer, and I saw that it was a small suitcase. It was open, and there was hardly anything inside. I knew that it had been in the sea for a long time because the top was covered with barnacles. However, I didn’t know anything else. There was no name on it. Who did it belong to? Where did it come from? How did it get into the sea? (117 words)

Mister Donut was an American franchise, but now there is  only one store in the U.S. In Japan, there are 1000 stores. What happened? Harry Winokur, the man who started Mister Donut, was the brother-in-law of the man who started Dunkin` Donuts. They both knew that Americans liked coffee and donuts, so they decided to start their own stores in the 1950s. Both were successful. In 1970, Winokur sold Mister Donut. The Japanese stores were bought by Duskin. In the U.S., the company that owned Dunkin’ Donuts bought the American stores, and they all became Dunkin’ Donuts, all except one. Today the only Mister Donut store in the U.S. is in a small town in Illinois near St. Louis.  (119 words)

Although yesterday was Marine Day, I didn’t go swimming at the beach. I did go swimming last Wednesday in a pool, however. A friend of mine invited me to go swimming at his university’s outdoor pool. The swimming team wasn’t using it that day, so we had it to ourselves, or so we thought. When we got there, a couple of ducks flew down and landed in the water. They started swimming down the lanes. Then they got out and rested at the end of the pool. I took out my smartphone to take a picture, but when I got closer, they jumped in the water and swam away. When we got into the pool, they flew away. This was the first time I ever shared a pool with ducks!    (130 words)

Here are the answers to yesterday’s watermelon quiz.(1) Where were watermelons first grown? Scientists believe that the first watermelons were grown in Egypt about 5000 years ago.(2) What percent of a watermelon is just water? 92%. When you eat a watermelon, you are eating mostly water.(3) Which is from the same family as the watermelon? The cucumber is from the same family. The melon family includes zucchini and pumpkins, too.  (4) When people explored new countries, how did they use the watermelon? They used it to carry water. A watermelon can hold a lot of water.(5) Which country grows the most watermelons now? China is the biggest producer of watermelons. It grows about 20 times more watermelons than the next country, Turkey.   (126 words)

If you go to the store, you will find a lot of watermelons. They are in season now. How much do you know about watermelons? I have a quiz for you. (1) Where were watermelons first grown?a. In China   b. In India  c. In Egypt  d. In Spain(2) What percent of watermelon is just water?a. 75%  b. 84%  c. 92%  d. 99%(3) Which of these is from the same family as watermelons?a. The papaya  b. The banana  c. The tomato  d. The cucumber(4) When people exploring new countries found watermelons, how did they use them?a. To eat in like a bowl  b. To carry water in like a canteen  c. To wear on your headlike a hat  d. To sit on like a chair(5) Which country grows the most watermelons now?a. China  b. India  c. Egypt  d. Spain      (148 words)