1. Smile! It’s International Day of Happiness!

2. Florida: Nature’s paradise

With its wonderful sandy beaches, crystal clear waters and areas of natural beauty, Florida, the Sunshine State, is a magical place for tourists – not least of all because there are over 4500 islands and 2170 kilometers of coastline. Two-thirds of the state form a peninsula between the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, so water is never far away and influences all aspects of life in Florida.

This is especially the case in the Everglades National Park, in southern Florida. The Everglades is the USA’s third largest national park. It was formed in 1943 to protect the unique but fragile ecosystem that can be found there. Many people don’t know that the Everglades is actually a wide, shallow and slow-moving river which meanders through the state from the north towards the ocean in the south.

Although dry for some months of the year, the Everglades is one of the world’s largest wetlands and home to many different animals and plants, including endangered species, such as the American crocodile and the Florida panther. However, the park is also home to many non-native species which also live here. One example is the Burmese python, which originally comes from Asia. People bought these big snakes as an exotic pet and when they could not cope with them, they released them into the wild. The Everglades, with its water and rich wildlife, offers a perfect environment for this reptile. The python has no natural enemies apart from humans and is known to choke alligators and kill other local species.

It is not only the animals which make the Everglades special, however. The plant life is equally unique. For example, red mangrove trees can be found all along the south coast of Florida and they play an important role in protecting the fragile coast. The trees are adapted to salt water and their roots grow above the water level, making it seem as if they are walking on water. Once again though, this local species is threatened by a foreign invader – the Brazilian pepper, which spreads quickly and crowds out the red mangrove trees.

Another tourist magnet is the Florida Keys, a chain of reefs and islands which spread out into the Gulf of Mexico. The golden sands attract millions of tourists every year and its waters are rich with wildlife. For a long time the Keys could only be reached by boat. This changed when the Overseas Railway was completed in 1916. However, a hurricane which struck Florida in 1935 destroyed large sections of the railway and the damaged tracks were never rebuilt. Today, the Overseas Highway is the main transportation route from Miami to Key West, traveling through the tropical islands which are home to exotic plants and animals found nowhere else on the US mainland.

About one hundred kilometers to the west of the Keys is Dry Tortugas National Park. The park consists of 99% water and seven islands. The islands got their name in the 16th century, when a Spanish explorer landed looking for water, but found none (“dry”). Instead, he caught more than 160 sea turtles (“tortuga” – the Spanish word for turtle). The park is known for its varied wildlife, tropical birds, colorful coral reefs and stories of shipwrecks and sunken treasure. Because of the distance, visiting the islands by private boat is almost impossible and most tourists arrive by seaplane. Activities include snorkeling, scuba diving, salt-water fishing and kayaking.

Tick () the right statement. There is only one possible answer per statement.

3. Race Day

Castle Cranshaw is a 13-year-old boy with a natural talent for running. He has joined a track team for the first time. On race day, he faces his first big competition at Martin Luther King Park.

¹Lu – another member of the track team

²King – the name of Castle’s cousin

³jacked-up cuts – here: a bad haircut

⁴cuss – here: curse