The Owl Count

    Annie slept in the front of the seat with her father drovethrough the darkness. “We're almost there!” Dad announced cheerfully. “Soon we'll be observing and counting owls at the state park.” Yawning, Annie noddedand smiled. The time was 4:30 a.m. Looking out into the darkness, Annie remembered learning in school that most owls are active at night, when they hunt for food. During the day they sleep in hard-to-find spots.

    “Dad, why do you need to count owls?” she asked. “It's importantfor the scientists to have current information about bird populations,” he explained. “We want to know which birds have decreased in number and whether any new kinds of birds are coming into a certain area. You and I will write down the kinds of birds that we see today and keep a record of how many times we see each kind. Then we'll send out a report to a scientific organization that is collecting about birds from people all over the country.”

    Dad pulled into the parking lot of the state park. Then, with flashing in hand, they began their hike into the woods. Annie zipped up hercoat and tried to keep from trembling. She had not expected the morning to beso cold. Luckily her gloves were in her pocket.

    Suddenly Annie's father stopped and gestured for her to bestill. Obeying, Annie did not take another step. She thought she heard a low crying up head. “That's certainly a screech owl,” her father whispered. “Let's get a look at it.” After looking more closely, Annie could see that it was asmall owl. Sensing danger, the owl narrowed its eyes and pulled its feathers tightly against its body. Annie carefully wrote down in her notebook that theyhad seen a screech owl.

    Walking a little farther, they came to a tall oak tree. “Thislooks like a perfect spot to attract owls,” Dad said, “I'm going to play a recording of common call of the barred owl. Maybe we can get one to answer." Annie could hardly believe her ear. The recorded call sounded as if the birdwere asking, “Who cooks for you?” Moments later Annie thought she heard areturn call in the distance. She held her breath and waited. Suddenly a huge bird landed very quietly on a branch above them.

    Annie had long forgotten how cold it was. She stood in wonder, shining her flashlight on the bird and studying it carefully. The barred owl was nearly two feet tall. Grey feathers surrounded its dark eyes. The bird did not stay long, but it did not matter. Annie would never forget the image of the powerful barred owl.

    There's a curious thing about people.All of us are driven in some way or another to achieve—we want to run faster,be more creative,win more awards,and earn more money.But here's the thing: if you want to offer warm words of wisdom,constructive criticism or "360-degree feedback",then think again.Most of us would rather not hear it.

    Our easily-broken egos（自尊心）are partly to blame.We all want to meet our own expectations of ourselves,and so being critised can present a huge threat to our egos.Yet as decades of psychological theory and research have indicated,people have endless tricky strategies of remaining positive in the face of criticism.For this reason,rather than us welcoming feedback with open arms,our first response is often an automatic defense.These reactions serve to make us feel better about ourselves.

    Psychological research exposes this unhealthy appetite for ignorance.In one study,students watched a false educational film about a serious disease called "TAA Deficiency".In fact,TAA Deficiency is completely fictional,but the students were not told this information;instead,they were asked whether they wished to provide a cheek test for assessing（评估）their risk of developing the disease.Half of the students were told that if they ever developed TAA Deficiency,then the treatment would involve them taking a two-week course of pills.Of this group,52% agreed to provide the cheek test.The other half of students learned the treatment would involve taking the pills for the rest of their lives.Of this group,only 21% agreed to the test.

    These findings show a common pattern seen in other studies within and beyond the context of healthcare.That is,people are especially resistant to hearing feedback when they believe it could force them to do something difficult or unpleasant.

    Most nations have at least one type of food that people from other countries think is unusual or unethical（不道德的）to eat. In France, people eat horse meat and frog legs. In South Korea and parts of China, restaurants serve dog meat. And in Australia, it's common to cook kangaroo meat on the barbecue and use emu（鸸鹋）eggs to make pancakes.

    The kangaroo and emu are native to Australia. Both animals are important to the national image of Australia and appear on the Australian coat of arms. They're also central figures in the history of the indigenous（土生土长的）Australian Aboriginals（土著人）. However, Aboriginal tribes still hunt these animals for their meat, fur and fat.

    Today, Australian people continue to eat these animals. One of the reasons people eat kangaroo meat is that it's high in protein and low in fat, so eating kangaroo is a good option for anyone on a diet. It's also cheaper to eat kangaroo meat than other red meats. Because of this, a lot of university students choose to buy kangaroo meat. BBC News also reported that Australian scientists believe that eating kangaroo meat is good for the environment--kangaroos have different digestive systems than cows and sheep, meaning they produce less methane（甲烷），the second biggest contributor to global warming.

    While emu meat is high in iron and vitamin C, most people don't think it tastes good. For this reason, they prefer emu eggs. One egg is large enough to make seven omelettes（煎蛋）. And while it's illegal to collect emu eggs from the wild, they can be bought from emu farms. Rather than cracking the beautiful dark shell, it's better to drain it by putting a small hole at each end and blowing. Afterwards, you can even carve a design into the eggshell.

Teen Art Show

    Do you want to see your artwork displayed alongside other teens' artwork? Don't miss your opportunity! Showcase(在玻璃橱窗陈列) your paintings, sculptures, photographs and other artworks at the Environmental Educational Center. The show will provide an opportunity for artists to network, provide feedback and become a resource for others.

    Location: Environmental Educational Center

    Activity fee: $25

    Night Fishing

    Escape the night and join us as we fish at Desert Breeze Park. No experience needed. We will provide the fishing poles, transportation, the bait(鱼饵), to help you catch a fish and best of all, teens of 14 years and under do not require a license to fish.

    Location: Desert Breeze Park

    Activity fee: $ 22

    Overnight Snow Trip

    Join the City of Chandler in an exciting new trip! We will travel up to Camp Tontozona and enjoy great food and a campfire in the early evening. Snow play will be the highlight as we explore the snow-filled meadows(草地)of Woods Canyon Lake and sled down small hills in the area. You will be responsible for your own ski/ snowboard equipment.

    Location: Camp Tontozona

    Activity fee: $ 30

    Paintballing

    Come out and play paintball with all your friends! Join the City of Chandler as we go to Temp Indoor Paintball. This is a great way to join in the fun of paintballing for a low cost All equipment is included. Please wear old clothes because clothes can get dirty easily!

    Location: Tempe Paintball

    Activity fee: $ 28

    Bandhavgarh National Park in India is best known for its amazing setting, as well as having the highest concentration of tigers in India. In addition to tigers, there are also bears, deer, wolves, birds, etc.

    Location: In Madhya Pradesh state, almost 200 kilometers northeast of Jabalpur. The nearest village is Tala, which is the access point of the park.

    Opening Hours and Safari（打猎）Times

    Safaris operate twice a day, starting at dawn until late morning, and mid afternoon until sunset. The best time to visit the park is early in the morning or after 4 p.m. to spot the animals. the park is closed from July 1 to September 30 due to the monsoon season（季风季节）.

    Bandhavgarh Zone

    Bandhavgarh is divided into three main zones: Tala (the park's best zone, with the most tigers), Magdhi (the second best zone to see tigers), and Khitauli (scenic and less visited, although tiger sighting do occur there; particularly good for birding).

    Entry Fees and Charges for Jeep Safaris

    Bandhavgarh has become expensive to visit in recent years. Entry fees have increased since October 2014. When going on a safari, separate fees must be paid for park entry and jeep hire. Entry tickets are priced per vehicle (up to six people). For 2015-16, park entry tickets cost as follows:

    Tala Zone: 2,400 rupees for Indians, 4,800 rupees for foreigners. (Up to six people)

    Other Zones: 1,200 rupees for Indians, 2,400 rupees for foreigners. (Up to six people)

    Jeep Hire

    Expect to pay about 2,200 rupees to hire a jeep, in addition to the entry cost. This can be done at the park entrance. All hotels can arrange jeep hire and tours, but at a higher rate. It's much less trouble though. Besides, unlike many national parks in India, it's possible to take private vehicles into Bandhavgarh.

    “Attention, everyone!” Miss Dalrymple looked at her class of ten-year-olds. “Today we are going to create a special card for Father's Day, which falls on this weekend.” Then she busied herself handing out the paper and art materials to her noisy pupils.

    They were a mixed punch. Some came from the rich side of the town, but the majorities were from parents who struggled to get jobs. So she had not been eager to carry out this activity.

    “Think about all the things that your dad does that make him special,” she said loudly as she approached the last table. “You can write a poem or short story thinking of the positive characteristics that make your dad special. The written part of this activity should be completed before you start to decorate your card.”

    Andrew looked at the blank page. He had never met, spoken to, or been hugged by his dad, so how could he write about him? Once when he was looking in his grandma's photo box, he had seen an old black and white photo but it was badly creased(弄皱) and difficult to recognize any clear features. She had quickly taken it from him and buried it deeply among the rest, never to be found again. After thinking for a while, he wrote:

Dear Dad,

    You are a person I do not know and would probably not recognize as I only saw an old photo of you a long time ago. I think and wonder about you often, especially when I have no one to talk to about the Saturday fixtures(体育活动). One day when I grow up I will do an Internet search to find you, but I am not sure whether I will be successful as several attempts by the Child Support Agency have not been successful. Happy Father's Day, Dad.

Love,

Andrew