TWO English phrases show what people think about mice and rats: "As quiet as a mouse", and "a dirty rat".

    People think rats are dirty because they live in sewers(下水道) and other unclean places. They also carry diseases(疾病). Having a rat in your house is bad news. They smell terrible and make a lot of noise.

    Calling someone a "rat" in English means they are not to be trusted(信任). Saying "Rats!" is also a way to show that you are angry.

    Mice, on the other hand, are seen as quiet and cute. They live in fields and as unwelcome guests in people's houses. They are small and often kept as pets. Walt Disney's famous character Mickey Mouse helped make them lovable to children. Jerry, from the Tom and Jerry cartoons, is smart and naughty. It makes everyone happy.

    Rats and mice are both classed as rodents(啮齿类). But people think about them in different ways!

    Rob Frenette had problems with bullies(欺辱) at school for eleven years. He was often lonely and scared. When he was fifteen, however, he decided to do something about his problems. He walked into a newspaper office and told them about the bullying. His story went into the newspaper and soon all the TV stations in Canada wanted to talk to him about his experiences. They also wanted to hear his ideas to stop bullying.

    After that, Rob continued his studies at school, but in his free time he helped other people with bullying problems. With a friend Katie Neu, he made a website called www. bullyingcanada. ca. Visitors to the website can find advice, stories and poems about bullying, in both English and French. When people are upset, they can talk on the phone or online to Rob and his team. Every weekend Rob has to answer e-mails to the website. He also speaks to children, teachers and members of government around the country about bullying.

    Rob's most important message is: “When bullies are unkind to you, it isn't your fault (过错、责任). There's nothing wrong with you, so you should try to keep trusting yourself. And remember that people care about your problems. You just have to find those people.”

    One of Rob's ideas is “Blue Day”, a special day for stopping bullying in schools. Students have to wear blue clothes and in class they learn how to stop bullying. More than 150 Canadian schools now celebrate Blue Day, but Rob won't stop until there's a Blue Day in every school in Canada.

    Ding-dong!

    "Jason, honey? Can you answer the door?"

    "I'm busy, mom!" Jason shouted back at his mother. He'd spent three hours so far working to his point in the gate. He couldn't stop now.

    Ding-dong! Mom's footsteps approached the front door.

    "Jason, it's your friend, Todd." Mom called from the doorway.

    Todd, his best friend, stepped into the room. "Jason! I need a partner for playing basketball. He sounded excited.

    Jason snorted, "No way, Todd. I'm playing a game here."

    Todd shook his head. "You can play later. Let go."

    Jason gave his friend a dirty look, and his character in the game almost got killed while he looked away, "I almost died because of you!

    Todd looked at Jason's mother. Jason's mother looked back at him. They both looked at Jason. "Why don't you play basketball with your friend?"Jason's mother suggested.

    "Tomorrow, maybe." there were more levels to beat tomorrow, though. Maybe he'd play tomorrow. He'd have to see what mood he was in. He thought he heard footsteps walking away, but he was too busy beating the next level to care.

    An hour later, Jason's father came home. It was dinner time after his father washed up and sat down. Jason didn't even hear his name being called to the table. He didn't hear his father walk up behind him and ask him to turn the game off, either.

    When the screen suddenly went black and his father's angry face loomed in front of him, Jason finally heard. "No more game for a month." Jason's father shouted at him. "You don't play basketball, you don't come to dinner, and you don't do your chores. We'll make sure everything else gets done before you play anymore."

    Jason nodded slowly. He knew better than to argue with father, and when he thought about it, he had been playing quite a bit. It was fun, but he was letting down(使失望) his friends，his family, and himself by playing too much.

    He'd try harder in the future.