Do you know why different animals or pests(害虫) have their special colors? Colors in them seem to be mainly used to 1 themselves.

    Some birds like eating locusts(蝗虫), but birds cannot 2 catch them. Why? It is because locusts change their 3 with the change of the colors of crops. When crops are green, locusts look 4 But as the harvest time comes, locusts change into the same brown colo 5 crops have. Some other pests whose colors are 6 plants are easily found and eaten by 7 So they have to hide themselves for lives and appear only 8 

    If you 9 animals' life, you'll find the main use of colors is to protect 10 Bears, lions and other animals 11 quietly through forests. They cannot be easily seen by hunters 12 their colors are much like the trees.

    Colors are useful not only on the land, but also in the 13 A kind of fish can 14 （液体) when they face danger. The liquid spreads over quickly, so they cannot be found by their enemies and can quickly swim away. That is 15 they can live safely though they are not strong at all. So colors are really useful to animals.

    Some scientists say that animals in the ocean are increasingly threatened(威胁) by noise pollution caused by human beings. The noise that influences sea animals comes from a number of human activities. It is caused mainly by industrial underwater explosions(爆炸) , ocean drilling, and ship engines. Such noises are added to natural sounds. These sounds include the breaking of ice fields, underwater earthquakes, and sounds made by animals themselves.

    Decibels (分贝) measured in water are different from those measured on land. A noise of one hundred and twenty decibels on land causes pain to human ears. In water, a decibel level of one hundred and ninety five would have the same effect（效果）.

    Some scientists have proposed setting a noise limit （限度）of one hundred and twenty decibels in oceans. They have observed that noises at that level can frighten and confuse whales（鲸鱼）.

    A team of American and Canadian scientists discovered that louder noises can seriously injure some animals. The research team found that powerful underwater explosions were causing whales in the area to lose their hearing. This seriously affected the whales' ability to exchange information and find their way. Some of the whales even died. The explosions had caused their ears to bleed.

    Many researchers whose work depends on ocean sounds object to a limit of one hundred and twenty decibels. They say such a limit would mean an end to important industrial and scientific research. Scientists do not know how much and what kinds of noises are harmful to ocean animals. However, many scientists suspect that noise is a greater danger than they believed. It's time for them to take action to help ocean animals.

Using iPads to Make Learning Fun

    Paper, pencil, whiteboard, textbook are the tools you need if you want to go to school. But recently, you can add another one to the list: an iPad.

    Because the popular Apple tablet is not only useful for searching the Internet and watching videos, but it is also being used to make learning fun.

    Scientists now know that we learn better when we are enjoying ourselves, so recently software developers have made iPad applications(应用程序) that look like video games, but have strong educational content. One of the best examples of this new form of teaching application is Futaba, game in which up to four children try to recognize a spinning旋转的）object, and then identify what it is. The game can be used to teach English, math, foreign languages, or just about anything, and students love it. Teachers can even make their own questions. The important thing is that children enjoy the game, and don't even realize how much they are learning!

    So the next time you have to choose between making your child study or letting them play game, just remember——they could do both at the same time!

In ancient(古代的) China, people have three names: their family name, given name, and courtesy name(字). For example, we know Li Bai is a famous poet(诗人). His family name is Li, his given name is Bai, and his courtesy name is Taibai.

People use their given names when they are with their family or friends. And grandparents and parents call kids their given name at home. But when people work, they use their courtesy names.

Men get their courtesy names when they are 20 years old. Women get their courtesy names after they get married(结婚).

People's courtesy names have something to do with(与...有关) their given names. For example, Zhuge Liang(诸葛亮)'s given name is Liang. It means(意思是) "bright(明亮的)". His courtesy name is Kongming. And the meaning is "very bright".

France is well­known for its fine art, tasty food and beautiful scenery(风景). So about 75 million visitors come here every year. 

France is the largest country in Western Europe. It has a population of over 66 million. There are many famous places of interest in France, like the River Seine as well as the Eiffel Tower. 

Many visitors also come for the country's art. If you visit France today, it is not a surprise to meet street artists in the city or come across a singer in the subway. 

No visit to Paris is perfect without a trip to the Louvre, one of the largest and most famous museums in the world. Inside, there are 35，000 works of art, such as the painting Mona Lisa by Da Vinci and the statue(雕塑) David by Michelangelo. It would take nine months to enjoy all works of art. 

French food is also world­famous. Bread is very important in France. The best known French bread is called a baguette(法棍面包). It's long and delicious and tastes salty. Snails(蜗牛) are also a must­have here.  French people eat 40，000 tons of snails every year! 

But France is not always good. Paris, the city of light, may also show its dark side to visitors. Chinese visitors feel sorry about the crowded subway in Paris.