Elephants are able to know the difference between a man and a woman, and can tell an adult (成年人) from a child—all from the sound of a human voice. This is according to a study in which researchers played voice recordings to wild African elephants.

    The animals showed more fear when they heard the voices of adult Masai men. Usually Masai people hunt elephants, and this suggests that animals have grown to listen for and avoid them.

    Prof. Karen McComb and Dr Graeme Shannon from the University of Sussex led the study. They explained that in former research they had used similar experiments to show that elephants could tell—from the sound of a lion—whether the animal was a female (雌性) or a more dangerous male (雄性).

    Prof. McComb wanted to find out if the animals used their very sharp sense of hearing to recognize danger from humans.

    The scientists recorded Masai men, women and children saying, in their own language, “Look, look over there, a group of elephants are coming.” They also recorded Kamba men saying this phrase.

    Masai people often come across elephants, which can result in violent (暴力的) hunting. Kamba people, however, mainly feed on agriculture, which does not generally bring them into violent touch with the animals.

    When the team played recordings of these different voices through a hidden speaker, they found that elephant family groups showed more fear in response to the voice of a Masai man, than to a Kamba man's voice. And the adult male Masai voices caused far more violent response than the voices of women or boys.

    Thanksgiving Day is a special holiday in the United States and Canada. Families and friends gather to eat and give thanks for their blessing.

    Thanksgiving Day is really a harvest festival. This is why it is celebrated in late fall, after the crops are in. But one of the first thanksgivings in America had nothing to do with a good harvest. On December 4,1619, the Pilgrims from England landed near what is now Charles City, Virginia. They knelt down and thanked God for their safe journey across the Atlantic.

    The first New England Thanksgiving did celebrate a rich harvest. The Pilgrims landed at what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1620.They had a difficult time and the first winter was cruel. Many of the Pilgrims died. But the next year, they had a good harvest. So Governor Bradford declared a three­day feast (盛宴).The Pilgrims invited Indian friends to join them for their special feast. Everyone brought food.

    In time, other colonies (殖民地) began to celebrate a day of thanksgiving. But it took years before there was a national Thanksgiving Day. During the Civil War, Sarah Josepha Hale persuaded Abraham Lincoln to do something about it. He proclaimed (宣布) the last Thursday of November 1863 as a day of thanksgiving.

    Today, Americans celebrate this happy harvest festival on the fourth Thursday in November. Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving Day in much the same way as their American neighbours. But the Canadian Thanks­giving Day falls on the second Monday in October.

    Sweat (汗水)rail its way down my cheek. It was hot, but the air was still and wet. One final play and the State Softball Championship was ours.

    I looked towards people who were watching the game. Sure enough, I found my mom. I always wished my dad were here. The farm needed his full attention, but I did not care.

    Finally, we won! State Champs! I let out a scream of happiness, fall of tears. My mom made a “V” to celebrate my success and smiled. I smiled back at her.

    We all received medals (奖牌), but I cannot remember any of it. I concentrated my thoughts on my dad, I ran to my mom, asking for her cell phone. I had to tell my dad about the happiest day of my life, and complained (抱怨）about how he did not care.

    The phone rang twice, and no one answered. My heart sank with sadness, but I tried again anyway.

    “Hello?” My dad answered.

    “Dad!” I cried. “We won State!” Silence.

    “Dad?” I could hear something on the other end. “Are you crying?”

    “I'm just really happy for you, Meggie,” he said. “And I'm sorry I couldn't be there.”

    An apology（抱歉）was all I needed. I hung up the phone feeling relaxed, and I began to understand how it must feel to be a father. I forgave him for never being there. He worked so I could play. My father loved me enough to let me experience life^ happiest moments without him.

Cobb Theatres are showing kids' movies this summer at 10 am every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Doors open at 9: 30 am, and many of the theaters fill quickly with summer campers, so arrive early if you want a seat.

The films will be at three MiamiDade theaters:

◆ Dolphin 19, 11471NW 12th St., Miami;

Tel: 3055910785.

Ticket Pricing: $12.00 (adult); $9.00 (child under the age of 12)

◆ Cobb Grand 18, 17355 NW 59th Ave., Miami Lakes;

Tel: 30523135252.

Ticket Pricing: $13.00 (adult); $10.00 (child under the age of 12)

◆ Miami Lakes 17, 6711 Main St., Miami Lakes;

Tel: 3055583810.

Ticket Pricing: $11.00 (adult), $8.00 (child under the age of 12)

The schedule is as follows:

★June 14, 15 and 16: Norm of the North (all three theaters) and Shaun the Sheep (Dolphin and Miami Lakes)

★June 21, 22 and 23: Minions (all three theaters) and The Spongebob Movie; Sponge out of Water (Dolphin and Miami Lakes);

★June 28, 29 and 30: Penguins of Madagascar (all three theaters) and Dr.Seuss' Horton Hears a Who! (Dolphin and Miami Lakes)

★July 5, 6 and 7: Alvin & The Chipmunks; The Road Chip (all three theaters) and Shark Tale (Dolphin and Miami Lakes)

★July 12, 13 and 14: Home (all three theaters) and The Peanuts Movie (Dolphin and Miami Lakes)

★July 19, 20 and 21: The Peanuts Movie (Cobb Grand); Hotel Transylvania and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (Dolphin and Miami Lakes)

★July 26, 27 and 28: Dr.Seuss' Horton Hears a Who! (Cobb Grand); Goosebumps and Smurfs 2 (Dolphin and Miami Lakes)

★Aug.2, 3 and 4: HotelTransylvania (Cobb Grand); Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2007) and Happy Feet (Dolphin and Miami Lakes)

    Idioms are one of the hardest parts of learning a language. For those of you who don't know, an idiom is a phrase which has a meaning, but the meaning is not clear from the words themselves. If you translate an idiom word for word, it sometimes makes no sense at all. They are like puzzles and even native speakers can get confused when someone uses a phrase that they've never heard of.

With that in mind, here are five common English idioms that you can use in a variety of Situations.

⒈Get your act together (Meaning: you need to improve your behaviour/work)

    This might be something your teacher says to you if you score badly in an exam or if you misbehave in class. You can also use it to talk about people in general. For example, if your friend is being mean or nasty for no reason, then you can tell them that they need to get their act together.

⒉Pull yourself together (Meaning: calm down)

    This is a somewhat impolite way of telling someone that they are overreacting and that they need to relax. Only use this if you think the person you are speaking to is getting upset over something insignificant. If your friend tells you that their close relative has died, it is NOT the time to tell them to pull themselves together.

⒊I'm feeling under the weather (Meaning: I'm sick)

    Yes, it's longer and more difficult to say than 'I'm sick', but if your English teacher asks you why you haven't done your homework, he or she is more likely to forgive you if you say that you were feeling under the weather. You may not have done your English homework, but your teacher might be impressed that you know how to make eloquent excuses in a foreign language.

⒋It's a piece of cake (Meaning: it's easy)

    I don't know why this means what it does, but sometimes you just have to accept that English people use weird phrases.

⒌Break a leg (Meaning: good luck!)

    This is perhaps one of the most confusing yet well-known English idioms. If someone says this to you, do not take offence or think they are threatening you; they are just wishing you luck. It is most often used for people wishing success to actors and actresses before they perform on the stage, but it can be said in other situations, too.

    All in all, learning a new language can be challenging. It's definitely not a piece of cake, especially when there are so many confusing idioms. However, with enough hard work and interest, you will succeed in no time. Break a leg!

    I was on my way home from work, cutting through the Bryant Park. On that day, the sun seemed to set faster than usual, and suddenly I found myself walking in the dark. I was less than half a mile from my apartment, but the path would lead me over a bridge, across train tracks, and through an unlit underpass.

    Then I heard him – a stranger running alongside me, partly obscured(遮掩) by the bushes. My mouth went dry; my legs felt like water. But I didn't pick up my pace – instead, I stopped, turned, and faced him. He came out of the bushes and said he'd been watching me "for a long time".

    As he walked beside me, I guided us towards the edge of the park. When we reached the bridge, a train rumbled(轰鸣着缓慢行进) past, and he seized the moment, attacking me with a knife around my throat. The self-defense skills I had learned years before kicked in, and I pushed my finger into his eye, hard. And then came the shock: That didn't frighten him away. My mind flashed back to a tip from an old guitar teacher: "Press the strings like you're squeezing a flea(跳蚤)." I put all my strength into that finger, and finally he let go.

    I was shaking with fear, but I looked him straight in the eye and began to back away. I turned to run the hell out of there, but then I remembered another self-defense lesson: Never run, because then you're a target. So I walked away alone – through the dark tunnel as I dialed 911 with trembling fingers. If you ever find yourself in this situation, use these self-defense skills that you already know. They can really make all the difference to you.