Have you ever wondered why birds sing? Maybe you thought that they were just happy. After all, you probably sing or whistle(吹口哨) when you are happy.

    Some scientists believe that birds do sing some of time just because they are happy. However, they sing most of the time for a very different reason. Their singing is actually a warning to other birds to stay out of their territory.

    Do you know what a “territory” is? A territory is an area that an animal, usually the male, claims as its own. Only he and his family are welcome there. No other families of the same species(物种) are welcome. Your yard and house are your territory where only your family and friends are welcome. If a stranger should enter your territory and threaten you, you might shout. Probably this would be enough to frighten him away.

    If so, you have actually frightened the stranger away without having to fight him. A bird does the same thing. But he expects an outsider almost any time, especially at nesting(筑巢) season. So he is screaming all the time, whether he can see an outsider or not. This screaming is what we call a bird's song, and it is usually enough to keep an outsider away.

    Birds sing loudest in the spring when they are trying to attract a mate（配偶）and warn others not to enter the territory of theirs.

    You can see that birds have a language all their own. Most of it has something to do with attracting mates and setting up territories.

    Famous Places in France That Everyone Will Want to Visit

    When visiting a new destination, it is always a good idea to know about the places on the must-see list. France is one of those countries that everyone would like to visit. Here is a list of some of the most famous places in France that one should not miss going to.

    La Vallée de Chamonix

    Situated near Mt. Blanc, the Chamonix Valley is a paradise for nature lovers and explorers. It has beautiful scenery all year round. The place is also famous for winter sports, being one of the oldest ski resorts. Lifts transport the visitors to the heart of the massif(山丘), which offers breathtaking view of the valley. Perfect for adventurous explorers.

    Place Masséna(Nice)

    This one is known globally as one of the most beautiful public squares. The atmosphere here, is enhanced by fountains, statues and gardens. It is famous for street performances and concerts, specially the carnival parade in February. Another highlight nearby, is Vieux Nice, But the main attraction is at night, when the atmosphere is atmosphere is magical due to the illuminations.

    Lascaux II(Montignac)

    Lascaux II is a reproduction of the set of caves that were discovered in 1940. These caves were estimated to be more than 17,000 years old. The caves have some 1,500 paintings of wild animals. It is believed to have been a sanctuary(圣所)for the performance of sacred rites. Lascaux II is open for art lovers who wish to see the early cave paintings and learn more about the history of European art.

    Luxembourg Gardens(Paris)

    This place acts as a perfect place to relax after a tiring day of sightseeing. These formal gardens, which were open to only the royalty before the French Revolution, now serve as one of Paris' most popular destinations. Families can spend time here, relaxing and enjoying the beauty of the nature. Before visiting these gardens, you can visit Fontaine de 1' Observatoire, which is situated just south of the site

    Play allows children to use their creativity while developing their imagination and physical, cognitive（认知的）, and emotional strength. Play is important to healthy brain development. Play allows children to create and explore a world they can master, conquering their fears while practicing adult roles. Undirected play allows children to learn how to work in groups, to share, to negotiate, and to resolve conflicts.

    Ideally, much of play involves adults, but when play is controlled by adults, children acquiesce（顺从）to adult rules and concerns and lose some of the benefits play offers them, particularly in developing creativity, leadership, and group skills. In contrast to passive entertainment, play builds active, healthy bodies. In fact, it has been suggested that encouraging unstructured play may be an exceptional way to increase physical activity levels in children, which is one important strategy in the resolution of the obesity problem.

    Children's development is critically influenced by appropriate, affective relationships with loving and consistent caregivers as they relate to children through play. When parents observe their children in play or join with them in child-driven play, they are given a unique opportunity to see the world from their children's vantage point as the child navigates a world perfectly created just to fit his or her needs. The interactions that occur through play tell children that parents are fully paying attention to them and help to build enduring relationships. Parents who have the opportunity to look at their children's world learn to communicate more effectively with their children aid are given another setting to offer guidance. Less verbal children may be able to express their views, giving their parents an opportunity to gain a fuller understanding of their perspective. Quite simply, play offers parents a wonderful opportunity to engage fully with their children.

    Play is essential to the academic environment. It ensures that the school setting attends to the social and emotional development of children as well as their cognitive development. It has been shown to help children adjust to the school setting and even to strengthen children's learning willingness. Social-emotional learning is best integrated（融合）with academic learning; it is concerning if some of the forces that enhance children's ability to learn are improved at the expense of others. Play and unscheduled time that allow for peer interactions are important components of social-emotional learning.

    When I was 19 years old, I was at a dance club. As we were walking to my car one cold night, a man walked up to us. Behind him was a woman carrying a small child. The child had a jacket on but it wasn't buttoned up（扣上）. The man began to tell us he wanted to borrow some money for the night to get his wife and kid into a hotel. He had a job but no place to live in and was waiting for the first paycheck. He said he could get our mailing address and mail the money back.

    The guy I was with reached into his pocket to give this man a $20 bill. As the other man was extending his hand out to take the money, I put my hand on my new friends' hand and said, “Can I talk to you for a minute？"

    I told him that every day people asked my mother for money on her way to work. She said they made more money than she did, simply begging for money. These people were scamming those with soft hearts. And if they were truly worried about their child suffering from the cold, they would have at least buttoned his jacket or covered him with his blanket.

    My new friend looked at me with disappointment and said, “Michelle, I know there are people out there that take advantage of others. I also know there are people out there that are one paycheck away from being homeless. If I give $ 20 to 10 people and only one of them really needs it and uses it for the right thing, it is worth it.”

    I am now 37 years old and have never forgotten what he said to me. I don't even remember his name. But I do remember that that experience changed the way I look at different situations.

A Brief Introduction to Some Dictionaries

Norman Merriam Webster BES—1850 Dictionary

    This handy translator provides you with 5,000,000 total translation to and from Spanish and English! This dictionary is specially designed for all levels of language skill from beginner to advanced.

Brand V7 Dictionary / Translator

    This special model features the largest and most complete Russian-English dictionary. Advanced English speech, accent correction function and specialized terms database will help you communicate. Business organizers will allow you to stay in touch with the world through all kinds of advanced features.

Seiko WP1500 Rogets III Thesaurus Dictionary

    It is the nearest word finder. It is also great for cross word puzzles. It will show you the time, day and date of local time zone and the same for over 100 cities throughout the world by simply entering the first letter of the name of the city.

Ectaco KD-800 Dictionary / Translator

    This advanced talking handheld translator features the following dictionaries: the general English-Korean dictionary for 215,905 entries（词条）；popular Korean-English dictionary for 183,279 entries, and the dictionary of Chinese traditional characters for 7,744 entries.

The Lingo Traveler 18

    It is a great value as well as an International translator. Draw on over 96,000 words and 8,000 useful phrases. Equipped with a powerful databank, The Lingo Traveler 18 allows you to store all of your appointments, telephone numbers, and addresses.

    It has taken an extremely long time－161 years－but the National Portrait Gallery finally has the Duke(公爵)of Wellington in its collection after a fundraising campaign reached its ￡1. 3m target.

    The gallery announced on Thursday that it had acquired Sir Thomas Lawrence's unfinished final painting of a man regarded as Britain's greatest soldier after a successful appeal.

    Nicholas Cullinan, the gallery's director, said the NPG had been looking for a suitable painting of the Duke of Wellington since the gallery was founded in 1856.

    He called it "a remarkable painting", while Lucy Peltz, the gallery's senior manager of 18th­century paintings, said the work was "an inspiring and powerful image of one of the most influential men of the 18th and 19th centuries".

    The NPG announced last November that it needed to raise ￡300,000, the final piece of a funding jigsaw(拼图). The Art Fund had already contributed ￡350,000 and the appeal reached its target thanks to ￡200,000 from the G&K Boyes charitable trust and ￡180,000 from the National Heritage Memorial Fund. A further ￡570,000 came from a public appeal and the gallery's own funds.

    It was painted in 1829 when Wellington was prime minister, however, Lawrence died in 1830 leaving the portrait unfinished. The gallery believes it is a more attractive work because of that, with the viewer focusing more on the man himself rather than any clothes of power.

    Dan Snow, the historian and broadcaster, said Wellington was a "Titanic figure" in British history, the only field greatest prime minister, a man of genius on and off the battlefield. He added:" This arresting portrait must sit in the national collection and now, following an outpouring of donation, it will do. The artist has caught the Duke's legendary features. Among his many contributions to British life he formed the culture of unbending spirit in the face of difficulty."

    The painting was lent to the NPG in 2015 for an exhibition marking the Battle of Waterloo.