Alpacas(羊驼) are members of the camel family, having lived in South America for thousands of years. Their fur gives the animals a teddy bear_like appearance. Alpacas are too small to be used as animals of burden but are valued only for their fur. Generally, their lifespan is around 15 to 20 years.

    Alpacas are social animals that live in family groups made up of a male, females and their young. They are gentle, elegant, curious, intelligent and observant. They are safe and pleasant to be around, moving gracefully and slowly around the field, and are therefore unlikely to run into or over anyone, even small children. Occasionally, an alpaca will spit snd kick, but the soft padded(有爪垫的) feet usually do little more than just“get your attention”.

    Because these animals are environmentally friendly and need so little grass and food, you can usually raise from two to eight alpacas on an acre of land with grass or hay. A single, 60 pound bale(大捆) of hay can generally feed a group of about 20 alpacas for one day. Alpacas also require access to plenty of fresh water to drink.

    Alpaca fur is used for making knittedd and woven(编织) items, just as sheep's wool is. These items include blankets, sweaters, hats, gloves, scarves, a wide variety of textiles(针织品) in South America, and sweaters, socks, coats and bedding in other parts of the world. The fur comes in more than 52 natural colors as classified in Peru, 12 as classified in Australia and 16 as classified in the United States.

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    Salvador Dali (1904-1989) was one of the most popular modern artists. The Pompidou Centre in Paris is showing its respect and admiration for the artist and his powerful personality with an exhibition bringing together over 200 paintings, sculptures, drawings and more. Among the works and masterworks on exhibition the visitor will find the best pieces, most importantly The Persistence of Memory. There is also L'Enigme sans Fin from 1938, works on paper, objects, and projects for stage and screen and selected parts from television programmes reflecting the artist's showman qualities.

    The visitor will enter the World of Dali through an egg and is met with the beginning, the world of birth. The exhibition follows a path of time and subject with the visitor exiting through the brain.

    The exhibition shows how Dali draws the viewer between two infinities (无限). “From the infinity small to the infinity large, contraction and expansion coming in and out of focus: amazing Flemish accuracy and the showy Baroque of old painting that he used in his museum-theatre in Figueras,” explains the Pompidou Centre.

    The fine selection of the major works was done in close collaboration (合作) with the Museo Nacional Reina Sofia in Madrid, Spain, and with contributions from other institutions like the Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg.

    When introducing American universities, some of the first institutions（机构）to mention are the Ivy League schools. Originally, the Ivy League was an athletic conference made up of 8 private institutes of higher learning in northeastern United States. However, as time went on, these schools also became known for their excellence in academics besides athletics. Included in the Ivy League schools are Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Princeton University, University of Pennsylvania, Yale University, and Harvard University. These 8 schools have been recognized as some of the best colleges and universities in the United States.

    Harvard University is a private institution located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The university includes a number of graduate and professional schools, as well as a college for undergraduates. In 2012, Harvard ranked number one in US News' ranking of national universities again. Founded in 1636, Harvard is the oldest institute of higher education in the United States. It can be said that first there was Harvard, then the United States of America. Also, Harvard's library contains the oldest collection of books in the United States as well as the largest private collection in the world. Harvard has also been described by Forbes Magazine as one of the “billionaire universities” as of their recent list of 469 billionaires, 50 received a degree from Harvard.

    Harvard College (the institute for undergraduate students) is one of the most famous schools in the United States. It offers over 40 undergraduate fields of study, including astrophysics（天体物理学）, mathematics, neurobiology(神经生物学), etc. And the financial aid program there is amazing. Even though the tuition is about 37,576, and there are other expenses throughout the year, about 70% of undergraduate students received financial aid. Out of those students, over 90% of them had their full need met. And the policies for international students are the same for U.S. citizens.

    Harvard College is very selective, as it only admits about 6% of their applicants. For admission into Harvard College, it is required that students take the SAT or the ACT, as well as 2 SAT Subject Tests. Harvard will also look at other factors during admission such as your application essay, high school transcript, work experience, GPA (Grade Point Average), your interview, recommendations, and most importantly, your character and personal qualities.

    What should you think about when trying to find your career? You are probably better at some school subjects than others. These may show strengths that you can use in your work. A boy who is good at mathematics can use that in an engineering career. A girl who spells well and likes English may be good at office work. So it is important to know the subjects you do well in at school. On the other hand, you may not have any especially strong subjects but your records show a general satisfactory standard. Although not all subjects can be used directly in a job, they may have indirect value. A knowledge of history is not required for most jobs but if history is one of your good subjects you will have learned to remember facts and details. This is an ability that can be useful in many jobs.

    Your school may have taught you skills, such as typing or technical drawing, which you can use in your work. You may be good at metalwork or cookery and look for a job where you can improve these skills. If you have had a part-time job on Saturdays or in the summer, think what you gained from it. If nothing else, you may have learned how to get to work on time, to follow instructions and to get on with older workers. You may have learned to give correct change in a shop, for example. Just as important, you may become interested in a particular industry or career you see from the inside in a part-time job.

    Facing your weak points is also part of knowing yourself. You may be all thumbs when you handle tools; perhaps you are a poor speller or cannot add up a column of figures. It is better to face any weakness than to pretend they do not exist. Your school record, for instance, may not be too good, yet it is an important part of your background. You should not be apologetic about it but instead recognize that you will have a chance of a fresh start at work.

    What does it take to be a good neighbor？Over the years I have had all kinds of neighbors, ones that were enjoyable and others that were to be avoided at all costs.

    One of the most important things in being a good neighbor is to respect尊敬 a person's privacy(隐私).When someone new moves into the neighborhood it is a good idea to watch them to see how friendly you should be. If you go rushing over as soon as they move in they may think you are going to be one of those neighbors that come over at all times of the day, not respecting their privacy.

    It is a good idea always to be friendly to everyone in the neighborhood. This can not only put you on good terms with them, but will also be a form of protection for your family and home. If you wave as they drive by or offer a friendly hello while they are out in their yard this shows that you respect them. If you are friendly to them they are much more likely可能的 to watch out for any wrong doings going on around your home while you are out and let you know if anything happens.

    Another way of being a good neighbor is to be helpful in times of need. If you see that they are in need of a helping hand doing something or in times of a disaster(灾难), it is good to offer your help. Even though you have never really talked to the people down the street, they are willing愿意的 to take the time to help out a neighbor in need.

    In conclusion, if you respect a person's privacy, treat them kindly and be helpful when you see they are in need, you will be a great neighbor and anyone would be happy to have you next door!

    Newborns begin to develop language skills long before they begin speaking. And, compared to adults, they develop these skills more quickly. People have a hard time learning new languages as they grow older, but babies have the ability to learn any language easily.

    For a long time, scientists have tried to explain how such young children can learn the complicated (复杂的) grammatical rules and sounds of a language. Now, researchers are getting a better idea of what's happening in the brains of the tiniest language learners. This new information might help kids with learning problems as well as adults who want to learn new languages. It might even help scientists who are trying to design computers that can communicate like people do.

    Most babies go "ma ma" by 6 months of age, and most children speak in full sentences by age 3. For many years, scientists have wondered how the brains of young children figure out how to communicate using language. With help from new technologies, scientists are now finding that babies begin life with the ability to learn any language. They get into contact (接触) with other people, listen to what they say and watch their movements very closely. That is why they quickly master the languages they hear most often.

    Studies show that, up to about 6 months of age, babies can recognize all the sounds that make up all the languages in the world. Starting at around 6 months old a baby's brain focuses on the most common sounds it hears. Then, children begin responding only to the sounds of the language they hear the most.

    In a similar way older babies start recognizing the patterns that make up the rules of their native language. For example, English children who are about 18 months old start to figure out that words ending in "-ing" or "-ed" are usually verbs, and that verbs are action words.