Sound travels very well through water-much better, in fact, than it does through air. So it shouldn't be surprising that many ocean animals make noise. They use sound to communicate and hunt. As biologist Brandon Southall says, “Their whole world is related to sound.”

    Dolphins whistle, organizing hunts. Lovesick whales sing so loudly they can be heard hundreds of miles away. But these days they aren't the only ones sounding off. They have more and more competition from human machines.

    Every day, thousands of huge container ships sail across the world's oceans. On top of the engine noise, the ships' propeller (螺旋桨) make a loud noise all the time. All that can make it hard for ocean animals trying to listen out for friends, or dinner. Animals swimming nearby a ship can be deafened or even killed.

    Underwater construction can also be dangerously loud. When construction machines called pile drivers were used during repairs to the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, dead fish appeared.

    Geologist (地质学家) pound on the seafloor too, trying to find oil wells and map Earth's surface. The results are useful lo science, but all that hammering probably gives ocean animal a headache.

    As people realize how important sound is to ocean animals, they are looking for ways to reduce human noise. Ships could get quieter just by slowing down. Engineers are also trying to find quieter propeller ships.

    Now some companies are using a simple invention called a bubble curtain, which makes sound waves passing through it lose energy and gel quieter. It seems to work - when bubble curtains were fixed on the San Francisco bridge project fish deaths dropped.

    We still have a lot to learn about sound in the oceans, but together we can help keep the sea a quieter place.

GAOMI, Shandong, Oct. 11(Xinhua)—China writer Mo Yan said last Thursday that he was “very surprised” at winning the Nobel Literature Prize.

    “I am very happy,” he said. “I was having dinner when I received the news. I was surprised.”

    “Thank you for coming all the way to Gaomi. This should be a season of red sorghum, but no such crop is planted any more. I believe none of you have seen the crop.” he said.

    “The Nobel Literature Prize is a very important literature prize, but not the top award. It represents the opinions of the jury(评审团). I am satisfied with my major works and I still keep writing by hand. My works are Chinese literature, which is part of world literature. They show the life of Chinese people as well as the country's unique culture and folk customs. Meanwhile, my novels described human beings in the broad sense. I wrote in the perspective（角度） of a human being. These works stand beyond regions and ethnic(民族的)groups,” he said.

    Mo's win brought joy to other writers and readers throughout the country as he is the first Chinese native to win the Nobel Literature Prize in its century-long history.

    The British are known for their sense of humour. However, it is often difficult for foreigners to understand their jokes. The main point to remember is that the British often use understatement.

    Understatement means saying less than you think or feel. For example, if someone gets very wet in a shower of rain, he might say, "It's a little damp (潮湿的) outside." Or, if someone is very impolite and shouts at another person, someone else might say, "She isn't exactly friendly." Understatement is often used in unpleasant situation or to make another person look silly. Understatement plays an important part in British humour.

    Another key to understanding British humour is that the British like to make fun of themselves as well as others. They often laugh about the silly and unpleasant things that happen to our everyday life when someone accidentally falls over in the street. They also like to make jokes about people from different classes of society. They like to make jokes about their accents, the way they dress and the way they behave. What's more, the British love to watch comedies about people who do not know how to behave in society. The comedy series Mr. Bean is a good example of this kind of humour. Mr. Bean is the character created by British actor Rowan Atkinson in 1990.

    Mr. Bean doesn't talk often, and instead he uses his body movements and facial expressions to make people laugh. Perhaps what makes Mr. Bean so funny is that he does things that adults in the real world cannot do. Mr. Bean is popular in many countries around the world because you do not have to speak English to understand the humour. Because of this, many people have become familiar with the British sense of humour.

    Each applicant to Harvard College is considered with great care. We consider each applicant to Harvard College as a whole person, and put enormous care into evaluating every application. We hope you will explore the information in this section to understand what we look for in our admissions process.

    How to Apply

    Submit your application through the Common Application, the Coalition Application, or the Universal College Application. Each is treated equally by the Admissions Committee. Complete and submit your materials as soon as possible to ensure full and timely consideration of your application. View our Application Tips for step-by-step information.

    When to Apply

    What We Look For

    We seek promising students who will contribute to the Harvard community during their college years, and to society throughout their lives. While academic accomplishment is the basic requirement, the Admission Committee considers many other factors—strong personal qualities, special talents or excellences of all kinds, perspectives formed by unusual personal circumstances, and the ability to take advantage of available resources and opportunities.

    We outline everything you need to apply to Harvard.

    Click https: //college.harvard.edu/admissions/apply to get detailed requirements.

    I remember little of the journey which started so early in the morning. I only know that the day seemed extremely long, and that we appeared to travel over hundreds of miles. Calmed by the sound of the coach wheels, I fell asleep. But I had not slept long when the coach stopped, the door was opened, and I saw a servant standing there.

    "Is there a little girl called Jane Eyre here?" she asked. I answered "Yes," and was then lifted out. My trunk handed down, the coach instantly drove away. I looked about me. I could see a house with many windows. There were lights burning in some of them. We went up a wide pebbly path, splashing wet, and were admitted at a door. Then the servant led me through a passage into a room where she left me. I stood and warmed my frozen fingers at the fire and looked around. There was no candle, but the light from the fire showed papered walls, a carpet, curtains and gleaming furniture. Then the door opened, and a tall lady with dark hair, dark eyes entered followed by another who looked younger. "The child is very young to be sent alone," said she, putting her candle down on the table. She looked at me for a minute or two and then added, "She had better go to bed soon; she looks tired."

    Led by the younger lady, Miss Miller, through passage after passage, we came, at last, to a long, wide room filled with the hum of many voices. There were many tables, and seated all round on benches were a large number of girls aged from nine to twenty. Seen in the dim light of the candles, their number appeared above eighty. Each was dressed in a brown old-fashioned dress of cheap material. It was their hour of study.

    Miss Miller signed to me to sit on a bench near the door, then walking up to the top of the long room she cried out "Monitors, collect the lesson-books and put them away!"

    Four tall girls arose and went round, gathered the books and removed them. Miss Miller again ordered, "Monitors, fetch the supper-trays!" The tall girls went out and returned presently, each bearing a tray. Some food and water was in the middle of each tray. The food was handed round and everyone drank from the same mug. When it came to my turn, I drank too, for I was thirsty, but I did not touch the food. From there I was taken to my hard bed where I thankfully fell asleep immediately.