Jack Evans quarreled with his neighbour，Ellen Brown. Mrs. Brown had a dog. Jack did not like dogs. He wanted Mrs. Brown to give away or sell her dog，but she refused.

    “I'll take you to court if you don't，” he said.

    Mrs. Brown laughed at him. She was not worried.

    Jack thought，“I must talk to a lawyer, but lawyers are expensive. I don't want to waste my money. I will waste it if I don't win my case against Mrs. Brown and her dog.”

    Then Jack had an idea. There was a young lawyer in the town. He did not have much work. Not many people knew about him. “I'll visit him，” Jack thought. “He needs work.” He visited the young lawyer in his office. “I need some advice，” he said.

    “Certainly，” the young lawyer said. “What is your problem? I am here to help you.”

    “Good. I want to take my neighbour to court. However, I will pay for your advice only if you think I will win the case in court.”

    The lawyer was not pleased by this suggestion. However, he had very little work. Here was a chance to get some.

    “All right，” he said. “I agree. I will listen to your problem. I will give you honest advice. You will pay me only if I think you can win in court.”

    Jack told him about the problem. The lawyer listened carefully. Sometimes he made notes. When Jack finished, the lawyer sat back in his chair and said, “You will win your case. I have no doubt about it. May I take your case to court?”

    Jack stood up and walked towards the door. “No, thank you,” he said. “I will not take it to court.”

    “What about my fee?” the lawyer asked. “You have to keep your promise.”

    “I am keeping my promise,” Jack said. “I will not win in court. You see, I did not tell you my case. I told you Mrs. Brown's.”

    You know that balloons must be kept away from sharp objects. They also needed to be kept away from flames. A fire can weaken the rubber and cause it to break. However, in this experiment you will find out how you can hold a balloon directly in a flame without breaking the balloon.

    Materials needed:

● two round balloons not inflated(充气的)

● several matches

● water

    Inflate one of the balloons and tie it. Place 1/4 cup of water in the other balloon, and then inflate it and tie it. Light a match and hold it under the first balloon. Allow the flame to touch the balloon. What happens? The balloon breaks, perhaps even before the flame touches it. Light another match. Hold it directly under the water in the second balloon. Allow the flame to touch the balloon. What happens to this balloon? It doesn't break.

    Why does the balloon with no water break in the flame? The flame heats the rubber of both balloons. The rubber of the balloon without water becomes so hot that it becomes too weak to resist the pressure of the air inside the balloon. However, when the balloon with water in it is placed in the flame, the water takes in most of the heat from the flame. Then, the rubber of the balloon doesn't become very hot, it doesn't weaken, and the balloon doesn't break.

    Water is a particularly good absorber(吸收者) of heat. It takes a lot of heat to change the temperature of water. On the other hand, when water cools, it gives off a great deal of heat. That's why areas near oceans or other large bodies of water don't get as cold in winter as areas at the same latitude(纬度) further inland.

    A beach town in the US state of New Jersey recently passed a ban on trousers, jeans and shorts that hang less than 3 inches below the hips(臀部) for an excuse of being unfriendly to others' eyes. But besides those low-hanging pants, here are some other items of popular travel clothing that may also need to be banned.

    Thai Fisherman Pants: These lightweight cotton pants, wide in the waist and originally designed for Thai fishermen, are popular among men and women due to their comfort, ability to last long and relative ease of wearing. But the bad news is that wearing these pants isn't the way to be respected in Bangkok.

    “Wearing them to wander around the town is considered 'low class' (even if we don't say it out loudly),” wrote a local Bangkok woman, who called herself “Beebah” on line. “It's better to dress ‘respectable' if you want to be treated well. Even a T-shirt and shorts are better than fisherman pants and tight sleeveless shirts. If you really love them, wear them at home.”

T-shirts with slogans: Wearing T-shirts with slogans in the local language on them may seem cool to some young tourists who are swept up in the excitement of being in a foreign country for the first time. But be careful as they could be some meaningless words and make you look really stupid. What's worse, some slogan T-shirts are political--you might get yourself into trouble without even knowing about it.

    Croce(洞洞鞋): Comfortable and easy to slip on and off, Crocs have been go-to-beach shoes for many tourists. But we must admit that these holey plastic shoes are deadly ugly in every way. “Supporters would hold that the comfort of the Crocs is over their looks, but Babyclothes are comfortable, too. Your don't feel the need to walk around in them, do you?” said a friend of mine.

Ig Nobel Prize

    Having a meal is an easy and delightful process for most people. However, for a woodpecker (啄木鸟), it's not that simple. To get dinner, a woodpecker has to hit its head against a tree numerous times per day. Yet, amazingly, it never suffers any ill effects like brain damage. According to research, it is the woodpecker's thick head bones that protect it from the impact of the blows. For explaining that, Ivan Schwab won an Ig Nobel Prize.

    Ig Nobel Prizes are organized by The Annals of Improbable Research, an American magazine that celebrates the funny side of science. Each year, ten winners are awarded prizes in honor of their “achievements that first make people laugh, and then make them think”. Most of the award-winning research, like Schwab's, may seem unusual, but it usually grabs people's attention indeed. And no matter how ridiculous the research sounds, people can find it inspiring and amusing.

    Brian Wansink's research might interest you. He took home an Ig Nobel Prize for looking into the influence of visual factors on people's appetites. He used specially designed bowls that refilled themselves with soup while people were eating. Since these people had no idea this was happening, they just kept eating from these “bottomless bowls”. They said they didn't feel full because their bowls were not empty yet. People in this experiment ate 73 percent more soup than normal. Owing to these results, Wansink concluded that it's not people's stomachs that decide when they have eaten enough, but their eyes.

    Ig Nobel Prizes also give attention to science and technology that is a part of our daily lives. Take the karaoke machine for example. Its inventor Daisuke Inoue was employed at a nightclub, playing the piano for the customers who wanted to sing. He wasn't skillful enough to play all the songs properly. To clear up the problem, he created the karaoke machine. To Inoue's surprise, the machine caused considerable changes in entertainment worldwide. The Ig Nobel Prize was awarded to Inoue not only because his invention was entertaining, but also because it brought about “an entirely new way for people to learn to tolerate each other”.

    These research results of Ig Nobel Prizes may not be as great as Edison's light bulb or Newton's laws of motion. However, they do show people's willingness to take action and to try new ways to solve problems. According to Marc Abrahams, a founder of the Ig Nobel Prizes. “If you win one, it means that you have done something.”

    Canada is a very large country. It is the second largest country in the world. By contrast(比较)it has a very small population. There are only about 29 million people (by the year 1996) there. Most Canadians are of British or French origin, and French is an official language of Canada as well as English. About 45% of the people are of British origin, that is, they or their parents or grandparent, etc., come from Britain. Nearly 30% are of French origin. Most of the French-Canadians live in the province of Quebec.

    Over the years, people have come to live in Canada from many countries in the world. They are from most European countries and also from China, besides other Asian countries.

    However, Canada was not an empty country when the Europeans began to arrive. Canadian Indians lived along the coast, by the rivers and lakes and in forests. Today there are only about 350,000 Indians in the whole country, with their own languages. In the far north live the Inuit. There are only 27,000 Canadian-Inuit. Their life is hard in such a harsh climate.

How to make the most of your time with your host family

Living and studying abroad can be a meaningful and enriching experience. And living with a host family is one of the best ways to immerse（沉浸） yourself in the culture. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Here are some tips on making the most of your time with your host family.

 {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. You have to understand that host families are sharing the living space with others just because they want to give a kid the opportunity to live abroad. They are willingly changing their lives so you can experience this! With their support, things become easier.

Many people struggle to feel comfortable with their host families at first. This is a completely normal feeling! You've just left everything you've known for years behind to start a new life. It's okay to be confused. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} While you may know the language, some expressions can be hard to understand at first. Be patient with yourself and remember that you will adapt but it will take some time.

Feeling at home can be difficult at the beginning. That's why spending time in common areas is necessary. If you spend all your time in your room, it's going to be hard to feel like you belong . Joining in everyday activities with your host family will help you create a family bond. For example, some families like having dinner together on weekends. Make time for those moments. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}.

Communication is key. If you are unsure about something, ask! It's normal to know few customs and habits at first, so instead of doing things blindly, just ask. Your host family will understand and help you. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} When you are out with your host family, ask them about these, and keep learning them when you are on your own!

A. The language barrier（障碍） can also be a struggle.

B. Showing gratitude will take you a long way.

C. Keep in mind that when in Rome, do as the Roman s do.

D. Then, you'll have chances to expose yourself to their language.

E. It's also normal not to know a lot about unspoken social rules of the country.

F. Not only will they appreciate it but you will also feel like a part of their world.

G. However, living with a foreign family can be difficult and adapting to it can take some effort.