“It's just a story,”you may think. But new research has found that crows' brains may sometimes be better than those of 6-year-old children.

In a recent experiment, American scientist Corina Logan and her team caught six crows to test them. The crows and children had to choose between two sets of tubes(试管). They had to drop stones in and get water.

With the red set, when they dropped a stone into a wide tube, the water level raised in a connected narrow tube. The blue set of tubes, however, had no connection between them.

Children aged 7 to 10 were able to learn the rule. Children aged 4-6, however, failed.Five of the six crows failed the test. But Kitty, a 6-month-old crow, passed it. She put most of the stones into the red tubes.

So, could a bird be more clever than a kindergartner? Don't be too quick to say no.

A

Every year on my birthday, from the time I turned 12, a white gardenia (栀子花) was sent to my house. No card came with it. Calls to the flower shops were not helpful at all. After a while I stopped trying to find out the sender's name and I was just very pleased with the beautiful white flower in soft pink paper. But I never stopped imagining who the giver might be. Some of my happiest moments were spent daydreaming about the sender. My mother encouraged this imagination. She'd ask me if there was someone to whom I had done a special kindness. Perhaps it was the old man who I looked after when he was ill.  As a girl, I had more fun imagining that it might be a boy.

    One month before my graduation, my father died. I felt very sad and didn't want to go to the coming graduation dance at all. And I didn't care whether I had a new dress or not. But my mother, in her own sadness, would not let me miss any of those things. She wanted her children to feel loved and lovable. In fact, my mother wanted her children to see themselves much like the gardenia—lovely, strong and perfect with perhaps a bit of mystery.

    My mother died ten days after I was married. I was 22. That was the year the gardenia stopped coming.

    "Some gifts are tiny. Some gifts are needed. And some gifts... some gifts are priceless, "says 26-year-old Sarah Bricker of Minneapolis, USA. She had suffered from（受…之苦） hearing loss until she received the gift two years ago for Christmas --her first hearing aids（助听器）. They were from her parents. Here's what else she says:

    "I remember the moment they were fit to my ears. And I remember every first that came after--The first time I heard my mother's voice. The first time I heard my father cry as he realized 1 could hear my mother. The first time I listened to Winter Wonderland on the radio and heard every word clearly. The first time I heard my best friend's voice, calling from England to wish me a Merry Christmas.

    "My hearing aids are probably the best Christmas gift my parents have ever given to me. It might sound strange to say that, but until you lose your hearing, you never fully understand how unbelievablly valuable it is. How you miss the moment your partner says 'I love you. How you miss the jokes that everyone laughs at. How you miss- life. But now I don't miss life anymore."

    However, he hearing aids were more than Just about hearing. They gave Sarah self-confidence（自信）,more chances to make new friends, the courage to take on new challenges. "Every day, they return to me a moment, a sound, a voice. They return to me the kaleidoscope（万花筒） of a life I'd once thought forever dark."

    One day, I walked into a stranger as he walked by me. "Oh, excuse me." I said. He replied with a smile and said, "Please excuse me, too. I wasn't watching out for you." We apologized(道歉) and went our own ways.

    Later that day, when I was cooking, my daughter was standing too close to me. When I turned to reach for some milk, I nearly knocked her over. "Move out of the way." I shouted. She walked away sadly. But I didn't feel like I had to apologize to her.

    While I was in bed that evening, my husband said to me, "Dealing with a stranger, you were polite, but with a daughter you love, you were unkind. Your daughter brought you some flowers that she picked herself this afternoon. You'll find them in the kitchen by the door. Have you seen the tears in her eyes?"

    I quietly went and knelt down by my daughter's bed. "Honey, I am so sorry." I said, "Are these the flowers you picked for me?" She said, "I found them by the tree. I picked them because they're pretty like you. I knew you'd like them especially the blue ones." I tearfully replied, "Sweetie, I'm really sorry for the way I acted today. I shouldn't have shouted at you." "It's okay. I love you anyway." she said as she kissed me on my cheek.

    If we can be polite to strangers, why can't we be kind to the ones we love?

    On a sunny Sunday, ten fully well-dressed people were standing at the airport (机场) waiting for the parachute (降落伞) training. Suddenly, with the help of a guide dog, a blind (瞎的) man was coming with a parachute on his back.

    "Do you also come for the parachute training (训练)?" someone asked.

    "Yes!" the blind man answered in a loud voice.

    "Ah-" the people cried in surprise.

    "I know. Are you wondering how a blind man can parachute?" the blind man said happily, "It's not difficult. I'll parachute like you."

    "But how do you know when to jump?" someone asked.

    "Although I'm blind, I can hear! When the bell for the training rings, I'll carry my dog to follow you." the blind man replied.

    "Then how do you know when to open the parachute?" someone asked again.

    "The coach (教练) says, counting to five from the time I jump down, I can open it." replied the blind man.

    "But when you are about to fall to the ground (落地), how do you know when to fall to the ground? It is the most dangerous minute."

    "It's easy. When my dog is afraid into crying and the rope (绳) in my hands becomes light, I'll be ready for falling to the ground." They looked at each other, with no words.

    At the end of the training, the coach told everybody," In this training, Robert gets the highest score (得分) for his best action."

    "Who is Robert?" they asked.

    "He," the coach replied, pointing at the blind young man.

    How much pocket money do you get from your parents every month? Maybe 200 yuan. But for Li Beibei, 30 yuan each month is enough. The only thing she buys is lunch-1.5 yuan each day." Meat is too expensive for me, "said Li.

    Li, 14, is a Junior 1 student at Beijing's Xingzhi Experimental School. Her parents are migrant workers(外来务工人员).They came to Beijing from a village in Luohe, Henan two years ago. Her father now works as a cleaner and gets 500 yuan every month. Her mother has no job.

    Li Beibei has 460 friends at Xingzhi. Every day, Li gets up at 5:30 a.m. and rides her bike for 20 minutes to get to school. Like many teens, Li has a lot of homework-usually at least one hour every day. But that is not all her work. During the weekdays she helps her mum cook. At weekends, she helps wash clothes." I could cook when I was eight. Dad said sometimes I cook better than Mum！"Li said she wanted to be a doctor." I watch TV and find out there are many people with AIDS in He'nan. Some are kids. They need help," said Li.

    But she is afraid to leave school." I hope I will always be in school, "said Li." Dad works hard to get money. I promise him I will study hard to be a good student and a good doctor in the future."