In colonies (群体) that range in size from a few hundred to tens of millions, they organize their lives with a clear division of labor. Even more amazing is how they achievethis level of organization. Where we use sound and sight to communicate, ants dependprimarily on pheromone (外激素), chemicals sent out by individuals and smelled or tastedby fellow members of their colony. When an ant finds food, it produces a pheromone that will lead others straight to where the food is. When an individual ant comes under attack or is dying, it sends out an alarm pheromone to warn the colony to prepare for a conflict as a defense unit.

         In fact, when it comes to the art of war, ants have no equal. They are completely fearless and will readily take on a creature much larger than themselves, attacking in large groups and overcoming their target. Such is their devotion to the common good of the colony that not only soldier ants but also worker ants will sacrifice their lives to help defeat an enemy.

         Behaving in this selfless and devoted manner, these little creatures have survived on Earth, for more than 140 million years, far longer than dinosaurs. Because they think as one, they have a collective (集体的) intelligence greater than you would expect from itsindividual parts.

    Foreign drivers will have a pay on-the-spot fines of up to ￡900 for breaking the traffic law to be carried out next month.

    If they do not have enough cash or a working credit card, their vehicles will clamped(扣留) until they pay—and they will face an additional fee of ￡80 for getting back their vehicles.

    The law will also apply to British citizens. The fines will be described officially as “deposits” when the traffic law takes effect, because the money would be returned if the driver went to court and was found not guilty. In practice, very few foreign drivers are likely to return to Britain to deal with their cases.

    Foreign drivers are rarely charged because police cannot take action against them if they fail to appear in court. Instead, officers often merely give warnings.

    Three million foreign-registered vehicles enter Britain each year. Polish vehicles make up 36 percent, French vehicles 10 percent and German vehicles 9 percent.

    Foreign vehicles are 30 percent more likely to be in a crash than British-registered vehicles. The number of crashes caused by foreign vehicles rose by 47 percent between 2003 and 2008. There were almost 400 deaths and serious injuries and 3,000 slight injuries from accidents caused by foreign vehicles in 2008.

    The new law is partly intended to settle the problem of foreign lorry drivers ignoring limits on weight and hours at the wheel. Foreign lorries are three times more likely to be in a crash than British lorries. Recent spot checks found that three quarters of lorries that failed safety tests were registered overseas.

    The standard deposit for a careless driving offence —such as driving too close to the vehicle in front or reading a map at the wheel—will be ￡300. Deposits for speeding offences and using mobile phones will be ￡60. Foreign drivers will not get points as punishment added to their licenses, while British drivers will.

    “I never wanted to come on this stupid hiking trip!” Jeff's voice was panicked. His father stopped and turned to look at the boy.

    “This is hard on you, son. But you've got to come through with your courage.”

    “But I am scared!” Jeff shouted.

    “Please have enough love for your brother to think this through!” His father replied, “We just don't have the time to stop. And I don't know if I can make it without stopping every so often. While you're only ten, you're strong and fast. Do you remember the way back from here to the road, if you had to go alone?”

    Jeff flashed back to the painful scene of his seventeen-year-old brother Mark at their campsite. He'd been bitten by a snake during a rough hike. He needed medical attention right away. Worse still, their cell phone was dead.

    “Jeff? Could you make it to Flint without me? You can get help there.”

    Jeff nodded, said goodbye to his father and continued climbing over the rocks. The rocks and branches threatened his footing and speed, but stone by stone, he made his way up the valley.

    Jeff turned and made the final climbing-up toward the road. When he reached it, he rested himself, breathless. “Can't stop,” he thought. “Mark's in big trouble Keep going.” Just as he pulled himself upright, a truck sped by, heading for Flint " Hey!” he shouted excitedly, waving both arms. The truck stopped, "Jump in, boy! What's up? "The driver asked, Jeff got in and explained. Immediately the driver reached for his cell phone. “Help! Help! Better get the helicopter in there,” he seemed to be shouting into his hand. But Jeff wasn't sure about that because everything got unclear and then went black and quiet.

    Hours later, Jeff opened his eyes to find himself in a hospital, with his father nearby. His father told him that the helicopter airlifted Mark to the hospital and he would be fine in a few days. His father hiked himself out of that valley and took a ride from someone to the town. “You're a hero, son,” his father finally said with a smile.“ You saved Mark.”

    Many people believe that you lose the ability to learn new languages as you get older. Language experts, however, will tell you that you're never too old to learn a new language. As you get older, it can be more difficult to learn a new language, though.

    Children and adults learn new languages in different ways. For children, language is their life. They study for thousands of hours every year, because they need to learn languages to become part of their communities. Adults, on the other hand, are already part of a language community. Learning a new language means becoming part of another language community, and adults rarely get the chance to practice as much as young children do.

    Moreover, children learning a new language are expected to make mistakes. This gives them freedom when learning to be daring and confident. Adults, however, often feel pressured to be perfect when learning a new language. This can discourage many people and make it even harder to learn a new language.

    When young children learn a new language, they come to see various languages as a “normal” part of society. This mindset(思维模式) helps them embrace learning a new language without feeling like they're doing something unusual or “too hard”.

    So if you want to learn a new language, go for it! It's never too late to learn a new language. If you're older, it may take more work, but it can be done. If you're a young child, though, now is the time to step out and learn a new language!

    Every year on April 1, April Fools' Day is celebrated in many countries around the world. In France, it's called "Poisson d' Avril" or "Fish of April." In Scotland, the holiday is often called "Gowkie Day." In Iraq, the holiday is called Kithbet Neesan or "April Lie."

    History experts say people have celebrated April Fools' Day for a long time. Some believe the tradition comes from the ancient Romans more than two thousand years ago. It was a day of playing games and pretending to be someone else.

    Others say the day for fooling began in France in 1564, when King Charles changed the yearly calendar. He moved New Year's Day from April 1 to January 1. Many people did not know about the change because of communication problems back then. Some people continued to celebrate New Year's Day on April 1. Other people called them April Fools and played jokes on them.

    In the United States, April Fools' Day is just a day of joking and playing tricks on friends. These kinds of jokes are also called pranks. These jokes typically end in the prankster shouting "April Fools'!"

    Simple pranks, like telling a friend a funny lie or making prank phone calls, are still common. But, major companies also get in on April Fools' Day fun in a much bigger way. A few years ago, on April 1, Starbucks announced it was introducing new coffee cup sizes -- Plenta and Micra. The very large cups, bigger than a human head, remained useful for customers even after finishing all that coffee. According to Starbucks, the cups could be used as a rain hat, a pot for plants, or a lampshade.

    It did not take long for customers to catch on to the prank! More and more people use social media or smart phone apps to play pranks on their friends on April Fools' Day. One very annoying smart phone app, Cat Facts, sends funny facts about cats to your friends' phones, every day.

Things to Do in Atlanta

    Need a rundown of the top things to do this weekend? Here is what's on in Atlanta.

    In the Mood

    Date: May 22 through May 26, 2019

    Time: 2:00 p.m. ~ 5:30 p.m.

Phone: 770-916-2800

    If you love the music of the 1940s, then here's what you need to do this Sunday. Go to a 1940s musical show at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center. The music of Glenn Miller has a distinctive sound. No need to ask me twice. Are you “In the mood”?

    Party With the Penguins (企鹅)

    Date: May 20 through May 25, 2019

    Time: 11:30 a.m. ~ 2:00 p.m.

Phone: 404-581-4000

Celebrate Penguin Awareness Day at Georgia Aquariums annual party with the penguins. The party will feature fun activities, including the chance to see an African penguin up close and learn how to help protect these endangered species.

    Callanwolde Arts Festival

    Date: May 21 to May 22, 2019

    Time: 10:30 a.m. ~ 5:30 p.m.

Phone: 404-872-5338

    Located at Callanwolde Fine Arts Center, this event is a festival for artists and by artists, letting them have a voice in the creation and operations of the festival. If you are of the artistic persuasion or enjoy a creative scene, don't miss out.

    Foollio's Hoodilly Storytime

    Date: May 21 through May 27, 2019

    Time: 1:00 p.m. ~ 4:30 p.m.

Phone: 404-523-3141

    We make up a brand-new story every week. Come and enjoy a new story each time at Dad's Garage Theater. Little ones will get to help provide key parts of the story and even add in their own jokes. Interactive and out-of-the-ordinary fun for kids and parents!