Dolphins (海豚) live in a dark underwater world. It's often impossible to see each other or anything else around them, so sound plays an important role in their survival. To communicate with each other, dolphins produce all kinds of sounds.

    Only other dolphins understand what the sounds mean. Scientists haven't uncovered their secret communication, except for one kind of whistle. It might last less than a second, but this whistle is a big deal. Why? Because these whistles are actually names of dolphins — and every dolphin has one. Scientists call these sounds a “signature whistle.” When other dolphins hear the whistle, they know which dolphin is calling.

    Dolphins often hunt by themselves but still need to stay connected to the group. Since they can't always see each other, dolphins use their signature whistles to check in with other dolphins hundreds of yards away. “In coastal areas, dolphins exchange whistles even when they're a third of a mile apart,” says Greg Campbell, who studies animals. That means dolphins shout out to group members that might be nearly five football fields away.

    What's amazing is who names the baby dolphin. Not the mother. Not an auntie dolphin or another group member. Scientists believe the baby dolphin itself comes up with the signature whistle. Like human babies, a baby dolphin plays with sounds throughout its first year. While testing its sound skills, a baby dolphin is doing something amazing. It's creating or figuring out its signature whistle. How or why it chooses its signature whistle is not clear. Studies show that most of the time the signature whistle is nothing like its mother's or group members' whistles.

    When the baby dolphin is about a year old, its signature whistle is set. It repeats it often so the other dolphins learn to recognize it.

    Deciphering(破译) dolphin names is just the beginning of figuring out what dolphins communicate about. Do they chat about sharks? Discuss the tides? Maybe they even have a name for people. Someday scientists are to decipher the rest of dolphins' communication.

    TransNatura International Nature Photo Competition

    The application is open, and all photographers are invited from all over the world, except the jury (评委会) and the organizers. The basic requirement is that the recordings have to be made of natural habitats without disturbing the wildlife. On the photos only wild animals can be included.

    Two categories:

    A Category: Open—any type of nature photography, representing animals, plants, landscape, and so on

    B Category: The art of flying—nature pictures that represent the movement of flying animals and the beauty of flying

    The assessment by the jury: 16th September〜10th October

    Announcement of results: 30th of October

    Exhibition Opening: 23th of November

    The works received will be evaluated and decided upon by an international jury made up of the five persons from Hungary and Romania.

    A total number of competition prizes will be awarded:

    Grand Prize—1,000 Euro;

    1st Prize—600 Euro;

    2nd Prize—400 Euro;

    3rd Prize—200 Euro.

    Entry requirements:

    A participant may enter the competition with at most four pictures per category.

    The pictures for the competition have to be submitted before 15th of September in the form of digital images, in jpg format.

    The participant must have full copyright over the submitted photos.

    The entry fee is 10 Euro for a category, 15 Euro for two categories.

    Additional information can be obtained by e-mail at: transnatura@vadon.ro.

Drinks Have No Wings

    You may have heard that "Red Bull gives you wings". But while most people take the advertising slogan as a metaphor(隐喻), some Americans seem to have taken it very seriously.

    Benjamin Careathers had been drinking the drink for 10 years, expecting to at least feel more energetic, but nothing happened. Feeling fooled by the ad, he took the issue to court.

    In October, the Austria-based company agreed to pay $ 6.5 million (39.7 million yuan) to customers who have bought the drink since 2002. People in the US can apply for a share through energydrinksettlement.com before March 2015.

    But is the case really that ridiculous?

    Red Bull said they had done nothing wrong and they only paid the money to save the cost and trouble of legal action.

    However, the suit(诉讼) told a different story. Even though there is no evidence that Red Bull energy drinks provide more benefit for consumers than a cup of coffee, the company markets their products as a superior source of energy that costs little.

    "Such conduct means that Red Bull's advertising and marketing is not just 'puffery' (吹捧) but is misleading and therefore actionable (可诉讼的) ," the suit said.

    The company said that the drink could promote healthy joints and reduce the risk of eye diseases. However, according to the organization, the product contains a lot of sugar, which could actually lead to many health problems.

    Coca-Cola agreed to pay $ 1.2 million in compensation in July. But to fully stop the company from linking the drink to health benefit, Truth in Advertising, another non-profit organization, took the issue to court again in late October.

    False advertisements have become a common problem around the world. China changed its consumer rights last year to ban advertising companies and media from making or publishing false advertisements. Celebrities are also made responsible if they endorse (代言) false or substandard products.

    San Francisco has long been a favorite place for travelers who are ready to learn languages. The mild (温和的) year-round climate, shops and restaurants, bars and night life, and some of the most beautiful scenery attract many visitors to this relaxing and welcoming city. Students are sure to find the San Francisco Bay Area a fun, safe and friendly place to live and study. This is the most important.

    English School in San Francisco lies in the heart of the city. It is one of the best San Francisco English language schools. You can see views of the city from your classroom! Many buses stop less than a five-minute walk from the school, which is also just a two-minute walk from the famous Union Square, San Francisco Shopping Centre, the Financial District, Yerba Buena Gardens and the Museum of Modern Art. The school is minutes away from the cable cars (缆车) to Chinatown and Fisherman's Wharf.

    San Francisco is a great place to study English and learn about American culture, offering excellent opportunities in sports, entertainment and arts. The city borders (毗邻) excellent beaches, and you can sail or surf all year round.

    San Francisco has more restaurants than any other city in the US, and is the home of many theaters, music and dance companies, as well as museums. Just walking through many areas of San Francisco, you are certain to find something wonderful.

    At first glance Esther Okade seems like a normal 10-year-old. She loves dressing up, playing with Barbie dolls and going to the park or shopping. But what makes the British-Nigerian youngster stand out is the fact that she's also a university undergraduate.

    Esther, from Walsall, an industrial town in the UK's West Midlands region, is one of the country's youngest college freshmen. The talented 10-year-old enrolled at the Open University, a UK-based distance learning college, in January and is already top of the class, having recently scored 100% in a recent exam.

    "It's so interesting. It has the type of maths I love. It's real maths-theories, complex numbers, all that type of stuff," she smiles. "I want to finish the course in two years. Then I'm going to do my PhD in financial maths when I'm 13. I want to have my own bank by the time I'm 15 because I like numbers and I like people and banking is a great way to help people." she adds.

    Esther has always jumped ahead of her peers. She sat her first Math GSCE exam, a British high school qualification, at Ounsdale High School in Wolverhampton at just six, where she received a C-grade. A year later, she got the A-grade she wanted. Then last year she scored a B-grade when she sat the Math A-level exam.

    Not content with breaking barriers to attend college at just 10 years old, Esther is also writing a series of math workbooks for children called "Yummy Yummy Algebra."

    "It starts at a beginner level-that's volume one. But then there will be volume two, and volume three, and then volume four. As long as you can add or subtract, you'll be able to do it. I want to show other children they are special." she says.

Top 4 Amusement Parks in the World

    It's summertime! That means parents have extra time to spend with their children, and what better way to engage in classic fun with family and friends than to visit an amusement park? Take a look at these fun choices — perfect summer trip ideas to fit every budget (预算).

    Cedar Point

    Tickets: $280 for adults, $120 for children

    Praising itself as the roller coaster capital of the world, Cedar Point's 18 coasters will ensure you're riding all day. Reader Alicia Goettemoeller describes the park as a "paradise for excited thrillers" while reader Nick Schuyler says it is "built for grown-up kids."

    Knoebels

    Tickets: $120 for adults, $10 for children

    This old-fashioned amusement park is a must for your old memory games as well as money saving - admittance and parking are free of charge. Reader Tracy Ginsburg Maier says "a family of 4 can enjoy special offer to eat, swim and ride all day for $100" at Knoebels.

    Kings Island

    Tickets: $340 for adults, $160 for children

    Kings Island is one of the most visited theme parks in the US, with more than 3 million visitors per year. The park is especially known for its family-friendly attractions, such as Snoopy Island. Tickets to the main park also include admission to the nearby water park, Boomerang Bay.

    Dells Water Parks

    Tickets: $140 for adults, $80 for children

Wisconsin Dells is a water park with dozens of indoor and outdoor water parks to spread around in. One of them, Noah's Ark, is the largest outdoor water park in the US. Many are open year-round and no charge for children under five.