Have you ever wondered why birds sing? Maybe you thought that they were just happy. After all, you probably sing or whistle(吹口哨) when you are happy.

    Some scientists believe that birds do sing some of time just because they are happy. However, they sing most of the time for a very different reason. Their singing is actually a warning to other birds to stay out of their territory.

    Do you know what a “territory” is? A territory is an area that an animal, usually the male, claims as its own. Only he and his family are welcome there. No other families of the same species(物种) are welcome. Your yard and house are your territory where only your family and friends are welcome. If a stranger should enter your territory and threaten you, you might shout. Probably this would be enough to frighten him away.

    If so, you have actually frightened the stranger away without having to fight him. A bird does the same thing. But he expects an outsider almost any time, especially at nesting(筑巢) season. So he is screaming all the time, whether he can see an outsider or not. This screaming is what we call a bird's song, and it is usually enough to keep an outsider away.

    Birds sing loudest in the spring when they are trying to attract a mate（配偶）and warn others not to enter the territory of theirs.

    You can see that birds have a language all their own. Most of it has something to do with attracting mates and setting up territories.

    In no particular order, here are some songs on the Music app of my phone:

On a Sunday Afternoon by Lighter Shade of Brown—A student of mine introduced this rap song lo me all the way back in the early 1990s, when 1 was teaching Spanish at a local university. The story in the song takes place not too far from where I live in Los Angeles. It's a good "driving" song, nothing complicated or "deep".

    Say Something by A Great Big World—A more recent song about a couple losing contact with each other. The piano part is very little playing but beautiful.

    American Pie by Don McLean—Another song from my youth in the 80s, very popular with almost every American of my generation. It retells some of the key events of the middle 20th century, a song of happy memories of the past and wanting to return to those better times.

    The Weight by The Band—Another old song, originally made public in 1968, but one I didn't hear until I was in high school more than 10 years later. I don't understand the words to the song completely, but the feeling of the song is very comforting to me.

Under the Bridge by Red Hot Chili Peppers—This Los Angeles group wrote a song that 1 used to listen to when I first moved to LA more than 25 years ago. I didn't know anyone here when I first arrived. When I got bored, I used to drive up and down the major streets that cross the city from east to west, listening to this song about the "city of angel" being as "lonely as I am. (Don t worry! I have plenty of friends now.)

    Spend a pleasant day exploring the Georgian city of Bath during a day tour by rail. This package includes return train tickets to Bath from Paddington, central London, plus an open top bus tour in Bath and entry to the Roman Baths.

    London to Bath by Rail

    Make sure you arrive at London's Paddington Station before 8:30 am as your train to Bath leaves at 9:00 am! Please get on the train through Platform One. The countryside will fly past as the train travels to west, arriving in Bath after 1 hour 24 minutes.

    Hop-on Hop-off Open Top Bus Tour

    Once the train arrives in Bath, you can enjoy the view of the city during a hop-on hop-off bus tour. This bus tour has convenient stops near Bath Abbey, the Roman Baths and Jane Austin Centre, all must-see Bath destinations.

    Roman Baths

    The Roman Bathing Complex in the center of the city gave Bath its name, making it a key place to visit during your day in the city!

    The Roman Baths were built around Britain's only hot spring and were used primarily as a place to relax in the warm water! The Baths are located below the modern street level and you will be able to explore four fantastic parts of the attraction: the Sacred Spring, Roman Temple, the Roman Bath House and the Museum, holding finds from the Roman Baths.

    How you spend the rest of your day in Bath is up to you! You could visit the Jane Austen Center, a wonderful exhibition which reveals Jane Austen's life in Bath, or wander along Great Pulteney Street, a magnificent-looking road that dates back to 1789. Bath is yours for the taking.

    Return to London

    Your train ride back to London takes 1 hour 26 minutes, arriving in London at 7:39 pm. Remember to arrive at Bath Spa Station at least 30 minutes before departure time.

    You may have heard that humans only use ten percent of their brain, and that if you could unlock the rest of your brainpower, you could do so much more. You could become a super genius, or acquire psychic powers like mind reading.

    This "ten-percent myth" has inspired many references in the cultural imagination. In the 2014 movie Lucy, for example, a woman develops godlike powers thanks to drugs that release the previously inaccessible 90 percent of her brain.

    Contrary to the ten-percent myth, however, scientists have shown that humans use their entire brain throughout each day.

    Over the years, brain scientists have shown that different parts of the brain are responsible for specific functions, whether it's recognizing colors or problem solving. Contrary to the ten-percent myth, scientists have proven that every part of the brain is integral for our daily functioning.

    Research has yet to find a brain area that is completely inactive. Even studies that measure activity at the level of single neurons(神经元) have not revealed any inactive areas of the brain.

    Many brain imaging studies that measure brain activity when a person is doing a specific task show how different parts of the brain work together. For example, while you are reading this text on your smartphone, some parts of your brain, including those responsible for vision and reading comprehension, will be more active.

    A more direct counter to the ten-percent myth lies in individuals who have suffered brain damage – like through a stroke(中风)– and what they can no longer do, or do as well, as a result of that damage. If the ten percent myth is true, then damage too many parts of our brain shouldn't affect your daily functioning. Studies have shown that damaging a very small part of the brain may have devastating consequences.

    If someone experiences damage to Broca's area(布罗卡氏区), for example, they can understand language but can't speak fluently.

    In one highly publicized case, a woman in Florida permanently lost her" capacity for thoughts, perceptions, memories, and emotions that are the very essence of being human" when a lack of oxygen destroyed half of her brain.

Atlantis Waterpark is a great day of fun featuring pools, a giant dumping bucket, hair-raising waterslides, great food, cool souvenirs and fun-filled activities for kids and adults of all ages! Atlantis is open annually from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. Our snack bar – Neptune Reef – features all the food, beverages and sweets you'd hope to find.

Bear Path Acres Zoo is a non-profit animal shelter. You get to meet the animals up close and personal! We take pride in working with each animal to make it a wonderful learning experience. We are conveniently located in Southampton County, just 9 miles south of Franklin. Spend an hour or pack your lunch and spend the day!

Belvedere Plantation is a 645 acre heritage farm, built in the 1760s on the historic Rappahannock River near Fredericksburg, Virginia. It is a working farm, with grain crops such as corn, wheat and soybeans. Come for picnics and parties. Enjoy fall harvest time with pumpkin picking, bonfires, and even a cornfield maze. Group and educational programs available.

Come on out to Hunt Club's Petting Farm for a day of family fun on the farm. Visit everyone's favorite place where you can spend all day feeding and petting our goats, sheep, chickens, and more! Take the time to explore the farm so you don't miss the pigs, rabbits and cows. Our guests love to get to know the animals and we encourage it!