Some birds are masters of crime. That means these species steal food from other birds and get away with it. Scientists have long wondered what these birds have in common. A new study suggests that big body size does not predict bad behavior. Instead, it is the size of the birds' brains that matters most.

To learn more about what makes some birds tend towards a life of crime and how they steal food from other birds, scientists analyzed 856 published reports of thieves. Researcher Julie says she started the project after watching birds steal dry dog food out of unattended bowls. She read about some dramatic examples of thieves, including birds that steal food from others flying in midair or bending through the sky. She learned that members of some species disturb other birds until they spit up food in their mouth.

Families that steal also tend to eat fish, mice, and other vertebrates （脊椎动物） instead of just insects. These meatier （多肉的）meals are hard to catch, and they deliver lots of valuable calories, so they are attempting to steal.

Finally, birds that steal tend to have big brains in relation to their bodies. That may seem surprising, since human bullies （欺凌弱小者）are often thought to be stronger in size. But for birds, stealing isn't about strength. It takes a clever brain to get food out of another hungry bird's claws, especially if that bird is bigger than you are.

I was 16 when my father finally decided he would send me to wilderness camp for several months. He had threatened to do it many times before, but my mother had always managed to prevent him from doing so. This time he insisted on doing it.

The latest incident was the last straw. Impulsively （(冲动地）,I had pushed Mr.   Ford, my math teacher, down a flight of steps at school. He broke his arm in two places. Anyway , he had agreed not to accuse me as a favor to my dad, who was in the middle of a tight race for sheriff （执法官）in our town. But my reckless behavior had my dad's closest advisor talking." John? he's your son and he's a kid, but he is dragging you down." his advisor said. "If you can't make your son obey the rules, how can you make the law obeyed in this town?"

So, off to Pisgah National Forest I went. I imagined hours of untold abuse at the hands of some strong officer. I was determined not to be broken. I was who I was.

Nearly every day for six months, a small group of other troubled teens and I carried our 30-pound backpacks on a difficult journey covering about 10 miles.

Our sergeants were firm but kind 9 not frightening as I had imagined. We learned how to make a fire without matches. We learned which plants were safe to eat out in the wild. I felt myself change. I was calm and often reflective. My old, impulsive self was gone.

One morning, six months later, my dad came to pick me up. I ran to hug him and saw happiness and love in his eyes.

"So what's it like being sheriff?" I asked on the ride home.

"I lost the race, Danny,” he said.

"I'm sorry, Dad.” I knew my behavior probably had a lot to do with the defeat.

Dad squeezed my shoulder and brought me close. “As long as I don't ever lose you, I'm okay. ”

Lightning is a powerful force of nature. In fact,   a lightning strike carries millions of volts（伏特）of electricity. Scientists say a bolt of lightning strikes somewhere on Earth every second. That is a lot of energy!

Think how wonderful it would be if we could capture lightning and sell it in a bottle. Sadly, that is not something you or I can do, at least not yet.

The phrase "to catch lighting in a bottle” means capturing something powerful or difficult. Then you are able to control it and perhaps show it to the world. This is where the "bottle” part is important.

We can also use "to catch lightning in a bottle" to describe an extremely difficult or unlikely success. In the world of sports , players and teams have also been known for catching lightning in a bottle. Anything physical that is "lightning in a bottle "can be described as a rare achievement. Climbing the top of Mount Everest is considered a rare achievement of endurance（忍耐力）.

Language experts do not know exactly where this expression comes from. Some say it may have started with Benjamin Franklin---the American diplomat, businessman and inventor. Benjamin Franklin is known for a scientific experiment involving electricity and lightning. As the story goes, Franklin once flew a kite in a lightning storm. He had hoped that lightning would strike the kite as it flew high in the sky. He thought the electricity would travel down the string to a metal key at the bottom. Then the plan was to catch the electricity in a glass jar, but that didn't happen. However, it did lead to the invention of the lightning rod and the understanding of positive and negative charges.

So, you can’t catch real lightning in a bottle. But hopefully, during your lifetime you'll have the experience of catching a little of your own lightning in a bottle・

You've decided your child is spoiled（宠坏的），and you want to do something about it. Is it too late? Not necessarily。.   Here are four tips from an expert for getting your child to behave well.

    11     You've spoiled your child by giving him or her too much for too little. You can correct this by helping your child to learn to work harder for rewards and understand that not all good behavior is rewarded.    12     For example, at first, insist that your daughter put a few toys away before she gets a snack, and gradually increase the amount of work required for each reward.

Don't overreact to crying. When children don't get what they want, their natural behavior is to cry. If you react every time your child cries, you may be denying（拒绝给予） him or her an important chance to learn something.     13    

Prepare for a fight. At the beginning, children's demands will increase when they find out parents are not going to give them the new toys they want. When it happens, be careful not to give in just because the child shouts.         14    

Stick to the program.     15     That' s not necessarily a bad thing. It means the requirements are getting stricter and that your child is accepting changes. Remember： Give it time, and don't give up.