【推荐2】    1     It is the first time this has happened. The doctors are from the University of Maryland Medical Center. They say David Bennett, 57, is doing well after his operation(手术).     2     The doctors said giving him the pig’s heart was the only chance of keeping him alive. Bennett spoke to doctors the day before the operation. He said, “It was either die or do this transplant. I want to live. I know it’s a shot in the dark, but it’s my last choice.” The pig’s heart came from a genetically-modified(转基因的)pig.     3    

The transplant operation took seven hours. Doctors received special permission(允许) from U.S. authorities(官方) for the experimental surgery(外科手术). Without it, Mr. Bennett would have died.     4     They believe Mr. Bennett’s transplant means more transplants could take place in the future. They said this could bring the world, “one step closer to solving the organ shortage crisis(器官短缺危机)”. Surgeon(外科医生) Dr Bartley Griffith said, “We are also optimistic(乐观的) that this first-in-the-world surgery will provide an important new choice for patients in the future.” Mr. Bennett hopes his transplant will allow him to live longer. “    5    ” He said.

【推荐1】Maple trees are the most famous trees in Canada. Their leaves look like little red palms. You can see a maple leaf on Canada’s national flag. In March and April, maple trees in Canada shed “tears”(流泪). They are as sweet as honey. People use these “tears” to make maple syrup(枫糖). Many towns in Canada celebrate the Maple Syrup Festival.

The sweet “tears” are sap(树液). Maple trees produce it. On cold days, the sap is frozen( 冻住的). When spring comes, it starts running. The native Americans were the first people to find sap. In an old story, the chief of a tribe threw his axe at a maple tree. The sap run into a bucket under the tree. The next day, the chief’s daughter used the bucket to cook food. She found that the food was sweet and tasty. It was because of the sap!

People boil the sap to make it sticky and sweeter. At the festival, you can enjoy lots of snakes made out of sap. For example, maple taffy(太妃糖) is popular among kids. A candy maker pours hot maple syrup onto clean snow. Wait a few seconds for it to freeze. Dada! The taffy is ready! Maple syrup also goes well with pancakes. It can be made into cookies and pudding, too.

【推荐2】

Did you know that humans aren’t the only species (物种) that use language? Bees communicate by dancing. Whales talk to each other by singing. And some apes talk to humans by using American Sign Language.

A female gorilla, Koko, was born at the San Francisco Zoo on July 4th, 1971. Koko learned sign language from her trainer, Dr. Penny Patterson. Patterson began teaching sign language to Koko in 1972, when Koko was one year old. Koko must have been a good student, because two years later she moved onto the Stanford University campus with Dr. Patterson. Koko continued to learn on the campus until 1976. That’s when she began living full-time with Patterson’s group, the Gorilla Foundation. Patterson and Koko’s relationship has blossomed ever since.

Dr. Patterson says that Koko has mastered sign language and known over 1,000 words, and that Koko makes up new words. For example, Koko didn’t know the sign for ring, so she signed the words finger and bracelet. Dr. Patterson thinks that this shows meaningful and constructive use of language.

Not everyone agrees with Dr. Patterson. Some argue that apes like Koko do not understand the meaning of what they are doing. Some people who don’t believe that say that these apes are just performing complex tricks (戏法). For example, if Koko points to an apple and signs red or apple, Dr. Patterson will give her an apple. They argue that Koko does not really know what the sign apple means. She only knows that that if she makes the right motion, one which Dr. Patterson has shown her, then she gets an apple. The debate is unresolved, but one thing is for certain: Koko is an extraordinary ape.

It seems like Patterson and Koko have a good relationship, but not everyone agrees with it. Some people believe that Patterson is humanizing the ape. They think that apes should be left in the most natural state possible. Even Dr. Patterson struggles with these feelings. When she was asked if her findings could be duplicated by another group of scientists, she said, “We don’t think that it would be ethical (道德的) to do again.” She went on to argue that animals should not be kept in such unnatural circumstances.

As for the future, Dr. Patterson and the Gorilla Foundation would love to get Koko to an ape preserve (保护区) in Maui, but they are having trouble getting the land. So unless you have a few million dollars to spare, Koko’s going to be spending her time in Woodland, California with Dr. Patterson. Koko probably doesn’t mind that. If she moved to Hawaii, she’d have to give up her Facebook page and Twitter feed, and she’s got like 50 thousand “likes”. Some may deny (否认) that she knows sign language, but nobody says that she doesn’t know social networking.

One day, Helen shouts, “Roger, come and look at the egg! It’s cracking（裂开）.” Slowly a long beak（喙）appears. They are unsure what it is.

Dad checks on the computer, “Hey, look! It’s a pterodactyl（翼手龙）.” “A pterodactyl?” shout the children. “Yes, it’s a type of dinosaur. Pterodactyls can fly,” says Dad.

Then Helen names it Dacty.

A month later, he grows up. But there is something wrong with his wings. “My room is too small and Dacty keeps banging（碰撞）his wings on the walls. I feel sorry for him,” says Helen. Finally, they take Dacty to a vet（兽医）.

Two weeks later, Dacty’s wings are better. However, he isn’t willing to fly. They phone Aunt Elizabeth. Soon she arrives. “My office is very big. It’s perfect for Dacty during the day. And at night, when the museum is empty, Dacty can fly around happily.” Then she takes them to the museum. On arriving, they take Dacty out of the basket. He stretches（伸展）his wings, flies high up and lands on a stone statue.

“Look, he likes here,” shouts Helen. “Can he see in the dark?” asks Roger. “Yes, they see clearly in the dark, just like owls（猫头鹰）,” says Aunt Elizabeth.

Six months passes and Dacty is very big now. One night, Dacty sees lights moving inside the museum. Two men—Bert and Eric come in with torches（手电筒）. They are wearing masks and trying to open a case（箱子）. Inside it is a mummy（木乃伊）. Suddenly Eric looks up and sees Dacty. He is very scared. “Look, Bert, there is a huge bird up there.” Bert looks up. Dacty doesn’t move, “Eric, don’t be silly. It’s only a statue,” says Bert. “Come on. I will open the case. You look for the gold medallions（大奖章）.” At the moment, Dacty flies down and catches Eric. The thief is very scared and he can’t say anything. Dacty flies up and lifts him on top of a statue. He’s stuck. At once, Dacty flies down again and catches Bert, too. Both of them are stuck there.

The next morning, when Aunt Elizabeth comes in, she sees the broken mummy case and the two men. They are shouting loudly.

Dacty flies down to her. “Here you are, Dacty,” she says and pets（爱抚）his head. “Thank you, you did a great job.” Then she phones the police.

The mayor（市长）shakes Dacty’s wing and puts a big shiny medal over his head. “Congratulations, you did a great job.” Then he turns to Aunt Elizabeth, “It’s great to have a big bird as a guard!”

“Dacty is a pterodactyl!” Roger says.

“Dacty is a hero now,” says Aunt Elizabeth.

“A pterodactyl?” shouts another man. “Wow! They love warm weather and jungles（丛林）. I work in the Botanical Gardens（植物园）.We have a wonderful palm（棕榈）house, big and warm, just like a jungle. He will love there. You can come to visit it anytime.”

So now Dacty is living in the Botanical Gardens. Roger and Helen visit him every day.

【推荐3】Over the past few decades, children have been taking part less in free play and more in organized sports. While participation (参与) in organized sports has both social and physical benefits (益处) for young children, concerns about safety and benefits increase as participants get younger.

Though most children are naturally likely to be physically active, not all kids are willing to get up and move. Soccer coach Joseph Luxbacher says, “Every kid has the potential (潜能) to be a good sportsman in different kinds of sports. Taking part in organized sports such as the school soccer team introduces direction to children’s physical activities. Following a team schedule gives kids a set time and place to exercise. As a result, kids can be safe from accidents and be protected against hurt.”

What’s more, taking part in organized sports gives children time to communicate with others and showing good sportsmanship. For young children who may still be very self-centerd, taking part in team sports teaches them to think about the group and encourages them to be happy about the success of their teammates. Kids can also benefit from spending time with their coach and having a chance to develop a positive relationship with an adult other than their parents, especially if the coach is both skilled and devoted to being a positive mentor (导师).

Playing organized sports requires a lot of time for practice and games, so it would seem that this could influence students’ study. However, it can ameliorate students’ test performance. That’s because to play organized sports well, players have to memorize information, do repetitive actions, and learn from teammates. All these types of learning skills can make students score higher.

Though it can come from many different sources—parents, coaches, teammates or themselves—many children who take part in organized sports feel pressured to succeed. While a little stress can be helpful in leading children to perform with increased focus and strength, too much stress will leave young kids feeling very tired. Organized sports are more likely to put the right amount of pressure on them.