1 . In Shark Bay, Australia, unrelated bottlenose dolphins have exhibited a remarkable behavior— they have been observed teaching each other a novel way to use a tool. This is a behavior that, until recently, scientists had only witnessed in humans and other great apes. Furthermore, this marks the first known instance of dolphins passing down such knowledge within the same generation, rather than across generations.

The dolphins engage in a practice known as shelling. They chase fish into abandoned giant snail shells lying on the seabed. After that, they bring these shells to the surface and shake them with their noses, removing the water and capturing the fish that escape.

“The fact that shelling is socially transmitted among dolphin peers rather than between mother and child sets an important milestone,” senior study author Michael Krutzen said.

In 2007, Krutzen launched a study of Shark Bay’s dolphins, identifying more than a thousand individual dolphins over 11 years. During this time, scientists observed shelling 42 times among 19 dolphins. Half of these events occurred after a marine heatwave in 2011, which may have caused a die-off among giant sea snails, leading to more shells on the seafloor.

Because of the length of their study, scientists had very detailed knowledge of the individual dolphins’ family histories, ages, sexes and behavior, making it easier for them to study the 19 dolphins that practiced shelling. For instance, they observed that the dolphins that practised shelling hung out with other shellers, so it’s likely that they copied from those they spent time with, says study lead author Sonja Wild.

The team knew that environmental factors- specifically, whether shelling dolphins did so simply because they lived in a shell-rich area-could explain this peer-to-peer transmission. A genetic characteristic among a family group was another possible reason.

So the researchers combined their data on the dolphin sightings, as well as genetic and environmental data, into a computer model that proposed various ways shelling could be transmitted between dolphins. The model that supported horizontal (横向的) transmission was the strongest outcome, according to the study.

2 . Last week, an owl named Flaco made a daring escape from his cage at New York’s Central Park Zoo when it was broken. This set off a bird-hunt led by local police and park rangers. The zoo officials were concerned about Flaco’s ability to survive in the wild, as he had been living in the cage for 13 years. They attempted to lure (引诱) him back with his favorite treats.

However, Flaco proved to be too clever to be caught so easily. He was spotted soaring above 5th Avenue and the skating rink in Central Park. His escape attracted the attention of many city dwellers and many New Yorkers flocked to the park to catch a glimpse of Flaco, taking photos with excitement.

But this week, zoo officials announced they accepted that Flaco remained in Central Park because they observed him bringing up bones and fur from the park’s community of rats. “He has been very successful at hunting and consuming lots of rats in the park.” zoo officials told the New York Post. “It’s truly remarkable. He’s hunting independently and his flying has improved. It appears that Flaco is quite content with his new life and enjoys his freedom outdoors.”

This incident serves as a reminder of the challenges faced by wildlife in urban environments. Owls, being nocturnal creatures, are active searching for food at night and rest during the day. Yet some residents who are unaware of proper bird-watching behavior reportedly see Flaco sleep in a tree during the day, and begin to make loud noise and shout at him. It interrupts his daytime naps. Flaco can’t try to say “shh, shh” with the traditional New York reply. After all, a bird can’t give someone the bird.

3 . I’ve had many opportunities to experience living in a foreign culture. But my first experience came in an ________ place-my own country. When I was 20, I got an internship (实习职位) in New York City. It was my first time to________ outside of my home state of Texas.

With my move north came culture ________. I grew up in a big city in Texas. But it was no comparison to the tightly ________ New York with their 8 million citizens. I was used to life at a ________ pace; New York moved fast. The saying is truc- this city never ________. I had to adjust.

My first reaction was fear. Fear I would ________ at my new internship in the 54 -storey office building. Fear of getting lost on the subway. Fear that the locals wouldn’t have ________ for my frequent moments of confusion. My fear ranged from reasonable to silly. But I ________ my fears and kept trying.

I learned quickly never to ________ a New Yorker always speaks English. New York is home to people of all walks of life, from all corners of the world. At weekends, I would spend hours ________ along Canal Street in Chinatown-the closest I’d ever been to an Asian country.

By the end of my internship, I was a little older, a little wiser and ________ of big city life. I hated the skyscrapers, tourists and the high price I had to pay for a cheeseburger and fries. But I had ________ , too. I was quicker, smarter and more independent. I knew I would ________ that feeling of having the world right at my doorstep. It was good ________ for the life of travel I’d soon begin.

4 . Well, let’s continue from where we stopped last time. I’m sure you’re well aware of the dangers lurking (潜伏) on the World Wide Web. And whether it’s for schoolwork, entertainment, or just socializing with friends. the Internet will surely be a major part of your child’s life. So, it’s important to secure their online stays.

It’s not an easy task, but maintaining open communication is key. Let them know they can share their online activities with you. Discuss what interests them online and learn about popular websites and apps from them. This will help you understand and identify potential risks.

Next, monitor without spying. Most kids learn to understand boundaries, like respecting others’ personal space, or not opening the cookie jar without asking. Internet use is no different. It’s helpful to set clear rules for them. like which websites they can visit, which apps they can use, and what they can share online. Remind them that if they feel uneasy with anything that occurs online, they need to alert (使警觉) an adult immediately.

How you handle your kids’ internet usage will depend in large part on their age. There are websites and browsing tools designed for younger children, such as YouTube Kids, which aims to provide a safe online experience for children. Older kids may be allowed more freedom since they want to socialize and need to use the internet for information-gathering. But you can set boundaries that feel right for you. Just limit their access appropriately.

Allowing your children to make good decisions online teaches them responsibility, shows that you trust them. and reminds them that rules may be tightened if they disobey them. Stay tuned.

5 . I played a racquetball (壁球) game against my cousin Ed last week. It was one of the most ________ and tiring games I’ve ever had. When Ed first phoned and suggested we play, I laughed quietly, figuring on an ________ victory. After all, Ed’s idea of exercise has always been nothing more ________ than lifting a fork to his mouth. ________ I can remember, Ed’s been the least physically fit member in the family, and ________ proud of himself. His big stomach has always ballooned out between his T-shirt and trousers. Although the family often ________ about that, Ed refused to buy a larger T-shirt or to lose weight. So when Ed ________ for our game not only with the bottom of his shirt gathered inside his trousers but also with a stomach you could hardly ________, I was so surprised that I was speechless. My cousin must have made an effort to get himself into shape. ________, at the point in our game when I’d have predicted the score to be about 9 to 1 in my favor, it was ________ 7 to 9 — and Ed was _______. The sudden realization was painful. We continued to play like two mad men. When the score was 16 up, I was having serious ________ about staying alive until 21 years old, let alone ________ that many points. When the game finally ended, both of us were lying flat on our backs, too tired to ________. In a way, I think we both won: I the game, but cousin Ed my ________.

6 . When 19-year-old Emily Bhatnagar from Maryland, USA, found out her father had stage four thyroid (甲状腺) cancer, her response was a little different than you might expect. To honour her father, who she also describes as her best friend, she decided to start a book drive called For Love and Buttercup, collecting books for kids with cancer.

“It was very much an overnight idea,” she explains. “I posted a message on an app called Nextdoor asking my neighbours for used book donations. I was only expecting a few here and there, but the response was truly incredible, and it was just the push I needed to co-exist with my grief rather than letting it consume me.

“It was absolutely heartbreaking to watch my dad go through cancer and see him lose a little bit of himself each day, but the book drive allowed me to develop a newfound sense of purpose combined with an even greater sense of compassion (同情) to help others in any shape or form. I wanted to help kids. They’ve always held a soft spot in my heart.”

Using tips she earns from working at her parents’ bread shop, Emily has bought many books out of her own pocket. In addition, she receives donations through her Amazon wish list, which can be found in the bio of the book drive’s Instagram account.

Emily and her older brother spent a whole summer driving around town, loading boxes of books into their car. “It was such an honour knowing people have carried these books all their lives through generations, and they wanted to gift it to my cause.”

The project has seen huge success, with For Love and Buttercup donating over 15,000 books and being recognized by The Washington Post, Forbes, The President’s Volunteer Service Award and Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation.

8 . When colds and flu hit, many people naturally turn to over-the-counter(OTC) medicines (非处方药) to push through and treat their symptoms. Although these medicines are easily accessible and widely used, it might come as a surprise to many people to learn that they are not risk-free. A study estimated that every year, 26, 735 people went to the emergency room for problems related to OTC cold and cough medicines.

When two or more drugs are used together, their interactions can sometimes produce unexpected harmful effects. Doctors are typically knowledgeable about possible drug interactions, so it is very important for patients to ask their healthcare providers which OTC medicines are safe for them to use.

It is important to read the package ingredients (成分) of OTC medicines closely to avoid duplication of doses (剂量重复). Cold medicines are typically made up of various ingredients, including pain relievers, nasal decongestants and cough suppressants or expectorants. A person who takes a single-ingredient medicine paired with one of these multi-ingredient medicines can receive an unsafe dose of that ingredient.

While everyone could experience bad effects from cold and flu medicines, some groups —including older adults, children and pregnant women—may be at greater risk.

Older people who are using prescribed (处方的) drugs to treat different health conditions may have a higher risk of drug interactions because of the higher number of medicines being used at the same time to treat different conditions. The aging body is not as expert at absorbing, distributing and clearing medicines as younger bodies are. This can put older adults at higher risk for an overdose and drug-to-drug interactions with some medicines.

The Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention do not recommend giving cold medicines to children under age 4. Because of a variety of factors, young children have a higher risk of an accidental overdose and adverse events that could lead to death.