1 . Songbirds do have a perfect voice. Every species of bird wakes up at a very particular time in the morning and begins to sing. This is because each species has its own specific waking stimulus (刺激), which is linked to the brightness of the sunlight.

Like human beings have to learn to speak, birds also have to learn how to sing. They do this in several stages. First, they practise voices and sounds, which is comparable to the early stage in human language development. During the second stage, the birds practise their songs for eight to nine months, until memory and practice match up. The singing is strengthened during the final stage.

Although nightingales got their name as a result of their singing at night, not all nightingales sing at night. Generally, both males and females sing during the day. The night song is used mainly for seeking partners. After succeeding in attracting a female, the male nightingale falls silent and doesn't start his song again until the early morning.

Birds are seasonal singers. We only hear numerous kinds of bird concerts between spring and high summer. This is the time when birds are looking for partners, and when the males aim to impress the females with their song and mark out their territory at the same time. However, even after they have found a partner, male birds continue to sing, because this is the time when they are showing their offspring (幼崽) how to sing.

Birds don’t all sing as well as others, not even within a species. The song of a bird in London will be quite different from that of a bird in Paris or Berlin. Although the members of each bird species share a vocabulary of sounds, dialect differences are quite common. The individual dialects are not natural but are learnt while the birds are children that adopt the dialect of their parents. The young birds always sing as well or as badly as their teachers, because the adults on whom they model themselves vary in style and talent from region to region.

2 . Influential Art

3 . You fight or argue, and then you make up and share secrets-these are just some of the usual scenarios you are quite familiar with if you have a sister. It’s true that growing up with a sister can be annoying.     1    . A study conducted in 2010 at Brigham Young University has discovered that having a sister can greatly improve a child’s mental and emotional health. Here are some benefits of having a sister in your life.

    2    . A sister can help you avoid loneliness and fear because she can keep you company. A sister can also reduce your feelings of being unloved-she shows her care and consideration to you. More delightfully, the age gap between you and your sister doesn’t affect the results.

It helps to shape your character.     3    , such as generosity, selflessness and empathy (同情心). When you have a sister, you tend to share, help her selflessly and show your consideration since she is one of the closest persons in your life. These qualities are essential for you throughout your life.

It offers you opportunities to learn how to self-regulate (自我调节). Getting in fights with your sister can help in learning how to regulate or control emotions. Laura Padilla Walker, head of the study, said, “If siblings (兄弟姐妹) get in a fight, they have to regulate emotions.     4    ”

It enables you to communicate more and better. In a separate study conducted in the University of Ulster, it’s revealed that having a sister can help siblings communicate more.     5    . A sister can help them understand and communicate with other females better, too.

4 . Isaac Taylor, a single dad from Sacramento, California, has five daughters and one son and is taking care of his two young daughters full-time. After they lost their car in an accident, Taylor had no choice but to ride his bike to work. Every day, he had to go through a 16-mile round trip to keep putting food on the table.

His journey was inconvenient and tiring enough, but he even had to walk his children to school after his 10-hour night shift.

Taylor shared that they had been in and out of homelessness for years and this was one of the reasons why he didn’t mind biking for long hours to work and earn money. He had experienced living in motels and churches with his young children. “I’ve been through a lot, so my struggle is just part of getting to the next big thing,” Taylor said.

Eventually, he was rewarded. The leaders of a non-profit organization called Family Promise found out about Taylor’s story, so they nominated (提名) him for a vehicle. They said, “When life gives him lemons, he tries to make lemonade. And he always believes he can make it. That’s worth encouraging.”

It was the same organization that helped Taylor when he was homeless. They helped him secure housing for his family, where they currently live. Now, the organization is helping them again with a more convenient mode of transport.

Recently, Taylor and his family were surprised with a free car, which came with car seats for his children. Taylor couldn’t be happier as he watched his children check their new car with so much excitement.

Taylor cried like a baby when he saw the car. He said, “Tears of joy, Tears of feeling the pain of riding the bike back and forth. It all set in what I went through to get to where I’m now. I am very thankful to everyone who made it possible.”

5 . Four European Destinations You Need to Visit This Autumn

Istanbul, Turkey

Stretching across two continents, Istanbul is a city with thousands of years of history. In autumn, the weather is pleasant without being too hot, so you can sightsee or shop without breaking a sweat. Take in Istanbul’s grand buildings, from the golden dome(圆顶)inside Hagia Sophia—built in 537 AD as a church and turned into a temple in the fifteenth century to luxurious palaces lining along the Bosphorus Strait.

La Langhe, Italy

Le Langhe is a hilly area in northern Italy. In autumn, the hillsides covered with bronze and orange leaves provide beautiful views This is also the season of the prized white truffle(松露), which can sell for hundreds of euros a gram. From October to December, the city of Alba hosts an international white truffle fair where you can eat delicious dishes like buttery pasta. Pair it with the region’s famous wines like Barbaresco and Barolo.

Perugia, Italy

During October 13-22, the capital of the Umbria region plays host to the biggest chocolate festival in the world, EuroChocolate. This year is its 30th anniversary and it’s set to draw nearly a million visitors. Sweet-toothed travelers can enjoy everything from chocolate-covered fruit, chocolate drink to chocolate shaped like cameras, tools, shoes and paintbrushes. There are chocolate art displays recently there’s been a dome-shaped house constructed from 3, 600 kilograms of chocolate bricks and chocolate sculpting competitions.

Zermatt, Switzerland

Those who can’t wait for the ski season to begin can head to the Swiss village of Zermatt in autumn. In the shadow of the mighty Matterhorn, you can ski down a continuous 21-kilometre-long run that arrives straight into the flower-bedecked Alpine village of Zermatt. The season gets underway in earnest in November when the place is often blanketed by real snow thanks to its high altitude.

7 . After my husband died, my world crashed around me. I was overwhelmed (淹没) by the responsibilities of earning a living and caring for my six children.

I was fortunate to find a wonderful housekeeper to care for the kids during the week, but from Friday nights to Monday mornings we were alone and frankly I was uneasy about it.

One Friday evening I came home from work to find a big beautiful German shepherd (牧羊犬) on our doorstep. Where did this obviously well-cared-for dog come from? Even though he seemed gentle, he was powerful. The children took an instant liking to “German” and begged me to let him in. I agreed to let him sleep in the basement until the next day. That night I slept peacefully for the first time in many weeks.

The following morning, we tried to find German’s owner with no results. German, meanwhile, made himself part of the family, wrestling (摔跤) with the kids and playing in the yard. Saturday night he was still with us.

On Sunday I had planned to take the children to the park. I left German behind in case his owner came by. When we stopped at a gas station, we were amazed to see him running after us. No way was he going to be left behind. So he jumped into the car and settled down in the back. He stayed again Sunday night.

Monday morning, I let him out for a run while the children got ready for school. He didn’t come back. We thought we’d never see him again. We were wrong. On Friday evening, German was back again. We took him in, and again he stayed until Monday morning, when our housekeeper arrived.

It went like this for almost 10 months. We grew to love German and look forward to his coming. When we saw him come to attention and perk up (竖起) his ears, and heard that low growl (咆哮) begin deep in his throat, we knew we were protected.

Each week, between German’s visits, I grew a little braver on my own, but every weekend I enjoyed his company. Then one Monday morning we patted his head and let him out for what turned out to be the last time. He never came back.

I still think of him often. He came when I needed him the most and stayed until I was strong enough to go on alone. I’ll never forget him.