2 . The diversity of Australian animals in NSW national parks is extraordinary. Some common species can be found across a range of parks, while others are endemic (特有的) to a specific area. Our national parks are also important shelters for threatened animals, many found nowhere else in the world. The following are some examples.

Albert’s lyrebird

The Albert’s lyrebird is much rarer than the superb lyrebird. Distinguished by its richer brown feather and less delicate tail feathers, it’s protected as a threatened species in NSW.

Cumberland Plain land snail

The endangered Cumberland Plain land snail is only found on the Cumberland Plain, west of Sydney. During drought it digs deep into the soil to escape severe conditions. Its brown shell is thin and fragile (脆弱的).

Australian fur seal The largest fur seal

Australian fur seals are found in isolated rocky outcrops and islands along the NSW coast. They come ashore to form breeding colonies (繁殖地) and can often be seen at Barunguba Montague Island Nature Reserve.

Australian brush turkey

The Australian brush turkey, also known as bush or scrub turkey, can be found in rainforests along eastern NSW. With a striking red head, blue-black feather and booming call, these distinctive Australian birds are easy to spot while bird watching in several NSW national parks.

4 . Once there lived a farmer in a small town. He made a living by ______ butter. Every day, his neighbour, a baker (糕点师), would buy a pound (磅) of butter. One day, the baker decided to weigh the butter to see ______ he was getting a pound. After the baker weighed it, he found that he wasn’t. ______ the baker took the farmer to the judge. The judge asked the ______ if he had any way to weigh the butter. The farmer ______, “I am so poor that I do not have enough money to buy ______ to weigh it, but I do have a kind of scale (天平) .” The judge asked, “Then ______ do you weigh the butter?” The farmer answered, “______ the baker started buying butter from me. I had bought a pound of ______ from him. So now every time I bring home the bread from the baker, I put it ______ the scale and give him the butter of the______ weight.”

Dishonesty can become a bad habit. Some people who are not ______ can lie without a red face. Those ______ lie so much do not even know what the truth is any more. But who is it bad for? As a matter of fact, they will hurt themselves by ______ own dishonest behaviour.

We ______ what we give to others in life. Whenever you take action, ask yourself this question, “Am I honest?”

6 . Must-read New Fiction Books

We all have a few tried-and-true fiction favorites, but there’s something special about a brand-new, hot-off-the-press novel. Whether it’s your favorite author’s new release or a new writer’s first work, great fiction books make the perfect escape from ordinary life. That’s why we’ve rounded up a list of the best new books released in February.

Age of Gold by Jerry Lapoor

Jerry Lapoor’s latest action-packed novel unfolds like a crazy movie. This thriller begins when a wealthy man’s car gets out of control. But when the dust settles, the rich man is nowhere to be found. How and to where does he disappear? With an exciting plot that will carry you from old-money houses to small agricultural villages, Age of Cold will take you on an unforgettable ride across a vast land.

City Under One Sky by Rachel Young

In the book, Young presents a crime story set in a small town. Detective Sara Kennedy has been sent to investigate a case. But soon after arrival, Sara gets snowed in with the 205 townsfolk living in the same apartment building. Who is hiding the key to the crime? And is there anyone she can truly trust? The appealing story, strange but distinctive characters and unexpected plot are just a few of the reasons why City Under One Sky gains its popularity.

Lady by Jess George

Lady is an irresistible fiction from Jess George. The story of Mary’s fresh start at adulthood is shot through with themes of family, race and discrimination, womanhood and the immigrant reality of feeling torn between cultures. Though struggling with life in London as an African, Mary jumps at every chance to stand on her own feet.

Small changes can have large consequences. The idea came to be known as the “butterfly effect” which indicates that the beating of a butterfly’s wings might     1     (possible) cause a tornado. Tulenov Ruslan, a man from Kazakhstan, is     2     real-life example of this.

Ruslan, with the rare Rh-negative blood type     3     (refer) to as “panda blood”,     4     (donate) more than 6,000 milliliters of blood since he came to study in China in 2009. Having great     5     (admire) for China and its culture, Ruslan chose to learn Chinese at Hainan University when he was 17 years old.

This kind-hearted Kazakh man,     6     Chinese name is Lan Tian (blue sky), said it was his mother who had encouraged him many times to help others before he came to Hainan. In 2014, when a victim of a traffic accident urgently needed blood transfusion (输血), Ruslan left a comment to show his concern,     7     (add) “Lan Tian brother wishes to help you.”

Ruslan’s simple act of kindness won praise from the Chinese government. Now, Ruslan has the opportunity     8     (serve) at a provincial department in Hainan as a global media officer. “Lan Tian brother” takes     9     (impress) action to show his pure love to China and he never imagined that his rare blood type would become a symbol of friendship     10     China and his home country.

8 . Maybe someone you’ve been friends with for years is kicking up some conflict. Or, a person you’ve really trusted seems a little disappointing. However, we need to give people space to change, grow and readjust their own thinking. Learning to get the “good” out of people usually works.     1    

People unavoidably have some types of flaws (缺陷). For instance, people may keep important truths, but the real truth might be that they have trouble trusting others.     2     They are constantly rocking your boat and occupying your personal time.

Sam, an employee assistance program counselor says, “People we care about can drive us mad.” He insists that it’s easier to manage a relationship by setting boundaries and learning to draw the good out of people. “Deal with their flaws and accept them if possible” he advises.

    3     Sam emphasizes, “Usually, we can change something about our own methods of dealing with a person. It doesn’t have to end.” Remember, too, that if someone hides important information or tells straight lies, this is not acceptable.     4    

To handle the flaws, always focus on the strengths of people in your circle. One friend might be a great babysitter for your kids while another helps you find good vacation deals. While you don’t want to “use” anyone, you do want to count on him for your own needs.     5     We all need a variety of people. Besides, life is much more interesting if we have a little bit of drama going on.

9 . In the ever-evolving world of robotics, researchers are constantly seeking innovative ways to enhance the capabilities of these machines. One that has captured the attention of scientists is the potential of using legs instead of arms for certain tasks. Four-legged robots normally need an arm attached to their body to open doors or pick up objects, but this can add additional weight and make it harder for the robot to squeeze through narrow spaces.

Philip Smith in Switzerland and his colleagues used a machine-learning model to teach a ready-made robotic dog to use one of its legs to perform tasks while standing still or moving with the other three legs. The robot dog can use a leg to open doors, press buttons and pick up backpacks while balancing on its other three legs.

“We cannot do everything with the legs that we could do with an arm — right now, a hand is far more skillful. But the point is really to make this work for applications where we maybe have mass limits, or we don’t want to have that additional complexity, like for space exploration where every kilogram of such a robot counts,” says Smith.

To train the robot dog, Smith and his team gave the machine-learning model the objective of finding a specific point in space with one of the robot’s legs. The model then worked out by itself how to control the remaining three legs and balance the robot while standing or walking. Smith and his team could then control the robot remotely to carry out movements like picking up a backpack and putting it in a box, or collecting rocks. While the robot can currently only do these tasks while operated by a person, Smith hopes that future improvements will allow the dog to autonomously handle objects with its leg.

10 . “Mom, could you read to me?” My son, who was suffering from a virus, was lying on the floor of our living room, where he usually went when he was sick. Fourteen years old might seem old for being read to, but appearing grown-up wasn’t his priority at this point. He was looking for comfort, distraction and wanted to feel cared for.

I’d actually kept reading to him through his childhood and called it quits when we got into the preteen authority fight. When I read to him, I chose books that I loved, often books that he wouldn’t have gotten through on his own. Saying that he didn’t like the fantasy stories I’d adored myself at his age, he expressed an interest in nonfiction. Therefore, I put my own past preferences aside and looked for true stories that would grab his attention, and that he could read on his own. His shifting adolescent interest meant that the book I’d ordered for him yesterday was sometimes dismissed when it arrived, but I just put it aside for later. Its time might come around again.

Now, though, he was asking me again, and I was glad to do anything that might give him relief. The purpose was neither knowledge learning nor a display of authority. He was seeking rest for his unsettled mind and body, and by reading to him, I could see that it supported his healing, as surely as the hot lemon and ginger tea and getting plenty of sleep did.

I am sure that reading to my son has enhanced his school learning — his teacher has been amazed by his writing abilities —but more importantly, it has helped to make our bond stronger, giving us something in common to enjoy together. When the arguments and disagreements erupt, we can always come back to this simple activity of reading and listening, a union of souls that leaves us both completely free.