—Maybe it's just because Chinese is your native language.

—Less than two hours. I often have much homework to do.

    The long trunk of an elephant is a wonderful example of skill. The neck of four-footed animals is usually long, to have them reach their food without difficulty, but the elephant has a short neck, to make him more easily support the weight of his huge head and heavy teeth. His long trunk lets him get his food easily.

    The trunk of an elephant is to him what the neck is to other animals. It is also a nose to him, for at the end of it there is an empty place like a cup and at the bottom of the cup are two holes, and the animal smells and breathes through them. It is an arm and a hand too, so that it has been said that the elephant carries his nose in his hand, and it might also have been said that he breathes by his hand.

    At the end of the trunk, there is a strange part, about five inches long, which forms a finger. With this finger the animal can pick up the smallest piece of money from the ground, and he has been taught to make marks like letters with a pen.

    The trunk of a full-grown elephant is about eight feet long. The elephant has such great strength that he can knock down a man with it.

    Are you shy? If you are, you are not alone. In fact, close to 50 percent of people are shy. Almost 80 percent of people feel shy at some point in their lives. These days, shyness is becoming more and more common. Now scientists are trying to understand shyness. They have some interesting ideas about why people are shy.

    Is it possible to be born shy? Many scientists say yes. They say 15 to 20 percent of babies behave shyly. These babies are a little quieter and more watchful than other babies. Interestingly, these shy babies usually have shy parents. As a result, scientists think that some shyness is genetic.

    Family size might cause people to be shy as well. Scientists at Harvard University studied shy children. They found that 66 percent of them had elder brothers or sisters, The scientists said that these children were often bullied (欺负) by their elder brothers or sisters. As a result, they became shy. At the same time, children with no brothers or sisters might be shy as well. Growing up alone, they often play by themselves. They are not able to earn the same social skills as children from big families.

    You may also be shy because of where you were born. When scientists studied shyness in different countries, they found surprising differences. In Japan, most people said they were shy. But in Israel, only one of three people said so. What explains the difference? One scientist says the Japanese and the Israeli have different opinions of failure. In Japan, when people do not succeed, they feel bad about themselves. They blame(责备) themselves for their failure. In Israel, the opposite is true, Israelis often blame failure on outside reasons, such as family, teachers, friends or bad luck. In Israel freedom of opinions and risk-taking are strongly supported. This may be why Israelis worry less about failure and are less shy.

    For shy people, it can be difficult to make friends, speak in class even get a good job. But scientists say you can get over your shyness, suggest trying new things and practicing conversations. And don't forget—if you are shy, you are not the only one.

    In Canada you can find dogs, cats or horses in almost every family.

They are all Canadians' pets. Before Canadians keep these pets at their houses, they take them to animal hospitals to give them injections(注射)so that they won't carry diseases.

    When you visit Canadians houses, they will be very glad to show you their pets. You will also find that almost every family has a bird feeder in their gardens. All kinds of birds are welcome to have a good meal. They are free to come and go. Nobody is allowed to kill any animal in Canada.

People in Canada have many reasons to like animals. One of them may be that their family tie(关系) is not as close as ours. When children grow up, they leave their parents to start their own life. Then the old people will feel lonely. But pets can be their good friends and never leave them alone.

    Jane Austen(1775-1817), an English novelist, started writing from an early age and completed six major novels in her life. Today Austen's books are more popular than ever. Some of her novels have been made into films while her books continue to be best-sellers

    Richard Jenkyns, a professor of English from the University of Oxford says that her novels are about marriage, friendships and the family, which are still with us today." The stories are timeless," Jenkyns says.

    Pride and Prejudice(《做慢与偏见》)(1813) is Austen' s most famous work. It is a love story about Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. At first, they dislike each other. Elizabeth is pretty, smart and lively. She is proud because Mr. Darcy doesn't know about her and her family. Mr. Darcy is handsome, rich and has a better family background. So, he is proud as well. At the same time, Mr. Darcy holds a prejudice against the Bennet family. He has no understanding of why the family, especially the mother and daughters who try so hard to find wealthy and powerful husbands. He thinks they are vulgar. Anyway, Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy finally fall in love and become a romantic couple but their families don't want them to do so.

    In Pride and Prejudice, some of the main things that Jane Austen wanted to teach people are as follows. Opposites can attract each other. Lovers should not only make each other feel relaxed or comfortable, but also educate and improve each other.

    Austen is often called the greatest romantic writer, so it is surprising she remained unmarried. "Maybe she was too romantic, waiting for the perfect man," Jenkyns says.