Reading Explorer to practice reading!

The Incredible
Dolphin

Many people say dolphins are very intelligent. they seem to

be able to think, understand, and learn things quickly. But are

they smart like humans or more like cats or dogs? Dolphins

use their brains differently from people. But scientists say

dolphin intelligence and human intelligence are alike in

some ways. How?

FACT 1: Talk to Me

like humans, every dolphin has its own “name.” the name

is a special whistle. each dolphin chooses a specific whistle

for itself, usually by its first birthday. actually, scientists think

dolphins, like people, “talk” to each other about a lot of

things, such as their age, their feelings, or finding food.

and, like humans, dolphins use a system of sounds and

body language to communicate. But understanding their

conversations is not easy for humans. no one “speaks

dolphin” yet, but some scientists are trying to learn.

FACT 2: Let’s Play

Dolphins are also social animals. they live in groups called

pods, and they often join others from different pods to play

games and have fun—just like people. in fact, playing together

is something only intelligent animals do.

FACT 3: Fishermen’s Helpers

Dolphins and humans are similar in another way: both make

plans to get something they want. in the seas of southern

Brazil, for example, dolphins use an interesting strategy to

get food. When fish are near a boat, dolphins signal 1 to the

fishermen to put their nets in the water. Using this method,

the men can catch a lot of fish. What is the advantage for

the dolphins? Why do they assist the men? the dolphins get

to eat some of the fish.

Source: Reading Explore 1 - National Geographic.

Using international words in English

Excel is Fun Animation

Dice Rolling

Learn with yours ear, not with yours eyes!

It is not enough just to know the meaning of a word. You also need to knows:
- which words it is usually associated with
- its grammatical characteristics.
- how it is pronounced.
- whether it is formal, informal or neutral
Try to learn new words that commonly go together. These are call collocations.
Learn with yours ear, not with yours eyes!

POWER WOMEN

Worldwide, it’s estimated that one out of every three women has been a victim of violence. Also, women are paid less than men, and they are less likely to hold positions of leadership. Female babies are even aborted at a higher rate than male babies. This phenomenon is so common in some countries that it even has a name: femicide.

Yet, in one remote Indian village, women rule the roost. Known as having the cleanest village around, the Khasi people follow a matriarchal system rather than a patriarchal system. Daughters inherit their mothers’ land. Men rarely, if ever, own land. Women hold all of the economic power. Grandmothers are the heads of household and children take their mothers’ family names. Daughters are so prized in the Khasi tradition, that a family of only sons is considered unlucky.

One study even showed that Khasi women are much more likely to be competitive. In most other places, men are more likely to play competitive sports and compete for jobs and raises, but with the Khasi people, it’s the opposite.  When given the option, 54% of Khasi women chose to compete, while only 39% of the Khasi men competed. Khasi women appear to be more confident than men in their communities.

Neighboring villages are afraid of their men falling in love with Khasi women, because they don’t want them to give up their independence and economic authority. Khasi women say they can’t trust men to handle finances.

According to some Khasi men, it’s not fair. They say that even their language favors women. When a noun is something useful (like a tree used for firewood), it becomes feminine. Some Khasi men say that their tradition makes men feel worthless. Many Khasi men have joined men’s liberation groups. These men have a lot in common with certain women of the late 1800s, who were known as suffragettes and who fought for a woman’s right to vote.

With all the inequality towards women in the world, it’s hard to shed a tear for the Kasi men, but what do you think? Should they rise up and demand equal rights?

Vocabulary:

aborted

terminated by being removed from the mother’s womb

rule the roost

to be in power or control

matriarchal

describes a society run by women

patriarchal

describes a society run by men

inherit

to receive money, land or property at the death of the previous owner

head of household

the one with the most power within a family

tradition

something that has a long history and happens regularly

handle finances

to deal with money and make decisions on how to spend it

shed a tear

cry; feel sorry for

rise up

to rebel, to fight for something