intermediate-animals39 Photos,
languages: English, French, German, Irish, Spanish, Czech exercises: read a text of your choice on your own or with help of the IM Translator software. 1) Analyze the grammar as shown in beginner course (10 lines approx). 2) write down all the words that relate to animals in the text. 3) Write a 60 words synopsis of the text you chose. Who wrote it, when was the text written, what is about, what are they doing in the text.
David Attenborough talks about Charles Darwin and evolution Scientists Unveil Missing Link In Evolution yahoo news SkyNews © Sky News May 19th, 2009 >  Scientists have unveiled a 47-million-year-old fossilised skeleton of a monkey hailed as the missing link in human evolution. The search for a direct connection between humans and the rest of the animal kingdom has taken 200 years - but it was presented to the world today at a special news conference in New York. The discovery of the 95%-complete 'lemur monkey' - dubbed Ida - is described by experts as the "eighth wonder of the world". They say its impact on the world of palaeontology will be "somewhat like an asteroid falling down to Earth". Researchers say proof of this transitional species finally confirms Charles Darwin's theory of evolution, and the then radical, outlandish ideas he came up with during his time aboard the Beagle. Sir David Attenborough said Darwin "would have been thrilled" to have seen the fossil - and says it tells us who we are and where we came from. "This little creature is going to show us our connection with the rest of the mammals," he said. "This is the one that connects us directly with them. "Now people can say 'okay we are primates, show us the link'. "The link they would have said up to now is missing - well it's no longer missing."  David Attenborough image: http://www.rsc.org/ A team of the world's leading fossil experts, led by Professor Jorn Hurum, of Norway's National History Museum, have been secretly researching the 1ft 9in-tall young female monkey for the past two years. And now it has been transported to New York under high security and unveiled to the world during the bicentenary of Darwin's birth. Later this month, it will be exhibited for one day only at the Natural History Museum in London before being returned to Oslo. Scientists say Ida - squashed to the thickness of a beer mat by the immense passage of time - is the most complete primate fossil ever found. With her human-like nails instead of claws, and opposable big toes, she is placed at the very root of human evolution when early primates first developed features that would eventually develop into our own. Another important discovery is the shape of the talus bone in her foot, which humans still have in their feet millions of lifetimes later. Ida was unearthed by an amateur fossil-hunter some 25 years ago in Messel pit, an ancient crater lake near Frankfurt, Germany, famous for its fossils. She was cleaned and set in polyester resin - and incredibly, was hung on a mystery German collector's wall for 20 years. 
This is a Quagga, a sub-species of a zebra. It has been extinct since the 19th C and this is the only photograph that exists of it. It was taken at London Zoo)
Le Cerf se voyant dans l'eau Dans le cristal d'une fontaine
Un Cerf se mirant autrefois Louait la beauté de son bois, Et ne pouvait qu'avec peine
Souffrir ses jambes de fuseaux,
Dont il voyait l'objet se perdre dans les eaux. Quelle proportion de mes pieds à ma tête ! Disait-il en voyant leur ombre avec douleur : Des taillis les plus hauts mon front atteint le faîte ; Mes pieds ne me font point d'honneur. Tout en parlant de la sorte, Un Limier le fait partir ; Il tâche à se garantir ; Dans les forêts il s'emporte. Son bois, dommageable ornement, L'arrêtant à chaque moment, Nuit à l'office que lui rendent Ses pieds, de qui ses jours dépendent. Il se dédit alors, et maudit les présents Que le Ciel lui fait tous les ans. Nous faisons cas du beau, nous méprisons l'utile ; Et le beau souvent nous détruit. Ce Cerf blâme ses pieds qui le rendent agile ; Il estime un bois qui lui nuit.
From the Fables of Aesop  The Hares and the Frogs(image: The Hare and the Frogs an engraving by Gustave Dore) The Hares had so many enemies and lived such worried, frantic lives that they did not know what to do. One day they all gathered together and resolved that rather than live in such fear, they would drown themselves in a nearby pond. But as they neared the bank of pond, a troop of Frogs so frightened by the noise of their approach, leaped with great alarm and confusion into the water and hid. One of the older Hares, who was wiser than the others, cried out to his companions, "stop my friends. Things are not as bad as they seem, for those creatures are even more timids than hares." - There is always someone worse off than yourself. Juan Jamon Jimenez - Platero y Yo (Spain 1917) read it online ![[Platero+y+Yo.jpg]](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_v7-zL8zXkhc/RlPz0XZ3pQI/AAAAAAAAB4o/UPlWceU2Nko/s200/Platero%2By%2BYo.jpg)  Platero es pequeño, peludo, suave ; tan blando por fuera, que se diría todo de algodón, que no lleva huesos. Solo los espejos de azabache de sus ojos son duros cual dos escarabajos de cristal negro. Lo dejo suelto, y se va al prado, y acaricia tibiamente con su hocico, rozandolas apenas, las florecíllas rosas, celestes y gualdas... Lo llamo dulcemente: "¿platero?" , y viene á mí con un trotecillo alegre que parece que se ríe, en no sé qué cascabeleo ideal... Come cuanto le doy. Le gustan las naranjas mandarinas, las uvas moscateles, todas de ámbar, los higos morados, con su cristalina gotita de miel... Es tierno y mimoso igual que un niño, que una niña...; pero fuerte y seco como de piedra. Cuando paso sobre él, los domingos, por las últimas callejas del pueblo, los hombres del campo, vestidos de limpio y despaciosos, se quedan mirándolo: ---- Tien` asero.... Tiene acero. Acero y plata de luna, al mismo tiempo. Dienst auf vier Pfoten
 Universum Magazine Austria - 2009 author: Von Peter A. Krobath Sie spüren Sprengstoff auf, stellen
Bankräuber, finden Vermisste. Mit ihrer feinen Nase leisten
Österreichische Diensthunde wertvolle Arbeit für Militär, Polizei und
Zoll, aber auch im nationalen und internationalen Katastropheneinsatz.
Mai 2010, Militärhundezentrum Kaisersteinbruch im Burgenland. Auf einer Wiese liegen fünf Militärrucksäcke. Die Belgische Schäferhündin Xyra nimmt die Gepäckstück-Parade mit schneller Pfote ab, dann kehrt sie zu Rucksack Nummer zwei zurück und legt sich flach auf den Boden.Treffer! Es ist der Rucksack mit dem verdächtigen Sprengstoffduft … --- Dig
your own doctor - Grow
your own first-aid kit and you can tackle all manner of minor ailment,
says herb expert Jekka McVicar. The Guardian - February 27th 2010 Everyone know that using fresh herbs in the kitchen can transform a meal into a feast. But we can also use them at home to treat ailments. Whether you have a garden, a window box, or simply room for a pot on a west- or east-facing windowsill, you can grow your own first-aid kit. Be aware that some plants can be poisonous of misidentified or misused, so if you are unsure, if you are pregnant or for more serious conditions, always seek medical advice. Hangover and heavy hearts Rosemary (Rosmarinus Officinalis) make a restorative herbal infusion that's ideal for waking up the grey cells, settling the stomach and lifting the spirits - perfect for sufferers of seasonal affective disorder, or a hangover. How to grow - Wherever you plant your herbs, make sure they are easily accessible. Rosemary will be happy in containers filled with a soil-based potting compost or in the garden in a well-drained soil in a sunny location. Recipe - cut a 3-4cm sprig, place in a mug, pour over boiled (not boiling) water, cover to prevent steam evaporating and steep for five minutes before drinking. Take one cup a day for up to seven successive days, then have a few days break. Burns and bites I used to have an aloe (Aloe vera) growing in a pot on my kitchen windowsill because I am renowned as a clumsy cook. But I have started using the Burn Jelly plant (Bulbine frutescens), which is also a succulent and produces many more leaves which are easier to use. How to grow - Plant in containers use a soil-based potting compost mixed with an equal amount of sharp horticultural grit or perlite. Recipe - To treat burns, simply cut off a bit of leaf and rub the glutinous gel straight on to the skin, reapplying if the burn becomes uncomfortable. The wound then heals without blistering. This gel can also be used to cool the itching caused by insect bites and allergies. . | Le chat noir by Mimo (2010)
directed by Jacques Perrin, and as credited in trailer, music by Robert Wyatt.  excerpt from director's Jacques Perrin film: "Le Peuple Migrateur" posted by Evita Mare Le Peuple Migrateur-Pays scandinaves Winged Migration The Travelling Birds Source: Zebras by Malcolm Penny ISBN: 0-7502-3981-6 published by Hodder-Wayland in 2002 www.hodderheadline.co.uk in association with the WWF The zebra is a mammal of the horse family. It can live up to 25 years. The Romans used to call it Hippotigris or Horse-Tiger. The zebra eats grass and ground plants and needs to drink daily. There are three zebra species: The Grant zebra, the Grevy zebra and the Chapman zebra. They all live in Africa between the desert and the lush grasslands of Kenya. The male Grevy zebra lives alone but the Grant and Chapman zebras live in herds on a 10 square metres territory with a dominant male, his females and their foals. Males who don't have a territory live as a bachelorgroup. The Masai like zebras because they help maintain the Savannah, by grazing old grass and this encourages the growth of fresh young grass which is eaten by the Masai's cattle. The number of zebras affects the number of lions, hyenas and other powerful hunters which all eat the zebra. The zebras do not always manage to escape their predators but they can run as fast as 60 to 70 miles per hour. Illnesses that affect zebras are: Redwater (carried by a tick), anthrax and bot fly. Many visitors to Africa comefever to see the big hunters and the graceful wild horse. Safari tourism helps the economy. In tribute to the zebra, the vehicles in the wildlife park and nature reserves are painted with curvy black and white stripes. (editor says: As you may have guessed from the name of this site, we too love the zebras and their equine relatives.) People often wonder why zebras are striped. Biologists say that the pattern may confuse the predators – a lion will find it difficult to single out one zebra amidst its herd. Predators attack animals which don't stay within their herds. The other idea is that the zebra-stripes are like fingerprints and unique to each zebra, this makes it easier for individuals to recognise each other. The Chapman zebra has almost a black back. Perhaps the zebra is really a black animal with white stripes after all but we are not sure of that. By K&M International - Ohio 44087 Zebra - Family Equidae There are two sorts of zebras: The Grant Zebra (and subspecies Chapman) and the Grevy Zebra  picture by www. marietta.edu The zebra is an African mammal that is related to the horse. It is best known for its black and white stripes. Each zebra stripes are as unique as a person's fingerprints. Most zebras live in small groups and they recognize each other by their stripe patterns. They live in open places where they eat grass. When there is not enough grass to eat, many groups move together, or "migrate", to a new home. Baby zebras are born at a time of year when the food is most plentiful. Usually one baby, called a "foal"; is born. The foal learns to walk within one hour. At the begining, the mother does not let any other zebras near her foal, because the foal must get used to seeing his mother's stripes, and learn to come to her for milk. The foal begins to eat grass after a few weeks, but the mother still gives it milk for about a year.  The Zebras live in Africa (or at the zoo) Written by Jack Hanna's Animal Adventures - The Hug of the Wild www.wildrepublic.com< Kei;. Her name from her native Africa means "White". But her name only tells half a story. Some of the animals say Kei is white with black stripes. Others say she is black with white stripes. Kei just smiles at all this commotion. She knows that they are both right! But instead of mentioning this, she simply repeats the Tanzanian saying: "I pointed out to you the stars and all you saw was the tip of my fingers" Kei is a zebra. The zebra is a white and black striped mammal smaller than the horse. They have a short, spiked mane, large ears, and a tufted tail. The stripes, which distinguished the zebra from other members of the horse family, serve as protective coloration in its natural habitat. There are three species and several subspecies of zebras. They differ mainly by variations in the arrangements of the stripes. All zebras are native to Africa.  Grevy's Zebra - Alone again - naturally. IUCN Status: Endangered The Grevy's Zebra is a solitary animal which rarely comes into contact with other zebras. The males, called stallions, maintain, large territories and associate with females (called mares) only when mares enter the territory of the stallion. These zebras compete for their food with domestic livestock because they all eat grass, shrubs and trees. Unfortunately, there is not enough food to go around and the zebras are endangered. The "Species Survival Planis" a program which is trying to maintain enough zebras to ensure their survival. A portion of the proceeds for this purchase benefits the National Alliance for Species Survival, a program of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association based conservation programs for endangered animals. zebra by Jad Fair 
Zebra je označení pro jeden ze tří podrodů kopytníků z rodu Equus, jejichž srst je charakteristicky bílo-černě pruhovaná („zebrovaná“). Tito zástupci skupiny koňovitých lichokopytníků žijí obvykle v rodinných skupinách, které jsou tvořeny jedním hřebcem, doprovázeným klisnami a mláďaty. Zebra se dožívá 30 až 40 roků. Stavba těla Stavbou těla se zebry podobají primitivním druhům koní. Mají kratší nohy a větší hlavu, a nejsou tak dobrými sprintery jako ušlechtilá plemena domácích koní. Mohou běžet rychlostí až 55 km/h a jsou vytrvalejšími běžci než kůň. Mezi zebrami jsou velké individuální rozdíly, popisuje se mnoho poddruhů a místních variet, proto i počet popsaných druhů prošel revizí. Tradičně se popisovaly čtyři druhy: zebra stepní (E. burchellii), zebra horská (E. zebra), zebra Grévyho (E. grevyi) a zebra kvaga (E. quagga). Zebra kvaga byla vyhubena, v roce 1883 uhynul poslední jedinec. V poslední době se ale ukazuje, že zebra kvaga byla pouze poddruhem zebry stepní. Protože zebra kvaga byla popsána dříve, podle pravidla priority se tedy zebra stepní správně jmenuje Equus quagga, vyhynulá zebra kvaga je pak poddruhem E. quagga quagga. Zebra Chapmanova má mezi širokými černými pruhy vyznačeny ještě pruhy tmavohnědé. Tím se liší od ostatních čtyř poddruhů zeber . zebra Žijí pouze v stepi nebo v horských biotopech střední a jižní Afriky.
Soundtrack by Secret Garden, Alain Morrisod. This is a montage of photographs taken in 1985 by author/farmer/teacher/photographer Trond Vidar Vedum from his book The Bird Friends. zebras54 has provided subtitles in German, English, French and the original Norwegian on each image for language learners.
zebras and Wildebeests
by Christian Grzimek (posters available at art.co.uk)  |
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