本帖最后由 charlenedavid 于 2012-5-12 20:12 编辑
The Big Five of the Safari
Would you like to go on safari? The word means “journey” in Swahili, the language of east Africa. This word was later borrowed by wealthy travellers from Europe years ago, who liked going to Africa to hunt the animals there. Over time, the word safari became part of the English language, and the term “Big Five” came about. It refers to the five most dangerous animals to hunt on safari.
So, what are the “Big Five”? The answers may surprise you.
Elephants
They are big animals, weighing up to 6000 kilograms. But they can also reach a speed of up to 40 kilometres per hour. Although they have poor eyesight and hearing, they must always be approached with caution.
Rhinoceros
These animals can be as heavy as 1000 kg. They are shy and like to be left alone. If you bother them, they can get really grumpy and unpredictable. Rhinos cannot see well, but they have excellent hearing and a good sense of smell.
Leopards
At 80 kg, leopards are smaller than lions, but they make up for this with their fierceness, strength, and intelligence. Leopards can leap three metres in the air, and can carry animals that weigh three times more than they do! They have a keen sense of smell and hearing, and can see well in the dark. They like to wander alone, most often at night.
Lions
These are the largest carnivores in Africa. A male lion can weigh up to 230 kg, and its loud roar can be heard as far as 10 km away. This is why we call the lion the “King of the Beasts”. Unlike leopards, lions like to spend their days sleeping with their “pride”, or group, when they are not looking for food.
Water Buffalo
These are considered the most dangerous of all African animals. They are intelligent and cunning, and will band together to fight their enemy and protect the weaker members of their group. They can weigh up to 600 kg.
Fortunately, when we talkabout going an safair these days, we mean we are going to visit Africa to look at the lovely beasts of the continent. We shoot them only with our cameras. And let’s not forget the other amazing animals of Africa, such as the giraffe, the hippopotamus, and the wildebeest, among many, many others. Can you think of a few more?
Nkosi Johnson A Young Hero
Nkosi was born in South Africa on February 4, 1989. He never knew his father, and his mother had a terrible illness: her body had a virus called HIV, which often leads to AIDS. When she was pregnant with Nkosi, he became infected with the virus too. There is no cure for AIDS. In Nkosi’s country, more than 70 000 babies are born with HIV, and half the people under the age of 15 will die of AIDS over the next 10 years.
Babies that are born infected usually do not live longer than two years in South Africa. But Nkosi was strong. Sadly though, when he was two years old, Nkosi’s mother had to take him to an AIDS care centre because she was too sick to care for him herself. A volunteer worker named Gail Johnson asked Nkosi’s mother if she could become Nkosi’s foster mother. She agreed and Nkosi became Gail’s foster son. Together, Gail and her friends started a new AIDS care centre for children. They called it Nkosi’s Haven.
In 1997, Nkosi’s biological mother died of an AIDS-related illness. Even at this trying time, Nkosi was fighting another battle of his own. Nkosi and his foster mother wanted him to go to school, but some of the parents didn’t want him there because he had HIV. Gail Johnson began to talk to the public about the problem, and eventually, Nkosi was allowed to go to school. After this happened, Nkosi Johnson became a hero. He began to travel and give speeches, helping others to understand HIV and not be afraid of people who had AIDS.
As Nkosi spoke for people living with AIDS, he often said these words:
“Care for us and accept us – we are all human beings … We are normal. We have hands. We have feet. We can walk, we talk, we have needs just like everyone else. Don’t be afraid of us. We are all the same!”
In 2001, Nkosi Johnson died of AIDS. He was 12 years old.