1Traditionally, school children are taught that there are two main types of elephants: the African and the Asian. 2However, African elephants can actually be classifiedinto bush elephants and forest elephants. 3African elephants prefer to be near water, but they can also live in forests, deserts, and savannahs. 4Male bush elephants are the world’s largest land animals, while the forest elephants are about half as big. 5Because of their size, other animals tendtokeeptheirdistancefrom elephants, while predators such as lions and hyenas usually target only the young. 6Even though they are generallysafe from being attacked by other animals, African elephants are increasingly being driven from their traditionalareas because people want to develop the land for farming. 7Perhaps the biggest threat to the survival of African elephants comes from illegal ivory traders who pay hunters to kill these magnificent animals for their tusks.
1Developments in computer technology presentopportunities for changing how teachers teach and students learn.2For example, the Internet provides students with access to far more information than any textbook could ever offer. 3New software applications can allow students to learn through playing games, making videos, and creating multimedia projects. 4Furthermore, the use of tablet computers or smartphones can encourage students to cooperate on such projects from the comfort of their own classroom. 5However, there is no guarantee that advances in technology will improve learning. 6For example, research done on introducing the Internet to public schools in California indicated there was no improvement in learning. 7Similarly, research conducted throughout North Carolina actually showed a slight decrease in students’ math and reading scores. 8Why has the full potential of computers in education not been realized? 9Education specialists say that computer technology can improve learning only if students already know the basics of a subject, and if teachers are trained in the use of computers and understand how to integrate them into lessons. 10If these two things can be done, then the use of computers in the classroom can achieve its full potential.
1Few people know the word dondurma, but many people may know it as Turkish ice cream.2Dondurma is unsusual because although it looks and tastes like ice cream, it can be stretched and chewed like bubble gum. 3In the same way as regular ice cream, it is made of milk and sugar, but unlike normal ice cream, it containssalep, a special flour made from a wild flower found in Turkey, and mastic, a sticky, gum-like material. 4These two materials also give dondurma another unique feature: it does not melt easily. 5In Turkey, dondurma is commonlyserved in ice cream cones and is sold from both street carts and store fronts. 6Outside of Turkey, dondurma is sold in stores in more than 100 countries. 7However, the increasing popularity of dondurma has led to a shortage in the supply of salep flour.8In response to this, other ingredients are being used in place of salep, ensuring that people all over the world can continue to enjoy this unusual dessert.