Dogs, Birds, and Volcanos!

Top Dog
This week was the biggest dog show of the year-- The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. At this show, about 200 breeds of dogs compete to be named the best dog in the show. So what makes a dog the best? Dogs are judged on things like their color, fur, look, and behavior. Each dog runs with its owner onto the competition floor where judges give them a score. The dogs and their owners have been practicing all year to be ready for this big moment. Exercise, a healthy diet, and proper grooming are all important when getting ready for a dog show. This year a tiny dog named Malachy was the winner. He is an 11 pound Pekingese. Malachy’s owner said “He’s a super dog, who had a stupendous night.” Dog lovers all around the world are excited to find out who will be the winner next year.


Birds Can Talk
Scientists made a big discovery this week. People have often wondered if birds are talking to each other when they sing, so scientists decided to do an experiment. They listened to a bird tweet and chirp and watched the reaction of other birds. The other birds seemed happy to hear these sounds. Then the scientists recorded the bird’s tweets and chirps. Next, they mixed up the order of the tweets and chips and made a new recording. The scientists played this mixed up song to the birds. The birds seemed confused and squawked loudly. This showed scientists that each tweet and chirp is like a word in a sentence. If you mix up the words, the sentence makes no sense. Wow! Birds can talk!


Erupting Volcano
Mount Etna is the tallest volcano in Europe. It can be found on the island of Sicily off of the coast of Italy. Last week this huge volcano erupted. It sent a big cloud of ash into the sky. Burning hot lava gushed from the top of the mountain. Most people would be shocked to see a volcano erupt. But, people who live near Mount Etna are used to seeing the ash and lava. Last year iterupted 18 times! Luckily, people live far enough away from Mount Etna that they are not in danger when it erupts. Also, its lava does not flow very fast making it less dangerous than other volcanos. It is just another regular day in Sicily!