Can plants eat people? Probably not, but there are many plants that eat meat. Some of them are big. And they can eat small animals. One famous meat-eating plant is the Venus flytrap(捕蝇草).

The Venus flytrap is a very strange plant. It grows in dry parts of the United States. Its leaves are like the pages of a book. They can open and close very quickly. Inside the leaves, there are three small hairs. If a fly touches one of the hairs, the leaf closes quickly. The fly cannot get out. In about half an hour, the leaf presses the fly until it is dead. Then, the plant covers the fly. Slowly, the plant eats the fly.

Why do plants do it? Most plants get what they need from the sun, the air, and the ground. In some places, the ground is very poor. It doesn't have all these important things, especially nitrogen(氮). Animal meat has a lot of nitrogen, so some plants eat meat to get what they need. Let’s hope that some of the bigger plants don’t get the same idea!

The giant panda is an animal popular with people all over the world. With their black and white fur and soft round bodies, they are loved by the old and young. Do you love them? If you do, why not join in a panda volunteer program? Here are some tips for you if you want to be a volunteer of the programs.

If you don't book early, the programs may become fully booked. Some volunteer programs limit（限制） the number of the volunteers. We suggest booking at least one week in advance（提前）.

Giant pandas lead a very different life. Sometimes, it is very hard for them to stand outside influences. We'd better not disturb（打扰）their peaceful life, so some of the activities might be changed or canceled.

•Please do not make any noise or movements that might disturb the pandas.

•Please do not get close to the pandas or throw food to them, unless the panda keeper tells you to do so. It might disturb the pandas' eating habits and cause them to become sick.

•For your safety do not get into the cage. Touch the adult pandas or let them touch you, unless the panda keeper tells you to do so.

•Do not take photos or videos unless it's allowed.

To protect yourself when carrying bamboo, please do not wear shorts or slippery（滑的）shoes. Also, pandas have a very keen（敏锐的）sense of smell. As you will get very close to them, pleased do not wear perfume（香水）or nail polish.

Everybody hates rats. But rats may soon be man’s new good friend.

What happens after an earthquake? We send in rescue dogs. Why? Because they can smell people. Dogs save lives. They help rescuers to find living people. But dogs are big and they can’t get into small spaces. So now a new research project is using a smaller animal to save lives: the rat.

How does it work? First, the rat is trained to smell people. When this happens, the rat’s brain gives a signal. This is sent to a small radio on its back, and then the rescuers follow the radio signals. When the rat’s brain activity jumps, the rescuers know that someone is alive. The rat has smelled that person.

Although there are already robots which can do this job, rats are better. “Robots’ noses don’t work well when there are other smells around. Rats are good at that.” Rats can also see in the dark, they are cheaper and quicker to train than dogs, and unlike robots, they don’t need electricity!

The “rat project” is not finished, but a scientist says, “It would be great. A rat could get into spaces we couldn’t get to, and a rat would get out if it wasn’t safe.” Perhaps for the first time in history, people will be happy to see a rat in a building (but only after an earthquake, of course).