When I was a child I ________________as short as a bucket but I ________________ basketball almost everyday.

When they were at primary school they ________________________ get on.

One day Danny put a plastic spider on Jim's shoulder and he stated screaming and ________ out of the house.

But since they started seconday school they _______________ on better.

We can still say that Jim ________ his brother for the spider incident yet.

Jim ___________________________ so scared in his entire life until that day!!!!

While the spider incident their mother ______________________ dinner for the whole family.

At the end of the day they ended up all sored because they___________________________ all day long.

The funny thing is that they ___________________ to that hotel because of the incident they __________________ and it ______________________ their favorite in Vallarta.

How come you ________________ to Calvillo. I _____________ there last month and I really ____________ visting different places and restaurants.

I really need to ___________________. I had a terrible day and I feel awful!

Carls and I have always ______________. We have always get along very well.

Are you _________________________? I don't think that's for real and you're just joking!!

Can you please _________________? These bags are as heavy as 10,000 rocks.

Union members expressed their ________ of the new management's offer. (APPROVE)

The ________________ of the device is what makes it so popular. (SIMPLE)

_____________ will be served in the Main Hall in the afternoon. (REFRESH)

It's quite natural to experience a certain amount of _______________ on you first day on the job. (ANXIOUS)

He valued his _______________ too much to ever want to get married. (DEPEND)

The dress __________ will take place at 9 tomorrow morning. (REHEARSE)

LISTENING: TRUE /FALSE/Not Given Nicola did her first acting work when she was five.

LISTENING: TRUE /FALSE/Not Given She got the BBC role because her mother contacted the producer.

LISTENING: TRUE /FALSE/Not Given Her first film role wasn't in England.

Most of the filming for "The Window on the Sea" took place underground.

In Nicola's latest film "The Road Trip", the actor Louise Blake plays a funny character.

Some people say her mum is _______________.

She had to do the scene in the sweet shop about _______________ times.

"Kidders" was a serious drama; there were some fights and some _______________.

In "The Window on the Sea", Nicola played a character who was ______________ than her.

In "The Road Trip", Louise Blake's character and Nicola's mother are similar in that they are both _______________.

Letters from readers This month, we are featuring some of your unusual experiences. A One day I was in the middle of a spelling test, when my head started hurting. I didn’t pay much attention to it at first because I had often had headaches before and I decided to try to finish the test. However, as I started to write the next word in the test – ‘conscientious’ I think it was – something strange happened. I couldn’t remember how to write. When I looked down at what I’d written, the letters were in the wrong order and didn’t mean anything. Then I put up my hand and tried to speak to my teacher, but I couldn’t. It was as if a cloud had descended over my brain, making me incapable of communication. I was taken to hospital, where the doctors were mystified, but said it may have been a migraine – a severe type of headache that can have a strong effect on the body. They told my parents to monitor the situation and make sure I got lots of rest. I was a bit scared and so were my mum and dad, I think. What if I stayed like this forever? Fortunately, there was an improvement in my condition just a few hours later. Gradually, things began to make sense and by that evening I was able to communicate normally again. Since then I’ve read that what I experienced is called temporary aphasia and that it sometimes accompanies certain kinds of headache. The experience has made me really appreciate the power of words. You don’t know what you have until it’s taken away. Abby B My strange experience happened on holiday in California with my mum and dad. It was a balmy August afternoon and my dad and I had decided that in order to cool off we would go for a dip in the sea. The temperature of the water was just perfect. We waded into the deep waters and started swimming. After half an hour or so, we noticed a pod of dolphins swimming nearby. As they got closer, we thought they wanted to play with us. It was incredible. Then they started circling us. At first, the circle was quite big but it soon got smaller and smaller until the dolphins were so close to us that we could have reached out and touched them! It was amazing to be in such close proximity to a group of wild animals and yet not feel threatened by them in any way. On the contrary, we felt the dolphins were trying to communicate with us in a friendly way. After about ten minutes, they swam away and my dad and I swam back to the beach, where my mum was waiting anxiously. Before we had a chance to tell her about our amazing experience, she told us something that freaked us out completely. Someone thought they had spotted a shark in the water near where we had been swimming! It was only then that the dolphins’ behaviour began to make sense. If there really had been a shark, then maybe it was about to attack and they had surrounded us in order to protect us. We’ll never know for sure, but it’s just possible that those dolphins saved our lives. Jasmine C My wife and I have always been fond of animals, which is why, in 2009, we decided to accept the ownership of a zoo in our home town of Devon. We found the first couple of years extraordinary, especially in the spring months when numerous young were born and Lucy and I spent endless nights with little sleep looking after what felt like our own children. We enjoyed looking after all the animals but felt a particularly strong bond between ourselves and the gorillas. It could be because we seemed to understand each other. If they wanted something or if something had happened, they were usually able to get the message across. One spring, Blanca, one of the female gorillas, had a baby. However, regrettably she didn’t seem to feel she had the ability to look after her young daughter and one day she signalled to us to take her away. We were unsure what to do but finally decided that this was the best option. From that day, Blanca’s daughter Cola has lived with us in our house. We have adopted her and now she is part of our family. She lives with us, has her own room and despite being an animal, she is able to let us know through hand signals all of her desires and needs. Who said that animals can’t talk? Matthew Which person/people made a difficult decision after receiving an unusual message?

Letters from readers This month, we are featuring some of your unusual experiences. A One day I was in the middle of a spelling test, when my head started hurting. I didn’t pay much attention to it at first because I had often had headaches before and I decided to try to finish the test. However, as I started to write the next word in the test – ‘conscientious’ I think it was – something strange happened. I couldn’t remember how to write. When I looked down at what I’d written, the letters were in the wrong order and didn’t mean anything. Then I put up my hand and tried to speak to my teacher, but I couldn’t. It was as if a cloud had descended over my brain, making me incapable of communication. I was taken to hospital, where the doctors were mystified, but said it may have been a migraine – a severe type of headache that can have a strong effect on the body. They told my parents to monitor the situation and make sure I got lots of rest. I was a bit scared and so were my mum and dad, I think. What if I stayed like this forever? Fortunately, there was an improvement in my condition just a few hours later. Gradually, things began to make sense and by that evening I was able to communicate normally again. Since then I’ve read that what I experienced is called temporary aphasia and that it sometimes accompanies certain kinds of headache. The experience has made me really appreciate the power of words. You don’t know what you have until it’s taken away. Abby B My strange experience happened on holiday in California with my mum and dad. It was a balmy August afternoon and my dad and I had decided that in order to cool off we would go for a dip in the sea. The temperature of the water was just perfect. We waded into the deep waters and started swimming. After half an hour or so, we noticed a pod of dolphins swimming nearby. As they got closer, we thought they wanted to play with us. It was incredible. Then they started circling us. At first, the circle was quite big but it soon got smaller and smaller until the dolphins were so close to us that we could have reached out and touched them! It was amazing to be in such close proximity to a group of wild animals and yet not feel threatened by them in any way. On the contrary, we felt the dolphins were trying to communicate with us in a friendly way. After about ten minutes, they swam away and my dad and I swam back to the beach, where my mum was waiting anxiously. Before we had a chance to tell her about our amazing experience, she told us something that freaked us out completely. Someone thought they had spotted a shark in the water near where we had been swimming! It was only then that the dolphins’ behaviour began to make sense. If there really had been a shark, then maybe it was about to attack and they had surrounded us in order to protect us. We’ll never know for sure, but it’s just possible that those dolphins saved our lives. Jasmine C My wife and I have always been fond of animals, which is why, in 2009, we decided to accept the ownership of a zoo in our home town of Devon. We found the first couple of years extraordinary, especially in the spring months when numerous young were born and Lucy and I spent endless nights with little sleep looking after what felt like our own children. We enjoyed looking after all the animals but felt a particularly strong bond between ourselves and the gorillas. It could be because we seemed to understand each other. If they wanted something or if something had happened, they were usually able to get the message across. One spring, Blanca, one of the female gorillas, had a baby. However, regrettably she didn’t seem to feel she had the ability to look after her young daughter and one day she signalled to us to take her away. We were unsure what to do but finally decided that this was the best option. From that day, Blanca’s daughter Cola has lived with us in our house. We have adopted her and now she is part of our family. She lives with us, has her own room and despite being an animal, she is able to let us know through hand signals all of her desires and needs. Who said that animals can’t talk? Matthew Which person/people couldn't be helped by anyone while the experience lasted?

Letters from readers This month, we are featuring some of your unusual experiences. A One day I was in the middle of a spelling test, when my head started hurting. I didn’t pay much attention to it at first because I had often had headaches before and I decided to try to finish the test. However, as I started to write the next word in the test – ‘conscientious’ I think it was – something strange happened. I couldn’t remember how to write. When I looked down at what I’d written, the letters were in the wrong order and didn’t mean anything. Then I put up my hand and tried to speak to my teacher, but I couldn’t. It was as if a cloud had descended over my brain, making me incapable of communication. I was taken to hospital, where the doctors were mystified, but said it may have been a migraine – a severe type of headache that can have a strong effect on the body. They told my parents to monitor the situation and make sure I got lots of rest. I was a bit scared and so were my mum and dad, I think. What if I stayed like this forever? Fortunately, there was an improvement in my condition just a few hours later. Gradually, things began to make sense and by that evening I was able to communicate normally again. Since then I’ve read that what I experienced is called temporary aphasia and that it sometimes accompanies certain kinds of headache. The experience has made me really appreciate the power of words. You don’t know what you have until it’s taken away. Abby B My strange experience happened on holiday in California with my mum and dad. It was a balmy August afternoon and my dad and I had decided that in order to cool off we would go for a dip in the sea. The temperature of the water was just perfect. We waded into the deep waters and started swimming. After half an hour or so, we noticed a pod of dolphins swimming nearby. As they got closer, we thought they wanted to play with us. It was incredible. Then they started circling us. At first, the circle was quite big but it soon got smaller and smaller until the dolphins were so close to us that we could have reached out and touched them! It was amazing to be in such close proximity to a group of wild animals and yet not feel threatened by them in any way. On the contrary, we felt the dolphins were trying to communicate with us in a friendly way. After about ten minutes, they swam away and my dad and I swam back to the beach, where my mum was waiting anxiously. Before we had a chance to tell her about our amazing experience, she told us something that freaked us out completely. Someone thought they had spotted a shark in the water near where we had been swimming! It was only then that the dolphins’ behaviour began to make sense. If there really had been a shark, then maybe it was about to attack and they had surrounded us in order to protect us. We’ll never know for sure, but it’s just possible that those dolphins saved our lives. Jasmine C My wife and I have always been fond of animals, which is why, in 2009, we decided to accept the ownership of a zoo in our home town of Devon. We found the first couple of years extraordinary, especially in the spring months when numerous young were born and Lucy and I spent endless nights with little sleep looking after what felt like our own children. We enjoyed looking after all the animals but felt a particularly strong bond between ourselves and the gorillas. It could be because we seemed to understand each other. If they wanted something or if something had happened, they were usually able to get the message across. One spring, Blanca, one of the female gorillas, had a baby. However, regrettably she didn’t seem to feel she had the ability to look after her young daughter and one day she signalled to us to take her away. We were unsure what to do but finally decided that this was the best option. From that day, Blanca’s daughter Cola has lived with us in our house. We have adopted her and now she is part of our family. She lives with us, has her own room and despite being an animal, she is able to let us know through hand signals all of her desires and needs. Who said that animals can’t talk? Matthew Which person/people felt excitment followed by shock?

Letters from readers This month, we are featuring some of your unusual experiences. A One day I was in the middle of a spelling test, when my head started hurting. I didn’t pay much attention to it at first because I had often had headaches before and I decided to try to finish the test. However, as I started to write the next word in the test – ‘conscientious’ I think it was – something strange happened. I couldn’t remember how to write. When I looked down at what I’d written, the letters were in the wrong order and didn’t mean anything. Then I put up my hand and tried to speak to my teacher, but I couldn’t. It was as if a cloud had descended over my brain, making me incapable of communication. I was taken to hospital, where the doctors were mystified, but said it may have been a migraine – a severe type of headache that can have a strong effect on the body. They told my parents to monitor the situation and make sure I got lots of rest. I was a bit scared and so were my mum and dad, I think. What if I stayed like this forever? Fortunately, there was an improvement in my condition just a few hours later. Gradually, things began to make sense and by that evening I was able to communicate normally again. Since then I’ve read that what I experienced is called temporary aphasia and that it sometimes accompanies certain kinds of headache. The experience has made me really appreciate the power of words. You don’t know what you have until it’s taken away. Abby B My strange experience happened on holiday in California with my mum and dad. It was a balmy August afternoon and my dad and I had decided that in order to cool off we would go for a dip in the sea. The temperature of the water was just perfect. We waded into the deep waters and started swimming. After half an hour or so, we noticed a pod of dolphins swimming nearby. As they got closer, we thought they wanted to play with us. It was incredible. Then they started circling us. At first, the circle was quite big but it soon got smaller and smaller until the dolphins were so close to us that we could have reached out and touched them! It was amazing to be in such close proximity to a group of wild animals and yet not feel threatened by them in any way. On the contrary, we felt the dolphins were trying to communicate with us in a friendly way. After about ten minutes, they swam away and my dad and I swam back to the beach, where my mum was waiting anxiously. Before we had a chance to tell her about our amazing experience, she told us something that freaked us out completely. Someone thought they had spotted a shark in the water near where we had been swimming! It was only then that the dolphins’ behaviour began to make sense. If there really had been a shark, then maybe it was about to attack and they had surrounded us in order to protect us. We’ll never know for sure, but it’s just possible that those dolphins saved our lives. Jasmine C My wife and I have always been fond of animals, which is why, in 2009, we decided to accept the ownership of a zoo in our home town of Devon. We found the first couple of years extraordinary, especially in the spring months when numerous young were born and Lucy and I spent endless nights with little sleep looking after what felt like our own children. We enjoyed looking after all the animals but felt a particularly strong bond between ourselves and the gorillas. It could be because we seemed to understand each other. If they wanted something or if something had happened, they were usually able to get the message across. One spring, Blanca, one of the female gorillas, had a baby. However, regrettably she didn’t seem to feel she had the ability to look after her young daughter and one day she signalled to us to take her away. We were unsure what to do but finally decided that this was the best option. From that day, Blanca’s daughter Cola has lived with us in our house. We have adopted her and now she is part of our family. She lives with us, has her own room and despite being an animal, she is able to let us know through hand signals all of her desires and needs. Who said that animals can’t talk? Matthew Which person/people value(s) something more now as a result of what happened?

Letters from readers This month, we are featuring some of your unusual experiences. A One day I was in the middle of a spelling test, when my head started hurting. I didn’t pay much attention to it at first because I had often had headaches before and I decided to try to finish the test. However, as I started to write the next word in the test – ‘conscientious’ I think it was – something strange happened. I couldn’t remember how to write. When I looked down at what I’d written, the letters were in the wrong order and didn’t mean anything. Then I put up my hand and tried to speak to my teacher, but I couldn’t. It was as if a cloud had descended over my brain, making me incapable of communication. I was taken to hospital, where the doctors were mystified, but said it may have been a migraine – a severe type of headache that can have a strong effect on the body. They told my parents to monitor the situation and make sure I got lots of rest. I was a bit scared and so were my mum and dad, I think. What if I stayed like this forever? Fortunately, there was an improvement in my condition just a few hours later. Gradually, things began to make sense and by that evening I was able to communicate normally again. Since then I’ve read that what I experienced is called temporary aphasia and that it sometimes accompanies certain kinds of headache. The experience has made me really appreciate the power of words. You don’t know what you have until it’s taken away. Abby B My strange experience happened on holiday in California with my mum and dad. It was a balmy August afternoon and my dad and I had decided that in order to cool off we would go for a dip in the sea. The temperature of the water was just perfect. We waded into the deep waters and started swimming. After half an hour or so, we noticed a pod of dolphins swimming nearby. As they got closer, we thought they wanted to play with us. It was incredible. Then they started circling us. At first, the circle was quite big but it soon got smaller and smaller until the dolphins were so close to us that we could have reached out and touched them! It was amazing to be in such close proximity to a group of wild animals and yet not feel threatened by them in any way. On the contrary, we felt the dolphins were trying to communicate with us in a friendly way. After about ten minutes, they swam away and my dad and I swam back to the beach, where my mum was waiting anxiously. Before we had a chance to tell her about our amazing experience, she told us something that freaked us out completely. Someone thought they had spotted a shark in the water near where we had been swimming! It was only then that the dolphins’ behaviour began to make sense. If there really had been a shark, then maybe it was about to attack and they had surrounded us in order to protect us. We’ll never know for sure, but it’s just possible that those dolphins saved our lives. Jasmine C My wife and I have always been fond of animals, which is why, in 2009, we decided to accept the ownership of a zoo in our home town of Devon. We found the first couple of years extraordinary, especially in the spring months when numerous young were born and Lucy and I spent endless nights with little sleep looking after what felt like our own children. We enjoyed looking after all the animals but felt a particularly strong bond between ourselves and the gorillas. It could be because we seemed to understand each other. If they wanted something or if something had happened, they were usually able to get the message across. One spring, Blanca, one of the female gorillas, had a baby. However, regrettably she didn’t seem to feel she had the ability to look after her young daughter and one day she signalled to us to take her away. We were unsure what to do but finally decided that this was the best option. From that day, Blanca’s daughter Cola has lived with us in our house. We have adopted her and now she is part of our family. She lives with us, has her own room and despite being an animal, she is able to let us know through hand signals all of her desires and needs. Who said that animals can’t talk? Matthew Which person/people had an experience which they understood later?

Letters from readers This month, we are featuring some of your unusual experiences. A One day I was in the middle of a spelling test, when my head started hurting. I didn’t pay much attention to it at first because I had often had headaches before and I decided to try to finish the test. However, as I started to write the next word in the test – ‘conscientious’ I think it was – something strange happened. I couldn’t remember how to write. When I looked down at what I’d written, the letters were in the wrong order and didn’t mean anything. Then I put up my hand and tried to speak to my teacher, but I couldn’t. It was as if a cloud had descended over my brain, making me incapable of communication. I was taken to hospital, where the doctors were mystified, but said it may have been a migraine – a severe type of headache that can have a strong effect on the body. They told my parents to monitor the situation and make sure I got lots of rest. I was a bit scared and so were my mum and dad, I think. What if I stayed like this forever? Fortunately, there was an improvement in my condition just a few hours later. Gradually, things began to make sense and by that evening I was able to communicate normally again. Since then I’ve read that what I experienced is called temporary aphasia and that it sometimes accompanies certain kinds of headache. The experience has made me really appreciate the power of words. You don’t know what you have until it’s taken away. Abby B My strange experience happened on holiday in California with my mum and dad. It was a balmy August afternoon and my dad and I had decided that in order to cool off we would go for a dip in the sea. The temperature of the water was just perfect. We waded into the deep waters and started swimming. After half an hour or so, we noticed a pod of dolphins swimming nearby. As they got closer, we thought they wanted to play with us. It was incredible. Then they started circling us. At first, the circle was quite big but it soon got smaller and smaller until the dolphins were so close to us that we could have reached out and touched them! It was amazing to be in such close proximity to a group of wild animals and yet not feel threatened by them in any way. On the contrary, we felt the dolphins were trying to communicate with us in a friendly way. After about ten minutes, they swam away and my dad and I swam back to the beach, where my mum was waiting anxiously. Before we had a chance to tell her about our amazing experience, she told us something that freaked us out completely. Someone thought they had spotted a shark in the water near where we had been swimming! It was only then that the dolphins’ behaviour began to make sense. If there really had been a shark, then maybe it was about to attack and they had surrounded us in order to protect us. We’ll never know for sure, but it’s just possible that those dolphins saved our lives. Jasmine C My wife and I have always been fond of animals, which is why, in 2009, we decided to accept the ownership of a zoo in our home town of Devon. We found the first couple of years extraordinary, especially in the spring months when numerous young were born and Lucy and I spent endless nights with little sleep looking after what felt like our own children. We enjoyed looking after all the animals but felt a particularly strong bond between ourselves and the gorillas. It could be because we seemed to understand each other. If they wanted something or if something had happened, they were usually able to get the message across. One spring, Blanca, one of the female gorillas, had a baby. However, regrettably she didn’t seem to feel she had the ability to look after her young daughter and one day she signalled to us to take her away. We were unsure what to do but finally decided that this was the best option. From that day, Blanca’s daughter Cola has lived with us in our house. We have adopted her and now she is part of our family. She lives with us, has her own room and despite being an animal, she is able to let us know through hand signals all of her desires and needs. Who said that animals can’t talk? Matthew Which person/people experienced something similar to parenthood?

Letters from readers This month, we are featuring some of your unusual experiences. A One day I was in the middle of a spelling test, when my head started hurting. I didn’t pay much attention to it at first because I had often had headaches before and I decided to try to finish the test. However, as I started to write the next word in the test – ‘conscientious’ I think it was – something strange happened. I couldn’t remember how to write. When I looked down at what I’d written, the letters were in the wrong order and didn’t mean anything. Then I put up my hand and tried to speak to my teacher, but I couldn’t. It was as if a cloud had descended over my brain, making me incapable of communication. I was taken to hospital, where the doctors were mystified, but said it may have been a migraine – a severe type of headache that can have a strong effect on the body. They told my parents to monitor the situation and make sure I got lots of rest. I was a bit scared and so were my mum and dad, I think. What if I stayed like this forever? Fortunately, there was an improvement in my condition just a few hours later. Gradually, things began to make sense and by that evening I was able to communicate normally again. Since then I’ve read that what I experienced is called temporary aphasia and that it sometimes accompanies certain kinds of headache. The experience has made me really appreciate the power of words. You don’t know what you have until it’s taken away. Abby B My strange experience happened on holiday in California with my mum and dad. It was a balmy August afternoon and my dad and I had decided that in order to cool off we would go for a dip in the sea. The temperature of the water was just perfect. We waded into the deep waters and started swimming. After half an hour or so, we noticed a pod of dolphins swimming nearby. As they got closer, we thought they wanted to play with us. It was incredible. Then they started circling us. At first, the circle was quite big but it soon got smaller and smaller until the dolphins were so close to us that we could have reached out and touched them! It was amazing to be in such close proximity to a group of wild animals and yet not feel threatened by them in any way. On the contrary, we felt the dolphins were trying to communicate with us in a friendly way. After about ten minutes, they swam away and my dad and I swam back to the beach, where my mum was waiting anxiously. Before we had a chance to tell her about our amazing experience, she told us something that freaked us out completely. Someone thought they had spotted a shark in the water near where we had been swimming! It was only then that the dolphins’ behaviour began to make sense. If there really had been a shark, then maybe it was about to attack and they had surrounded us in order to protect us. We’ll never know for sure, but it’s just possible that those dolphins saved our lives. Jasmine C My wife and I have always been fond of animals, which is why, in 2009, we decided to accept the ownership of a zoo in our home town of Devon. We found the first couple of years extraordinary, especially in the spring months when numerous young were born and Lucy and I spent endless nights with little sleep looking after what felt like our own children. We enjoyed looking after all the animals but felt a particularly strong bond between ourselves and the gorillas. It could be because we seemed to understand each other. If they wanted something or if something had happened, they were usually able to get the message across. One spring, Blanca, one of the female gorillas, had a baby. However, regrettably she didn’t seem to feel she had the ability to look after her young daughter and one day she signalled to us to take her away. We were unsure what to do but finally decided that this was the best option. From that day, Blanca’s daughter Cola has lived with us in our house. We have adopted her and now she is part of our family. She lives with us, has her own room and despite being an animal, she is able to let us know through hand signals all of her desires and needs. Who said that animals can’t talk? Matthew What did Abby discover about her condition afterwards?

Letters from readers This month, we are featuring some of your unusual experiences. A One day I was in the middle of a spelling test, when my head started hurting. I didn’t pay much attention to it at first because I had often had headaches before and I decided to try to finish the test. However, as I started to write the next word in the test – ‘conscientious’ I think it was – something strange happened. I couldn’t remember how to write. When I looked down at what I’d written, the letters were in the wrong order and didn’t mean anything. Then I put up my hand and tried to speak to my teacher, but I couldn’t. It was as if a cloud had descended over my brain, making me incapable of communication. I was taken to hospital, where the doctors were mystified, but said it may have been a migraine – a severe type of headache that can have a strong effect on the body. They told my parents to monitor the situation and make sure I got lots of rest. I was a bit scared and so were my mum and dad, I think. What if I stayed like this forever? Fortunately, there was an improvement in my condition just a few hours later. Gradually, things began to make sense and by that evening I was able to communicate normally again. Since then I’ve read that what I experienced is called temporary aphasia and that it sometimes accompanies certain kinds of headache. The experience has made me really appreciate the power of words. You don’t know what you have until it’s taken away. Abby B My strange experience happened on holiday in California with my mum and dad. It was a balmy August afternoon and my dad and I had decided that in order to cool off we would go for a dip in the sea. The temperature of the water was just perfect. We waded into the deep waters and started swimming. After half an hour or so, we noticed a pod of dolphins swimming nearby. As they got closer, we thought they wanted to play with us. It was incredible. Then they started circling us. At first, the circle was quite big but it soon got smaller and smaller until the dolphins were so close to us that we could have reached out and touched them! It was amazing to be in such close proximity to a group of wild animals and yet not feel threatened by them in any way. On the contrary, we felt the dolphins were trying to communicate with us in a friendly way. After about ten minutes, they swam away and my dad and I swam back to the beach, where my mum was waiting anxiously. Before we had a chance to tell her about our amazing experience, she told us something that freaked us out completely. Someone thought they had spotted a shark in the water near where we had been swimming! It was only then that the dolphins’ behaviour began to make sense. If there really had been a shark, then maybe it was about to attack and they had surrounded us in order to protect us. We’ll never know for sure, but it’s just possible that those dolphins saved our lives. Jasmine C My wife and I have always been fond of animals, which is why, in 2009, we decided to accept the ownership of a zoo in our home town of Devon. We found the first couple of years extraordinary, especially in the spring months when numerous young were born and Lucy and I spent endless nights with little sleep looking after what felt like our own children. We enjoyed looking after all the animals but felt a particularly strong bond between ourselves and the gorillas. It could be because we seemed to understand each other. If they wanted something or if something had happened, they were usually able to get the message across. One spring, Blanca, one of the female gorillas, had a baby. However, regrettably she didn’t seem to feel she had the ability to look after her young daughter and one day she signalled to us to take her away. We were unsure what to do but finally decided that this was the best option. From that day, Blanca’s daughter Cola has lived with us in our house. We have adopted her and now she is part of our family. She lives with us, has her own room and despite being an animal, she is able to let us know through hand signals all of her desires and needs. Who said that animals can’t talk? Matthew What did the dolphins do to Jasmin and her father?

Letters from readers This month, we are featuring some of your unusual experiences. A One day I was in the middle of a spelling test, when my head started hurting. I didn’t pay much attention to it at first because I had often had headaches before and I decided to try to finish the test. However, as I started to write the next word in the test – ‘conscientious’ I think it was – something strange happened. I couldn’t remember how to write. When I looked down at what I’d written, the letters were in the wrong order and didn’t mean anything. Then I put up my hand and tried to speak to my teacher, but I couldn’t. It was as if a cloud had descended over my brain, making me incapable of communication. I was taken to hospital, where the doctors were mystified, but said it may have been a migraine – a severe type of headache that can have a strong effect on the body. They told my parents to monitor the situation and make sure I got lots of rest. I was a bit scared and so were my mum and dad, I think. What if I stayed like this forever? Fortunately, there was an improvement in my condition just a few hours later. Gradually, things began to make sense and by that evening I was able to communicate normally again. Since then I’ve read that what I experienced is called temporary aphasia and that it sometimes accompanies certain kinds of headache. The experience has made me really appreciate the power of words. You don’t know what you have until it’s taken away. Abby B My strange experience happened on holiday in California with my mum and dad. It was a balmy August afternoon and my dad and I had decided that in order to cool off we would go for a dip in the sea. The temperature of the water was just perfect. We waded into the deep waters and started swimming. After half an hour or so, we noticed a pod of dolphins swimming nearby. As they got closer, we thought they wanted to play with us. It was incredible. Then they started circling us. At first, the circle was quite big but it soon got smaller and smaller until the dolphins were so close to us that we could have reached out and touched them! It was amazing to be in such close proximity to a group of wild animals and yet not feel threatened by them in any way. On the contrary, we felt the dolphins were trying to communicate with us in a friendly way. After about ten minutes, they swam away and my dad and I swam back to the beach, where my mum was waiting anxiously. Before we had a chance to tell her about our amazing experience, she told us something that freaked us out completely. Someone thought they had spotted a shark in the water near where we had been swimming! It was only then that the dolphins’ behaviour began to make sense. If there really had been a shark, then maybe it was about to attack and they had surrounded us in order to protect us. We’ll never know for sure, but it’s just possible that those dolphins saved our lives. Jasmine C My wife and I have always been fond of animals, which is why, in 2009, we decided to accept the ownership of a zoo in our home town of Devon. We found the first couple of years extraordinary, especially in the spring months when numerous young were born and Lucy and I spent endless nights with little sleep looking after what felt like our own children. We enjoyed looking after all the animals but felt a particularly strong bond between ourselves and the gorillas. It could be because we seemed to understand each other. If they wanted something or if something had happened, they were usually able to get the message across. One spring, Blanca, one of the female gorillas, had a baby. However, regrettably she didn’t seem to feel she had the ability to look after her young daughter and one day she signalled to us to take her away. We were unsure what to do but finally decided that this was the best option. From that day, Blanca’s daughter Cola has lived with us in our house. We have adopted her and now she is part of our family. She lives with us, has her own room and despite being an animal, she is able to let us know through hand signals all of her desires and needs. Who said that animals can’t talk? Matthew Why was Jasmin's mum worried?

Letters from readers This month, we are featuring some of your unusual experiences. A One day I was in the middle of a spelling test, when my head started hurting. I didn’t pay much attention to it at first because I had often had headaches before and I decided to try to finish the test. However, as I started to write the next word in the test – ‘conscientious’ I think it was – something strange happened. I couldn’t remember how to write. When I looked down at what I’d written, the letters were in the wrong order and didn’t mean anything. Then I put up my hand and tried to speak to my teacher, but I couldn’t. It was as if a cloud had descended over my brain, making me incapable of communication. I was taken to hospital, where the doctors were mystified, but said it may have been a migraine – a severe type of headache that can have a strong effect on the body. They told my parents to monitor the situation and make sure I got lots of rest. I was a bit scared and so were my mum and dad, I think. What if I stayed like this forever? Fortunately, there was an improvement in my condition just a few hours later. Gradually, things began to make sense and by that evening I was able to communicate normally again. Since then I’ve read that what I experienced is called temporary aphasia and that it sometimes accompanies certain kinds of headache. The experience has made me really appreciate the power of words. You don’t know what you have until it’s taken away. Abby B My strange experience happened on holiday in California with my mum and dad. It was a balmy August afternoon and my dad and I had decided that in order to cool off we would go for a dip in the sea. The temperature of the water was just perfect. We waded into the deep waters and started swimming. After half an hour or so, we noticed a pod of dolphins swimming nearby. As they got closer, we thought they wanted to play with us. It was incredible. Then they started circling us. At first, the circle was quite big but it soon got smaller and smaller until the dolphins were so close to us that we could have reached out and touched them! It was amazing to be in such close proximity to a group of wild animals and yet not feel threatened by them in any way. On the contrary, we felt the dolphins were trying to communicate with us in a friendly way. After about ten minutes, they swam away and my dad and I swam back to the beach, where my mum was waiting anxiously. Before we had a chance to tell her about our amazing experience, she told us something that freaked us out completely. Someone thought they had spotted a shark in the water near where we had been swimming! It was only then that the dolphins’ behaviour began to make sense. If there really had been a shark, then maybe it was about to attack and they had surrounded us in order to protect us. We’ll never know for sure, but it’s just possible that those dolphins saved our lives. Jasmine C My wife and I have always been fond of animals, which is why, in 2009, we decided to accept the ownership of a zoo in our home town of Devon. We found the first couple of years extraordinary, especially in the spring months when numerous young were born and Lucy and I spent endless nights with little sleep looking after what felt like our own children. We enjoyed looking after all the animals but felt a particularly strong bond between ourselves and the gorillas. It could be because we seemed to understand each other. If they wanted something or if something had happened, they were usually able to get the message across. One spring, Blanca, one of the female gorillas, had a baby. However, regrettably she didn’t seem to feel she had the ability to look after her young daughter and one day she signalled to us to take her away. We were unsure what to do but finally decided that this was the best option. From that day, Blanca’s daughter Cola has lived with us in our house. We have adopted her and now she is part of our family. She lives with us, has her own room and despite being an animal, she is able to let us know through hand signals all of her desires and needs. Who said that animals can’t talk? Matthew How does Cola communicate what she wants?