China Scene: South
Cabbies required to learn English
A special English training program for cab drivers has been launched in Guangdong's provincial capital Guangzhou.
The program, which started this year, will continue until October 2010.
It aims to improve the English standard of the city's 30,000-plus taxi drivers and provide better service to tourists in the coming years.
All city cabbies are required to attend the program. Those who fail the English tests will not be granted a work permit during the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou.
(Yangcheng Evening News)
Strange turtle sounds spark experts' curiosity
Experts were shocked to hear bull-like sounds coming from a soft-shelled turtle that was caught in Jianfengling, Hainan province.
The 20-kg turtle is now being studied by the local forestry police department. It will be released back to the wild in the near future.
Everyday, the turtle, which is 60 cm long and 45 cm wide, makes sounds like a bull.
Experts suspect the turtle uses this sound to call for its spouse.
Another turtle of the opposite gender is believed to be living in the same lake.
(Haikou Evening News)
Biggest carp in county named 'king'
A wild carp weighing more than 32 kg was recently selected as the "king of carp" in Lingshan county, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.
The black freshwater cyprinid fish - the largest ever to be caught in the county - was caught this week in a local reservoir.
The fish is more than 125 cm long. Local experts believe the carp was more than 30 years old.
An old villager, who lives near the reservoir, says he never saw such a large carp before.
(Nanguo Morning Post)
(China Daily 06/06/2008 page6)
