From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report.When people hear the word "rat," they may think of dirty animals that spread disease.And if you are an English learner, you may also connect the word "rat" with bad expressions.For examples, calling someone a "rat" is a big insult and "rat race" describes a joyless, hurried way of living.So, rats generally are not beloved animals either in life or the English language.However, the rat trainers at the nonprofit organization, APOPO, see the animals very differently.They consider the rats lifesavers.Based in Tanzania, APOPO trains giant pouched rats to find landmines.And the rats with their extraordinary sense of smell are very good at the job.APOPO calls their animal team HeroRats.American Ellie Cutright is an APOPO trainer from Charleston, South Carolina.The researcher shared her very high opinions of rats in a discussion with VOA.She wants everyone to know how useful these animals are.
