Often in Scotland it can feel like the only difference between summer and the rest of the year is that it doesn't snow. (This isn't a guarantee!) But when the weather is good, it's a truly special place here are some things you can do in summer when the weather is nice.
See
With the richest wildlife across the UK, take the chance to see some of the less common sites. On the West coast of Scotland there are lots of places where you can take a boat trip to see many kinds of whales. If you prefer dolphins, you can see the most northerly colony of bottlenose dolphins (海豚) in the world just off Inverness in the Moray Firth. Of course it's likely that you'll see seals (海豹) and many other animals on these trips too.
Do
The waves of Thurso right in the north of Scotland are just great. If you're not feeling brave enough to go in the water and prefer to watch from the safety of the shore then there're several major surf contests held there.
Another very Scottish activity ideal for good weather is "Munro Bagging". Named after Sir Hugh Munro, the 218 mountains in Scotland over 914m high are called Munros and walkers try to see how many they can climb in a set amount of time. This is not easy though conditions can change suddenly and many of the routes are very tough (艰难的).
Eat
Thanks to a large Scottish-Italian population, there are too many specialist ice cream sellers. One of the most famous of them is Nardini in Largs, Ayrshire. Not only can you watch people actually make ice cream but you can sit and eat in a beautiful refurbished (翻新的) 1930s building facing the river Clyde. There's even a piano player at the weekends.
It was an autumn morning shortly after my husband and I moved into our first house. Our children were upstairs unpacking, and I was looking out of the window at my father moving around mysteriously on the front lawn. "What are you doing out there?" I called to him.
He looked up, smiling. "I'm making you a surprise.'' I thought it could be just about anything. When we were kids, he always created something surprising for us. Today, however, Dad would say no more, and caught up in the business of our new life, I eventually forgot about his surprise.
Until one gloomy day the next March when I glanced out of the window, I saw a dot of blue across the yard. I headed outside for a closer look. They were crocuses (番红花) throughout the front lawn—blue, yellow and my favorite pink, with little faces moving up and down in the cold wind. I remembered the things Dad secretly planted last autumn. He knew how the darkness and dullness of winter always got me down. What could have been more perfectly timely to my needs?
My father's crocuses bloomed (开花) each spring for the next five seasons, always bringing the same assurance: Hard times are almost over. Hold on, keep going, and light is coming soon.
Then a spring came with only half the usual blooms and the next spring there were none. I missed the crocuses, so I would ask Dad to come over and plant new bulbs (块茎植物). But I never did. He died suddenly one October day. My family were in deep sorrow, leaning on our faith.
On a spring afternoon four years later, I was driving back when I felt depressed. It was Dad's birthday, and I found myself thinking about him. This was not unusual my family often talked about him, remembering how he lived up to his faith. Suddenly I slowed as I turned into our driveway. I stopped and stared at the lawn. There on the muddy grass with small piles of melting snow, bravely waving in the wind, was one pink crocus.
How could a flower bloom from a bulb more than 18 years ago, one that hadn't bloomed in over a decade? But there was the crocus. Tears filled my eyes as I realized its significance.
Hold on, keep going, and light is coming soon. The pink crocus bloomed for only a day, but it built my faith for a lifetime.
Surviving Hurricane Sandy(飓风桑迪)
Natalie Doan, 14, has always felt lucky to live in Rockaway, New York. Living just a few blocks from the beach, Natalie can see the ocean and hear the wave from her house. "It's the ocean that makes Rockaway so special," she says.
On October 29, 2012, that ocean turned fierce. That night, Hurricane Sandy attacked the East Coast, and Rockaway was hit especially hard. Fortunately, Natalie's family escaped to Brooklyn shortly before the city's bridge closed.
When they returned to Rockaway the next day, they found their neighborhood in ruins. Many of Natalie's friends had lost their homes and were living far away. All around her, people were suffering, especially the elderly. Natalie's school was so damaged that she had to temporarily attend a school in Brooklyn.
In the following few days, the men and women helping Rockaway recover inspired Natalie. Volunteers came with carloads of donated clothing and toys. Neighbors devoted their spare time to helping others rebuild. Teenagers climbed dozens of flights of stairs to deliver water and food to elderly people trapped in powerless high-rise buildings.
"My mom tells me that I can't control what happens to me," Natalie says. "but I can always choose how I deal with it."
Natalie's choice was to help.
She created a website page matching survivors in need with donors who wanted to help. Natalie posted introduction about a boy named Patrick, who lost his baseball card collecting when his house burned down. Within days, Patrick's collection was replaced.
In the coming months, her website page helped lots of kids: Christopher, who received a new basketball; Charlie, who got a new keyboard. Natalie also worked with other organizations to bring much-need supplies to Rockaway. Her efforts made her a famous person. Last April, she was invited to the White House and honored as a Hurricane Sandy Champion of Change.
Today, the scars(创痕)of destruction are still seen in Rockaway, but hope is in the air. The streets are clear, and many homes have been rebuilt. "I can't imagine living anywhere but Rockaway," Natalie declares. "My neighborhood will be back, even stronger than before."
“When your mother scolds you, you can look elsewhere and think about other things. Just ignore her words. But remember: such a tough attitude cannot be used often.” These words are from a series of cartoons which outline skills for children to fight against their mothers. The images have created heated debate among Chinese netizens（网民）.
Regarded as “a book for children aged 6 to 12 who are always scolded by their parents”， the cartoons, drawn by two 10-year-old Beijing girls, list over 20 skills which children can use to deal with their mothers' anger such as crying, pretending to be ashamed, fleeing into the toilet and pleasing her afterwards. Each skill is described with vivid pictures and humorous notes. The creativity of the young girls has amazed netizens, the Yangtse Evening Post reported on Thursday.
According to one of the girls' mothers, her daughter once received a poor mark in an exam, and the mother blamed her and compared her performance with another classmate. The daughter's feelings led to her creating the cartoons. The girl's father, who first posted the pictures on his Sohu Microblog on Monday, said he hopes parents pay close attention to the pictures, allow children to feel free to develop their own characteristics and try not to criticize them so often.
“The cartoons, although an individual case, reflect a modern phenomenon and some of the problems within Chinese family education,” said Yu Qinfang, an expert on family education. According to a survey of 104 children and their parents, Yu discovered that as many as 51.9 percent of primary school students hate being urged to do things by their mothers. “Not giving children enough time and hurrying them to do things seems to be a very tiny detail within family life, but it is potentially a huge problem which can easily be ignored by parents. A mother's blame may lead to negative feelings within her child's heart,” Yu said. “Parents should learn to blame less and be more patient.”
What Teenagers Can Do To Earn More Respect
As teenagers continue to grow and develop into young adults, the transition (过渡) into adulthood has begun. With so many physical and emotional changes going on, certain manners are often forgotten and other adult traits(品质) are not yet accepted as a way of life. By doing the following things, you will earn more respect.
● Contribute to the household
At the very least, clean up after yourself. As a teenager, you are old enough to clean up after yourself. When you make a mess, clean it up. All chores(琐事) that you do help to reduce the load of the person who did them before. Now that you're old enough and capable, why shouldn't you contribute to the household?
●Be responsible
Whether they are basic things, like brushing your teeth or doing your homework, or more involved chores that contribute to the household, simply fulfill your responsibilities on time. When adults know that they can rely on you, their trust and respect for you will increase.
●Solve more of your own problem without asking for help
Instead of taking the easy approach and asking for help, make an effort to solve your problems on your own first. The "easy way" is only easy for you, but it is an extra task for the person from whom you are seeking help. Seek help only after you have made an honest effort to solve your own problems. When you become a good problem solver, you increase your value to the community.
A. Everyone has certain responsibilities.
B. By being aware of these manners and traits, you can manage them sooner.
C. The people doing the chores before will greatly appreciate the help.
D. This includes, but is not limited to, your dishes and your room.
E. It will make your life more pleasant.
F. Depending on the problem, 15 minutes of effort is usually a good guideline.
G. When speaking to a group, speak loud enough.
Yaster, an international student, first met Steve in their chemistry class at an American university. 1, Steve seemed very friendly. He always 2Yaster warmly before class. Sometimes he3 to study with him. He 4 invited Yaster to eat lunch with him. But after the term was over, Steve seemed 5 and the two former classmates didn't see each other very much at school. One day Yaster decided to call Steve, but Steve didn't seem very interested in 6 to him. Yaster was 7 by Steve's change of attitude. Yaster complained, "I thought friends were friends forever."
As a 8 , he doesn't understand the way Americans view friendship. Americans use the word "friend" in a very 9 way. They may call both casual acquaintances and close 10"friends". These friendships are 11 common interests. When the 12 activity ends, the friendship may fade. Now as Steve and Yaster are no longer classmates, their "friendship" has13 .
In some cultures friendship means a strong life-long 14 between two people. In these cultures friendships develop slowly, since they are built to 15 . But American society is one of rapid change. Studies show that one out of five American families moves every year, and thus American friendships may change just 16 quickly. People from the United States may at first seem friendly and they often 17 easily with strangers. But American friendliness is not18 an offer of true friendship. After an experience19 Yaster's, people who've been in this country for only a few months may consider Americans to be unreliable. Learning how Americans 20 friendship can help non-Americans avoid misunderstandings. It can also help them make friends in the American way.
My childhood and adolescence were a joyous outpouring of energy, an endless pursuit for expression, skill, and experience. 1 was only a background to the great delight of lessons in music, dance, and dramatics.
Then one night at a high school dance, a remark, not intended for my 2, injured my youthful happiness: "That girl, what a pity she is blind." Blind! A(n) 3 word that implied everything dark, blank and helpless. 4 I turned and called out, "Please don't feel sorry for me, I'm having lots of fun."5 the fun was not to last.
In college years, I began to struggle with the problem of earning a living. Part-time teaching of piano and occasional giving concerts proved only 6 sources of economic support. In terms of time and effort involved, the financial return was 7. Self-doubt and dark moods sparked within me. 8 to my misery was the repeated experience of knowing my sisters and friends dating excitedly. How 9 I was to my piano, 10 I could dissolve (分散) my frustration, accompanied by Chopin, Brahms, and Beethoven.
Then one day, I met a girl, an army nurse, whose faith was to change my life. As our acquaintance 11 into friendship, she sensed my 12. She said, "Stop knocking on closed doors. I know your opportunity will come. You're trying too hard. Why don't you relax? And have you ever tried 13?" The idea was strange to me. I had always believed that if you wanted 14, you had to go and get it for yourself. Yet, my sincerity and hard work had yielded poor returns, so I was 15 to try anything else. Self-consciously, I performed the daily practice of prayer. I said, "God, show me the 16 for which You sent me to this world.
In the years to follow, the answers began to arrive, satisfying 17 my most optimistic expectation. One of the answers was Enchanted Hills, where my 18 friend and I had the privilege of seeing blind children come alive in God's out-of-doors. 19 are the sources of pleasure and comfort I have found in friendship, and most important of all, I 20 closer to God and, through Him, to immortality (永生).
I was living a life in my screen and hardly noticed what (be) around me. I was always checking the time and thinking of future (plan). My thought was: "Who's going to text me now? What will I do next?" My bedtime routine was usually centered one thing: my phone. I went to sleep, I browsed through news websites and checked my emails. When I woke up in the middle of the night, I did the same thing. The problem with this was that I felt anxious every night.
So when my friends invited me (go) for a long weekend camping without the cell service, I thought this was (exact) what I needed. Here's how (keep) away from my phone for 48 hours changed me and my way of life.
Without my phone, I (fall) asleep listening to the songs of frogs and crickets. In the morning, I woke up (feel) energetic. Sitting by the river, riding a bike, or singing old songs, I truly enjoyed what I was doing.
I felt free without my phone at weekend camp, changed me completely. I listened to what my body wanted instead of what my phone was telling me to do.
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1．每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2．只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分
We are required to collect our smart phones and keep it in the teacher's during the weekdays. In fact the most of us obey this regulation, but some still play various trick against it. I'm among those. Once, I hand in a waste phone. Mr. Li, our head teacher, seemed ignore all that. So I felt very luckily to have an extra phone with me. And good times don't last long. "Can I use your phone as a while? I forgot to take mine by chance." Mr. Li said, pick out my waste phone and dialing. You can see how embarrassing I was at the scene!
1）陈述写信原因；2）描述行李箱； 3）期待回复并表示感谢。
注意：1）词数100左右；
2）开头语和结束语已为你写好。
Dear Sir or Madam,
My name is Li Hua, and I was a passenger
……
Yours, Li Hua
