The editor of the Cool Camping Britain chooses some of his favorite new finds in England, Wales and Scotland.
Cleadale, Isle of Eigg, Inner Hebrides Is this Britain's most beautiful campsite? From the grassy point looking seaward to the mountains, it's not hard for campers to see how the island inspired fantasy landscapes in The Lord of the Rings. The campsite itself is as wild and wonderful as its setting.
Open April~September, pitches from £5 per tent per night.
Swattesfield, Thornham Magna, Suffolk
Deep in the wilds of north Suffolk, this seven-acre campsite has only been open for a few years, with two fields separated by a lake and surrounded by woodland. The position is perfect. It's a great place to do nothing and get into nature. You can set up your tent in the bottom field or the woodland beyond.
Open Easter~October, pitches from £10 per tent per night.
Pleasant Streams, near St Austell, Cornwall
This site, by a lake, is all about simple pleasures. Located in the former mining village, it has a summerhouse with books and games for a rainy day, many animals including pigs, hens, goats and ducks, and a pub just a 10-minute stroll (walk) away. There's very little to do here, no bells or whistles. Campfires are encouraged.
Open Easter~September, pitches from £10 per tent per night.
Troytown Campsite, St Agnes, Isles of Scilly Its only campsite couldn't be in a more remote position. Isolation is its greatest asst (优点)－so bring plenty of books to read and don't expect a phone signal. But at least one of life's necessities is available. Lying on the hillside overlooking the bay and near the island of the Gugh, it might just win the prize for best beer garden view in England.
Open MarchOctober, pitches from 7.50 per tent per night.
King Tut, Egypt's famous boy king, was buried with many valuable objects. A dagger discovered in his tomb has recently attracted extra attention. Researchers have concluded that the dagger was probably made from a special material.
King Tut was only about nine years old when he became ruler of Egypt more than 3,300 years ago. The young king died when he was just 19. His body was buried in a tomb filled with objects that people believed he would need in the afterlife.
In 1922, Howard Carter discovered Tut's tomb in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt. Up to now, it was the best preserved ancient Egyptian tomb ever found. In 1925, Carter found the dagger which has a gold handle and an iron blade. The blade had confused experts because iron was hardly used at that time in ancient Egypt. In fact, it was so rare that it was considered more valuable than gold. Where did the iron for the blade come from?
Around the time of King Tut, ancient Egyptians started using a new word for iron that translates as “iron from the sky” This led some experts to believe that the iron for the blade came from a meteorite. But studies of the dagger carried out in the 1970s and 1990s didn't support that idea.
That's where modern technology comes in. Researchers used a new technique to examine the blade. They discovered that it was made up of iron and other materials found in meteorites. After comparing it to several meteorites, they even found its possible match—a meteorite that landed in northern Egypt thousands of years ago.
Scientists hope the new study will lead to more discoveries about other ancient Egyptian relics, “It would be very interesting to analyze more Pre-iron Age objects and we could gain precious discoveries.” Daniela Comelli, who is a professor, said.
How many phone numbers can you remember by heart? It's probably fewer than you would like. Actually, you are not alone. Out of more than 1,000 Americans who were surveyed, more than half said that they couldn't recall the phone numbers of their friends and neighbors. In their eyes, there is no point in filling their heads with phone numbers if they are all stored in smart phones that are with them almost all the time.
In fact, most people are suffering from a sort of digital amnesia(健忘). more than 90% of those surveyed agreed that they used the Internet as an online of their brains. Rote memorization(死记硬背) was once an important part of modern education, but we just need a click or slide now. That's making us worse at remembering things.
Researchers found that when people expected to use the information online, they were less likely to remember actual facts, but more likely to remember how to find them. As a result, we are already becoming ones with our computer tools, growing into interconnected systems that remember less by knowing information than by knowing where the information can be found.
However, some believe it isn't necessarily a bad thing--maybe it gives them more chances to think through things. We certainly acquire more knowledge now than ever, even if it isn't all stored in our brains.
Even so, I still believe that there are more risks to this new world of memory beyond losing our ability to recall some information such as who the 15th President was. That kind of information may always be a click away, but the important things are personal ones, like the way your parents smiled at your wedding. It's harder to recall or find online. If you're relying on yourself to keep track of those memories, they will be much more meaningful.
Does Fame Drive You Crazy?
Although being famous might sound like a dream come true, today's star, feeling like zoo animals, face pressures that few of us can imagine. They are at the center of much of the world's attention. Paparazzi (狗仔队) camp outside their homes, cameras ready. Tabloids (小报) publish thrilling stories about their personal lives. Just imagine not being able to do anything without being photographed or interrupted for a signature.
According to psychologist Christina Villareal, celebrities — famous people — worry constantly about their public appearance. Eventually, they start to lose track of who they really are, seeing themselves the way their fans imagine them, not as the people they were before everyone knew their names. “Over time,” Villareal says, “they feel separated and alone.”
The phenomenon of tracking celebrities has been around for ages. In the 4th century B.C., painters followed Alexander the Great into battle, hoping to picture his victories for his admirers. When Charles Dickens visited America in the 19th century, his sold-out readings attracted thousands of fans, leading him to complain about his lack of privacy. Tabloids of the 1920s and 1930s ran articles about film-stars in much the same way that modern tabloids and websites do.
Being a public figure today, however, is a lot more difficult than it used to be. Superstars cannot move about without worrying about photographers with modern cameras. When they say something silly or do something ridiculous, there is always the Internet to spread the news in minutes and keep their “story” alive forever.
If fame is so troublesome, why aren't all celebrities running away from it? The answer is there are still ways to deal with it. Some stars stay calm by surrounding themselves with trusted friends and family or by escaping to remote places away from big cities. They focus not on how famous they are but on what they love to do or whatever made them famous in the first place.
Sometimes a few celebrities can get a little justice. Still, even stars who enjoy full justice often complain about how hard their lives are. They are tired of being famous already.
How to get ready for school quickly
Waking up early every day for school is hard. If you can't get up early, you may find yourself having to rush to make it to class. In fact, you can get ready quickly and arrive at school in time. Here are some ideas that can help.
Prepare the night before. When you finish your homework, put everything back in your bag so it's ready for the next day. Make sure you put anything else you'll need, like special projects, pens and pencils, into the bag. In this way, you can catch it as you walk out.
Create a bedtime routine(惯例). Your body likes routines, and the quality of your sleep will also be better. What's more, try putting your alarm on the other side of the room. That way, you have to get up and walk across the room every time it goes off.
In other words, brush your teeth, wash your face and use the toilet in the same order every day—— the more you practice, the easier and faster it'll go. Form the habit of getting dressed as soon as possible. Never forget breakfast even when you're running late. If everything is in it, head to school!
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A. Take full advantage of waiting time. B. Go through your morning routine. C. Don't put your phone near your bed. D. Go to bed at the same time every day and stick to it. E. Then put it by the door before you go to sleep. F. As a result, you might leave books behind and end up looking like you just got up! G. Last, give your bag a quick final check right before you leave. |
While I was waiting to enter university, I saw in a newspaper a teaching job1at a school about ten miles from where I lived. Being very short of money and wanting to do something2I applied (申请). And then, I began to fear that without a degree and with no3of teaching my chances of getting the job were4.
However, three days later, a letter arrived, calling me to Croydon for a meeting with the headmaster. It proved to be a5journey: a train to Croydon station, a ten-minute bus ride and then a walk of at6a quarter of a mile. As a result I arrived there, feeling too hot to be nervous. It was clearly the7himself that opened the door. He was short and round.
“The school,” he said, “is made up of one8of twenty-four boys between seven and thirteen.” I should have to teach all the subjects except art,9he taught himself. I should have to divide the class into three groups and teach them in turn at three different places, and I was10at the thought of teaching maths—a subject at which I wasn't very11at school. Worse perhaps was the idea of12to teach them on Saturday afternoon because most of my friends would be13themselves at that time.
Before I had time to ask about my salary, he got up to his14. “Now” he said, you'd better meet my wife. She is the one who really15this school.
Nobody wants to be aged, but it comes to visiting cities, most of us want to visit the world's oldest cities. Luoyang is one of the oldest and most (attract) cities in the world that I'd like to recommend to you.
Luoyang stands out the oldest continually inhabited(有人居住的) city in Asia. The city is considered to be birthplace of Chinese culture and history as well as being one of the Seven Ancient Capitals of China. There (be) no other city in China that has seen so many (dynasty) like Luoyang.
With such a long and (excite) history, Luoyang has really a lot to offer. The Longmen Grottoes, which (include) on the World Heritage List in 2000, and many historic Buddhist temples constant attract tourists from all over the world. Luoyang is also famous for the White Horse Temple, the (early) Buddhist temple (build) in China. Are you anxious to visit the city?
1）时间：每年4月的4—6日中的一天；
2）习俗：门前插柳、扫墓祭祖；
3）活动：春游踏青、放风筝等。
参考词汇：
柳枝：willow branch
扫墓：sweep tomb
春游：spring outing
踏青：stroll on the grass
注意：1）写作词数应为80左右；
2）请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
The Qingming Festival
In 1945, a 12-year-old boy saw a beautiful brooch（胸针）in a shop window that set his heart racing. But the price—five dollars—was too high for Reuben Earle. Five dollars would buy almost a week's food for his family.
Reuben couldn't ask his father for the money. Everything his father made through fishing went to his mother Dora. Slim and beautiful, she was the center of the home and the glue that held it together. The housework was never-ending, and she struggled to feed and clothe their five children, but she was happy as her family and their well-being were all she cared about.
Nevertheless, he opened the shop's door and went inside. Standing proudly and straight in his flour-sack （面粉袋改做的）shirt and washed-out trousers, he told the shopkeeper what he wanted, adding, “But I don't have the money right now. Can you please hold it for me for some time?”
“I'll try,” the shopkeeper smiled. “People around here don't usually have that kind of money to spend on things. It should keep for a while.”
Reuben respectfully touched his worn cap and walked out. He would raise the money and not tell anybody, for he thought Mum would get surprised when she saw that brooch. On hearing the sound of hammering （捶打）from a side street, Reuben suddenly had an idea that he could raise money by selling the used nail bags. People built their own homes in Bay Roberts, using nails bought in bags from a local factory. Sometimes the used bags were thrown away at the construction site, and Reuben knew he could sell them back to the factory for five cents a piece. That day he sold two nail bags and hid the money in a rusty soda tin.
注意：1）续写词数应为150左右；
2）请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Paragraph 1:
Every day after school, Reuben started his plan.
Paragraph 2:
Finally, the time came!
