Welcome to the UK National Parks
The United Kingdom has beautiful national parks. Try our quick guide for a handy introduction to each of the following four parks.
The Broads
The Broads, Britain's largest protected wetland, is now home to some of Britain's rarest wildlife.
Key areas of interest:
● home to over a quarter of our rarest wildlife.
● over 125 miles of waterways to explore
● gentle footpaths and cycle routes, fabulous fishing
● a Roman fort, medieval churches and traditional windmills
● the River Wensum runs right into the city of Norwich, just 2 hour from London
Lake District
The Lake District has inspired writers and visitors for centuries.
Key areas of interest:
● England's largest National Park is now a World Heritage Site
● Scafell, England's highest mountain
● 16 main lakes and many smaller tarns
● boat trips, sailing, boating and swimming
● less than 2 hour from Manchester
New Forest
It is a historic royal hunting forest, where you can enjoy the sight of ponies, cattle, sheep and pigs.
Key areas of interest:
● ponies, cows and pigs on the open forest
● ancient trees, some over 1,000 years old
● a coastline of sea creatures, like shingle, saltmarsh, lagoons and mudflats
● less than an hour from Southampton, Bournemouth and Salisbury
South Downs
Discover the world-famous white cliffs at Seven Sisters, rolling green and gold hills, ancient woodland and lowland heaths or explore "picture perfect" villages, traditional country pubs and flourishing vineyards.
Key area of interest:
● walk, cycle or horse ride the length of the national park on the 160 km South Downs Way national trail
● grasslands and woodlands rich in wildflowers and butterflies
● market towns and hidden villages
● just over an hour by train from London and a short bus ride from Brighton, Portsmouth, East Bourne and Winchester
I arrived at the address and sounded the horn(喇叭). After waiting a few minutes I sounded the horn again. Since this was going to be my last ride of my shift(换班), I thought about just driving away, but instead I knocked on the door. "Just a minute," answered a weak, elderly voice.
After a long pause, a small woman in her. 90's stood before me. When we got in the cab, she gave me an address and then asked, "Could you drive through downtown?"
"It's not the shortest way, "I answered quickly.
"Oh, I don't mind," she said. "I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice(临终关怀医院). I don't have any family left. She continued in a soft voice, "The doctor says I don't have very long." I quietly reached over and shut off the meter.
For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator, the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds, a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.
As the dawn came, we got to the hospice. Two nurses came out to the taxi as soon as we pulled up. The woman was seated in a wheelchair in no time.
Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly. "You gave an old woman a little moment of joy," she said. "Thank you."
I drove into the dim morning light. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life. I drove aimlessly lost in thought. What if I had refused to take the run, or had sounded the horn once, then driven away?
As the weather gets colder, we start wearing jackets, and most of us stop thinking about the sun. But the sun's rays can be just as harmful when it's cold and cloudy outside. "Any exposed area of your body can still get sunburned," Dr. Apple A. Bodemer, an assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, told Live Science.
Whether you spend a day on the slopes or clearing snow out of your driveway, your face is still getting exposed to the sun's radiation in the form of ultraviolet（紫外线）（UV）light, which can go deep into your skin cells, causing DNA damage, according to Bodemer.
The sun's long ultraviolet A (UVA)waves can cause earlier aging and wrinkles, while its shorter ultraviolet B (UVB) rays are known for causing skin reddening and bums.
Skin damage caused by UV exposure increases over time. More exposure to radiation contributes to severer damage, even skin cancer. In addition, snow and ice can also make sun damage worse. They reflect up to 80 percent of UV rays reaching the ground. That means you get heat from both the sky and the ground. And skiers and snowboarders increase their risk of getting sunburned even more because UV exposure increases at higher altitudes.
"Generally, the biggest factor for sun-sensitivity is how pale your skin is," Bodemer said. "But the reality is that even the individual with the darkest skin can get sun damage. "
Luckily, the solution to protecting your skin is simple: Wear sunscreen every day. Rigel recommended using sunscreen with a sun protection factor（SPF）of at least 30, and that SPFs go higher at higher altitudes. As a rule of thumb, SPF 30 will block 97 percent of UVB rays, SPF 50 blocking 98 percent, and SPF 100 blocking 99 percent. Whatever kind of sunscreen you use, it's important to apply it once about every 2 hours.
Rigel also suggested sunscreens with "broad spectrum" - to protect against both UVB and UVA rays - as well as sunscreens that are water-resistant for up to 80 minutes. That way, you can go about your day without it wearing off too quickly.
I started out my career as an editor for a travel magazine. I didn't really mind the work, but I wanted something more challenging. My sister sent me some details about a content management position in a digital reading company. The job was a seemingly perfect mix of my skills and interests, so I jumped at it.
However, soon after I joined the company, its model changed to focusing on education, and everything about my position changed. I was asked to take on the completely different roles of selling the products to teachers and training people. I had no experience in sales, training or education. On top of that, I'm an introvert (内向的人). I felt more than a little outside my comfort zone.
I knew I wanted to grow as an individual and make a serious impact on the company. I told myself that everything felt overwhelming (令人不知所措的) at first and I should at least try. In a way, I felt like I didn't have a choice. I knew jumping out of the nest was the right thing for me, even though it felt pretty awful.
I was fortunate to be surrounded by very helpful people, both at work and at home. My best friend reminded me that I had taken huge leaps of faith in the past and told me I would pull through just fine. It also helped that my boss seemed to have more faith in my capabilities than I did. She never asked if I thought I could do it; she only asked if I was interested in trying.
I spent hours researching my company's products. I asked lots of questions and spoke to so many teachers and there were soon more good experiences than difficult ones. I looked for opportunities to put in extra effort. The more I did, the better I felt.
Over time, I discovered that the job was something I could do and liked doing. It was incredibly rewarding to see the company grow and know that I had something to do with its success. Sure, I made mistakes and took on more than I could handle. But I also learned that it's important to take risks and accept new opportunities, even when you're not sure whether you'll do well. I don't think there's anything worse than failing because you refuse to even try. I'm so glad I tried, and know I'll do it again.
In the coming months, we are bringing together artists from all over the globe, to enjoy speaking Shakespeare's plays in their language, in our Globe, within the architecture Shakespeare wrote for. Please come and join us.
National Theatre Of China Beijing|Chinese
This great occasion (盛会) will be the National Theatre of China's first visit to the UK. The company's productions show the new face of 21st century Chinese theatre. This production of Shakespeare's Richard III will be directed by the National's Associate Director, Wang Xiaoying.
Date & Time：Saturday 28 April, 2. 30 p. m. & Sunday 29 April, 1. 30 p. m. & 6. 30 p. m.
"Deafinitely" Theatre London|British Sign Language（BSL）
By translating the rich and humorous text of Love's Labour's Lost as well as As You Like It into the physical language of BSL, "Deafinitely" Theatre creates a new interpretation of Shakespeare's comedy and aims to build a bridge between deaf and hearing worlds by performing to both groups as one audience.
Date & Time：Tuesday 22 May, 2. 30 p. m. & Wednesday 23 May, 7. 30 p. m.
Habima National Theatre Tel Aviv|Hebrew
The Habima is the centre of Hebrew-language theatre worldwide. Founded in Moscow after the 1905 revolution, the company eventually settled in Tel Aviv in the late 1920s. Since 1958, they have been recognized as the national theatre of Israel. This production of Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice marks their first visit to the UK.
Date & Time：Monday 28 May, 7. 30 p. m. & Tuesday 29 May, 7. 30 p. m.
When it comes to unlikely friendships, wildlife never stops to amaze. And a giant 450-pound gorilla (大猩猩) sharing a heart-warming moment with a 0.5-pound wild bushbaby (灌丛婴猴) is definitely an unusual sight to be seen.
Over 300 rescued animals live at Ape Action Africa, Cameroon — a sanctuary (鸟兽保护区) for endangered animals like gorillas, chimpanzees and monkeys. Bobo, a western lowland gorilla, is among the first residents at the sanctuary. The huge male arrived at the sanctuary when he was only two, after losing his mom due to poaching (偷猎). And back then, Bobo was far from the strong male he's now.
Even though he's such a fearless animal, Bobo is nothing but a gentle giant. And recently, his gentleness even blew away the caretakers at the sanctuary. While on their morning checks, the caretakers could not believe their eyes when they saw Bobo sharing a lovely moment with his newest and most unusual friend —a wild bushbaby.
It's quite amazing to watch the tiny animal interacting in such a friendly manner with its giant neighbor. "The bushbaby showed no fear of Bobo, " said Elissa O'Sullivan, spokesperson for Ape Action Africa. "He moved around Bobo's body and spent his time jumping around in an open grassy area, before choosing to return to Bobo."
Wild bushbabies are normally nocturnal animals, so watching a bushbaby hanging with a group of gorillas in full daylight was even more amazing for the caretakers. "It is very uncommon to see a bushbaby during the day, " a staff member said. "We have never seen a wild animal interacting with a rescued one at the sanctuary."
The other gorillas —three females and three young males, soon became very interested in Bobo's new friend. However, Bobo suddenly became overprotective towards his tiny companion and he kept his group away from it. "Bobo's group-mates were extremely curious, but he kept them all at a distance, making sure that no one disturbed his new friend," another staff member said. "The little bushbaby was happy to play in Bobo's arms."
Parents may think they're smart about where they store medicines, but their kids are smarter. Nearly 60，000 young children are rushed to the hospital every year after getting into medicines not meant for them, according to a new report from Safe Kids Worldwide.
The report finds little connection between what parents know about storing medicines safely and what they actually do. 9 out of 10 parents know that medicines should be stored up and away and out of reach and sight, but 7 out of 10 of them admit not doing that. They leave medicines out on kitchen counters, sinks and sofas, believing babies and toddlers (学步的儿童) aren't tall enough or strong enough to reach them. Unfortunately, they probably can. Children as young as a month have ended up in an emergency department because they have been poisoned by getting into a medicine that was left within reach.
Most poisonings related to medicines — particularly among babies and toddlers — occur within their home. Kids develop rapidly and they want to explore their environment. At certain ages they have a lot of activities using their hands and mouths, and so it's very common for them to explore their environment and then try to taste what they find.
The new Safe Kids Worldwide report includes a survey of 2,000 parents with children under age 6. While the number of children visiting an emergency department for accidental poisonings has declined since the 2010 maximum, the decline has slowed in recent years.
Prescription and over-the-counter medicines cause the most severe poisonings, but vitamins and supplements (补给品)can also cause problems. There are steps families can take to lower the risk for an accidental medicine poisoning.
Would you eat less junk food if it costs a little bit more? Starting on July 1, the Navajo Nation will charge a 2% tax (税) on junk food sold on its reservation (保留地)- the first tax of its kind in America. The change is part of the Healthy Dine Nation Act, which the tribe's president Ben Shelly approved last November. The law will also the current 5% sales tax on healthy food from fresh fruits and vegetables.
Denisa Livingston from the Dine Community Advocacy Alliance, a group that helped pass this law, hopes to make people in the community more aware of their food choices. "This is a friendly awareness tax, "she said.
In a press release, Livingston said that by the law, they want to improve the health of its population, which inhabits a 27, 000-square-mile reservation from Arizona and New Mexico to Utah.
Approximately 24, 600 Navajo tribe members face obesity, according to the Navajo Area Indian Health Service. Type 2 diabetes has emerged as a growing public health concern affecting up to 60% of reservation residents in some areas.
Livingston says that the Navajo Nation's status (身份)as a food desert contributes to the health problems the people face. A food desert is an area where fresh, healthy food is expensive and hard to find. Food deserts are especially common in low-income communities, such as the Navajo Nation, where 38% of the population lives at the poverty level.
The money that the government collects from junk food taxes will be put towards projects that encourage people to eat healthy food from community vegetable gardens, greenhouses, and farmers' markets. "This is going to open the door to more opportunities and conversations and ideas about how we move to a food oasis (绿洲) where everyone has access to healthy food, " Livingston said, "Whether you're deep in the reservation or the neighboring towns, you will have the availability of healthy food. "
"Many colleges look to see that students are involved outside the classroom which shows they are well-rounded," says Shelby Wallace, director of admissions at Norwich University. Lindsay Moor, a senior from Williams College, adds, "It was also a chance to develop my leadership skills."
There are so many clubs and organizations to choose from in high school. Join a club that you are truly in love with.All you need is a group of students who will support your idea and the persistence (坚持不懈) to make your club successful. Your school will support you if you can show that you are serious.
"Colleges look for students to be different in their backgrounds," says Wallace. "Students should pick clubs according to what they are most interested in, and colleges will see the work and leadership that students have contributed to those organizations."
It will mean more to a college if you are able to list contributions and achievements you have made for one club rather than list a million clubs you did not care about. Moore says, "Activity planning and the running of a club do not just happen, and successful clubs require the involvement of many different kinds of members with different skills."
Outside-of-school responsibilities, like jobs, are just as important to colleges as in-school activities. Colleges value any proof of your work ethic (职业道德). "It is important for students to show these, as they show leadership and responsibility," says Wallace.
A. You should not join every club the school offers.
B. All members of a club are necessary and valued.
C. If you have an after-school job, put it on your record!
D. Joining high school clubs matters much down the road.
E. Colleges do not prefer one club or organization over the other.
F. Joining clubs in high school provided me a chance to meet people.
G. If your school does not offer a club you are interested in, start your own!
Supporting Others
We're always being told that the secret to happiness lies in helping others. Indeed, it's natural to want to support those we care about, especially if we are in a position to do so.
When we offer support, it may not always be wanted. In this case, offering support in the manner of "…if I were you, I would …" can feel like a scolding rather than support. If our support feels conditional, it can feel burdensome.
When someone is trying to manage illness or a house move, just saying "What would help you today?" can be amazingly supportive. Or, suggest what you can do for them: picking up some shopping, taking the dog for a walk. Even if it's not needed, just knowing you've been thought of can be supportive in itself.
Try to be mindful of offering support that is disabling, rather than enabling. My son, when aged five, wanted to make a cup of tea. I could see how inspiring it was for him to be able to do this. So I filled the kettle and took him through the safety measures. It felt like a huge risk but it worked. His pleasure was immeasurable. The same principle applies when we offer support that increases someone else's capacity.
Sometimes the only support that's needed is to listen without judgement. This reassures them that someone cares enough to listen while they ground themselves. When times are tough, remember to keep things stable. Waiting until the storm has passed is all it takes.
Support often works best when it's a two-way process. It is good to know how to accept help from others as well as offer support to them.
A. Here are the pros and cons of supporting others.
B. Just be there，while someone lets out their feelings.
C. Ask what support is needed and provide a practical one.
D. This can often be a bigger gift than just doing it for them.
E. But we can do more by thinking about the support we offer.
F. Because being judgmental can only make someone annoyed.
G. Sometimes people are trying to manage life in their own way.
With his leg lame and his teeth uneven, the boy thought of himself as the most unfortunate child in the world. He1played with his classmates, and when asked to answer questions, he always 2his head without a word.
One spring, his father brought home some saplings (树苗). Each of his children would plant a sapling and he promised, "Whoever grow his sapling best shall get a gift." The boy certainly wanted to get the gift. But seeing his brothers and sisters watering the trees, he3an idea: he hoped the tree he planted would die soon. So watering it once or twice, he never4it.
Several days later, he was5to find it not only didn't die, but also grew so many fresh 6. Compared with those of his brothers' and sisters', his appeared greener. His father kept his7, bought the boy a gift and said he would become an outstanding8after growing up.
From then on, the boy slowly became9and confident. One evening, he suddenly 10his biology teacher once said that plants generally grow at night. Why not go to see the tree?
When he came to the courtyard, he found his father working near the tree! Immediately he understood：Father had been secretly11his tree! He returned to his room, tears in his eyes.
Decades passed. The boy didn't become a botanist. 12, he became the U. S. 13. His name was Franklin Roosevelt.
14is the best nourishment (滋养品) of life. 15it is just a bucket of water, it can make the tree of life grow well!
Brian Tagalog was born without arms. But that didn't1him from leading a normal life. The2young man believes he is the only certified tattoo (文身) artist without arms in the world.
A3 of Honolulu, Tagalog moved with his family to Tucson. He had always shown an interest in drawing, and set his mind on becoming a4 tattoo artist. Not many people gave him a chance, but he5 improved his foot drawing skills and operated the tattoo gun with his6 .
Brian's mother admits that7 him was not easy, but she always made it a(n)8 to let him explore his options. "The day I gave birth to him, well, I was shocked, but we never hid him. I didn't9 him in any way. " And perhaps that's what gave him the10 to achieve his dreams, 11 the very obvious absence of two limbs (肢). "I was born without arms," he said. "But that has not12 me down to pursue my dream. "
At first, finding a shop that would13 him proved a very difficult thing. He14many tattoo shops and got no calls back. He didn't give up；15 ， Brian finally runs his own shop. Brian uses a（n）16 technique to tattoo - he draws the design on clients' skin with one foot, 17using the other to stretch the skin. And eventually his tattoos always turn out to get his clients'18 .
Brian hopes his success will19others to follow their dreams bravely. Words and photos just don't do Brian Tagalog justice. You need to see him20 to witness how he works only with his feet.
Magic Touch From my hotel room window, I could see a large advertisement board with his face on it: Jason, the Great Magician.
I absent-mindedly turned the(page) of the phone book and came across a city map. Drinking my iced coffee I ran my fingers along the streetsthe hotel to the opera hall. Not morea half-hour walk, I thought.
I looked(quick) at the clock, "The show starts in one hour; plenty of time! I drank the rest of my coffee and went to take a shower. Soon after, I was on my way to the show, (carry) a fancy black handbag and a happy smile.
The hall was dark when I came in; the show was about(begin). I made my way backstage just the great magician was putting on his top hat.
"Daddy, I'm so glad to see you," I(whisper), I'm in town for the writer's class, but I just couldn't miss your show." I gave him a quick hug and went back into the seating area, leaving him with a(surprise) smile. I settled down in the darkness, and the curtains opened.
Magically, that show remains the Great Jason's best(perform) to this day.
Shortly after dawn, the 680-year-old Lion Grove Garden wakes up to the sound of birds and its moist air is suffused with ascent. With a view of pavilions, early (visitor) to this garden in downtown Suzhou, can feelsense of Zenlike inner peace.
When monks during the Yuan Dynasty first constructed this garden, they may have wanted to enjoy a quiet retreat. But this charming garden has attracted celebrity guests, have left poems, paintings and (history) anecdotes in the following centuries.
"In recent years, we've tried (restore) the landscapes of classical gardens, but a delicate garden cannot be an empty shell," says Bai Lingzhi, deputy director of Suzhou Administrative Bureau of Garden and Landscaping. "We need creative ideas to lead people to the lifestyle (advocate) by the gardens in the era," she explains.
Last year, a new project was launched,(allow) tourists in small groups to reserve places to enter the garden in the early morning before the regular opening time. Their visit ends up making a traditional folding fan.
In 1997 and 2000, nine of the best-known classical gardens of Suzhou (register) onto the World Heritage List. As UNESCO remarks: "Classical Chinese garden design, which seeks to re-create natural landscapes in miniature, is nowhere (well) illustrated than in the nine gardens."
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：把多余的词用斜线（\）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。
When I was in high school，most of my friend had bicycles. I hoped I could also have one. One day I saw a second-hand bicycle who was only one hundred yuan. I asked my father the money. But he said he could only give me half of the money. He should find the other half myself. So I went to sell newspapers after the school. My father was pleased if I showed him the money a month after. He gives me the other fifty. You could imagined how happily I was when I rode to school on my own bicycle.
1）书的概要；
2）书的主题；
3）喜欢的理由。
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 Book I Like
My six-year-old boy Jonathan broke a limb of my azalea (杜鹃花) bush and asked me, "Can I take this to school today, mom"? With a wave of my hand, I sent him off. And then I turned my back so he couldn't see the tears in my eyes.
I was in low spirits all day, washing and drying clothes, and thinking how love had disappeared from my life. As hanging up the last of my husband's shirts, I looked at the clock-4:30. Jonathan's class ended at 3:15. It was late and I hurriedly drove to the school.
I was out of breath by the time I knocked on the teacher's door. I peered through the glass. She opened the door and let me in.
"I want to talk to you about Jonathan," she said. I prepared myself for the worst. Nothing would have surprised me. "Did you know Jonathan brought flowers to school today?" she asked. I nodded, thinking about my favorite bush and trying to hide the hurt in my eyes.
"Let me tell you what happened yesterday," the teacher continued. "See that little girl?" I saw a bright-eyed child laugh and point to a colorful picture taped to the wall. "Well, yesterday she was almost crazy. Her mother and father are going through a divorce. She told me she didn't want to live. She wished she could die. I did all I could to comfort her, but it only seemed to make matters worse. "
"Today I watched your son walk to that child and hand her some pretty pink flowers, whispering something."
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。
I knew at once what had happened and felt my heart swell with pride.
……
In the evening, my husband and I sat in the sitting room, talking about the bush.
1）表达歉意；2）说明原因；3）另约时间。
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。
Dear Tom,
……
Yours，
Li Hua
