Unique Lighthouses
August 7 is National Lighthouse Day. It's a day to celebrate the lights that guide us home and the historic importance of lighthouses and their keepers, who not only guided ships into harbor but also played key roles in naval battles across the globe. Check out these fantastic lighthouses across the globe as well as recommendations on the best places to stay near them.
Cape Byron Lighthouse, Byron Bay, Australia
The Cape Byron Lighthouse in Byron Bay, Australia was built in the early 20th century to help protect the Australian coastline. Today, it's a beautiful location to watch the sunrise. Within walking distance is the Watermark, a perfect place to stay and get some much-needed rest and relaxation from daily life.
Lighthouse of Chania, Crete, Greece
The Lighthouse of Chania, Crete is one of the oldest surviving lighthouses in the world, dating back to the sixteenth century. Travelers can take a walk along its long pier (码头) during the sunset. Located near the pier to the lighthouse is a hotel from 1890, which offers beautiful views of the bay.
Key West Lighthouse, Key West, Florida, USA
The Key West Lighthouse was built in 1825 to help guide ships entering the port. Travelers can enjoy climbing up the lighthouse to reach the wonderful sea views and can stay at the Kimpton
Lighthouse Hotel, with easy access to the lighthouse and the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum.
Pigeon Point Lighthouse, Pescadero, California, USA
The Pigeon Point Lighthouse in Pescadero, California was built in 1871 to help ships navigate (导航) the region's dangerous coastline. Today, the lighthouse is a state landmark, and the quarters where the lighthouse keepers lived have been turned into a hostel, making it a great home base to explore the outdoors, spot whales and watch the stars.
As I went down the wooden snowy steps, I held the rough fence with one hand, held my crying daughter Kelly with the other and made my way into the yard. I knew everything would be okay if I located my mother.
Instead of a smile, she greeted me with concern. I knew she had read my face as I'd approached. "What's wrong?" she asked.
I held the baby out. "I can't take care of this baby," I said simply. My mother didn't take her from my arms as I expected. She smiled slightly, and then replied firmly, "You have to take care of that baby." This was not the reply I wanted. Couldn't she hear the baby crying? I wanted her to fix this problem. Instead, she took off her gloves and asked me in for some coffee.
Mom held Kelly while I held the coffee cup. At that moment the baby finally stopped crying. I glanced over at Kelly, content in my mother's arms. Her tiny blue eyes were fixed on me, as if to ask, "What's the problem here, Mama?" Her sweet, familiar breath eased the stress in the air. I looked at my mother, feeling foolish but relieved. She stood and placed an arm around my shoulders. "By the time you came along, things were quite the opposite for me. But with your elder brother, you can bet that I often felt helpless."
The baby showed no signs of our afternoon struggle, while my own hair remained damp and messy from sweat and worry. "Crying is the only way babies have to communicate. Try to listen to her cries and hear them as language. She's not crying to annoy you; she's trying to send a message with the only voice she has."
Once again, her gentle guidance had supported me through a storm and back into clear skies.
In the U. S., speaking more than one language fluently is not very common except in Los Angeles, California.
The city has one of the largest population in the U. S. of young people between the ages of 18 and 34. This generation is often called millennials (新千年一代). More than half of millennials in Los Angeles are bilingual (双语的), which means they speak more than one language.
Maria Elena Burgos is cooking a Mexican breakfast. She says making Mexican food is just one of the many traditions in her home. Another is speaking Spanish to her children.
"We want them to be bilingual. We want to keep the Spanish somewhere in their learning too, not only at home."
When Ms Burgos first came to the United States from Mexico, she learned English. She knew her children would learn English quickly. So she wanted them to speak Spanish at home and study the language at school.
She says being bilingual will give them more opportunities in the future. Knowing Spanish also means the children can talk with their relatives in Mexico.
"When we had our children, one of the decisions we as parents made was to name them with a name that was easily pronounced in English and Spanish."
Elizabeth wants to know her family's culture." "The culture-to go back to our roots because that's part of who we are."
Monica wants to pass on the culture to her children.
"It's nice to know our culture and then to be able to pass it onto our children and grand- children and everyone to let them know where we come from."
And, Monica says she does not speak only English and Spanish. She has even learned some Korean in school.
The first time my parents watched me compete in a mountain bike race, they tried to get me to quit. While I was riding down a hill, I hit a huge rock, flew through the air and crashed to the ground. However, this kind of thing happens all the time. I just got up as fast as I could, got back on my bike and kept going. And I won that race, despite taking quite a spill!
My earliest bike memories are of my father taking me out for rides in the child seat on the back of his ten-speed. A couple years later, I got my first bike. But my parents wouldn't let me ride more than a few blocks from the house until I was ten. The morning of my tenth birthday, I got my older sister to take me on a long ride. We ended up at my aunt's house. I was totally exhausted and every muscle in my body ached. But I didn't care. I knew that this was only the beginning, and all I could think about was where my next trip would take me.
When I was in the eighth grade, our gym teacher, Mr. Raines, sent out a flyer about starting a mountain bike club. I ran to his office between classes and signed up. Over the next few months, the ten of us who joined the club worked on our biking skills. Besides taking us out riding, Mr. Raines taught us about bike safety, and showed us how to properly maintain and repair our bikes. He also helped us form a mountain bike team. At first, we competed against each other. Later, we went up against other schools. We continued to train and compete all through high school.
Biking has been the major focus of my life. Those early trips on the back of my father's bike got me started. The long rides with my sister increased my enthusiasm. Then, the training and competitions in the bike club guaranteed that I would turn into a lifelong bike fan. I think everyone should have a hobby like this－something that is good for them and makes them happy.
It's easy to talk yourself out of exercising. Even when you have the best intentions to work out, excuses are so easy to find — "I'm too tired", "I'm busy" or "The weather is bad". Don't worry!
※ Take baby steps.
You'll never try to run 10 miles just in a single day, right? When you do too much too soon, you'll end up injured and discouraged. Take it easy as you get stated. Maybe you only run a quarter of a mile during your first week.
※ Show the clock who is boss.
Health experts say that you should aim for at least 150 minutes of exercise a week, plus weight training at least twice a week. If you work too late to get to a gym, keep a set of weights at home. If you can't do 30 minutes at once, break it up into 10 or 15 minutes' sections.
※
Your workout should be just as much a habit as brushing your teeth or eating breakfast. When it's part of your routine, you won't even have to think about it. In a few months, fitness can be regular in your day.
※ Keep it real.
You're not going to shake off 30 pounds in a week. Gradually, you should increase your workout schedule from 2 to 3 days a week, or exercise for 15more minutes each time.
※Celebrate.
It takes weeks to see real changes. Therefore, even a pound of weight loss or a pound of muscle gain is the reason to reward yourself.
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A. Do it for yourself. B. Try to get used to it. C. Go out with friends or buy a pair of jeans. D. Keep a fitness journal to record your progress. E. Aim for something that is realistic as a first step. F. The following tricks can keep your fitness routine on track. G. When it gets easy for you, you'll surely make it more challenging. |
Not in history has a modern city been so completely destroyed. San Francisco is gone. Nothing remains of it1memories and a few homes that were near the edge of the city. The factories, great stores and newspaper buildings, the hotels and the huge homes of the very2, are all gone.
Within3of the earthquake the fires began. Within an hour a huge tower of smoke4by the fires could be seen a hundred miles away. And for three days and nights this huge fire moved in the sky,5the sun, darkening the day and filling the land with smoke.
There was nothing6the flames. There was no organization, no communication. The earthquake had destroyed all of the modern7of a twentieth century city. The streets were broken and filled with pieces of fallen walls. The telephone and telegraph systems were broken. And the great water pipes had8. All inventions and safety plans of man had been9by thirty seconds of movement by the earth.
By Wednesday afternoon, only twelve hours after the10, half the heart of the city was gone. I watched the huge fire. It was very11. There was no wind. Yet from every12wind was13upon the city. East, west, north and south, strong winds were blowing upon the14city.
The15air made a huge wind that pulled air into the fire,16into the atmosphere. Day and night the calm continued, and yet, near the flames, the wind was often as strong as a storm.
There was no water to fight the fire.17decided to use explosives (炸药) to destroy buildings in its18. They hoped this would create a block to19or stop the fire. Building after building was destroyed. And still the great fires continued. Jack London told how people tried to save some of their20from the fire.
Summer vacation is coming. It is time (say) goodbye. You are a (consider) person who knows exactly I need. You are the person who does me favor.
Up to now, I (remember) an impressive thing. One night, I (sudden) fell ill. You had hardly carried me to the hospital you knew the situation. You took care of me your own. (late), you helped me with my lessons. I hope our (friend) will last forever.
1）询问学习情况；
2）分享你的作品；
3）希望保持交流。
注意：
1）词数80左右；
2）可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
注:刺绣 embroidery
When a tornado(龙卷风) touched down in a small town nearby, many families were left completed ruined. Afterward all the local newspapers carried many human-interest stories featuring some of the families who suffered the hardest.
One Sunday, a particular picture especially touched me. A young woman stood in front of an entirely shattered(破碎的) mobile home, a depressed expression on her face. A young boy, seven or eight years old, stood at her side, eyes downward. Clutching(紧握) at her skirt was a tiny girl who stared into the camera, eyes wide with confusion and fear.
The article that went with the picture gave the clothing sizes of each family member. With growing interest, I noticed that their sizes closely matched ours. This would be a good opportunity to teach my children to help those less fortunate than themselves. I stuck the picture of the young family on our refrigerator, explaining their difficulty to my seven-year-old twins, Brad and Brett, and to three-year-old Meghan.
"These poor people now have nothing," I said. "We'll share what we have with them. I brought three large boxes down from the room upstairs and placed them on the living room floor. Meghan watched seriously, as the boys and I filled one of the boxes with canned goods and foods.
While I sorted through our clothes, I encouraged the boys to go through their toys and donate some of their less favorite things. Meghan watched quietly as the boys piled up old toys and games.
Meghan walked up with Lucy, her worn, much-loved rag doll hugged tightly to her chest. She came to the box that held the toys, pressed her round little face into Lucy's flat, painted-on-face, gave her a final kiss, then laid her gently on top of the other toys.
"Oh, Honey," I said." You don't have to give Lucy. You love her so much."
Meghan nodded seriously, eyes filled with held-back tears. "Lucy makes me happy, Mommy. Maybe she'll make that other little girl happy, too."
Paragraph. 1:
The boys had watched, open-mouthed, as their baby sister placed her favorite doll in the box.
Paragraph. 2:
I looked my children for a long moment.
