Spring is a great time to take a well-deserved break closer to home.
Whether you're looking for a city break or a beach holiday, we've got destinations to suit all tastes. Take advantage of this quieter travel time and book yourself a spring getaway. You won't regret it!
Lanzarote
Lanzarote is a dream in spring. It's the hottest of the Canary Islands, with average temperatures of 19℃, so you can comfortably hit its beaches. You'll find several fairs and festivals throughout the island, whether that's full moon parties, sporting events or the popular religious event of Semana Santa in March/April, when the island comes alive. It's also the perfect climate to hike Lanzarote's volcanoes, and witness natural delights.
Portugal
Spring is an ideal time to visit Portugal. You may have the odd drop of rain, but the average temperatures make up for it, between 10℃ and 22℃! It's a proper time to hike or bike the trails along the Via Algarviana, and venture into the many nature parks with cherry tree blossom. If you're a football lover then you can enjoy the drama of the final leg of the Portuguese League in May, or you could visit the Iberian Mask Festival in Lisbon, where you'll find a celebration of local music and handicrafts.
Santorini
While there are occasional rainy spells, you'll often find the sun gloriously shining during the spring months of Santorini. Most of the hotels open by April, and the streets pop with inviting blooms. It's a romantic, tranquil time to visit. You'll often find the churches of Santorini alive with activity, as bells ring out to celebrate Easter. For a deeper dive into history, visit the ancient archaeological site of Akrotiri.
Archan Chan recalls her first experience working in a Chinese restaurant more than 14 years ago. Employed as an apprentice (学徒) chef, she was one of just two women in the kitchen – the other's sole job was to beat eggs. "She was unbelievably fast at beating eggs. I guess for a woman to survive in a traditional Chinese kitchen back then, you had to be the best in something," she says.
Today, Chan leads the kitchen of Ho Lee Fook, one of Hong Kong's most popular restaurants. After spending more than a decade working in fine dining restaurants in Australia and Singapore, she is one of a few female chefs who have risen to the top of a high-end Chinese restaurant. That's an impressive feat, given how incredibly challenging it has been for women to soar in high-profile Chinese kitchens.
Female chefs have long been a minority in professional kitchens around the world. But the situation is even bleaker in Chinese kitchens. There's no denying the work is physically demanding – an empty pot weighs about 2. 2 kilograms – but there are other factors at play.
In the past, masters of many Chinese kitchens would recruit apprentices and pass their skills to them. Few chefs would risk recruiting a female trainee into that harsh environment.
Given all of these barriers, not many women would even consider this male-dominated industry as an attractive career path. Thankfully, there are signs of a shift in mindset – the number of female Chinese head chefs has been rising in recent years.
"Even if it's a male-dominant kitchen, all everyone cares about is food – the cooking. They don't care if you're a male or female. Gender shouldn't matter," Chan says.
"Yes, there is a physical barrier but I think the mental barrier may be more obstructive (阻碍的) to the increase of women in Chinese kitchens," Chan adds. "It isn't just about how much you want it but how much hard work you're willing to put into it. There are days when you feel like your arms are falling apart and you can't move them anymore, but the next day, you're stronger and may be able to work a heavier work.
South Koreans are about to get a year or two younger, thanks to a new law passed on Thursday that aims to standardize how age is calculated in the country.
At present, it's common for South Koreans to have not just one age, but three – an "international age," a "Korean age" and a "calendar age. " But to end confusion, the country's parliament has decreed（颁布法令）that from June 2023 all official documents must use the standard "international age. "
In South Korea, a person's "international age" refers to the number of years since they were born, and starts at zero – the same system used in most other countries. But when asked their age in informal settings, most South Koreans will answer with their "Korean age," which could be one or even two years older than their "international age. " Under this system, babies are considered one year old on the day they're born, with a year added every January 1. In some circumstances, South Koreans also use their "calendar age" – a kind of mashup (混搭) between international and Korean age – which considers babies as zero years old the day they're born and adds a year to their age every January 1.
Take "Gangnam Style" singer Psy, for example. Born on December 31, 1977, he is considered 44 by international age, 45 by calendar age, and 46 by Korean age.
If this sounds confusing, it is, with daily life in the country often switching between the hodgepodge (大杂烩) of different systems. Most people use Korean age, which has its roots in China, in everyday life and social interaction, while international age is more often used for legal and official matters – for instance, when dealing with civil laws. However, some laws – including those surrounding the legal ages for drinking, smoking, and military conscription (征兵) – use calendar age.
"The revision is aimed at reducing unnecessary socio-economic costs because legal and social disputes as well as confusion persist（持续存在）due to the different ways of calculating age," Yoo Sang-bum of the ruling People Power Party told parliament.
For anyone trying to lose weight, there's a truth we can all universally acknowledge that better health is often positioned as a numbers game. Hit the right number, and all your health problems will magically resolve, so the logic goes. Yet increasingly, science is revealing that losing weight may not be a silver bullet after all. In a mouse study published in the journal Science, looking specifically at an inflammatory (炎症的) eye condition linked to obesity called macular degeneration (黄斑退化), researchers found the struggle for better health doesn't necessarily begin and end with weight loss.
Researchers conducted experiments on mice that were fed a high-fat diet for 11 weeks, making them gain weight. The mice were then put on a diet of low-fat food for 9 weeks, making them lose weight. Another group of mice only ate the low-fat diet as a control. Researchers shot lasers into the eyes of both the yo-yo dieter mice and the control mice to encourage atypical blood vessel (非典型性血管）growth, a mark of macular degeneration.
Among the mice that had gained and then lost weight, there was about 40 percent more atypical blood vessel growth than their stable diet peers. Driving the growth appeared to be macrophages (巨噬细胞). In the yo-yo dieter mic, these cells had been reprogrammed to cause inflammation. Taken together, these cells appeared to have an outsize role in atypical blood vessel growth in the eyes. Meanwhile, in the mice fed only a low-fat diet, inflammatory changes were absent. The results suggest that eating a high-fat diet that causes weight gain, even if followed by weight loss, leaves an inflammatory mark on mouse macrophages.
The research comes during a period of renewed interest in anti-obesity drugs. But medicines that help people shed pounds do not treat inflammation linked to a history of weight gain. "How to engage these findings with medicine interventions is a challenge," says Bapat, head of the research.
For most people, life has become burden on their shoulders, and its weight is growing heavier and heavier, until one day they can't carry it anymore. So how can we design a life that is less complex and more meaningful? The answer might be minimalism (极简主义). The following ways will assist you in your journey to live a simpler yet fuller life.
Most people's living space is filled with things that are never used and don't contribute to their well-being. Separate the ones you do need from the ones you don't, and throw the latter right into the dustbin — or better, give them away to people who might actually benefit from them.
Appreciate all the amazing things you already have. We constantly compare ourselves to others who seem happier, more beautiful and more important than us. We try our best to imitate those we envy. We need to stop comparing and accept ourselves for who we are, with all our imperfections. Take a moment to appreciate what you have.
Do one thing at a time. Minimalist living actually means making the most out of each and every moment. We're usually carrying out different tasks at the same time. Stop multitasking and concentrate on a single thing at a time.
Develop mindfulness. Thus you need to develop mindfulness. Mindfulness means fully attending to what's happening in the present. There are many ways one can do so. Perhaps the most common way is to sit for about 30 minutes somewhere comfortably with your upper back straight and pay full attention to your breath as it's coming in and out through your nose. In this way, you won't be distracted by your thoughts.
A. It is about enjoying life more with less.
B. Stop consuming products you don't need.
C. Yet no matter how much we try, we always fail.
D. Get rid of things that don't serve your happiness.
E. Minimalist living requires a calm and undisturbed mind.
F. Unfortunately, our minds are filled with worries in our busy lives.
G. So whatever we are doing, our mind is partly wondering somewhere else.
My first born son had been diagnosed with Autism (自闭症). His speech wasn't developing right. He would cry for a long time for1 reason.
My daughter who had been born two years after him was developing normally, out-pacing her brother. My wife had been 2 with just the two of them but I'd wanted another son. I wanted a 3 son who would carry on the family name. The doctors had 4 us that the chances were one in ten thousand that we would have another child with Autism. 5, a part of me was afraid. When we discovered my wife was pregnant with a boy again, I remembered 6, over and over and over.
As my third born child 7, however, it soon became 8 that the doctors had been wrong. While his brother had 9 learned to talk, read, and learn, my youngest son could say only a few words. Life had said "No" to my prayer.
The long and difficult journey still goes on today. It 10 all of us down a path we didn't want to go, 11 it was a path that led us all to greater love and kindness. My oldest son now is a 12 of kindness who gives out hugs happily. His younger brother still doesn't speak much but has a laughter and innate joy.
Sometimes we don't know why some of our wishes are 13 while others aren't. All I know is that we are all loved. And we just have to trust 14we don't know the answers. Trust in life to lead you down the path you are15 to go.
China is quickly becoming the fashion capital. Thanks to young consumers and social media, China is not looking to the West for fashion ideas any longer, is developing its own style. There is even unique name for it: China-Chic.
China-Chic is the result of young people's renewed interest in Chinese culture and things that are guochao-brands and products have a traditional Chinese flavor. According to Nielsen, a company which follows consumer trends, 68 percent of young Chinese say they prefer buying "Made in China" products foreign made products. The trend (gain) popularity over the past couple of years, (particular) among those in their late teens and early 20s.
Nostalgia (怀旧) is part of this trend, with products such as White Rabbit candy and Bee Flower hair care products (become) popular among the young, but newer products such as Perfect Diary and Peace Bird are now outselling foreign brands. Last year, domestic brands even increased (sale) by 2 percent.
Market researcher Elijah Whaley says, "Foreign brands used to have an edge in the Chinese market by representing a Western lifestyle that (assume) to be superior. But Chinese consumers are now more confident in (they) domestically crafted China style. "
1）讲座的时间地点；
2）讲座内容简介。
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 Chris,
……
Yours,
Li Hua
Jasmine lived on a small farm with her parents and her sister Grace. They were poor and made a living selling animals, but they treated the creatures very kindly. Jasmine was quite a help to her parents. She loved riding horses and caring for them. Of all the horses, Madeline was her favorite. She was a white horse with beautiful locks of golden hair. She was the swiftest horse in the stable. Jasmine always dreamt of riding Madeline in a race and winning it.
Life was harder for the poor family recently because losses had occurred in the business. All they could do to support their daily life was to sell a horse. Jasmine was not at all happy with this idea. She thought about what to do for a long time, to see if she could come up with an alternative solution.
One day, she saw an advertisement in the local newspaper for a horse race. The winner of the race would get $1,000! She thought that she and Madeline could enter the race. She told Grace about her idea and Grace was also happy with it. They went to the race organizer and added Madeline's name to the list of horses running in the race. He told them that the race was in eleven days' time.
The next day, during a routine check, the two girls found Madeline seemed to have lost the color from her face. "She looks pale and unwell," Grace said, with a worried look. She began stroking her mane (鬃毛). "You're right, Grace. Go and call mother while I get Madeline some water," said Jasmine. Grace ran off to inform their mother. Meanwhile, Madeline was getting paler. Grace returned shortly with their mother, who phoned a vet immediately. The vet came quickly and after checking Madeline over, said that she was ill. The whole family was very worried as Madeline's health continued to get worse. She would hardly eat anything. Madeline's situation broke Jasmine's heart. Her only wish was that Madeline would soon get better.
注意：
1）续写词数应为150左右；
2）请按如下格式在答题卡上的相应位置作答。
Whenever Jasmine had time, she went to check on Madeline and take care of her.
……
On the day of the race, Jasmine headed to the race course with Madeline.
