Amsterdam Destination Guide
Amsterdam is one of the most popular travel destinations in the world, famous for its beautiful canals, top art museum and cycling culture. Here are some of the key points to remember as you plan your trip to Amsterdam.
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Peak(高峰)Season |
Population |
Language(s) |
Currency（货币） |
January Climate |
July Climate |
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May to October |
813,562 |
Dutch |
Euro |
Average high: 5. 8 ℃ |
Average high: 22. 0 ℃ |
Must-See Attractions
Most visitors begin their Amsterdam adventure in the Old Centre, which is full of traditional architecture, shopping centers, and coffee shops. Don't miss the Dam Square and the areas around Spui and Nieuwmarkt. You'll also want to check out Amsterdam's Museum Quarter in the South District, which is a great place to buy souvenir gifts for family back home at the Albert Cuyp Market and having a picnic in the Vondelpark. If you have time you should try to explore the Canal Ring, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which was originally built to attract wealthy home owners and is a pub for celebrity spotting and nightlife today.
Transportation
Travelers should be aware that Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is one of the busiest airports in the world. This airport is located about 15 kilometers southwest of the city center. You'd better catch a train from Schiphol to Amsterdam Central Station, which has many connecting routes (路线). It's typically not a good idea to drive a car to the city center because traffic is crowded and parking is difficult to find. Cycling is quite popular here, and it's easy to find cheap bike rentals around town.
One day when I was 12, my mother gave me an order: I was to walk to the public library, and borrow at least one book for the summer. This was one more weapon for her to defeat my strange problem— inability to read.
In the library, I found my way into the " Children' s Room. " I sat down on the floor and pulled a few books off the shelf at random（随意地）. The cover of a book caught my eye. It presented a picture of a beagle(小猎犬). I had recently had a beagle, the first and only animal companion I ever had as a child. He was my secret sharer, but one morning, he was gone, given away to someone who had the space and the money to care for him. I never forgot my beagle. Without opening the book titled Amos, the Beagle with a Plan, I borrowed it from the library for the summer.
Under the shade of a bush, I started to read about Amos. I read very, very slowly with difficulty. Though pages were turned slowly, I got the main idea of the story about a dog who, like mine, had been separated from his family and who finally found his way back home. That dog was my dog, and I was the little boy in the book.
My mother' s call returned me to the real world. I suddenly realized something: I had read a book, and I had loved reading that book. Everyone knew I could not read. But I had read it. Books could be incredibly wonderful and I was going to read them.
I never told my mother about my " miraculous" (奇迹般地) experience that summer, but she saw a slow but remarkable（显著的） improvement in my classroom performance during the next year. And years later, she was proud that her son had read thousands of books, was awarded a PhD in literature, and authored his own books, articles, poetry and fiction. The power of the words has held.
Elderly people have a higher chance of suffering from illnesses such as diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. One common health problem that affects them is Alzheimer' s disease, which affects a person' s memory, behavior, and thinking. Because of memory loss and behavioral changes, people with Alzheimer' s may slowly become unable to take care of themselves, eventually requiring constant care from family members or caregivers.
There is no cure for Alzheimer' s at the moment--drugs can only treat its symptoms.
But technology can improve the lives of those living with the condition by making it easier for them to go about their daily activities. For example, tracking devices placed in watches or jewelry can monitor where a person is. Automated reminders can also be stored in motion sensors and placed around the house. When a sensor detects movement, it can play a recorded voice message to remind the person to lock the door or turn off the stove.
Alzheimer' s disease is a huge challenge, but we may be getting close to finding a solution. In the future, it might be possible to treat Alzheimer' s without using drugs. A team of researchers in Australia has created a form of technology that can send sound waves into the brain. These sound waves help to clear waste in the brain that contributes to Alzheimer' s. The team has tested their technology and found that it helped to restore memory in 75 percent of mice. Work on the technology isn' t complete, but, if successful, it could prevent memory loss in people with Alzheimer' s. This really does fundamentally change the understanding of how to treat this disease and researchers foresee a great future for this approach.
You may have noticed particular bright night skies recently as we experienced a full moon. NASA reported the event, called the Wolf Moon, began Thursday afternoon and ended Saturday morning. But did you notice any changes in your personal sleep patterns in the days leading up to the full moon?
As the latest full moon was beginning, a new study was released suggesting that a full moon can affect human sleep cycles. Researchers confirmed that the nights leading up to a full moon have more natural light available after the sun goes down.
The new research found that in the days before a full moon, people go to sleep later in the evening and sleep for shorter periods of time.
The moon takes 27. 3 days to go around the Earth, but it takes 29. 5 days to complete a full cycle from New Moon to New Moon. The new study measured the sleep patterns of test subjects as the moon progressed through at least one whole 29. 5—day cycle. Some subjects were tested through two moon cycles.
On average, people involved in the study slept about 52 minutes less on nights before a full moon. They also went to bed about 30 minutes later. The research showed that people had the latest bedtime and the shortest amount of sleep during the nights that were three to five days before a full moon.
The study involved 98 individuals living in three different indigenous communities in Argentina. Each local community had different access to electricity. One countryside community had no electricity access, while a second had only limited access. A third community was in a more populated area and had full access to electricity.
The scientists say further research is needed to help explain other possible causes for the changes in sleep patterns in the test subjects. Such causes could involve biological differences in individuals or social patterns within communities.
2021 is the Year of the Ox according to Chinese zodiac(中国生肖). In China you will find various ox figures made of gold, wood, plastic, paper, shell and stone on sale in stores and on streets to celebrate the return. .
Centuries ago, most people earned their living through farming. For example, the ox was used to help plow, cultivate (耕) and carry heavy goods. Besides, the ox has long had a significant place in Chinese culture. In the Classic of Poetry, the oldest existing collection of Chinese poetry, the animal was mentioned in nine out of the 305 pieces.
To this day, the phrase " the spirit of ox" still refers to controlling anything that may present itself as an obstacle(障碍，阻碍). When someone achieves a great achievement through hard work, people often use " niu" , meaning " awesome" , to describe him or her.
Oxen seldom bully (欺负) the weak or fear the strong. This is reflected in a couplet from a poem by Lu Xun (1881-1936), " Fierce-browed, I coolly defy a thousand pointing fingers; Head bowed, like a willing ox I serve the children" , which fully expresses the poet' s loyalty (忠诚) to the people.
So naturally, those who were born in the Year of the Ox are often expected to be hardworking, reliable and loyal. " They never seek to be the center of attention and do not look for praise," the website China Highlights noted.
A. They are loyal and work hard.
B. But why was the ox chosen to be one of the 12 Chinese zodiac signs?
C. They never like to be the center of attention and enjoy being praised.
D. The spirit is highly praised and many people follow it as their work rules.
E. Ancient Chinese poets and writers frequently described the ox in literature.
F. Those who were born in the Year of the Ox like to farm and carry heavy goods.
G. The ox is considered a symbol of diligence and earnestness (认真) in Chinese culture.
Jenna had graduated from her middle school and was lucky enough to be admitted to Westwood College. She was ready for new 1 at the college and filled with confidence. 2 , she didn't expect it that college life was quite 3 . In the first week, Jenna went to tryouts（选拔赛） for cheerleaders. She was competing against very talented girls, and she knew it would be 4 for her to be selected. Two hours later, the 5 read a list of the girls for a second tryout. Her heart 6 as the list ended without her name. Feeling 7 , she walked back to her dormitory（宿舍） carrying her schoolbag full of homework.
Arriving at the dormitory, she started with 8 . She had always been a good math student, but now she was 9 . She moved on to English and history, and was 10 to find that she didn't have any trouble with those subjects. Feeling better, she decided not to 11 math for the time being.
The next day Jenna went to see Mrs Biden about being on the school 12 . Mrs Biden wasn't as enthusiastic as Jenna. " I'm sorry, 13 we have enough 14 for the newspaper already. Come back next year and we'll talk then. " Jenna smiled 15 and left. " Why is college so different? " she sighed.
Later in math class, Jenna devoted herself to figuring out the problems that had given her so much 16 . By the end of the class, she understood how to get them right. As she gathered her books, Jenna decided she'd 17 to try to fit in with her new school. She wasn't sure if she'd 18 , but she knew she had to try. College was just as her mom had said, " You will feel like a small fish in a big pond 19 a big fish in a small pond. The challenge is to become the 20 fish you can be. "
A reporter from Jiangsu Province went to Australia and some other countries with his father for a 3-month trip,turned out to be a miracle (奇迹).
The reporter' s father spent most of his life (work) on the farm. The son started these (amaze) trips with his father because the father got cancer—a serious (ill). The reporter wanted (take) his father to travel in the hope that his father can find his younger self in his last days. They traveled more than 13,000 kilometers and took over 110,000 pictures on their trips to different (country). Well, a miracle happen) during the " rebirth" trips. their surprise, his father got (good) and became more open-hearted.
He even taught himself play to violin, and then he played it very well after practice. After that miracle trip, now he is expecting another trip to Africa. He is the most stylish dad ever. Time carves (雕刻) the old father' s face but youth flows in his blood. This is the real style.
Believe it and not, 3D-printing has already affected many things in our lives, rightly down to the food we eat. For instance, more than one restaurant in London served 3D-printed hamburgers to customers to date. But perhaps the most significant success which people have achieved is in medicine where human' s body parts are made, including a beating heart. What impressive stuffs! And it is not just humans who benefit from — in Brazil, people have given the new 3D-printed shell to a turtle injured in a forest fire. I' d say it is no doubt that more technological approaches to advance our daily lives are being established.
