Beyond the blue: Some of the best aquariums worldwide
Georgia Aquarium
Located in the heart of Atlanta, Georgia Aquarium is among the world's largest aquariums featuring more than 11 million gallons of water and over 500 different species. The aquarium also offers behind-the-scene tours, animal encounters, and even sleepovers for a truly immersive experience.
S. E. A. Aquarium
S. E. A. Aquarium in Singapore is not only one of the largest but also one of the most impressive aquariums in the world. The aquarium is home to over 100, 000 marine animals, including more than 1, 000 species from different regions across the globe. It has 45 different habitats and 10 different zones, each with a distinct underwater environment that ranges from the tropical coral reefs to the chilly Antarctic Ocean.
Dubai Aquarium
Dubai Aquarium &Underwater Zoo is a must-visit when in Dubai. It houses over 140 species of aquatic animals, including the world's largest collection of sand tiger sharks. The aquarium also features three large ecological zone exhibits, each with unique marine life. However, the highlight of the Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo is the 48-meter-long aquarium tunnel that takes visitors on a memorizing journey below the aquarium's surface.
Oceanográfic
As the largest aquarium in Europe, Oceanográfic in Valencia, Spain offers tourists an unparalleled opportunity to explore the world's major ecosystems and see unique marine animals up close. As tourists walk through the aquarium, they will witness diverse marine life. The aquarium even has a walk-in see-through shark tunnel, which is one of the best in the world.
Two of the saddest words in the English language are "if only". I live my life with the goal of never having to say those words, because they express regret, lost opportunities, mistakes, and disappointment.
My father is famous in our family for saying, "Take the extra minute to do it right." I always try to live by the "extra minute" rule. When my children were young and likely to cause accidents, I always thought about what I could do to avoid an "if only" moment, whether it was something minor like moving a cup full of hot coffee away from the edge of a counter, or something that required a little more work such as taping padding (衬垫) onto the sharp comers of a glass coffee table.
I don't only avoid (避免) those "if only" moments when it comes to safety. it's equally important to avoid "if only" in our personal relationships. We all know people who lost a loved one and regretted that they had foregone an opportunity to say, "I love you" or "I forgive you." When my father announced he was going to the eye doctor across from my office on Good Friday, I told him that it was a holiday for my company and I wouldn't be here. But then I thought about the fact that he's 84 years old and I realized that I shouldn't give up an opportunity to see him. I called him and told him I had decided to go to work on my day off after all.
I know there will still be occasions when I have to say "if only" about something, but my life is definitely better because of my policy of doing everything possible to avoid that eventuality (可能发生的事). And even though it takes an extra minute to do something right, or it occasionally takes an hour or two in my busy schedule to make a personal connection, I know that I'm doing the right thing. I'm buying myself peace of mind and that's the best kind of insurance (保障) for my emotional well-being.
Recently, a new kind of tourism has sprung (出现) up in China. Called "special forces (特种兵) style tourism", this new kind of tourism is mainly about visiting many places of interest in a short period, most often on weekends. Most of these visitors are college students.
Yu Yinghua, a college student in Shanghai, is one of them. The 22-year-old started the "special forces style tourism" in March after she was attracted by such experiences of some travel bloggers. "After staying a long time at school, I'm hungry to take trips in my spare time," said Yu, "Now it's time! Spring has come and we can go out to enjoy the beautiful natural scenery."
Most of her trips were inspired by understanding from her daily life, such as a place mentioned in a chat with friends. "But making a plan spot in the city, she was able to find a lot of information and learn more about these sites. That would help her save time when traveling on-site and enjoy the sites better."
Unlike Yu who traveled in nearby cities, Chen Junjun, a doctoral student in Shanghai likes to travel far to get rid of academic stress. In April, the 24-year-old took a two-day trip to Xi'an, Shaanxi province. During her trip, she visited all the scenic sites in the city. "With many academic responsibilities, such a trip can bring color to my life." said Chen.
Even so, the 24-year-old added that such tourism is not suitable for everyone. Chen said that it's labor-consuming (耗费体力的) as visitors have to visit as many sites as possible in a short period. To some degree such trips are not as flexible (灵活的) as days-long trips in which you can change your plan as you like. "Thus, a great deal of energy and a calm mind are needed for this kind of tourism," said Chen.
From losing your wallet in the subway to a newly-broken part in your car, the planet closest to the Sun is often blamed for life's misfortunes, big and small. You may hear responsibility placed on "Mercury retrograde (水星逆行), referring to how the planet appears to move backward in its march across our sky fora few weeks about every four months. The apparent backward movement of Mercury is an actual astronomical phenomenon, but its connection to happenings on Earth is largely denied as pseudoscience.
Still, the idea that Mercury holds power over our communication is popular in the West. Retrograde motion has captured sky-gazing humans' attention for millennia. Among ancient astronomers' Earth-centric ideas about the heavens, a celestial body appearing to move backward would've presented an eye-catching sight. Indeed, the apparent retrograde motion of planets was documented quite early in human history. Mercury retrograde was probably first documented by Babylonian astronomers around the 7th century B.C., says Mathieu Ossende, a historian.
The idea that the positions and motion of celestial bodies could predict the fates of a nation, a ruler, a harvest, or an event endured into medieval Europe. "You'd have someone really powerful go to an astrologer and say, ‘I want to surround a castle or attack my enemies, what's a good time?'" says Nicholas Campion, an expert of cosmology culture. Mercury in retrograde was believed to prevent such endeavors, as well as these astrologers' divinations (占卜). In fact, Campion adds, some astrologers might say they couldn't read the chart when Mercury was in retrograde.
Mercury isn't actually moving backward in its orbit around the Sun. Retrograde motion is an optical illusion caused by all the planets moving at different speeds from one another. It's kind of like driving on a highway with multiple lanes going the same direction, explains Carolyn Ernst, a planetary scientist. If you're passing a car in another lane that's going more slowly, it might appear to move backward compared to you, despite going in the same direction, and vice versa. That's what happens when Mercury laps Earth.
Benefits of attending a concert
There are more reasons than just having a good time why attending a concert can be good for you.
You'll burn calories
Most concerts involve a lot of standing, jumping and dancing, which can help you to burn calories that you would otherwise hold onto. Attending a concert may not be the most direct form of exercise, but it's definitely better than sitting on the couch watching TV. So if you enjoy dancing and singing along to music, this is a great way to burn some calories and get your heart rate going while you're enjoying your favorite music.
Raise your spirits
. The excitement of purchasing a ticket, preparing for the show, attending with friends, and savoring the moments can provide happy memories and feelings for several weeks at a time. The expense is well worth the positive experience you will have when you hear your favorite band play live.
Discover new sounds
Most bands will offer an opening act or two to get the crowd excited and on their feet. Attending a concert gives you a chance to experience their music live and discover new sounds that you didn't know you liked. For most people, music has a huge impact on mood, and finding music you love helps to improve your mood.
If you are still debating whether or not to purchase a ticket that may seem like a large expense, consider the alternative. Attending a concert is a great way to spend on the everlasting memories.
A. These acts may be bands or persons you have never heard of.
B. It's a great way to appreciate the concert that you are dying to see.
C. Attending a concert is a fun activity which can help boost your emotions.
D. Even the walk from the parking lot to the concert can burn some calories.
E. A concert is a great opportunity to be surrounded by people in a safe area.
F. You can enjoy all the benefits above or spend another night watching TV.
G. If you're thinking about purchasing a ticket, consider the following reasons.
When I studied in my high school, I did an experiment about how the temperature affected the growth of a plant. That experiment made me 1 that science teaches us the domino effect (多米诺效应) in the environment. It teaches people our 2 so we know where we are from. That day I 3 decided to be a scientist and that will be my greatest ambition in life. Ever since that day I have studied harder 4 in all my science-related subjects. After school I do much research on how I can become a 5 scientist in the future.
One of my 6 in becoming a scientist is Barbara McClintock. She has been awarded the 1983 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. At 25 she already had her PhD in botany and after that she started her 7 as the leader in the development of maize cytogenetics (玉米细胞遗传学) and she was 8 to that research for the rest of her life.
If I am lucky and given the 9 to achieve my ambition as a scientist, I want to be like Doctor McClintock. She 10 something that helped the other scientists 11 the thing about genetics that did not just help her generation but also the future generation.
I know I will be able to achieve my 12 as long as I put my heart and perseverance into it. If I am lucky enough to achieve my goal, I will share my 13 with all the kids who also love science and want to become scientists. My future will be as 14 as the stars in the night sky. My future is still far but I will make the most of all in the 15 to achieve my greatest ambition of becoming a scientist.
When Li Bai, Master Cen, Dan Qiusheng and others fly freely like elves into the colorful clouds, line "together with you I'll wipe out the cares often thousands ages" comes to life with vivid imagery; when the magnificent Chang'an of the prosperous Tang Dynasty appeared, suddenly we understood it meant by "Looking back, I believe it must be Chang'an right at the end of the red sunset". The movie Chang'an has transformed many Tang poems that (memorize) during school days into real scenes. If we treat it as a textbook, the best way is naturally to preview before (watch) the movie, and consolidate and understand the poems after watching it.
the middle adulthood to the twilight years, Gao Shi's and Li Bai's destinies and encounters (gradual) diverged further and further apart. Li Bai became famous as a young man, but in his old age he made a mistake and ended up with (charge) of rebellion. Lost and frustrated for most of his life, he (choose) the wrong man and stood on the wrong side. On the other hand, Gao Shi achieved success in (he) later years, taking every step cautiously. When (face) with pleas for help from his good friend, he could not do anything. It is not just a lesson in literature; it is more like a lesson in life.
注意：1.词数80左右；2.开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。
Dear Chris
Yours,
Li Hua
I had a secret. I had been considering the decision for some time, but hadn't discussed it with anyone. As an English Language Arts teacher in my fourth year, I had to leave my beloved profession.
I kept praying for a sign to stay, but my father was very ill and needed someone to take care of him. Although many students liked my class and I had received hundreds of letters from former students appreciating my influence on their lives, I still made this difficult decision.
It was nearing the end of what I had come to think of as my last year. A senior named Lyric, who was my assistant, asked if I could meet him and another student named Ari for dinner to discuss how to prepare for college. I agreed but didn't think anything of it.
It was on a Saturday evening and my schedule for that day was already packed. I attended an academic conference that morning and then spent the next four hours at the boys' basketball game where I was the assistant coach of the school team. By the time the game ended, I had about an hour to get to the dinner. I was so tired that I almost called Lyric to re-schedule. But I had promised, so I got in my car and headed to the restaurant.
As I was walking up to the restaurant, I saw Lyric, Ari, and Sal, another former student, all dressed up. I asked Lyric, "Why are you guys so dressed up?" He responded, "Follow us and you'll see. "The three of them led me to the outside patio (露台) where there was a long table full of some forty students. They had decorated the patio with fairy lights and flowers, and the table was adorned (装饰) with a beautiful tablecloth and candles. They had even prepared my favorite dishes and drinks!
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。
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When they saw me, they all stood up and started clapping.
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A week later, I was voted Teacher of the Year.
