Whether you're a thrill-seeker looking for the world's most intense roller coasters or a family planning a vacation filled with fun for parents and kids, theme parks have something for everyone. Here are some fantastic options for you.
Tokyo DisneySea, Japan
Tokyo Disney Resort tops the must-visit list for many Disney theme park fans. Tokyo Disneyland is very similar to Magic Kingdom in Florida or Disneyland Park in California, but Tokyo DisneySea is unique with its nautical (海上的)theme, fantastical lands and beautiful sections inspired by the Mediterranean, Arabian and American coasts.
Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
This primarily indoor Ferrari-inspired theme park in Abu Dhabi is a must-visit for car and thrill lovers. It's home to the world's fastest roller coaster Formula Rossa, which reaches speeds of 149 mph. When visiting, make sure you also take advantage of the driving experiences, on which you can go around Yas Island behind the wheel of a Ferrari.
Tivoli Gardens, Denmark
One of the world's oldest operating amusement parks, Tivoli Gardens is a must-visit attraction in the heart of Copenhagen. The park dates back to 1843, and it has rides, theaters, and restaurants spread across its charming grounds and gardens. During the holidays, the park is extra magical with its annual festival when the scene lights up with decorations.
Efteling, Netherlands
Efteling is the Netherlands' largest and one of Europe's most-visited amusement parks. Its imaginative rides, gardens and attractions are themed to Dutch folklore and fairy tales, including a 15-acre Fairytale Forest with more than two dozen scenes. For example, thrill-seekers can line up for a thrill ride on the Flying Dutchman water coaster.
Tonight, our family was going out to play under the full moon.
My husband Todd and I first started going on full moon walks for ourselves, as we needed these little doses of moonlight to stay happy, though sometimes we had to hike through the forest to find a perfect spot. But after we became parents, we did this for our children. We wanted to show Sierra and Bryce that it was not necessary to travel far from home to have an adventure and learn something new, and that there was much magic in the natural world, available to all.
Once we arrived at our location, Sierra and I stood holding hands, waiting to cheer the full moon in its rising 一a thin sliver of the moon emerged above the ridge of the mountain afar. Soon, more of the moon came out until it turned into a brilliant orange sphere (球体). Todd explained to Sierra and Bryce that the moon generates no light, but simply acts like a mirror, reflecting the sunlight back to us. "Does the moon's face change?" Bryce asked. I told him that the moon moves around the earth, but does not spin (旋转) by itself, so the same side of the moon is always facing the earth. Sierra remarked that the moon looked larger when it was rising. I explained that it is a visual illusion because it is so close to the horizon that the moon magically tricks our eyes into comparing it with nearby objects.
Much of the knowledge that I shared with the kids was learned from my parents. During my childhood, they would take me on educational adventures out in the woods, and as I later found, so did their parents. So every time I go for a full moon walk with my beloved family, I thank those wise educators who came before me.
To educate, sometimes all it takes is going outdoors and gazing up at the heavens.
In order to meet growing food production and energy needs in low-and middle-income countries, solar-powered groundwater irrigation is rapidly gaining ground. More than 500,000 solar pumps (泵) have been set up in south Asia over the last few years and a major expansion is planned across sub-Saharan Africa.
Dustin Garrick, professor in the School of Environment, Resources and Sustainability, along with an international team, examined the trend toward solar pumps as a clear opportunity for boosting agricultural yields and reducing poverty, but the opportunity comes with risks.
While replacing electric or gas pumps with solar-powered irrigation holds the promise of reducing carbon emissions, it is not guaranteed. Farmers who have access to these pumps may expand production of crops or diversify into other activities, which are not emissions neutral. Solar pumps will increase groundwater pumping efficiency, which may be desirable in regions that support such increases, but this could worsen groundwater lessening in regions that are already stressed. The cheap clean energy of solar pumps may lead to increased groundwater development, without necessarily decreasing overall emissions.
Despite these challenges, the clean-energy boost can serve as a stimulus for positive change in water and energy management but will require enhanced regulation and planning in both low-and high-income settings. Garrick and his team advocate for improved data collection initiatives, with a shift from separated to integrated approaches. They suggest using technology to measure water pumping and collecting remotely sensed data to monitor land use changes. As well, regulatory improvements are crucial, with mounting limits for carbon emissions and groundwater lessening established at various levels.
With groundwater management already a difficult challenge, we must act fast to understand the implications of the clean energy boost and poverty reduction acts to avoid these gains being won away by wells running dry. The rapid adoption of solar irrigation intensifies the urgency, demanding adaptation from governments and institutions to sail through these complexities.
Teen brains aged faster than normal from stress by at least three years, a study has found. The study, published in Biological Psychiatry: Global Open Science, was the first to compare examinations of the physical structures of teenagers' brains from before and after the stress started, and to document significant differences.
Researchers knew teens had higher levels of depression, anxiety and fearfulness than before the stress. But we knew nothing about the effects on their brains. The researchers found growth in brain areas that control access to some memories and help control fear, stress and other emotions.
Premature aging of kids' brains isn't a positive development. Their stressful childhood experiences not only make people easier to suffer from depression, anxiety and other mental illnesses, they can raise the risk of cancer, heart disease and other long-term negative outcomes.
The scientists tried to make out how the stress itself may have impacted the physical structure of the children's brains and their mental health. They matched pairs of children with the same age, gender and stress. "That allowed us to compare 16-year olds before the stress with different 16-year olds assessed after the stress," said Ian Gotlib, a psychology professor at Stanford University.
To determine the brain age of their samples, the researchers fed their brain examinations into a machine-learning model for predicting brain age developed by the ENIGMA-Brain Age working group, a co-operation among scientists who share their brain image data sets. They also evaluated mental health outcomes reported by the matched pairs. They found more severe symptoms of anxiety, depression and internalizing(内在化的) problems in the group that had experienced the stress.
Dan Siegel, clinical professor of psychiatry at the UCLA School of Medicine, noted that many individuals experience post-traumatic(创伤后的) growth after a stressful experience. "This is a useful initial study," agreed David Fassler, clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of Vermont. "I expect the results will inform the design of future research initiatives. "
16. Self-improvement doesn't have to be a terrifying task. It can be a fun and exciting adventure that takes you on a journey of discovery and growth. With some simple tricks, you can transform yourself into a better version of you.
First off, remember that self-improvement is a marathon, not a dash. Take it one step at a time, and enjoy the ride. Think of it like climbing a mountain: you take one step after another, admiring the view as you go, until you reach the summit.
Start with small, achievable goals. Whether it's reading a book a week, going for a daily walk, or learning a new skill, these little milestones will help you stay motivated and feel accomplished.
Don't be afraid to fail. Failure is part of the learning process. If you stumble or fall short of your goals, don't beat yourself up. Keep in mind, failure is just a temporary setback—it doesn't define you.
Share your goals with friends or family, and ask them to hold you accountable. Join a self-improvement group or find someone who can guide and encourage you on your journey. You'll find that makes the process even more enjoyable.
And finally, don't forget to celebrate your progress. Whether it's a small accomplishment or a major milestone, take a moment to appreciate your efforts and feel proud of yourself. You can even create a reward system for yourself—maybe a delicious treat or a fun activity for every goal you achieve.
A. Choose your circle wisely. F. Remember, every step counts, however small it is! G. Every little win is well worth acknowledging and rewarding. |
Listening, speaking, reading and writing are necessary to everyday life, where language is the primary 1 for expression and communication. Studying how people use language — — what words and phrases we unknowingly 2 —— can help us better understand ourselves and why we 3 the way we do.
Stanford linguists（语言学家）attempt to 4 what is individual and general about the language we use. They also try to find how it came into use and the ways it 5 over time. After researches, they have found that even the smallest differences in language use are 6 the speakers' belief, according to research. One study finds that a(n) 7 harmless sentence, such as "girls are as good as boys at math," can in some way 8 sexist stereotypes (性别刻板印象). The statement's grammatical form suggests that being good at math is more 9 for boys than girls, the researchers said. Language can play a(n) 10 role in showing how we and others understand the world.
Studying other languages helps us have a better understanding of 11 around the world. People speak about 7,000 languages worldwide. Although there are a lot of similar things among languages, each one is 12 ，both in its structure and in the way it reflects the culture of the people who speak it. Dan Jurafsky, the Professor in Humanities and chair of the Department of Linguistics at Stanford, advised that we shouldn't only 13 on our own language. Studying other languages and how they develop can help us understand what is 14 in humans' different ways of communicating with one another.
"Understanding what different groups of people say and why is the first step in deciding how we can 15 people together," Jurafsky said.
The Chinese government recently finalized a plan to set up a Giant Panda National Park (GPNP). (cover) an area about three times size of Yellowstone National Park, the GPNP will be one of the first national parks in the country. The plan will extend protection to a significant number of areas that (be) previously unprotected, bringing many of the existing protected areas for giant pandas under one authority (increase) effectiveness and reduce inconsistencies in management.
After a three-year pilot (试验) period, the GPNP will be officially set up next year. The GPNP (design) to reflect the guiding principle of "protecting the authenticity and integrity (完整性) of natural ecosystems, preserving biological diversity, protecting ecological buffer zones, leaving behind precious natural assets (资产) for future generations". The GPNP's main goal is to improve connectivity between separate populations and (home) of giant pandas, and (eventual) achieve a desired level of population in the wild.
Giant pandas also serve an umbrella species, bringing protection to a host of plants and animals in the southwestern and northwestern parts of China. The GPNP is intended to provide stronger protection for all the species live within the Giant Panda Range and significantly improve the health of the ecosystem in the area.
I can't be late. Not today! Malia thought as she raced across the park. Today her hula (草裙舞) teacher would choose some students to dance at the luau (夏威夷派对).
Malia reached the end of the park. "Hello, Uncle Charles," she greeted her teacher. All the dancers called him"Uncle" in the local way. Malia joined her hula sisters beneath a shady monkeypod tree. She pulled on a colorful skirt.
Uncle Charles knelt on a woven mat and beat a rhythm on a drum. The dancers warmed up with basic hula moves. Malia placed her hands on her waist and stepped back and forth.
"Swing your hips (臀部)," Uncle Charles called out. Malia stood in one spot and swung her hips side to side.
After the warm-up, Uncle took out his ukulele. It was time to practice their special dance for the luau. Malia took a deep breath and bent her knees.
"Remember to use expressions. You want to tell the story with your hands and faces,'' Uncle said.
Twang, twang went the ukulele. Malia lifted her arms. She and her hula sisters danced in a row across the grass. They stretched out their arms like birds in flight. Their movements matched the meaning of the happy song. There was no time to be nervous. Malia was too busy watching her hand motions and remembering her footwork. She also remembered to smile.
"Together! Watch your line," Uncle called. Malia's smile grew. She had made no mistakes. She spun to the rhythm of the ukulele and danced over to one side, as if she were on a real stage. Oh no! Malia had danced in the wrong direction. Malia felt her face burn, but she kept dancing and smiling. She turned in time to the music and danced in the proper direction — two steps behind and two beats late.
The music stopped, and Malia shook her head. "I'll never be picked now. "
注意：1. 续写部分词数应为120 个左右:2. 续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好。
Paragraph 1
The class was over for the day.
Paragraph 2
Suddenly, Uncle's voice interrupted Malia's thought.
