International Day of Education
24 January
Education is a human right, a public good and a public responsibility. The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed (宣布) 24 January as International Day of Education, in celebration of the role of education for peace and development. Today, 250 million children and youth are out of school, and 763 million adults are illiterate (文盲的). Their right to education is being violated (侵犯) and it is unacceptable. It's time to transform education.
International Day of Clean Energy
26 January
The International Day of Clean Energy on 26 January was declared by the General Assembly as a call to raise awareness and mobilize action for a just and inclusive transition (过渡) to clean energy for the benefit of people and the planet. 26 January is also the founding date of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), a global intergovernmental agency established in 2009 to support countries in their energy transitions.
World Health Day
7 April
It is celebrated annually and each year draws attention to a specific health topic of concern to people all over the world. The date of 7 April marks the anniversary of the founding of WHO in 1948.
The theme for World Health Day 2024 is "My health, my right", which was chosen to champion the right of everyone, everywhere to have access to quality health services, education and information, as well as safe drinking water, clean air, good nutrition, quality housing, decent working and environmental conditions.
World Environment Day
5 June
World Environment Day, held annually on 5 June, brings together millions of people from across the globe, engaging them in the effort to protect and restore the Earth. People from more than 150 countries participate in this United Nations international day, which celebrates environmental action and the power of governments, businesses and individuals to create a more sustainable world. The event has been led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) since its start in 1973.
"I first saw the Great Wall on a map in 1967 when I was only 11 years old. I spent a long time trying to work out how long the Great Wall was, but I failed. I thought I would surely go there one day," said William Lindesay, a Great Wall researcher from the UK.
The Englishman did what he said. He came to China in 1986 with a plan to run the whole length of the Great Wall. But that year his goal was not achieved. William came back a year later and realized his dream. In 1990, he decided to live in China. Then he bought a farmhouse near the Great Wall.
"Many people wonder why I'm obsessed greatly by the Great Wall. The first reason is that it's beautiful, and the second thing is that it's outdoors. There's history in the outdoors. You need to move to discover it. And the third point is it's fun. The Great Wall is in my mind every day," said William.
William's younger son Thomas said, "I often describe my childhood as ‘wild', staying at the foot of the Great Wall almost every weekend. It's amazing because not many people get to see such world heritage all the time, and I got to see it all year around." His elder son James said, "Living here has a lot of effect on how I see the Great Wall. It's almost like my backyard, so I should protect it."
William has published 11 books about the Great Wall in 30 years. He has also completed several photo projects on the Great Wall. "It made me so happy when our film was shown on the BBC. For the first time we got an hour and a half to open the eyes of the British , and show them what the Great Wall is. We received lots of emails from people saying that they really enjoyed it and didn't know that China was so beautiful. I became a ‘Great Wall ambassador (大使)'," said William.
For some people, nothing beats a long walk on a sandy beach. But there's no denying that it's not as easy or as fast to get around on the beach as it is on a road or a sidewalk. But why is it so hard to walk on sand?
The problem with sand is that it's soft; you "sink in" at each step. This forces you to use 2.1 to 2. 7 times more energy with every step you take. Another idea is that people walk more difficultly on soft than they do on hard surfaces（表面）, a study found. The researchers compared how people walked on foam (沫) and hard surfaces by analyzing the forces（力，力量） under their feet and how much oxygen each person consumed（消耗）. They found that walking on soft surfaces, such as sand, mud and snow, caused people to take longer steps — actions that use more energy than walking on a hard surface.
But as experienced beach walkers know, there's a way to make it easier to walk on sand: Just add water, When sand is wet, it becomes more compact (紧密), and walking on it is more similar to walking on hard surface. In other words, it's much easier to cross a beach by walking along the shoreline, where the waves roll in and out. This is a balance though; too much water could make the sand soft once again. If water isn't a choice, there is another way to make walking on sand easier — increasing your surface area. This could be completed by wearing shoes.
Although it's more difficult, there are some good reasons to exercise on sand. The impact forces are lower on sand than on hard surface. Research suggests that walking across sand is much easier on your joints (关节) and muscles, especially compared with an unforgiving(难以对付的）surface such as concrete (混凝土). This means sand is a better surface for helping athletes recover more quickly from workouts.
Areas around the latitude (纬度) of 42 degrees north on earth are mostly known for their cool and pleasant climate. But there is one exception, which is famous for its incredible heat. This is the "Flaming Mountain" (火焰山）in China's northwestern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
Of course, it is not really "burning". The mountain is barren and red, with a blackish tint (色调). In summer, ground temperatures can be as high as 70-degrees Celsius. People are tricked by their senses into seeing "flames"(火焰）.
The terrain(地形) is the main reason for the heat of the Flaming Mountain. It is located at the low point of the Turpan Basin（吐鲁番盆地）which is also the lowest point of the Chinese mainland. The height difference between it and the surrounding mountains is more than 5000 meters, so the hot air in the basin cannot easily go away in different directions. As a result, the Flaming Mountain becomes the hottest place on its latitude.
If one goes north from the county seat of Turpan, following what is known as the Road of Grapes for some 20 km, one reaches a deep valley at the foot of the Flaming Mountain. There is no grass on the Flaming Mountain, but this canyon（峡谷） nearby is shaded by grapes.
The deep valley is only 8 kilometers long from north to south, but its annual output of grapes can reach more than 10 million kg. Almost every family here grows grapes. After harvest, they are sent to shade houses for drying. The shade houses are built on the slopes（坡） of barren mountains, high up and with no shelter, so as to make full use of the hot dry winds in the Turpan Basin.
There are many holes in the walls of the shade houses which not only help with ventilation (通风), but also help avoid direct（直接的） sunlight on grapes. It takes just 40 days for the fresh grapes to be dried by the hot air.
Without goals, you may feel like wandering through life without a plan, purpose, or sense of direction. Despite knowing the importance of goals, many people fail to set a meaningful goal and successfully achieve it. Others set lots of goals for themselves but end up not achieving them. Read on, and you may benefit a lot from a set of steps as follows.
Set a SMART goal and write it down.
The first step is to figure out what you want or need to change. It is a goal that has the following required elements: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. Writing down your goal is also important because this simple step is proven to make you more likely to accomplish it.
After you identify a SMART goal, the next step is to make a specific plan on exactly how you will achieve it. You should break the goal down into a set of actionable steps you can take. Besides, it's beneficial to make a list of outcomes or specific milestones that will indicate progress.
Take small, consistent (持续的) steps early on.
Early on, it can be better to make small changes to your daily routine than to make big changes all at once. Consistency is key when it comes to working towards any goal. Research has shown that it takes an average person 66 days to form a new habit. It no longer requires as much attention, time, and effort as before, thus boosting your confidence and keeping you on the track of achieving your goal.
A. Reconsider your goal.
B. Make an action plan to get started.
C. You then need to turn this into a SMART goal.
D. Some of them don't know where or how to start.
E. Keeping track of your progress helps you stay focused.
F. Once this happens, the new behavior has become "automatic".
G. Identify the skills and strategies you need to complete each step.
Hannah, a brave girl, lived in a small village in a land far away. All of the villagers were used to their 1 daily tasks and very few had the will(意愿） to try something new. Unlike them, Hannah loved to 2 and would spend hours in the woods looking for new things.
One afternoon, she 3 an old cottage. With curiosity she slowly opened the door and was left 4 . In front of her was a room full of books shining in the dust! Hannah's excitement was visible on her face as she 5 that she had found a hidden treasure. She 6 two and decided to read them at her home.
From that day on, Hannah 7 read the books, which took her to a world of talking animals, mystical creatures, and daring knights (勇敢的骑士). She read about characters who faced 8 with their determination and characters who bravely 9 for good. She learned the power of love and friendship, and that the true strength lies within one's own 10 !
With the good in heart, Hannah started to 11 the tales with the people of her village because very few people in the village could read or write. Soon, the 12 of Hannah's storytelling spread. People traveled from different places to listen to her stories. 13 , Hannah started writing stories of her own too!
Hannah's passion and 14 blew life into the tales and her words breathed new life into countless souls. She became a reminder of hope for everyone that even in the dustiest corners, there can be a hidden15 .
China's new hit TV show To the Wonder, has made Altay(阿勒泰）in Xinjiang a new tourism destination among young people, are attracted by the beautiful views and the simple (life) of the local people. It has gained popularity home and abroad.
(base) on the book My Altay(我的阿勒泰), the teleplay(电视剧) tells the story of Li Wenxiu, young woman who returned to her hometown of Altay to live with her mother after (fail) in her dream of becoming a writer and having setbacks at work. She then found the (mean) of life and her love in Altay.
The grassland views and free lives (show) in the teleplay soon made Altay one of the top tourism destinations among young people.The teleplay has not only been a cultural phenomenon also influenced Altay's tourism. Travel websites report that searches for Altay travel information (increase) more than five times since the teleplay began rising.
