Escape to the countryside for some fresh air, iconic landmarks and scenic surroundings. Here's a list of the must-visit places in England that you can easily get to by car, train or coach from London.
Stonehenge
Though there is no clear evidence as to the intended purpose of Stonehenge, it is believed to be a place where ancient leaders tried to communicate with the gods. Located on Salisbury Plain, Stonehenge is older than all of the pyramids in Egypt — more than 5, 000 years old and the site was worked on for around 1, 500 years, which will take you by surprise.
Brighton
You would've heard of Brighton Pier, Brighton beach and of course you need have a taste of some authentic (真正的) Brighton Rock. This seaside town is always noisy with lots of events, sights, restaurants and shops.
Bath
Visit Britain's one and only natural thermal spa. Take a dip in the Roman Baths that were constructed around 70AD for an experience of a lifetime. Not to mention the fact that Bath is rich in culture, history and heritage. You'll fall in love with this charming town set in the countryside and its 18th century Georgian architecture.
Lake District
The scenery is wonderful, with hills, streams and waterfalls. The Lake District is a mountainous area, with some over 3, 000 feet providing the best rock and winter climbing in the UK. If that's not your thing, then just simply take in the wonderful views.
Graduation is a significant milestone for everyone. An 89-year-old man called Rene Neira had been trying to finish a degree since the 1950s. However, in the 1960s, he was so passionate about urban and economic development of the southside of San Antonio that he stopped school and got involved with the local government. From that time, one of his life goals was to earn a degree in economics. In 2017, the grandpa and his 19-year-old granddaughter both enrolled (入学) at the University of Texas at San Antonio.
"There were times when we would get lunch together, be in the library together, and just work silently side-by-side," Melanie Salazar, Rene's granddaughter, recalled. "He always had something to say, especially if his professors had different opinions than him," Melanie said. "And there were often times when a professor would invite him to talk about the past."
Rene's college years weren't easy. "He has worked very hard over time. Especially in recent years, with hearing loss and going through seasons of not having a car, there was a term where he had to take medical leave because he had a stroke, so he couldn't go back to school that term. And then the pandemic started," said Melanie.
After four years, their hard work finally paid off—they graduated. Together, they stood on the stage. Everyone broke into applause and cheered for this fantastic pair.
Their story has been making waves online. People have nothing but good words for them, "Awww... I love stories like this. This was such a beautiful moment. Congratulations to both of them. Grandpa definitely demonstrated that one shouldn't give up their dream no matter how long it takes," one wrote. Another wrote, "I'm motivated to go back to school myself, thanks to his example."
Rene had the determination to finish his degree even at an advanced stage in his life. Hard work, patience, and determination are the keys to success, especially when the path is not easy or clear.
For years, David James, who studies insects at Washington State University, had wanted to examine the migration (迁徙)patterns of West Coast monarch butterflies (黑脉金斑蝶). The route the butterflies travel has been hardly known because the populations are too small to follow. For every 200 monarchs tagged (打标签)by a researcher, only one is usually recovered at the end of its trip, James says, and finding even 200 in the wild to tag is unlikely. Knowing the route is vital to conservation efforts, but James had no way to figure it out- until he got a phone call from Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla.
The prison was looking for new activities to improve the mental health of those serving long-term sentences. So James began working with prisoners to raise monarchs through the whole process of their transformation. The adult insects were then tagged and released from the prison. Over five years, nearly 10, 000 monarchs flew from the facility. Elsewhere in Washington, Oregon and Idaho, researchers released another few thousand.
The tags included email addresses, and soon after the first butterflies took off, James started receiving messages from people who had spotted them. The butterflies, the reports confirmed, wintered in coastal California. Twelve of them landed at Lighthouse Field State Beach in Santa Cruz. Several more headed to Bolinas and Morro Bay.
The work helps researchers identify ideal places to plant milkweed and other vegetation that are important to the life cycle of West Coast monarch butterflies. It also brought out the gentler side of some of the prisoners. "They were very worried that they were going to harm the butterflies, "James says. Watching the monarch change their form also touched the men. "This butterfly changed, " James recalls prisoners telling him, "and maybe we can too. "
Art and science may seem like opposite things. One means the creative flow of ideas, and the other means cold, hard data—some people believe. In fact, the two have much in common. Now, a study finds art can help students remember better what they learned in science class.
Mariale Hardiman, an education specialist at Johns Hopkins University, noticed that students who used art in the classroom listened more carefully. They might ask more questions. They might volunteer more ideas. What's more, students seemed to remember more of what they had been taught when their science lessons had involved（涉及）art. To prove that, Hardiman teamed up with some researchers and six local schools.
In the experiment, the researchers worked with teachers in 16 fifth-grade classrooms. They provided traditional science lessons and art-focused ones. In a traditional science class, for example, students might read aloud from a book. In the art-focused one, they might sing the information instead.
The team randomly assigned（随机分配）each of the 350 students to either a traditional science classroom or an art-focused one. Students then learned science using that way for the whole unit—about three weeks. When they changed to a new topic, they also changed to the other type of class. This way, each student had both an art-focused class and a traditional one. Every unit was taught in both ways, to different groups of students. This enabled the researchers to see how students did in both types of classes.
The team found that students who started off in traditional classes performed better after they moved into an art-focused class. But those who started in an art-focused class did well even when they went back to a traditional science class. These students appeared to use some of the art techniques（技巧）after going back to a traditional class. Classroom teachers reported that many students continued to sing the songs that they learned after finishing the unit. "The more we hear something, the more we retain it," Hardiman says. "It suggests that the arts may help students apply creative ways of learning on their own."
If you stayed up or had a bad night of sleep last night, you know it's difficult to stay awake in class today. Your teacher's voice might begin to sound like a lullaby (摇篮曲). To keep yourself awake, some tips are worth trying in class.
Sit in the front of the room. Why? Besides, you'll be more motivated to stay awake if you know that the teacher can see you easily. You'll also be near the people who are more likely to participate, and the sound of their voices might keep you awake.
Ask and answer questions and pay attention to the lecture. This will help if you're tired or discouraged by the content of the lecture, because you can ask your teacher questions to get to the bottom of the problems. Talking will also keep you engaged and alert. It might be helpful to make a goal for yourself to answer or ask at least 3 questions per class. For example, you might say "I didn't understand the last part of the proof. Could you explain it again in more detail?"
Listen actively to the lesson. Active listening is a great way to force yourself to stay awake because it requires engagement of your mind as well as your body. To effectively listen to your teacher, you should try to maintain eye contact, face the speaker, pay close attention to what the speaker is saying and ask questions during a pause in the lecture.
A. Develop interest in the subject.
B. Get involved in class activities.
C. If so, classes can be boring because you're tired,
D. Take notes and try to catch as much information as possible.
E. It'll be easier to pay attention and participate when you're in the front.
F. To avoid annoying your teacher you should try to keep your questions specific.
G. Practicing active listening can help you keep your eyes open for the length of the lesson.
Katie Whetsell has been enjoying Disney movies from an early age and would often watch them with her mom, Karen. Confident about herself, Katie knew she1 would be a performer in the future.
When Katie was nine years old, her family were shocked by an unexpected2 . Katie's mother was diagnosed (诊断) with cancer. When the doctor told the Whetsell family that Karen's disease was serious, and that she was3 to get well again, they made a(n)4 . Disney World had been a longtime dream for Karen. So the family headed to Disney World for a trip that none of them would ever5 .
While they were watching a light show, a performer put her hands on Karen's shoulder. They exchanged smiles and, to this day, Katie still remembers how6 her mom looked. This was the day Katie decided she wanted to7 for Disney. Sadly, Katie's mom Karen lost her8 . Her family members9 her every day and often think of that Disney vacation.
Katie went on to pursue (追求) performing for a living. She10 for years, working as a waitress and trying to make it as a(n)11 . Her effort finally12 when she was hired as a performer in Disney.
Katie says she could help other families get away from the13 in their lives, whether it's a battle with cancer or simply helping adults feel like kids again. "Everything we do at the parks14 . We give people an opportunity to15 with their childhood."
Every autumn, _(million) of North American monarch butterflies begin a long and difficult journey. Somehow they manage to travel around 4,000 kilometers south and findway to California or Mexico. However, until recently no one knew how they did this.
A team of scientists _(lead) by Professor Eli Shlizerman at the University of Washington has now found the answer. They have found out that the monarch is able to tell the time of day. It uses its eyes to measure the position of the sun. These two pieces of information - the time of day and the point where the sun is in the sky- allow the butterfly to determine the way to go (eventual), it manages to reach the place it will spend the winter.
The solutionthe mystery of the monarch's amazing ability comes at a time when it is in serious trouble. Its population _(crash) by as mush as 90 per cent in the last few years. Sadly, human activity is the main reason the number of monarch butterflies is falling. In many of the places where the butterfly can be found, people are destroying the natural environment. The research on the monarch's behaviour has however led togreater awareness of this creature. People have been working together (record) its migration and make sure that there are enough plants for it to feed on .If this works, there may come a time when the number of monarch butterflies increases once again.
How are you getting along with your senior high school? It may be hard for you as this is the first time that you (leave) your parents. I know that you are now having trouble (communicate) with others, and you may often feel lonely. That's you are new here and people don't know about you. But I think you can overcome the difficulty if you can follow the advice below.
First, you should attach great (important) to taking an active part in the discussions and show your own opinions about the matters, and at the same time, learn to listen to other people's views (careful). Second, you should learn about your classmates' likes and dislikes, can make you get familiar with them. Only in this way can you get to know more (difference) people and show them that you are just as friendly. Last but not least, I'm always here ready to help. We can take part in some (activity) together and I can introduce you to others.
There's no need (worry) too much. People will know you more very soon and will like to make friendsyou if you can do as the above. Just remember, "God helps those who help themselves".
