North or south, east or west, there's always something wonderful at the best botanical (植物的) gardens in the world. The amazing variety of plants on show offers an escape for nature lovers. Here are some of the top botanical gardens across the world.
Cambridge University Botanic Garden
The original Cambridge University Botanic Garden(CUBG)was founded in 1762 in the centre of the city, now known as the New Museums Site. It holds a collection of over 8, 000 plant species(物种) from all over the world to promote teaching and research.
It is open every day throughout the year except for Christmas closure—24 December to 1 January (included). Tickets can be bought using cash or card at the Gates upon arrival. Pre-booking is optional.
Oxford Botanic Garden
Founded in 1621, the Oxford Botanic Garden is committed to educating people about the importance of plants, to help protect plants that are from around the world, and to support teaching and research within the University and beyond.
It is open all year round from 10 a. m. to 6 p. m. Entry is only free for under 16s with an accompanying(陪同)paying adult. Unaccompanied under 16s will require a student ticket for entry.
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh is a highlight of any visit to the Scottish. This breathtaking living collection of plants is over 350 years old.
The Garden is open daily and closed on 25 December and 1 January. Garden entry is free!
Cheekwood
Cheekwood, built in 1960, is a 55-acre botanical garden located on the historic Cheek estate(庄园). It welcomes over 300, 000 visitors each year, making it one of the city's top cultural attractions.
Cheekwood is open every day throughout the year, except 25 December. All guests must book a timed-entry ticket online before visiting. No tickets will be sold on-site.
From time to time, Ding Peng makes his way across the waves to Zhongtiedun, an island in Zhejiang Province. He has made a point of coming back to visit it to greet and observe the Chinese crested terns(中华凤头燕鸥)over the past ten years.
The medium-sized bird is 30—40 centimeters long, with gray wings and a white body. It was first discovered in Indonesia by Polish in 1861. The birds were spotted in 1937 on islands around Qingdao, Shandong Province, and it was not until 2000 that a bird photographer spotted them on the Matsu Islands off the coast of Fujian Province, which immediately caused a storm in international ornithology(鸟类学) circles for researchers assumed that the birds had already died out.
Born in Lanzhou, Gansu Province, Ding grew up seeing barren(不毛的) mountains and sandstorms, and has an awareness of environmental protection at an early age. That was why, after graduating from university in 2012, he readily took a job offer from the Jiushan Archipelago National Nature Reserve(JANNR)in Zhejiang. "I love the sea and my major could be of some use in protecting it, "he says.
Looking back at his life on the islands, Ding admits that it was very tough. There was no electricity to charge mobile phones and no air conditioner in hot summer, and drinking water was sent in by supply ships. The worst was the loneliness, though things took a turn for the better in 2017, when more volunteers came to join the bird protection team.
Ding's contributions were recognized by the local authorities of Ningbo this year, who named him one of the city's"most beautiful people". "Everything was worth it, now that more people are aware of the importance of protecting the birds, and now that the number of the birds is on the rise, "Ding says.
Experts often tell students to centre their efforts on a narrow field to get a job after school. But recent research into Nobel Prize winners suggests that wider interests are important. Michele Root-Bernstein and Robert Root-Bernstein published their study in the Creativity Research Journal.
They said Alexis Carrel won his Nobel Prize in medicine in 1912 by using techniques he learned from the clothing business. He realized that people who used thread(线) to make and fix clothing had a skill that could be used in operations to put new organs into people's bodies.
In 1978, a professor from Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania won the Nobel Prize in economics. His name was Herbert Simon. He worked in many parts of the university during his career and supported projects in computer science, artificial intelligence, psychology, philosophy and economics. Outside of work, he played the piano, wrote music, painted, made drawings and played chess.
They found that most professionals are not like the prize-winners. The prize-winners are special in that they regularly look for the chances to learn new things, even outside of their jobs.
Dario Fo won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1997. He talked about drawing and painting as a way to solve problems that came up in his writing. "When I'm having difficulty with a play, I stop writing so I can draw out the action in pictures, "he said.
The researchers say that, even among people who do not win big prizes, those with many interests are often successful. They pointed to a 2012 report about students who study two major fields in college. That study plan is called a "double major". Double majors are often more creative and more interested in starting their own businesses than those who centred on only one study area.
Other researchers have found that having an outside activity that makes you think can help predict future success in a job. Some of those activities include playing chess, performing music or creating art.
Genetic researchers in Spain's wine country believe grapevines(葡萄藤) that have lived for more than 35 years are better able to deal with high temperatures brought by climate change.
Winemakers in the Rioja area in northern Spain make some of the best wine for hundreds of years. But in recent years, winemakers there have been having trouble producing good wine. They say the wine tasted better in the past, when temperatures were usually cooler.
Researchers like Pablo Carbonell think older grapevines may be able to grow better in higher temperatures. Carbonell looks at rows of gray shapes on his computer screen. Among them was a green rectangle(矩形). This, he said, represents a kind of grapevine that produces grapes that take longer to ripen(成熟), even in warmer conditions.
A longer ripeness period is what winemakers want. The current vines produce grapes that are ready to pick too early. Such grapes do not make wine that has the right colour and smell. The wine also has too much alcohol(酒精).
People who work in the vineyards have long crossed old vines with new ones. Now they are working with special laboratories-like the one where Carbonell works—to find a climate- resistant( 耐 气 候 的 ) vine. The scientists there are studying the genomes ( 基 因 组 ) of commonly used grapes in Spanish wine.
The lab is working to keep the Spanish winemaking industry alive as temperatures rise. The scientists say the older grapevines have a more diverse genetic makeup.
Spain is the third-largest winemaking country in the world behind France and Italy. Spanish wine production is worth close to $5 billion in the country's economy each year.
In addition to the genetic research, scientists are also working on different planting methods. A winery called RODA is planting vines in a curve(曲线) instead of a straight line. The hope is that plants will take in more water this way. The new vineyard is made up of vines that were over 100 years old and moved from another place.
What do Gladys, Ruby and Logan all have in common? But how do storms get their names? Here's everything you need to know.
There's quite a reasonable explanation for naming a storm. It's simply to make people more aware when severe weather is on the way, with the idea being you'll hear the name and you'll know serious wind, rain or snow is coming.
When is a storm named?
In weather-speak, named storms mean red warnings and have destructive power. These warnings are issued for things like rain, wind, snow, ice, fog and extreme heat. So scientists believe that naming storms helps raise awareness of the impacts of severe weather and ensures clarity( 清 晰 ) for the public when they need it most.
How are the names chosen?
The Met. Office(气象部门)usually asks the public to suggest possible names for storms, and a new list is published every year. Bad news is if your name begins with Q, U, X, Y or Z, you're never going to get a storm named after you. The practice is to avoid a conflict with US hurricane naming traditions. In the US, hurricanes are often given clear and simple names, alphabetically(按字母顺序的) as well.
A. What is a storm?
B. Why are storms named?
C. Well, they are all names of storms.
D. A name is given when a storm is expected to cause medium or high impacts.
E. That way, people are better placed to keep themselves and their belongings safe.
F. When a storm arrives, forecasters will pick the next name from the list.
G. The lists are alphabetical, with names changing between male and female.
Early in my teaching career, I heard countless excuses for why students didn't have their 1 . "The dog ate it" was one of them. As time passed, I grew tired of hearing and quit accepting any2 .
When I was transferred(转移) to another school, I took my straightforward 3 with me. "No excuses, no exceptions!" When a student didn't have the homework, I never asked why. Instead, I sighed loudly, shook my head unhappily and 4 a zero.
One afternoon, shortly after the dismissal bell ( 下 课 铃 ) rang, Anne approached me. "Could I talk to you for a minute?" she asked 5 . "I know what you said about our homework, but I don't want you to think I'm a 6 girl because I come to school without mine so often. "
Anne looked up at me, and I could see that her lower lip was shaking. "Um^, my dad moved out, and my mum works at night, so I have to 7 my little brothers. Sometimes they cry a lot, which makes it 8 to concentrate. ""Would it 9 if you stayed here after school and worked on it?" I asked. She nodded.
The next day, I 10 to all my students that I'd be offering an after-school study hall. Anne was the first to show up. Several days later, Terrell 11 her, followed by twins Sandy and Randy.12 , I had a room full of eighth graders to work on their lessons.
The things I learned weren't taught in college. I discovered not all kids come from 13 that are safe and warm. Not all kids have a 14 bedroom with a desk and study light, and some kids do go to bed hungrily. Most importantly, I learned that "I'll listen"15 better than "No excuses".
Not having breakfast could raise your risk of heart disease by 87 percent, according to scientific study.
Researchers analysed 18 years of data on 6, 550 people over forty who had no history of heart disease. Respondents( 被 调 查 者 ) were given regular surveys, included the question: How often do you eat breakfast? Most (59 percent) ate breakfast every day, but 5.1 percent never did. 10. 9 percent rarely did, and 25 percent would skip a few (day).
The team found a clear link breakfast habits and the risk of heart disease. Those who didn't eat in the morning (be) up to 87 percent more likely to develop heart disease.
"Breakfast (believe)to be an important meal of the day, but there has been an increase of going without breakfast over the past 50 years, with as many 23. 8 percent of young people skipping breakfast every day, " the authors write.
The team pointed out a few bad effects of not having breakfast. First, those who don't eat breakfast may end up (snack)unhealthily. Second, going without breakfast may lead to high blood (press). The findings (publish)on the American College of Cardiology, came days after a similar study showing people who skip breakfast are less likely to survive a heart attack.
The only real job I'd ever had was as manager of a local cafe. That was a rich experience, but I will never forget one thing.
Our family has a tradition of running cafes. When I was a kid, I had the dream of running a coffee shop independently. The third year after I graduated from college, the opportunity came.
My father took over a café shop in the central city, far from home. Maybe there was no suitable person to manage. My father did offer me full responsibility from decoration to business. Winter coming after fall, I was busy, painful and happy.
So tired as I was, I bothered myself to open up my café shop on the freezing morning. With many customers streaming in, I knew another long business day began. And I had to serve far into the night.
As I rushed among the tables, suddenly, a voice asked if I could mind a child. I was quite angry but I could tell the man was quite desperate(绝望的). So I had to make a deal with him that if he wanted his son to stay and wait for him, he had to buy something in the shop.
This was quite hard for the man to do. I could tell he was quite poor by the way he was dressed. It looked as if he had tried to come in his best clothes. But they still looked a bit old and worn out as if he had often worn them, just to make himself look best. Looking down I could see his shoes were also a bit torn and the heels(鞋后跟) were in a terrible state. I thought he was going for a job interview. In the end he bought a small box of cookies for his little son and seated him down in the corner. I could tell the boy was feeling down and only could do with a bit of cheering up.
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Seeing that the kid sat there, I was a bit worried.
……
At closing time, the only person left was the little boy.
