Explore the Lower Mississippi River with the Leader in U. S. Cruising（乘船游）
Delight your senses on this amazing journey along the Lower Mississippi River. From the French Quarter in New Orleans to Beale Street in Memphis, be treated to the fine local flavors, including barbecue, bourbon（波旁威士忌酒）and the blues. Enjoy the simple pleasures and unique treasures found in the small southern towns along the way.
Your Lower Mississippi River Cruise Includes:
8-Days/7-Nights aboard the ship
An exploration of 6 ports（港口）of call with guided trip options at each
All onboard meals, breakfast room service, and our evening cocktail hour
Full enrichment package with guest speakers and nightly entertainment
Call today 888-240-4948 to request a free Cruise Guide.
Before she passed away from cancer, A. J. Walters made her husband Sean and daughter Brittany promise herone thing: Sean would go with Brittany, a high school senior, to the homecoming game, where she was in the running for homecoming queen.
A. J. was a beloved teacher at Brittany's high school, in Brooklyn. It was important to her that her daughter would make it. Brittany and Sean agreed.
Days later, on the morning of Friday, September 24, A. J. died. Keeping their promise, that very afternoon, Brittany walked arm in arm with her father across the football field with others await the outcome of the voting.
Brittany wasn't named homecoming queen that day; Nyla Covington was. But, like many in the closely linked community, Nyla had heard about A. J. In an unplanned gesture, moments after receiving the crown（王冠）, Nyla walked over to Brittany, removed it from her head, and placed it atop Brittany's. The two held each other, tearfully for support. "She'd rather have her mom than a crown," Nyla told CNN. By handing it to Brittany, "I was telling her that she was her mom's queen, and that she was loved by many, especially me."
"I felt so much love from her, and I just felt so much love for her," said Brittany, who paid Nyla the highest praise, telling WDAM News, "I can see my mom through Nyla. They have the same caring, giving spirit."
Nyla is still noble （高尚的）despite lack of a crown, says Tyra Willamor, a friend of the Walters family. She told KTVU News, "There's a saying that real queens fix each other's crowns. But the truth is, real queens give up their crowns to let other queens shine."
For many of us, our closest meeting with wild animals is at a zoo. These places allow us to observe the behaviours and characteristics of amazing creatures. It's an enjoyable and educational experience for us, but is it the best environment for the animals? A long time ago, people could only see wild animals as stuffed dead exhibits in a museum. Later, live animals were caught by explorers, brought home and put on show to the public in zoos—animal protection was not a priority. But modern zoos and wildlife parks have transformed the conditions and environments for animals, making bigger enclosures（围场）, removing bars, and, to some extent, copying their natural habitats.
Some people have questioned the cruelty of keeping animals and using them just for entertainment, but zoos are keen to show they are here to help wildlife by educating us about protection. In the UK, the introduction of The Zoo Licensing Act 1981 also required zoos to educate the public. Well-managed zoos are now also involved in supporting and funding protection programmes.
Probably the biggest claim from zoos today is that they help to protect species that are under threat in the wild due to climate change. Robert Young, Chair in Wildlife Protection at Salford University says: "We wouldn't have a lot of different species today if it wasn't for zoos." Some zoos have breeding （繁殖）programmes which help to preserve the future of species. Actor Leonardo DiCaprio recently praised Chester Zoo in the UK for its protection work. It brought a rare fish species back from the dead after breeding and releasing a school of golden fish back into their native river.
While the debate about having zoos continues, new opportunities to meet wildlife are being explored, such as using virtual reality, and Jon Coe, a zoo designer, told the BBC: "Taking a walk through a group of elephants in the Serengeti, I think, is going to be possible pretty soon."
It is often said that if we dream in a foreign language, it's a sign that we are making progress in learning that language. But is it true?
Before we can look at multilingual （多语言的）dreams, first we need to look at sleep. The link between sleep and language can be applied to how we learn any language, including our mother tongue. Even adults still learn about one new word every two days in their first language, but, if we are going to have a firm grasp of that new word, we need to link it to our existing knowledge. "In order to do that, we need to have some sleep", says Gareth Gaskell, a psychology professor at the University of York.
It's during sleep that the integration of old and new knowledge happens. At night, one part of our brain—the hippocampus-takes whatever new information it got in the day, and passes it on to other parts of the brain to be stored. The role that dreams play in this night-time learning process is still being studied, but it's entirely possible that during multilingual dreams, the brain is trying to connect two languages, according to Marc Zuist, researcher at the University Hospital of Psychiatry in Switzerland.
So having multilingual dreams could mean that our brain is trying to master a new word or phrase, but it could also have an emotional significance. . Danuta Barker, a professor of psycholinguistics（心理语言学）at the University of Silesia in Poland, suggests that multilingual dreams can express fears and desires around learning a foreign language, including the wish to be a native-like speaker or to be accepted within a certain community.
We clearly still have a lot to learn about multilingual dreams, but one thing seems certain: if you're trying to learn a new language, you should definitely sleep on it.
They say once you learn how to ride a bike, you never forget. Most of us learnt when we were kids, and many still put on our helmets, and shoot off for a ride around the streets. So the question is, what makes it so appealing to people to ride their bikes once again?
Cycling can improve your cardiovascular（心血管的）health and burn excess body fat. It can strengthen your leg muscles. And cycling's benefits aren't just physical, but mental as well. A long ride in the countryside could help you to clear your mind, or de-stress. But it's not only about your body and mind-there are also some plus sides for your wallet's health.
Cycling can be a great way to commute（通勤）or get about town. By cycling, you save money on fuel or train fares. But finding somewhere to chain your bike up can be much simpler. Then, on the train, there are changes at stations and other commuters speaking loudly on their phones to deal with. And if you're worried about safety, there are designated cycle lanes （车道）in many major cities. Wearing high-visibility clothing is another way to improve your safety when cycling on the roads.
Cycling can also be good for the environment. Not pumping out fumes into the atmosphere is better for the planet and your own environment.
So, whether people want to cycle for their health, getting about town, their wallet, the environment, or a combination of all of them—the popularity of cycling is on the rise.
A. Let's look at the health benefits.
B. Cyclists face neither of these issues.
C. Road users manage to obey the rules.
D. It can help you to reduce your carbon footprint.
E. Helmets can give cyclists a false sense of security.
F. In recent times, cycling has seen a boost in popularity.
G. If you drive to work, sometimes finding somewhere to park can be a headache.
When my son was eight years old, he loved to play practical jokes on me. Every time I walked into a room, a shower of stuffed animal toys（毛绒玩具） 1 on my head. He put fake flies in the ice-cube trays（制冰盒）, and ants in my purse. You never knew when or where he would strike. I admired his 2 , but I have to admit there were days when his jokes got 3 .
One weekend, when we got home after a long day at the beach, I put the blanket in the wash. I'd throw it in the dryer the next morning. When I pulled the 4 out of the washer the next morning, a（an） 5 , brown tarantula（蜘蛛） fell at my 6 . I figured my son had 7 again. I picked it up and was 8 at how lifelike it looked. It was as big as the palm of my hand. Whoever made this toy spider really went all-out for detail.
It even had hair on it like a real tarantula. I took it inside and found my son watching television. I 9 it in his face and said, "Very funny, Adam."
His face turned pale 10 . He backed up and said, "Mom, I didn't do that. It's real. "At first, I didn't 11 him, but then I saw the 12 on his face. I screamed, he screamed, and the tarantula went flying across the room. We both ran out of the house. When we got the 13 to go back inside, it was still lying where it had landed, dead. We both started 14 so hard that we were in tears. That day cured him of his practical jokes; he knew he could never 15 that one.
The term Xuan paper first appeared in On Famous Paintings through the Ages, a book （write）by Tang Dynasty （618-907）scholar Zhang Yanyuan, in which he （describe）Xuan paper as an ideal carrier for calligraphy and painting. Handmade Xuan paper from Jingxian county, East China's Anhui province, was listed a tribute （for its super quality during the period.
The traditional craft of making Xuan paper is （high）demanding, Sandalwood bark（檀香树皮）, plant native to southern China, goes through 108 procedures over the course of three years before it can transform into fine Xuan paper. Because of the entire procedure is so complex, even the most skilled craftsman can only master limited number of steps.
The flow of ink, both guided and resisted by water, determines the output of Chinese art, and Xuan paper outshines others with its excellent ability （make）the best use of ink. Different Xuan paper can （create）for artistic expression in freehand ink paintings or calligraphy.
Unlike other forms of paper, Xuan paper is very resistant to damage brought by time. （it）durability（耐久性）has made the preservation of many valuable （work）from ancient China possible.
