Traveling is often done by plane or by car, but don't forget about trains! Taking a trip by railway is a great way to get a first-hand view of a place.
Trans-Siberian Railway, Russia
The Trans-Siberian Railway is 5,772 miles long, making it one of the world's longest train routes—it goes across Russia! You start in Moscow, cross the Ural Mountains and then the Siberian forest. Over the course of eight days, you'll witness Lake Baikal, the world's largest freshwater lake by volume.
Glacier Express, Sw itzerland
The Glacier Express connects two breathaking mountain resorts: Zermatt and St. Moritz. Along the way, you'll enjoy the astonishing beauty of the Swiss Alps and ride past great grassland, mountain lakes and across the Oberalp Pass at 6,706 feet high. This day-long journey also features 91 tunnels and 291 bridges.
Jacobite Steam Train, Scotland
Despite its short 84-mile round trip, you'll see a lot on the Jacobite Steam Train. Your journey begins in the Scottish Highlands near Great Britain's highest mountain, Ben, Nevis. While in transit (途中), you'll see green hills, small towns, and cross over the famous Glenfinnan bridge over a valley.
Belmond Hiram Bingham, Peru
Named after the American explorer who rediscovered the Inca site in 1911, Belmond Hiram Bingham absolutely looks the part. The route itself is 57 miles and lasts about three and a half hours in each direction. This trip begins at the ancient capital city of Cusco, goes through the Sacred Valley of the Incas, and ends at the World Heritage Site in the Andes Mountains.
Alice Moore is a teenager entrepreneur(创业者), who in May 2015 set up her business AilieCandy. By the time she was 13, her company was worth millions of dollars with the invention of a super-sweet treat that could save kids' teeth, instead of destroying them.
It all began when Moore visited a bank with her dad. On the outing, she was offered a candy bar. However, her dad reminded her that sugary treats were bad for her teeth. But Moore was sick of missing out on candies. So she desired to get round the warning, "Why can't I make a healthy candy that's good for my teeth so that my parents can't say no to it?" With that in mind, Moore asked her dad if she could start her own candy company. He recommended that she do some research and talk to dentists about what a healthier candy would contain.
With her dad's permission, she spent the next two years researching online and conducting experiments to get a recipe that was both tasty and tooth-friendly. She also approached dentists to learn more about teeth cleaning. Consequently, she succeeded in making a kind of candy only using natural sweeteners, which can reduce oral bacteria.
Moore then used her savings to get her business off the ground. Afterwards, she and her father secured their first business meeting with a supermarket owner, who finally agreed to sell Moore's product—CanCandy.
As CanCandy's success grows, so does Moore's credibility as a young entrepreneur. Moore is enthusiastic about the candy she created, and she's also positive about what the future might bring. She hopes that every kid can have a clean mouth and a broad smile.
Meanwhile, with her parents' help, Moore is generally able to live a normal teenage life. Although she founded her company early on in life, she wasn't driven primarily by profit. Moore wants to use her unique talent to help others find their smiles. She donates 10% of AilicCandy's profits to Big Smiles. With her talent and determination, it appears that the sky could be the limit for Alice Moore.
English is full of funny expressions that don't always make sense. Idioms are phrases and sentences that do not mean exactly what they say. Even if you know the meaning of each word, you may not understand the idiom because you don't understand the culture behind it. Here are some English idioms based on animals.
When children jump around and act silly, their parents may tell them to stop "monkeying around". To "monkey around" means to do things that are not useful or serious, or to simply waste time.
Many American families have and love pet dogs. But for some unknown reason, Americans use "dog" in a phrase that means to feel unwell. If you are "as sick as a dog", you're really, really sick.
Sometimes you may also hear cats mentioned in conversations, "I told you to keep that secret, but you have just ‘let the cat out of the bag'!" You probably guessed it—that idiom means to reveal a secret or tell facts that were previously unknown.
Dogs and cats don't always get along, but they appear side by side in a commonly used idiom. When it rains heavily, people might say it's "raining cats and dogs".
Heavy rain often ruins people's plans for outdoor activities. But on a lovely day, you can have a picnic. If a swarm (一群) of tiny bugs love your food and start to hover (盘旋) around you, it would be really annoying. That experience perfectly explains why people often tell someone who keeps bothering them to "stop bugging me".
Idioms are very common in both spoken and written English. If you want to have a better understanding of English, you have to learn idioms.
Facial recognition (面部识别) cameras are everywhere, including in your smartphone. Many people rely on this technology to unlock their phones, open doors or make quick payments, but there is a problem: Everyone is wearing masks. What a hassle!
Now, tech companies have updated their software. Facial recognition technology can now identify people even if they are wearing a mask.
Beijing-based tech company Hanwang has announced a software which can correctly recognize 95 percent of people wearing masks, Engineering & Technology (E&T) reported. What's the secret? It's all about your eyes. Marios Savvides, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University, US, studies facial recognition technology. As we get older, he said, our faces change shape, but not the area around our eyes. It stays the same — even if we put on weight. Another company, Geneva-based Tech5, has also been working on this kind of software. Another Japan based NEC Corp claims an surprising 99. 9 percent accuracy rate when identifying people with masks.
Facial recognition software is about more than just unlocking your phone. It's about public safety. For example, you don't need to present an ID card, which can be lost or stolen. It also means that virus aren't spread by touching things, said NEC's Shinya Takeshima. "Touchless verification (验证) has become extremely important due to the coronavirus," he said to Reuters. "We hope to contribute to safety and peace of mind. " More than that, facial recognition can be used to fight crime. "It can detect crime suspects (嫌疑犯) or terrorists," said Huang Lei, Hanwang's vice president. Similar technology is used by the United States Air Force and other governments.
Huang admits one big weakness of this technology: It fails when people wear both a mask and sunglasses. "In this situation, all of the key facial information is lost," Huang said to E&T.
Why Do People Volunteer?
For someone who doesn't do it, trying to understand why people volunteer can be challenging. But there are several motives (动机) that can be used to explain this.
Whenever there have been wars, there have been those who made the decision to join the battle. It's not that they're unaware of the dangers, but it's something they're willing to go through. For many, the results of not joining will be much worse.
An example would be those that join environmental groups. These involve a lot of work, from cleaning out trash to taking care of endangered animals. While some view these as thankless tasks, these people are thinking of the future. What they're doing is to preserve the present so there will be a future.
Simple kindness is another factor as to why people volunteer. We see them helping total strangers who become trapped when earthquakes or hurricanes happen. For most, it's simply a matter of doing the right thing. They do it because it is the proper thing to do.
An individual who becomes financially successful might feel the need to give some of the fortune back. Helping out is one way to do it. For these people, it's not just another way to gain fame or earn more money. When asked why people volunteer, gratitude and giving back may be the answer.
A. It is their way of expressing thanks to others.
B. It helps people learn more about themselves.
C. This becomes even more so when the task is dangerous.
D. For some, it's all about the future.
E. Some feel that volunteering is a way for them to grow emotionally.
F. For these individuals, it's all about fighting for what they believe is right.
G. When disaster strikes, some people offer their services to help others.
Molai grew up in a tiny village in India. The village lay near some wetlands which became his second1. He learned the value and beauty of 2 there from a very young age.
When he was 16, Molai began to notice something 3 happening around his home. A flood had hit the area earlier that year and the 4 it caused had driven away a number of birds. 5, the number of snakes had declined as well. He 6 that it was because there weren't enough trees to protect them from the 7. The solution, of course, was to plant trees so the animals could seek 8 during the daytime. He turned to the 9 department for help but was told that nothing would grow there. However, Molai went looking on his own and 10a nearby island where he began to plant trees.
11 young plants in the dry season was 12for a lone boy. Molai built at the 13 of each sapling(幼树)a bamboo platform, where he placed earthen pots with small holes to14 rainwater. The water would then drip(滴落)on the plants below.
Molai 15 to plant trees for the next 37 years. His efforts have resulted in 1,360 acres of naturally-grown land that has become home to many plants and animals.
The Chinese people call flattery(奉承) to someone's face "presenting a tall hat" to someone.
In the past, official in the imperial court in Beijing was appointed to an official post outside the capital. Before leaving, he went to his teacher's home (say) farewell. His teacher warned him, "It is not easy to be an official outside the capital. You should be(care)." "Please don't worry. I (prepare) 100 'tall hats' already and will present one to every person I meet. I'm sure all the local people will be pleased. "
The teacher said(angry), "We are all honest(gentleman). How can you do that?"
The official, pretended he had no way out, said, "Very few people under heaven are like you who dislike being flattered or presented with tall hats. "
(hear) this, the teacher was very much pleased. He nodded and said, "you said is true, too."
After the official said farewell to his teacher and (go) out, he said to his friend, "Of my 100 'tall hats', now only 99 are left. "
