The world's craziest festivals
Crazy festivals all over the world are out there just waiting to be celebrated. Join Cornelia Kumfert on a trip to the most unusual events taking place around the globe.
Burning Man Festival
Every year in Nevada (US) there is artwork and cunosities galore to marvel at when the Black Rock Desert changes into a mammoth art exhibition.
In August and September, some 70,00 people come here to celetrate the Burning Man Festival.
San Diego Comic Con
Surely superheroes don't queue? Well, at San Diego's Comic Convention they do. Each July hey open their dos to fans of Superman and other comic figures. More than 100,000 annual visitors have paid homage to their mythical heroes.
Crying Baby Festival, Tokyo
At the Crying Baby Festival in Tokyo (Japan), sumo wrestlers do what they can to bring babies to tears.
Sadists run riot? Certainly not! It's a 400-year-old tradition based on a Japanese proverb, which says that crying babies grow fastest and parents believe the event brings good health to their children.
Palio Contest, Siena
Fame and honour await the winner of the Palio contest in Siena (Italy).
In July and August, ten inhabitants of different districts of the city jockey for first place in a spectacular horse race.
The trophy goes to the contestant whose horse crosses the finishing line first—whether he's still in the saddle or not.
"Have you checked the oil in the car?" my father used to say to me, his way of "Hello, hope you are well." Sometimes our phone calls would begin with a question about the oil and end with a question about the oil, with not a lot in between.
Fathers have a lot of love to give, but it's often offered by means of practical advice. In my experience: It's mostly about my car. "How's the car running?" "Did you get it serviced?" My car—an old green Toyota Corona bought for $500—was where my father showed his love.
Why can't we fathers just say "I love you" or "It's great to see you"? The point is: that's exactly what we are saying. You just have to translate from the language that is Fatherlish. Listen closely enough and the phrase "I love you" can be heard in the slightly longer "I could come around Saturday and repair your chair." The words "You made my life better from the moment you were born" may be hardly heard, but the main meaning is there in the more common "I'll hold the ladder while you get the leaves down from the roof."
When I was 17, I went on my first road trip—a friend and I in that old car. My father stood on the corner on a cold morning to say goodbye. "Highways are dangerous," he said, "so don't try overtaking anything faster than a horse and buggy. And take a break every two hours. And every time you stop for gas, you really should check the oil." At the time we thought his speech was pretty funny and would sing "horse-and-buggy" every time I tried to overtake some other speeding cars.
Dad's long gone now. But after all these years, I realize that had I owned a copy of the Fatherlish-to-English dictionary, I'd have understood that the speech my friend and I so carelessly laughed at was simply Dad's attempt at love.
Sharks may be able to smell blood from miles away, but they probably don't know how red it is. It is likely that they only see the world in black and white according to a study that is the first to look into sharks' visual systems.
A team at the University of Western Australia studied the visual systems of many different species of sharks and what they have found is diversity in eye design that mirrors the ecological and behavioral diversity of the shark species. The team looked at the retinal cells of 17 species of sharks caught from Queensland and Western Australia and found out that the cells are responsible for sharks' color blindness.
According to the study, these animals are color-blind due to the light receptors they have got in their eyes. There are two main types of light-sensitive ceils to allow animals to see: rod cells help measure brightness because they are highly sensitive to light and allow night vision but cannot tell colors apart, while various types of cone cells help distinguish colors. They looked at the structure of sharks' rod and cone cells in the retina. Human eyes come with red, green and blue cone variations, while sharks appear to have just one kind of cone cell.
The study suggests that contrast against the background, rather than color itself, might be more important for object detection by sharks. Costumes that camouflage swimmers' bodies in sea water are less likely to draw a shark's attention than ones with bright, solid colors that emphasize their outline. "It's the high contrast against the water rather than the color itself which is probably attractive to sharks," said Professor Nathan Hart who led the study.
Today, plastic is used in almost everything, from shopping bags and bottles to chairs and cars. Plastic has conquered the world. But do you know how it was first made?
The first man-made plastic was created by Alexander Parkes, who introduced it at the 1862 Great International Exhibition in London. It was called Parkesine, and it was made from plant materials. Once heated, it could be molded, and it held its shape when cooled. Also, it could be made colored or transparent. However, it was too expensive to produce for common use.
In the 19th century, billiards (a game played on a cloth-covered table) was so popular that a lot of elephants were being killed for their ivory, which was used to make billiard balls. So, people tried to find a substitute. A U.S. billiard ball company offered a prize of $10, 000 to the person who could design the best substitute for natural ivory. In 1866, John Wesley Hyatt created Celluloid while trying to win the prize. Although he failed to win, Celluloid was later used to make many products, including false teeth, piano keys, and ping pong balls.
In 1909, Leo Backeland created Bakelite. Made entirely of artificial materials, it was the first true plastic. It was inexpensive, and it kept its shape when heated. Soon, it was being used in many things, including electrical products and jewelry. Since then, many other plastics have been developed.
Today, most plastics are produced from non-natural materials made from petroleum. They are light, flexible, strong. and cheap. Despite all these advantages, there is one problem: plastic waste breaks down slowly and toxic chemicals can leak from it. Therefore, people are trying to develop less harmful plastics.
I did not go on my first hike until my mid-30s. I could blame it on the fact that I grew up on the Great Plains of South Dakota and North Dakota. But mostly, to be honest, I just wasn't interested.
I went on my first hike a few years back while living in Vernont. At the urging of my wife, and with my two young kids, we walked a beautiful forest path on a cool August morning. When we reached the top, we ate lunch together overlooking a perfectly still pond and a scenic Vermont.
A few weeks ago, my 11-year-old son, my 61-year-old dad, and I hiked Camelbeack Mountain in Phoenix. And later this week, my wife and daughter will join us to walk the Waterfall Trail in the White Tank Mountains. Most of our hikes only last 2 hours.
Now, just to be clear, by no means would I classify myself as an expert hiker. I love the stillness and calm of an empty path But waking early on a Saturday morning to walk 3-5 miles along a forest path with lunch in the backpack is a journey I'd recommend to anyone.
It provides an opportunity to slow down and disconnect. And given the chance, hiking teaches us important truths about life.
A. I've fallen in love with climbing mountains.
B. I carried a small backpack with water and snacks.
C. If you can climb a mountain, you can do anything.
D. I didn't see the value and always shook my head when asked.
E. It is healthy physical exercise that creates wonderful memories.
F. And I have no plans to climb Mount Kilimanjaro or walk the Appalachian Trail.
G. Last weekend, I hiked down the Grand Canyon with my son along the South Kaibab Trail.
It started 30 years ago with a squirrel. A few months after I moved into a building in downtown Manhattan, my next-door neighbor, Nicole Figaro, knocked, asking for help with a squirrel that had gotten into her apartment.
I 1 Lout the animal and made a new friend. Soon Nicole was 2 me over for dinner or 3 home-cooked food at my door. When I went to my beach house, Nicole picked up my 4 and watered my plants, and when she 5 on vacations, I did the same for her. She'd bring me wonderful 6 from far-away places, but her 7 and best wishes have been the greatest gift of all.
In 1997, I took care of my partner during his 8 days, and it was Nicole who took care of me: Years later, I 9 the favor, helping out when her husband, who was 10 needed her to take care of him for almost everything. More and more, we 11 strength and inspiration from each other.
My father 12 last January. Nicole helped my family prepare for the service. I couldn't have gotten through that day without her. The pandemic 13 then. Nicole and I 14 for groceries for each other, knowing we could get through anything together. And we will. A 15 might separate our apartments, but nothing separates our hearts.
In a study of 33 years of rends in Body Mass Index (体重指数) across 200 countries the scientists found that people worldwide are getting heavier that most of the rise is due to gains in BMI in rural areas.
BMI is an internationally recognized measurement tool gives an indication of whether someone is a healthy weight t is calculated by dividing a (person) weight in kg by their height in meters squared, and a BMI of between 19 and 25 (consider) healthy.
The study found that between 1935 and 2017, average rural BMI increased 2.1 in women and men In cities, however, the gain (be) 1.3 in women and 1.6 in men The researchers described "striking changes" in the geography of BMI. In 1985, urban men and women in more than three quarters of the countries (study) had higher BMIs than men and women in rural areas. But 30 years later, the BMI difference between urban and rural people in many countries had narrowed (sharp)
This may be due to some disadvantages for people (live) in the countryside, including (low) levels of income and education, higher costs of healthy foods, and fewer sports facilities.
There was a young man born in a poor family. As a result, his school career was continually interrupted. Once he was asked to write a paper about what he wanted to be and do when he grew up That night he wrote a seven-page paper describing his goal of someday owning a horse ranch (牧场) He wrote about his dream in great detail and he even drew a diagram of a 200-acre ranch Then he drew a detailed floor plan for a 4,000-square-foot house that would sit on a 200-acre dream ranch He put a great deal of his heart into the project and the next day he handed it in to his teacher.
Two days later, he received his paper back. On the front page was a large ted F with a note that read, "See me after class." The boy with the dream went to see the teacher after class and asked, "Why did I receive an F?". The teacher said. "This is an unrealistic dream for a young boy like you. You have no money. You have no resources from your family. There's no way you could ever do it" Then the teacher added, "If you will rewrite this paper with a more realistic goal. I will reconsider your grade."
注意：
1）续写词数应为150左右：
2）请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
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The boy went home and thought about it long and hard. …… Recollecting (回忆) he story, my friend Monty and I are now sitting in his 4,000-square-foot house in the middle of a 200-acre horse ranch. |
