Australia is a fantastic country that boasts a variety of breathtaking natural attractions and cultural hotspots. Here are some of the best tourist destinations to visit in Australia.
The Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef(大堡礁) is one of the most iconic natural wonders of the world, located off the coast of Queensland. It is the world's largest coral(珊瑚) reef system, home to over 1, 500 species of fish and hundreds of different types of coral. Visitors can snorkel or scuba dive to explore the vibrant underwater ecosystem, or take a scenic flight above the reef for a bird's eye view.
Ayers Rock
Ayers Rock is a large sandstone rock formation located in the heart of the Australian outback(内陆). It is sacred to native Australians, who have lived in the area for over 10, 000 years, Visitors can take guided tours to learn about the history and cultural significance of Ayers Rock, or hike around the base of the rock to see its impressive size up close.
Sydney Opera House
Sydney Opera House is undoubtedly one of Australia's most recognizable landmarks. Completed in 1973, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a masterpiece of modern architecture. Visitors can take a guided tour to learn about the building's history and design, or attend a performance in one of its many theaters.
The Great Ocean Road
The Great Ocean Road is a scenic coastal drive that stretches over 240 kilometers along the southern coast of Victoria. It offers stunning views of rough cliffs, primitive beaches, and towering rock formations like the twelve apostles(使徒). Visitors can stop at lookout points along the way, or take a helicopter ride for a truly unforgettable experience.
For many people, Christmas is a time to cozy up inside with yummy treats and pretty decorations while the snow falls outside. However, people living in nursing homes often have few family members to celebrate with.
In 2009, Patricia Gallagher in Philadelphia were aware of this so she decided to bring a Christmas book to different nursing homes and read for people . She said, "I just got this idea in my head to call two nursing homes at random(随机) and ask if my mother and I could come and read "I was the Night Before Christmas. " The nursing homes were more than happy to welcome her in and the residents of those homes were equally thrilled. Thus, her holiday tradition started.
To go along with the book reading, Patricia brought some of her kids' stuffed animals(毛绒动物玩具) so the senior residents could hold them while she read the story.
But, when it was time to pack up and go to the next nursing home, Patricia found that no one wanted to give the stuffed animals back! She said, "It was just a nursing home with a lot of elderly people sitting in wheelchairs. And all of a sudden, the whole room became alive with jingling bells and they really didn't want to give them back because they thought we had given them a gift. "
Seeing the joy that a simple present can bring, Patricia had the idea to gather stuffed animals and dolls as a gift for senior citizens living in nursing homes. Then, she put an ad up for gently used stuffed animals on a website. It wasn't long before the local communities and schools started hosting stuffed animal collections on her behalf. In just two years, she collected more than 11, 000 stuffed animals to gift people!
With so many stuffed animals, Patricia started offering gifts to people living in homes for veterans(退伍军人) as well She said, "These stuffed animals not only bring people joy，but bring back the memories of their childhood and give them some comfort. "
Brian Fischler is blind. He can tell whether it's light or dark outside, but that's about it.
"I grew up sighted like everybody, and I was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa(视网膜色素变性) at 13," Fischler says. "And for me, the lights went out about 2009. " Fischler, a New York-based stand-up comedian, has used the app Be My Eyes since it first came out eight years ago. It relies on sighted volunteers to do tasks like describing holiday cards sent in the mail, or telling you whether that can in your cupboard is coconut milk or chicken soup.
Hans Wiberg, a Danish furniture craftsman, created the app after he got tired of calling his friends and family to ask for help to identify things. He spent a couple of years developing it, and the app was launched in 2015.
But eight years later, there's a twist. As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes more accessible, app creators are experimenting with an AI version using tech as well as human volunteers. Be My Eyes CEO Mike Buckley says the argument for A I is that it can do things people cannot. Buckley says, "You can tap into the AI and say. ‘How do I connect to my Sony stereo(立体声音响)? and furthermore, you can take a picture of your refrigerator and it not only tells you what all the ingredients are but it tells you what you can make for dinner. "
However, he insists that AI won't completely replace the volunteers who make Be My Eyes so popular. "I hope it ends up being 50-50 because I do think that there is going to be a desire for continued human connection," Buckley says, "There's some volunteer feedback we've gotten, for example, when they actually get a call they talk about it as the best day of their week. "
What could be perfect for the partner, who embarrasses you on the dance floor? Smart socks, which can teach people to dance, maybe the answer for anyone with two left feet.
Initially, the socks have been developed as a running tool to help runners improve their skills. Thanks to the socks, users can accurately record not only how far and fast they run but also how well. It means the user maximizes their performance, and reduces damage to body and prevents hurt. The hi-tech socks are made of special fibers that watch the movements of your feet. They look, feel and can be washed like normal clothes.
Sensors record each movement and send it by an ankle transmitter(脚踝发射器) to a smartphone. Then a "virtual coach" application shows the information and can tell the user what they are doing wrong, and help to improve skill in any task with feet.
The socks should be useful to athletes and weekend joggers. "People think running is so easy and of course everybody can do it but not necessarily safely and well," Dr Davide Vigano said. A recent study showed that between 60 and 80 percent of runners got hurt per year. This is petty much more than any other human activity. Researchers say the technology can also be developed to teach people how to dance, play sports such as golf, or even to help to teach women to walk better in high heels.
Mr. Vigano said, "People could all benefit from the idea. We have had interest from all sorts of sports, like skiing, football, cycling and golf. Anything where you have to use your feet can use it. It could even be put in high heels to help women walk in them safely. "
Socks are just the start, and the technology could be used in gloves, hats and boots. The socks, anklet(脚链) and software package, are expected to be sold for around £120, which will go on sale in March.
I came to Russia to study in the winter last year. My university is located in Moscow, the capital of Russia, which is a city with a long history.
The second I stepped out of the airport, I immediately felt how freezing cold it was outside than China.
When I saw the main building of Moscow State University, I was deeply shocked by its beautiful architecture with its 270-year-long history. Sensing how utterly small I was in front of this splendid building, I felt the crystallization(结晶) of human wisdom resonate within(引起共鸣) me.
What it means is-that the snow and ice won't melt until April of the following year. Just like the melting snow, I gradually overcame the difficulties of studying abroad and came to adjust to my new environment. The first challenge was the language barrier. After leaning Russian in China, I realized that my skis were nowhere near enough. I was not fluent in Russan, some ties causing misunderstandings. For example, In Russia, everyone intentionally stands on the right side when taking the escalator(自动扶梯), which takes time for me to get used to.
However, the artistic atmosphere in Russia is very strong. Tickets for those places, concerts and cultural events here are relatively cheap, making it easy to enrich my life on weekends.
In a nutshell, living abroad means overcoming all kinds of difficulties. The experience will always leave a colorful shade in our lives. Just as the old saying in Chinese goes. "it is better to travel ten thousand miles than to read ten thousand books. "
A. Obviously, the freezing climate does not agree with me.
B. Starting from early November each year， the snow season in Moscow is very long.
C. Take a look at the outside world while you are young!
D. I can visit many of the attractions that I used to see in my textbooks and performances I used to watch only on TV.
E. Thanks to the abundant activities I get to explore what I've learned in practical contexts and improve my language proficiency.
F. And the buildings surrounding me looked so different from the ones in China too.
G. The cultural differences were also hard to deal with at first.
Sea turtles are considered a national treasure in Sri Lanka. However, in recent years, the sea turtles have faced great 1 .
Growing upon the beach, Chamara Indika, 35, was 2 about it. In the beginning, he 3 himself to the protection of sea turtles as a volunteer. He gave his spare time to raise 4 of caring for sea turtles and carried out sea turtle protection and rescue missions.
Later, he decided that this was not a long-term 5 . "One person's abilities are very 6 but I wanted to make real changes, big changes," said Indika. 7 .
Jack Xiao, the founder of Chinese YIK International Volunteers (YIKIV), reached out to Indika and offered his help to protect sea turtles. With his assistance, Indika set up the Nil Manel Foundation in Sri Lanka.
The organization 8 a professional training and guidance for the volunteers, spreads knowledge of turtle and carries out conservation activities. Volunteers can then work to spread their new knowledge to more people.
At first, the volunteers' main job was to 9 and care for injured turtles locally. Then they found people and animal seat turtle eggs on the beach. So volunteers started transferring eggs from the beach to a protection center with 10 cultivation(培育), under the professional guidance of zoologists. It guaranteed higher 11 rates.
Thanks to their efforts, the living rate of newborn turtles has reached new highs, and conservation awareness has also been increased. Now straws and plastic bags, which cause many turtles to die 12 , are being refused by many volunteers.
"It made me feel that all my work had 13 . But it was not enough to rely on myself and the current volunteers. It would be important to 14 this knowledge down to future generations," said Indika.
With persistence and hard work, Indika firmly believes they will make a(n) 15 to these a turtles.
Videos of 77-year-old Xu Xiuzhen,speaks 11 different languages with foreigners while working at a scenic spot selling water, postcards and he address flowers, have brought her instant fame. Xu's village,(locate) at the base of Moon Hill, ispopular scenic spot famed for a moon-shaped hole at the summit.
(support) her family, Xu, who dropped out of junior school in the third grade, has been working at our guide and vendor(小贩) in a county and resort town in Yangshuo. When the area became famous with foreign backpackers and (organize) tours, she began to learn different languages to attract more foreign customers. Over the past two decades, Xu (teach) all foreign languages to herself, including English, Spanish, Japanese, German, Hebrew and Korean, In addition to making her incredibly popular, her linguistic prowess(超凡技术) has madeeasier for her to communicate with foreign tourists. As a result, Xu has also become one of the (busy) tour guides in Yangshuo. Her reputation draws a large crowd of tourists every day， especially foreign visitors, who come to meet the multilingual guide out of (admire).
It was dark and freezing cold outside though it was four o'clock in the afternoon. The wind kept blowing. At that time, the bell rang loudly, and everybody packed their school bags and got ready to go home. The teacher dismissed(解散) the students, and they walked orderly to the school gate.
David was in Class One, Grade Seven. His mother would come and pick him up from school but today she was absent. David wondered what had happened, but he was not worried at all. It usually took only ten minutes for his mother to get to school by riding an electric bike. David saw his best companion, Tommy, who was his desk mate. Tommy was waiting patiently for his mother as well. They began to talk freely and happily. David congratulated Tommy on his excellent performance in the last math exam. At the same time, Tommy thanked David, without whose help he couldn't have made such rapid progress. Five minutes later, Tommy's mother picked up Tommy and they said goodbye to each other.
David had to put up with his moments of solitude(独处). He had no choice but to wait until his mother came into his sight. However, half an hour passed, and there was no sign that his mother would come. David was determined to walk home.
On his way home, David could hardly see any passers-by. The trees shook with the wind and the leaves fell from them without making any noise. David was lost in thinking what was wrong with his mother. Some terrible thoughts jumped out of his mind. "Maybe an accident happened to her. Maybe she got hurt by some robbers. Maybe she was seriously ill. " Little David burst into tears and quickened his step. He did not dare to think over the results. What he could do was pray for the safety of his mother and wish everything was all right.
Time slipped away like a narrow. In the short distance, it was his beautiful house with a garden. "This must be the worst experience in my life," David thought to himself and felt scared.
注意：
1. 续写词数应为150词左右；
2. 续写部分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好。
Paragraph 1 David stood in front of the door and opened it hurriedly.
Paragraph 2 Suddenly, there was a knock on the door and came a familiar voice.
