【推荐3】Argosy Christmas Ship Festival

Seattle

December 1— December 23, 2018

The Argosy Christmas Ship Festival is ship-to-shore holiday celebration that has become a local Northwest tradition. Aboard the Christmas Ship, some of the finest Norwest choirs sing holiday greetings. These performances are broadcast via speakers to bonfire(篝火)sites and to other boats participating in the parade.

Holiday Island Lights Festival

Friday Harbor, Sand Juan Island

December 1 —December 31, 2018

An island-wide holiday tradition that includes local businesses decorating contest, a tree lighting ceremony on December 4 with shops staying open until 7:00 pm. On December 11 a Lighted Boat Parade starts the evening, to be followed by the Santa ship coming into Friday Harbor for the children, shops staying open until 7:00 pm. December 18-19 Roche Harbor’s Christmas Festival begins at 3:00 pm and will include artists booths, Victorian Carol singing, story telling, theater and dining.

Christmas Lighting Festival

Leavenworth

December 4 – December 19, 2018

This old-fashioned Lighted farm Implement (器皿) Parade, which expressed its admiration for the Yakima Valley’s agricultural heritage, including entries with up to 35,000 lights decorating the tractor, plow or thresher! Pre-parade activities include a Christmas Tree Ceremony and other special entertainment before the parade. Join us and you’re sure to enjoy the carolers dressed in traditional turn-of-the-century attire(服装) as they wander throughout the Downtown area.

Holiday with Lights

Federal Way

December 10, 2018 —January 1, 2019

With over a million twinkling lights displayed throughout the park, your heart will be filled with cheer and the spirit of the season! There will be holiday light displays, festive music and strolling carolers, visit Santa, enchanted village rides, and much more.

【推荐3】Transportation shapes the world: along with communications, it forms a global net that connects person to person, city to city, and country to country. Transportation routes as well as vehicles are vital to the functioning and spread of every civilization.

A country’s economy depends on reliable transportation. Cities spread out along roads, rivers, and rails, so does information. Until the 20th century, these routes were confined to land or water. With the invention of powered flight, the air became an open road as well. The earliest way of traveling was undoubtedly by foot, and humans’ earliest means of transporting goods was carrying loads on their back or head. By 4000 B.C., people were using domesticated animals for transport, a method greatly improved in some parts of the world by the invention of the wheel, probably first developed around 3500 B.C..

Until the 19th century, animals were the engines of land transportation. But with the invention of the steam engine and the internal combustion engine, railroads and automobiles revolutionized travel and trade. More than 600 million cars and trucks travel the world today.

Water has always been a fast and efficient mode of travel, and even today it remains a primary mover of heavy goods. The importance of waterways to human civilization can be seen on any map: almost all of the world’s major cities are located on coastlines or rivers. As early as 7000 B.C., people were building canoes; long-distance ships were common by 3000 B.C. Until the 1950s, ships were the chief means of overseas passenger travel.

Although the Montgolfier brothers took flight in balloons in the 18th century, air travel was not practical until the invention of powered flight by the Wright brothers in 1903. Within ten years, the commercial air transportation business had begun.

Since the 20th century, high-speed rail has become another convenient way of travel. Today, two-thirds of the world’s high-speed rail track is in China, which measures nearly 30,000 kms, and this is expected to reach 38,000 kms by 2025.

【推荐1】A Schengen visa is a short-stay visa awarded to persons wishing to travel to one or many of the countries that make of the 26 European country Schengen Area. It grants (授予) each holder entry to all the countries in the area on a single visa. Several new Schengen visa application rules came into force in all countries on February 2, 2020. Check out some of the major changes:

Increased visa fees

The Schengen visa fee has increased from 60 euros to 80 for adults, while children aged between 6 and 12 now need to pay 40 euros instead of 35.

The rise in fees is to increase staff numbers, ensure stronger security screenings, and upgrade IT equipment and software, according to the European Commission.

Electronic application form

The application process has been greatly simplified. Schengen member   states now accept electronic applications, and the application form can be signed and submitted electronically.

Longer application submission periods

Schengen visa applicants used to apply as early as three months ahead of their trip. Today applications can be submitted up to six months in advance.

Benefits for frequent travelers

Those who have previously visited the Schengen Area and have a positive visa history will be granted the opportunity to get a multiple-entry visa valid for up to five years. That is, people who have lawfully used their previous visas, have a good economic standing in their home countries, and intend to leave the area before their Schengen visa expires (过期) will now have the chance to get a visa for up to five years with multiple entries.

【推荐2】Bananas are one of the healthiest fruits you can eat, being loaded with protein, fiber, vitamins A, B6, and C, etc. Bananas are delicious on their own as well. But we’re not here today to talk about the banana fruit, but rather its peels. Generally thrown away as waste, banana peels actually bring about different uses.

Starting off with a topical benefit, banana peels are great for relieving the painful itch of bug bites. Science hasn’t figured out why it works, but you can’t argue with results. People who have tried it report that it is really useful.

There are lots of expensive ways to whiten teeth, and a lot of them use bleaching agents which weaken teeth and can cause sensitivity. But guess what? Banana peels can whiten teeth naturally and gently due to their potassium content.

Banana peels contain a lot of antioxidants that are great for your skin. To reduce the look of lines and wrinkles, simply rub a banana peel directly on the affected areas and wash your face 30 minutes later.

It is fiber once again that can lower your cholesterol levels, which is critical to maintaining a healthy heart. Banana peels contain more soluble fiber than the fruit itself, so throwing away the peel wastes a valuable opportunity to bump your intake. And finally, you can actually rub a banana peel on shoes, leather, and silver articles to clean them up and make them shine.

Whether you eat them or use them, banana peels don’t save very well. Once removed from the fruit, they blacken pretty quickly. It's best to prepare and consume banana peels right away. However, one thing is for sure—you will stop throwing these valuable wrappers in the trash after you discover all the incredible things they can do.

【推荐3】I recall when I was a young girl back in Canada, I was sitting and watching a baseball game on TV with my father and we started to debate the importance of sports. Different from my father, I argued with all the overconfidence of a teenager that sports is more than just a hobby to keep us physically healthy and went as far as claiming that" There would be more wars if we didn't have sports!"

As an adult, my teenage tendencies of exaggeration(夸张) may have faded but I still firmly believe that sports is more than just a hobby for both participants and audience. The challenging times we are all living through right now with coronavirus is proof to this. The effect of cancelling all sports from professional leagues right down to amateur budding athletic programs, can be felt by millions of people worldwide. To many the social emotional impact is stronger than the physical. The loss of the sense of community, of belonging, and of an extended family is real for many girls, boys, men and women everywhere. Others are feeling physical challenges as well as they are struggling to stay active during these times.

But the human race is incredible and adaptable in tough situations, and sports once again is playing a role. Sports teams are staying in touch online and are a source of much needed support, love and laughter in these times. So many professional athletes are playing vital roles through this crisis by sharing their messages of support and at times, making valuable monetary donations to the cause. Even in areas of isolation(隔离), people are coming out on their balconies and leading their neighbours through a workout programme to help them stay active. Others are turning to online workout programmes to follow. Once again, sports is finding its way.

So, in challenging times such as now, people are still empowered to continue their sports journey and stay strong and healthy.

【推荐2】Hair Loss (Alopecia)

Information about male pattern baldness(秃顶) causes, triggers and treatment in the UK

In contrary to popular belief, hair loss—or alopecia—can start at any age. While it is associated with mature males, and statistics show it does mainly affect men above 40, the reality is you can notice symptoms in your 30s, or even 20s and teen years. The NHS statistics state that 25% of men start losing their hair by the time they reach 30. The most common form of hair loss is male pattern baldness—also known as androgenic alopecia—that affects more than half of men around the world.

One option many men seek is treatment to avoid further hair loss, especially early on in the process. With treatments, such as Propecia, that specifically target male pattern baldness, it is possible to stop hair loss completely and even encourage fresh new hair growth.

What is alopecia?

Alopecia is the medical term for hair loss. Most commonly affecting males, hair loss in men is caused by an increased sensitivity to the male sex hormones (androgens). The type of alopecia you have (as well as hereditary and external factors) can influence levels of hair loss. The most common type of hair loss (alopecia) is male and female pattern baldness. Other types include：

* Alopecia areata (patches of baldness, usually on the scalp)

* Scarring alopecia (hair loss directly affecting the hair follicles)

* Telogen effluvium (hair thinning over a larger area on the top of the head, rather than bald patches)

* Anagen effluvium(most commonly caused by cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy)

【推荐3】The UK has a well­respected higher education system and some of the top universities and research instructions in the world.But to those who are new to it all，sometimes it can be confusing.

October is usually the busiest month in the college calendar.Universities have something called Freshers’ Week for their newcomers.It’s a great opportunity to make new friends，join lots of clubs and settle into university life.

However，having just left the comfort of home and all your friends behind，the prospect(前景) of meeting lots of strangers in big halls can be nerve­wracking(令人焦虑不安的)．Where do you start？Who should you make friends with？Which clubs should you join?

Luckily，there will be thousands of others in the same boat as you worrying about starting their university social life on the right foot.So just take it all in slowly.Don’t rush into anything that you’ll regret for the next three years.

Here is some top advice from past students on how to survive Freshers’ Week：

•Learn rules.Make sure you know British social etiquette(礼节)．Have a few wine glasses and snacks handy for your housemates and friends.

•Be kind.Sometimes cups of tea or even slices of toast can give you a head start in making friends.

•Be sociable.The more active you are，the more likely you’ll be to meet new people than if you’re someone who never leaves his room.

•Bring a doorstop.Keep your door open when you’re in and that sends positive messages to your neighbors that you’re friendly.

So with a bit of clever planning and effort，Freshers’ Week can give you a great start to your university life and soon yon’ll be passing on your experience to next year’s new recruits.