【推荐1】Why Do Brides Wear White

In many societies the color white has been associated with purity and virtue, and that is one reason why some brides choose to wear white, especially in the West. Usually, you will hear that brides wear white because “it’s a tradition”. But, historically, white was not the only color considered for wedding dresses.     1    

For many centuries in Western societies, wedding dresses had different colors.     2     Brides tended to buy a wedding dress that could be worn again, or they simply wore the best dress they already owned. And white is not practical: it is difficult to keep clean and is therefore not ideal for many situations or for repeated wear.

Many brides chose to wear dresses of other colors for their wedding and beyond.     3     They do so largely thanks to a trend that started with Queen Victoria’s 1840 wedding to Prince Albert.

    4     Although not in as many different media as we have now, they still had a tendency to be trendsetting. So Victoria chose to wear a white gown (女礼服)—reportedly to show off the fine detailed Honiton lace produced by the British lace industry, which was depressed at the time. Her fashion choice was widely reported in newspapers and magazines.     5     Eventually, the trend of a white wedding gown spread across all economic levels and it was strengthened as “tradition” in the 20th century.

【推荐2】Whether it is for a special festival, to express thanks or to just let someone know that you care about them, giving gifts is a common custom. The purpose of giving gifts may be similar, but the tradition varies from country to country. A gift of respect in one place may be considered rude in another. Take a look at three unique gift-giving traditions.

India

If you’re invited to someone’s home in India, you should bring a small gift, whether it’s a box of chocolates or some flowers. Gifts shouldn’t be wrapped (包裹) in black or white colors. because they are considered unlucky. Instead, use bright colors such as green, red or yellow. When giving money for any occasion, it should have an odd number (奇数) value. That’s believed to bring good luck. Instead of receiving a gift with both hands, Indians generally only use their right hand because left hands are considered unclean.

Japan

For most Japanese, the ritual (礼节) of giving presents is more important than the gifts themselves. The correct way is to present or receive gifts with both hands. Every gift should be wrapped. That’s because uncovered gifts are considered disrespectful. To show politeness and thanks, those who are receiving the gift may turn it down once or twice before finally accepting it. Gifts should be given in pairs, but four should be avoided just like in China. Lucky numbers also include eight. Eight is said to bring prosperity.

Native America

While it may be common for guests to prepare gifts for hosts, this is different in Native American communities. From weddings to birthday celebrations, guests are the ones who receive gifts. Gifts are usually homemade arts and crafts that are made by hand to show love, respect and appreciation.

【推荐3】Language is a bridge that connects people. April 20 marks United Nations Chinese Language Day. TEENS has invited three Chinese learners to share stories of their studies!

Mike Fuksman, US: Learning Chinese brings me joy

One thing that I really appreciate about Chinese is that it is usually quite direct and literal. When you break each word down into its individual characters, they make sense together. “Elevator” is dianti — translated character by character, it means “electric stairs”. It’s pretty straightforward.

Learning to read the characters themselves has been a challenge, but it has also been fun and made my life more convenient.

Alex Tani, UK: Learning Chinese can be enjoyable

At the age of 13, I started taking Mandarin (普通话) classes at school. It was a subject that could make the classroom deadly silent because of how difficult it was to learn. But when I arrived in China, I found that learning the language could be enjoyable.

After I moved to Beijing, I lived with locals. I tried to chat with them in Chinese, sharing details about our daily lives. Sometimes we would also go to KTV together. This was an environment where I could immerse (使……沉浸) myself in the Chinese language and culture while still expressing myself.

Jennifer Holstein, US: Learning Chinese changed my life path

Since I started learning Chinese at the age of 5, the language has been part of my life. After six years of learning, I could still barely put a sentence together. To improve my Mandarin, I moved to Beijing in high school.

The school day was long and hard. Each day we attended listening, speaking, reading and writing classes. For a 16-year old American girl, this was a shock to the system. Eventually I overcame these difficulties.

Once I had a good grasp of the language, opportunities started presenting themselves everywhere. At that moment, I knew my effort was worth it.

【推荐1】The preventive measures for forest fires include some pre-emptive ( 抢先的 ) methods that can help reduce the risks of fires and control their severity and spread, and thus, maintain ecological balance and protect natural resources. Close monitoring of forest fires caused by natural factors can help prevent their spread to a large extent. To contain forest fires, fire departments usually use water and chemical fire retardants ( 抑制剂 ) that can be dropped from planes and helicopters. To control the spread of a wildfire, firefighters usually create a control line by removing all fuel from an area so that the fire cannot travel across it.

Controlled burns are often employed by government authorities to reduce fuel build-up,   and clean up the fallen leaves, and thus, prevent the spread of forest fires to a vast area. Regular controlled burns can also help maintain biodiversity ( 生物多样性 ), as the smoke and heat produced in the process can facilitate ( 促进 ) the growth of seeds of certain plant species. Apart from these, responsible human behaviour can help reduce the number of forest fires to a great extent. In fact, we can reduce the number of wildfires dramatically by not leaving behind any source of fire in the forest.

Forest fires can affect climate and weather to a great extent, besides causing severe damage to valuable trees. Wildfires can increase the level of greenhouse gases (water vapour, carbon dioxide, etc), and therefore increase pollution and global warming. However, they are also an important part of the ecosystem, and many plants depend on the heat and smoke generated by wildfires for their growth and reproduction. But large wildfires can cause extensive damage to the ecosystem，which again highlights the importance of effective control and prevention of forest fires.

【推荐2】A small group of paleontologists (古生物学家) recently discovered 10 species of ancient mammals previously unknown to science with the help of an enormous number of helpers at their dig site——ants.

The study of ancient mammals casts new light on the diversity of mammals that existed in North America around 33 million to 35 million years ago, when the climate was changing drastically. It also pays attention to the harvester ants (收割蚁), with which researchers have long had a love-hate relationship.“The ants are not fantastic when they’re biting you,” said Samantha Hopkins, a professor of Earth Sciences at the University of Oregon.“But I’ve got to appreciate them because they make my job a whole lot easier.”

Most species of harvester ants live in subterranean caves that sit beneath a small hill of dirt. They strengthen the dirt by covering it with bits of rock and other tough materials. The ants have been known to travel over a hundred feet from their caves and to dig six feet deep in pursuit of materials that help secure their caves. The materials include fossils (化石). Harvester ants can carry materials 10 times to 50 times the weight of their body, although they do not weigh very much, so the heaviest fossil they can collect weighs less than the average pill.

Given the size, harvester ant hills are hot spots for what scientists call microvertebrate (微型脊椎动物) fossils, which are animal fossils too small to see without a microscope. For over a century, scientists like Dr. Hopkins have found sediment (沉积物) off the sides of harvester ant hills in search of these fossils, making it easier to find large numbers of fossilized mammal teeth without spending hours in the field sifting through sand and dirt.

【推荐1】Visitor Code of Conduct

Please help us maintain a healing environment for our patients. Visiting hours and policies vary throughout the hospital. Please ask a staff member about the policy on the unit you wish to visit. We ask that you obey the following visitor rules:

◆Do not visit if you are sick (fever, cough, sore throat, nausea, or vomiting) or have been exposed to chicken pox (水痘) or other contagious (传染的) illnesses within the past three weeks.

◆Clean your hands each time you enter and leave the patient’s room.

◆Follow isolation precautions (隔离预防措施) that are posted on the patient’s door.

◆Do not touch patient equipment, patient wounds, or bandages while visiting.

◆You must wear shoes and shirts at all times. Clothing must be clean and neat.

◆Visitors are limited to two per patient each time.

◆Do not use waiting rooms on a unit if you are not visiting a patient in that unit.

◆Waiting rooms are not for overnight stays.

◆Children must have adult supervision (监护) at all times and must be respectful of the hospital’s healing environment. Some units do not allow children’s visiting.

You will be asked to leave for violating (违反) any of the above rules or for the following:

◆Your behavior creates a risk to patients, families or staff.

◆You appear to be ill.

◆You refuse to follow isolation precautions.

◆You are not respectful or considerate of others.

◆You fail to supervise children.

If you believe someone is violating these rules, or you need assistance, please notify security by dialing 7363 on the hospital phones or 813-844-7363 on your mobile phone. Security is available at all times. Waiting areas are monitored at all times by a security video camera.

【推荐2】When we wake up feeling sleepy, many of us often think, “I’m going to go to bed earlier tomorrow!” But however determined we are, chances are that we don’t keep our promise. This behavior is called “bedtime procrastination (拖延症)”, and results from lack of self-control and our body clock, reported HuffPost.

According to a study carried out by several health psychologists at Utrecht University, bedtime procrastination is a common problem. In their study, 53%of the 2.400 participants said they didn’t follow their sleep schedule, delaying (延迟) it at least twice a week.

It’s found that they delayed bedtime not because they liked to stay up late, but they couldn’t stop doing other trivial (琐碎的) things. “People who have trouble controlling their use of cell phones, handheld computers and other electronic devices are also more likely to delay going to bed,” Floor Kroese, a psychologist at Utrecht University, further explained to HuffPost.

Yet, according to scientists, lack of self-control is not the only thing to blame. Our body clock also plays an important role. It was also found that those who get up late are more likely to postpone their bedtime than those who wake early every morning. And more surprisingly, might owls would go to bed late at the very beginning of the weekday, even though they had to get up early for work and school. It’s their special body clock that plays a part in delaying their bedtime, reported Popular Science.

People always think that bedtime procrastination isn’t a big problem, but as Kroese explained, “the choices we make that affect our sleep could turn out to be pretty important for our health.”

【推荐3】Vacation Deals Online

Booking with Sunbridge gives you the Sunbridge Advantage. This means one simple price covers everything. Unlike other websites, we don’t fool you with a low price for airfare, then sneak (偷偷地做) in charges for hotel, rental cars, and food until you’re paying more than you wanted. Our price is all inclusive and can’t be beat !

The Sunbridge Advantage also includes our Sunbridge Resort Ambassadors. Two of our friendly, helpful staff members will meet you at the airport and take you to your hotel.

Punta Senca Resort features one of the finest Caribbean beaches. The facilities(设施) include garden areas with quiet relaxation space and over two miles of paths for walking and jogging. The beauty of the garden space is improved by thousands of tropical flowers, native sculptures, and three spectacular fountains.

Punta Senca is one of our most family-friendly attractions. One option any family should consider is our Family Package, in which up to two children under ten years old stay and eat free. We know you love your family, but we also know that sometimes different family members prefer different activities. While Mom and Dad are cared for in our Spa and Wellness Center, our friendly staff can help the kids explore the island through a variety of activities including horseback riding, sailing lessons, and bike trips.

Punta Senca also features a variety of restaurants offering exciting dining experiences. We have a steakhouse, a bakery and coffee shop, a home-style Italian restaurant, a seafood restaurant serving fresh-caught fish from local fishermen, and a casual bar and grill for dining on the beach.

Sara P. 09/23/2019

My family and I went to Punta Senca for a week and it was fine. But just that——fine. I really was expecting something a little more special. For example, I was shocked to find the different restaurant options weren’t all open every night of the week. Most nights, only two or three of the restaurants were open. And I really was unimpressed by the food.