【推荐3】Spent all summer exploring the best national parks in the US, and now you’re seeking some cold weather thrills? We suggest taking a break from classic winter activities and taking part in some family-friendly ones instead Head to the best indoor amusement parks in the US, and enjoy your dose of family fun.

During the weeks starting in late March, enjoy sky wheels and merry-go-rounds (旋转木马). While taking some time to digest the corn dogs and carnival favorites you’ll surely be wolfing down, enjoy some music by live bands.

The indoor 115,000 square feet amusement park includes family-friendly rides like a merry-go-rounds, happy swing and dizzy dragons. Classic boardwalk games like whack-a-mole (打地鼠) and balloon darts will make you miss summer days while common arcade (游戏厅) games like skee-ball and air hockey will keep you feeling competitive. Stick around for dinner on Saturdays, and you’ll also enjoy free live music.

Everything’s bigger in Bloomington, including America’s largest indoor theme park, the seven-acre Nickelodeon Universe in the Mall of America Here, your family can enjoy 27 rides that rang from the toddlers Wonder Pet’s Flyboat to the thrilling big kids-only Avatar Airbender. Make sure there’s room on your camera for pictures — your kids are going to want to remember meeting their favorite cartoon characters, including SpongeBob and the Bubble Guppies.

Another stop in Wisconsin Dells is Mt Olympus, a paradise for little ones. With gentle rides perfect for tots — including mini hot air balloons, bi-planes, tea cups and a trolley — your kiddo will be delighted. The alien ball pit is a must-visit, and your older elementary school-aged children will amuse themselves on the climbing wall, bumper cars and the arcade, which includes mini bowling.

【推荐1】Scientists have confirmed the presence of a gray whale off New England in North America recently. The large sea animal disappeared from the Atlantic Ocean two centuries ago. Researchers with the New England Aquarium (水族馆) in Boston found the gray whale on March 1. The whale, which can weigh over 27,000 kilograms, was likely the same animal observed off the coast of Florida last year. Though the gray whale disappeared from the Atlantic Ocean by the 18th century, there have been five observations of the animal in the last 15 years.

They can be identified by the lack of a part of a body often seen on other whales: a back fin. Also, they can be identified by the look which is different from the humpback (座头鲸) and other whales. Gray whales can also be identified by the unusual sounds they make. The researchers said they were not sure at first. But after circling the area for 45 minutes, they were able to take photographs that confirmed it was a gray whale.

Scientists said they were thrilled to see the animal, but its presence probably has to do with the warming of the planet. The Northwest Passage, which connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans through the Arctic Ocean in Canada, has lacked ice in the summer in recent years. That means gray whales can travel through the passage in the summer when normally they would have been blocked. So the animal’s arrival off New England exemplifies the effect of climate change.

Gray whales were almost completely killed off by hunting during the years of commercial whaling. Today, the whales have recovered to the point where they are considered a species of “least concern” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. However, the western whales that live off the coast of Asia still belong to the endangered species.

【推荐2】When birds’ habitat is destroyed, some species don’t make it while others survive. But what happens at the very beginning of the process, just as a bird’s habitat starts to change? Research in Argentina’s Monte Desert has provided some answers. There are lots of trees, bushes, grasses and flowering plants in the protected parts of the desert. With so many options, most seed-eating birds choose to focus on large grass seeds. The birds can get all the energy and nutrients they need with minimal effort.

But when cattle show up to graze the desert’s natural landscape, birds face changes in food supply. Some birds are happy to change their diets in response. But others, not so much. And it’s the ones set in their ways that are at the highest risk. Understanding how birds react to grazing can help researchers solve the problem of those species.

Ecologists from the Argentine Arid Zones Research Institute compared soil samples from the desert’s Nacunan biosphere reserve to samples from two neighboring cattle farms. It was discovered that grass seeds — the birds’ favorites — were just one-quarter as likely to be found on the farms compared with the reserve. Next, they caught birds to see what they were eating. The Common Diuca-Finch and the Rufous-Collared Sparrow had adjusted their diets, choosing to eat their less preferred options on the farms, even while they still focused on large grass seeds in the reserve.

Meanwhile, the Many-Colored Chaco Finch and the Ringed Warbling-Finch were apparently unable to change their diets. Even on the farms, they worked hard to find the few grass seeds available. If they burn more energy searching for food than they get from the few grass seeds they find, they could starve. At best, their inflexible dietary could limit their ability to reproduce or to care for their young.

Studies like this can help predict which species are at higher risk and help farmers protect these poor species, even while allowing their livestock to graze. For example, the farmers can plant new species for their cattle that will also be more delicious and nutritious for local seed-eating birds. The cows won’t care about the menu change — but the birds sure will.

【推荐1】Boston is an excellent place for a family vacation. There are many different fun and educational activities that are sure to interest visitors of all ages.

Explore the New England Aquarium

Located on the waterfront on the north end of the city, the New England Aquarium draws visitors from around the northeast. This aquarium gives visitors the unique opportunity to pet sharks. The aquarium is home to many kinds of sea life, including dolphins, penguins and seals. With ticket prices at $24.95 for adults and $17.95 for children over the age of three, a visit to the aquarium is an affordable addition to any Boston family vacation.

Visit Fenway Park

Whether or not you are a Red Sox fan, a visit to Fenway Park is an absolute must for any Boston family vacation. Baseball is the great American pastime, so if the Red Sox are playing while you are in the city, then you and your family might want to consider getting tickets, buying some hot dogs, and watching one of the best sports displays in the world.

Play at the Boston Children’s Museum

If you have young children in your family, then a Boston family vacation wouldn’t be complete without an afternoon at the Boston Children’s Museum. It is one of the best children’s museums in the nation. It features many different themed rooms, including bubble rooms, construction rooms, a climbing area, and play spaces for little ones who are not yet walking.

Dine at Quincy Market

Quincy Market has long been thought of as the social center of the city of Boston. In fact, Quincy Market was the first public market in the entire Boston. At this marketplace you can shop in more than 100 stores and find the perfect souvenirs. It is also a great place to grab a quick and cheap lunch, dinner or snack.

【推荐3】Some of the most well-known cities in the world have gone through at least one name change. The new names often exhibit shifts of power, or may honor a specific person. Here are some that were once known by other names.

Saigon became Ho Chi Minh City in 1975 when it joined the Gia Dinh Province of Vietnam after the end of the Vietnam War. It was renamed after a previous communist prime minister, as the new name represented the north’s success. However, many people still refer to the city by its original name.

The city formerly known as Bombay officially became Mumbai in 1995 when the Shiv Sena political party rose to power. The Shiv Sena party saw Bombay as a relic of Britain’s colonial legacy (殖民遗产), and Mumbai was just one of many places in the country to receive a non-British name.

Constantine the Great originally gave the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire the name of Constantinople, or “City of Constantine. ” The city went by this name or variations of it even after the Ottomans took it over in 1453; it was formally renamed Istanbul in 1930, not long after the Republic of Turkey was created.

A fire destroyed the city of Oslo in 1624, during King Christian IV’s rule. When the settlement was being rebuilt, King Christian IV insisted on renaming Norway’s largest urban center after himself as Christiania (which later became Kristiania). In 1925, the city’s original name was restored to Oslo.