【推荐2】Why do we go to zoos? Millions of people around the world visit zoos each year, but the reason is hard to explain .    1     But the animals they see in zoos are little like the toys, cartoons, and decorations that fill their homes. For such children, meeting with real animals can be confusing, even upsetting.

The great interest that children have in animals today might lead one to suppose that this has always been the case.     2    That was also when zoos became an important part of middle-class life.

    3    They lived together with our ancestors in a shared natural environment. In the Industrial Era, the human domination (支配)of animals could be seen in the popularity of real-looking animal toys. Children rode rocking-horses that had realistic features, and they slept with bears, tigers, and rabbits that looked and felt almost real. The Twentieth Century marked a further development--the change of animals into people.

This was the age of Babar the Elephant, Hello Kitty, and the Lion King. Parents and children had previously wanted animals that looked like animals.    4    .

In a zoo they hope to see the living breathing versions of their character friends. They find instead unfamiliar creatures who cannot speak, smile, or interact with them. For this reason, a visit to the zoo can be disappointing for children today.    5     Meeting real animals reminds us forcefully of the boundary between imagination and reality.

When we visit animals in a zoo, perhaps we will recall our true relationship not only to animals but to the entire world.

【推荐1】Down in Oaxaca, Mexico, there is a special festival on December 23^rd called la Noche de Rábanos, or the Night of the Radishes (萝卜之夜). Every year, people from all over the state display their amazing radish sculptures. Both Oaxacans and tourists wait excitedly for the 23^rd, and line up starting in the afternoon to see the year’s art.

Over a hundred years ago, there was a market held on December 23^rd called la Vigila de Navidad. It was a special Christmas market for people to buy ingredients, decorations, and so on. Vendors (摊贩) at this market would carve (雕刻) radishes to decorate their stalls. The carved radishes became very popular, and people started to buy them as Christmas decorations. Over the years, it is said, the vendors would compete to see who could make the best sculptures. Finally the tradition has become today’s yearly festival which draws tourists from all over the world.

The radishes used in the festival are bigger than normal (up to 3kg), and are harvested just a week beforehand. There are two types of sculptures: traditional designs and “free” designs. The traditional designs include Christmas scenes or designs related to Oaxaca. Free designs can be anything, but sometimes include famous people and animals. There are also two other types of plant sculptures, one made from flowers, another made from cornhusk.

As you walk through the rows of radish art you’ll hear live music, and you can even see fireworks at the end. Close by there is delicious street food, Christmas markets, and many galleries and stores, all decorated with lights.

For people wanting to travel for Christmas, Oaxaca is an excellent place to visit. There are lots of different events along with the Night of the Radishes. The weather in December is usually warm (20°C on average), and the sky is often sunny and cloudless. It’s a perfect vacation place for people coming from wintery climates.

【推荐2】Environmental issues are among the most pressing concerns of seaside cities around the world that hope to find a solution through technological innovation for the growing problem.

In an interview, Annika Olsen, former prime minister of the Faroe Islands and current mayor of its capital Torshavn, expressed severe concerns about global warming. “The weather is getting warmer and the temperature of the sea is increasing, which poses a huge challenge to us as a fishery nation,” Olsen said. Faroe Islands fishery export accounts for 98 percent of the total exports, said Olsen, adding that warming of the sea is a challenge to the economy as to the environment. “We are very vulnerable to changes in the climate,” Olsen said, pointing out that “We have more rain and more extreme weather, and the snow is actually gone during wintertime.”

Olsen was one of over 300 mayors from about 70 countries around the world who participated in international conference MUNI EXPO this year, which was held in Tel Aviv. The city of Tel Aviv is noted as an innovative global center, which could be beneficial for cities devoting themselves to reducing global warming effects. Besides the mayors, about 8,000 participants took part in the annual international innovation convention, sponsored by the Federation of Local Authorities in Israel (FLAI).

“Each town or city is unique, but many of the challenges we face are shared,” Haim Bibas, chairman of FLAI and mayor of Modiin, said. “Coastal cities must deal with the burden of beach tourism, pollution from the sea, the destruction of reefs and rising sea levels and flooding, securing ports and coastal borders.” All cities must protect infrastructure (基础设施), ensure the high quality of air in urban areas, provide smart solutions for global warming, and invest in green energy, he added.

About 170 companies showed their unique technology at the exhibition part of the conference. Mindaugas, president of the Association of Local Authorities in Lithuania, said that there were more technologies focusing on the environment, and that could make the cities more sustainable.

【推荐3】Nobody likes waiting in long lines at amusement parks, especially when you are with babies. Disneyland or Disney World are known for their splendid rides, attractions and large crowds as well. The familiar result is that many guests have spent a lot of time just waiting on lines while visiting the theme parks, which annoys the majority.

Until recently, both parks have made use of the FastPass system to keep guests moving. On certain rides, park-goers could obtain a ticket that allowed them to come back within a specific time window. At that point, they would wait on a special line for seating. As explained in a recent YouTube share, the system worked similarly to a real queue. Instead of waiting in line, guests could continue to explore the park and, most importantly for Disney, spend more money at shops and restaurants.

While the FastPass system became popular, usage ended during the recent pandemic (流行病). With both the California and Florida theme parks operating at reduced visiting number, the space taken up by FastPass kiosks was instead used for socially distanced lines.

In its place, Disney has developed a new planning tool called Disney Genie. The online app, which became available in Disney World in October, allows guests to create a path for their visit. By using park data that’s updated throughout the day, the app will help guests plan out their visit so that they can hit the rides and attractions that they want in the most convenient way. Guests using the app pay an extra fee and get the option to book the next available time to ride select attractions.