【推荐1】Resorts of every kind have sprung up to cater to the Englishman need to spend a part of the year, however briefly, by the seaside. No town in Britain is more than eighty miles from the sea and there are seaside resorts all round the coast. On a summer Sunday most of the roads that lead to the sea axe congested (拥挤) with cars full of people eager to get a breath of sea air. In the evening when everyone is full of food, ice-cream and lollipops, there is the long slow drive home on roads crowded with returning cars.

Brighton is one of the best-known south coast resorts and is very popular for day trip excursions. It is only fifty miles from London and can be reached by fast train in an hour. At the weekend the pebbled beaches are thronged with people sunbathing or picking their way to the water’s edge for a dip.

Located a hundred miles from London, the beaches are wide and sandy. White houses line the cliff tops and narrow valleys, densely wooded with pine trees, reach down to the shore. The area near to the town of Torquay on the Devon coast is sometimes called Britains Riviera and the climate is so mild that palm trees grow along the sea front.

On the north-west coast, a popular resort for the people in the industrial north, Blackpool is a gay, noisy town, famous for its amusement facilities and the magical lights. At night people travel from miles around to see the extravaganza of lights decorating the sea front.

On the east coast at the mouth of the Thames, Southend is, like Brighton, one of the favorite resorts of Londoners. The pier here is the longest in Britain and offers a great variety of differing entertainments.

【推荐2】Short Story Contest

Want to see your story published in Writers’ Forum?

Three great prizes for every issue: 1st £ 300 2nd £150 3rd £100

All types of story are welcome, be it crime, comedy, romance, thriller, literary, horror, or science fiction.

• Stories must be between 1,000 and 3,000 words.

• Entry fee is £ 6 or just £ 3 for subscribers.

• If your story is placed you will be notified and we will ask you to send a photo of yourself and a brief biography via email.

Optimal feedback for just £ 5.

Our judge Lorraine Mace can provide a page of personalized critique to help you improve your writing. The fee is just £ 5. You will receive feedback by email if you enter online or please include a stamped addressed envelope if you are entering by post.

To enter online.

Entering online is the easiest and greenest option. Please choose one of the following links to be taken to the secure website to pay by card:

• Subscriber entry(£ 3)

• Subscriber entry with critique (£ 8)

• Non-subscriber entry (£ 6)

• Non-subscriber entry with critique (£ 11)

To enter, send an email with your story attached as a Word-compatible file C. doc or .docx or .rtf). At the start give your name, address, phone number, email address, story title and word count. The address to send your entry to is: storycomp@writers- forum.com. Your entry will be forwarded to the judges as soon as all fees have been paid and your subscriber status has been confirmed. To subscribe now, please click here.

Free workshop!

Each month Lorraine Mace selects illustrative examples to use in her workshop to show readers how to improve their writing. If you would like your story to be considered, please state this clearly in your email entry.

Rolling competition.

This is a rolling competition which means that entries received after one issue’s cutoff point are simply placed in the next contest.

【推荐2】For many of us, going to college is a right of passage that eventually takes us into the adult world of responsibility, knowledge, money and opportunity.     1     But as a whole, studies clearly show the more educated we are, the more productive we are in society and life. Below are the top four reasons to go to college.

Become more knowledgeable in several areas. Almost every degree in college will require that you study some major subjects, such as English, math and communication skills. These skills are likely to help you in your future career.     2     For example, the ability to speak in front of a group of people may be something you use in volunteer work for organizations or in groups of friends.

    3     College is often a mix of many different people from many different walks of life. Since you will likely work with many different personalities and ethnicities when you begin your career, college can help prepare you for this.

Gain independence.     4     This can make the transition from home to living on your own much less stressful and more gradual. Participating in various youth activities can help students begin to learn the skills needed to live on their own.

Broaden your horizons. If you want to study subjects like philosophy and sociology—topics that are interesting but don't lead clearly to one particular occupation—college can be a good place.     5     Beyond the classroom, college presents an opportunity to intellectually develop, meet new people and see new places.

【推荐2】Homework is made up of out-of-class activities and at-home activities teachers assign to students. It can include practice assignments that emphasize newly acquired skills.     1     Projects that have to be worked on in agreement with schoolwork also form a part of homework.

    2     For example, to complete their homework in time, children start dividing their time into studying and playing, thus learning to complete their scheduled tasks within the time they have. They learn to do things on their own. They manage their time and complete their work independently.

Homework can also help build up children’s confidence.     3     Teachers’ positive remarks can help develop students’ confidence and encourage them to keep up with their good work.

In addition, homework gives students a chance to learn from their mistakes and overcome their weakness. It provides them with a platform to express what they know or have newly found, and exhibit their talents.     4     This helps them improve their academic results.

However, to be as beneficial to students as possible, homework should be assigned properly. The amount and difficulty level of homework assignments should match the ages and abilities of students.     5     Homework proves to be beneficial only if it does not put students under stress or pressure.

【推荐1】San Francisco Bus Tour

Ferry Building (Tour Start Location)

The Ferry Building is the start of all of tours. Here you will meet up with your tour guide and the rest of the group. Do give yourself extra time to check out the Ferry Building before your tour. Remember you will meet your tour guide outside in front of the Ferry Building (20 minutes ahead)

Duration of stop: 30 minutes

Restroom: Yes

Palace of Fine Arts (Go inside)

As the only building remaining from San Franciscos 1915 World’s Fair, it is the most popular place in the city for wedding photos! You will see how its beauty is reflected in the late in front.

Duration of stop: 30 minutes

Restrooms: Not available

Alamo Square Park (Famous Victorian Homes)

This San Francisco park is a popular place because it is home to those famous Victorian Homes known as postcard Row. Your tour guide will tell you about the history of Alamo Square as well as many movies and TV shows made there. Make your own postcard row picture on this wonderful tour trip.

Duration of stop: 12 minutes

Restrooms: None

Sausalito-via Ferry Cruise (One Hour for Exploring)

You will board Ferry Cruise to (or from) among all of our 5-hour- tours. On the Ferry Cruise, you will see Alcatraz and Angel Island, Golden Gate Bridge and Bay Bridge from inside the bay. Sausalito is a beautiful town with houses on the hillsides overlooking the water. Many restaurants, cafes, clothing shops and art galleries line streets.

Duration of stop: 12 minutes.

Restrooms: Yes.

【推荐2】Are you in the mood for a luxury, forested or elegant place where you can hunker down with your loved one for Valentine's Day — or whenever? Here are some ideas for love nests.

Cape Town is the continent's hottest happening city, and One & Only is the place to be for luxurious lodging. It's in the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, within walking distance of great shopping, galleries and restaurants. You may be reluctant to leave the hotel, though: It has one of the best spas in the city, along with three restaurants, including Africa's first Nobu. The hotel also houses NEO, which sells South Africa's hippest designer fashions.

The hotel spa has all the latest features, including a cutting-edge gym, a vitality pool (it takes a whirlpool to the next level) and a "mood-boosting" Ice Fountain, which use varying water temperatures, aromas, soothing music and relaxing colored lights to rid you of stress.

Info: One & Only, Dock Road, Cape Town; 011-27-21-431-5800, capetown.oneandonlyresorts.com. Doubles from $662 a night; includes full buffet breakfast.

Tamarack is a great escape for all tastes and all seasons, with something for nearly every budget. It's just a mile from Mammoth Mountain Ski Area and 2 1/2 miles from downtown Mammoth Lakes; it's private and woodsy but still handy to activities.

Accommodations include European-style guest rooms, with antique beds and quilts, in the historic lodge; free-standing historic cabins; and luxurious cabins as well as fireplaces and living rooms.

Info: Tamarack Lodge, 163 Twin Lakes Road, Mammoth Lakes; (800) 626-6684, www.tamaracklodge.com; doubles from $89.

The Ritz, built in 1953 and originally known as the DiLido, was one of most fashionable hotels . If you are looking to indulge, hire a personal shopper to take you to the boutiques, or rent a daybed by the huge pool or a Ritz cabana at the DiLido Beach Club, only a short stroll away.

If you're hungry, get a table outside at the hotel's highly rated Bistro One LR, which serves Spanish Riviera cuisine. If you're looking to venture out into the Miami scene, Macchialina, with reasonably priced classic Italian cuisine, is the ticket. Order a Coco Before Chanel cocktail and tuck into dishes even tastier than Mama used to make.

Info: Ritz-Carlton, South Beach, 1 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach; (786) 276-4000, lat.ms/1K13fgD. Doubles from $549.

Think of the Modern as more jet-set Hawaii, offering an usual beach experience. Slightly removed from the noise of Waikiki, the Modern overlooks the Ala Wai Yacht Harbor, with the surf break of Waikiki beyond.

The Sunrise Pool looks like a scene out of Ibiza on the Mediterranean, with rest rooms set in the water and women drifting around in gauzy（纱似的） cover-ups. The amazing Sunset Pool — it's a man-made lagoon （泻湖）surrounded by 100 tons of sand — is for adult guests。

If this is not your scene, escape to your room, decorated mostly in white and where the music does not reach. There are several in-house restaurants, the best is by celebrity chef Masaharu Morimoto, of "Iron Chef" fame, who mixes Japanese and Western ingredients into melt-in-your-mouth masterpieces.

Info: The Modern, 1775 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu; (855) 970-4161, www.themodernhonolulu.com. Doubles from $349.