【推荐1】Say you are a 17th century construction worker who’s worked hard to build a splendid tower for the dead wife of your emperor.

Now say that the emperor orders your fingertips cut off so your can never build another one. Yes, this story is about the Taj Mahal, one of the most famous buildings in the world. And the tale behind the construction is just as impressive as the building itself.

First, there’s the emperor of northern India, Shah Jehan, also called the King of the World. In 1612, Shah Jehan married Mumtaz Mahal. Mad in love, they had 14 children over the next 20 years. But then sadness came. As Mumtaz was about to give birth to child number 14, she said she heard her unborn baby cry out. It was a sign of death. And as Mumtaz lay dying, she asked Jehan to build a lasting memorial (纪念物) to celebrate their love.

The heartbroken Jehan ordered his wife’s dying wish carried out, and more than 20,000 workers worked nearly 22 years to complete the construction. In 1653, Jehan placed Mumtaz’s remains under the center of the building.

Later, son number five, Aurangzeb, murdered his brothers and took over the power from his aging father. Jehan lived the rest of his days, eight years, imprisoned not far from the Taj Mahal. Jehan was only allowed to climb onto the top of his prison to see the timeless treasure from a distance. But never again would he be allowed to visit it until he was buried next to his wife.

Today, 25,000 people visit the Taj Mahal each day. Though the reason for building the tower was a strange and sad story, people who see its breath-taking beauty are reminded of the happiness that inspired its construction.

【推荐2】Welcome to the State Park!

Where fun, fitness, and education come together!

Don't miss our new summer classes, which are available during May 23—Aug 5

●Swimming lessons: Age4—adult. Cost: $5 per class or $15 for one month.

●Hiking: Have a park keeper hike with you through our paths and teach you about the park's wildlife and plants. The park is a perfect spot for hiking.

●Soccer: Our youth soccer program is unusual and non-competitive. Different teams are formed every day. The focus is on each player learning to work as a team, not on one team winning it at all.

●Boating: These classes are only for 20-year-olds and above. Fishing is only allowed with a permit.

●Bicycling: We have special paths built for bicyclists. Signs are posted for self-guided tours of our park.

Group cycling is also available with a park guide. Paths range from easy to challenging.

A message from the director:

Hiking paths! Sports fields! Playgrounds! Campgrounds! Fun activities! The Stake Park offers something for everyone. We have a number of plants and animals, which are in danger of dying out, being protected in our park. Sign up for one of our new summer community classes, or take a camping trip with your friends or family. Our facilities are set up with modern systems, so you don't have to suffer to enjoy nature—unless you want to!

Experience being a park keeper:

Are you 13-17 years old? Ever wonder what it would be like to be a park keeper? It's a competitive field, but you can get ahead by volunteering with our Teen Keeper Program. Depending on your age and responsibilities, you can even earn college credits for certain universities!

【推荐1】As we all know, science is blooming more strongly than ever. Recently, NASA astronaut Scott Kelly showed a photo of the orange zinnia (百日菊)on Twitter. It is the first flower to ever bloom in space and has attracted much attention all over the world. This may be the most exciting news in the field of science. The zinnia in the picture is so beautiful and looks similar to that on earth. Kelly cared for it for more than a month.

The Veggie plant growth facility chose the zinnia flower species because it has a longer growth cycle. As a result, it can help scientists understand how plants flower and develop in microgravity(微重力).

“While the plants haven’t grown perfectly, ” said Gioia Massa, NASA science team leader for Veggie, “I think we have gained a lot from this, and we are learning both more about plants and fluids and also how better to operate between ground and the station. ”

This was not the first time that scientists had attempted to grow zinnia in space. Other astronauts aboard the International Space Station ( ISS ) began growing the colorful flowers last year. However, due to high humidity (湿度)and low air movement in space, the zinnia leaked (渗透)water out of the tips of the leaves. What was worse, the spread of harmful bacteria was destroying its growth badly. Kelly then took over the operation and began taking care of the zinnia as he would in his own garden.

The ISS also successfully grew red romaine lettuce in July 2015. Kelly even took a bite of the harvested plants and posted the photo on his Twitter. NASA’s new experiment using the Veggie plant growth system will be started later. Astronauts will attempt to grow Chinese cabbages. The space agency will then attempt to grow dwarf tomatoes in 2018.

【推荐3】In space, there is no up or down. Without the gravity that we experience on Earth, as-tronauts and everything else on a spaceship float freely.

Humans can experience the sense of zero gravity without going into space. How？A zero-gravity flight. When an airplane flies in a lot of parabolas（抛物线）, a man-made zero-gravity environment is set up. Everything in the plane floats, even passengers.

Gravity has an effect on everything from the human body and mind to the behavior of plants and the way machines run. Space travel is expensive and dangerous. But zero-gravity flights let scientists conduct experiments in an environment that mimics（模拟） the conditions of space. On each of its research trip, Zero-G flies about 30 parabolas, each of which creates a period of weightlessness that lasts about 30 seconds. Nikolaus Kuhn of the University of Ba-sel, in Switzerland, flew with Zero-G. He was conducting an experiment about soil and the flow of water on Mars. The Red Planet has about one-third of the gravity that Earth has. This means water flows more slowly on Mars. By making the parabolas less steep, zero-gravity flights can make the feeling of Martian gravity. Flying with Zero-G has been necessary for Kuhn’s research. “It is the only chance, other than going to Mars, to mimic movement of water as it would be on Mars,” he told TFK.

For years, NASA used zero-gravity flights to prepare and train astronauts. “I have not been to space,” Peters of Zero-G says, “But I have been told by astronauts that zero-gravity feels exactly the same.” As humans continue to explore the universe beyond Planet Earth, zero-gravity flights will remain an important and fun tool. “It never gets old,” Peters says “I would do it every weekend for the rest of my life if I could.”