【推荐2】Four books about kings and queens

From Queen Cleopatra to King Charles Ⅲ, read up on these famous rulers.

King Charles Ⅲ by Andrea Mills

Illustrated by Jennie Poh (DK)

Celebrate the coronation (加冕) of King Charles I with this illustrated book, which tells the story of the King’s life. Beginning with his childhood, it includes lots of fascinating facts and will get you to know about what being King might really be like.

Queens: 3,000 Years of the Most Powerful Women in History by Victoria Crossman (Scholastic)

Be inspired by stories of women rulers from across the centuries. Full of brilliant illustrations, this book features lots of queens, including Cleopatra, Queen Nanny of Jamaica and Queen Elizabeth Ⅱ. It gives lots of rich details of their lives — pets, homes, clothes and much more.

Arthur: The Always King by Kevin Crossley-Holland

Illustrated by Chris Riddell (Walker Books)

Discover the stories of one of the most famous rulers, in the collected legends (传说) of King Arthur. These old tales of kings, queens, warriors, wizards, monsters and magic have been retold, with lots of beautiful artwork from brilliant illustrator Chris Riddell.

The Queen’s Wardrobe by Julia Golding

Illustrated by Kate Hindley (Macmillan Children’s)

This lovely book tells the story of Queen Elizabeth Ⅱ by exploring her clothes and jewellery. It introduces us to splendid gowns (长袍), her wedding dress, the Crown Jewels and her trusty shoes. It’s an unusual and fun way to learn about our former queen’s life.

【推荐3】My 14-year-old son has been attracted by fantasy adventure novels since primary school. When asked why during a talk, he explained that those stories get imagination going, making himself think more about the world. The talk with him encourages me to recommend four wonderful books to teens.

Kiki Kallira Breaks a Kingdom

Kiki Kallira has always been a worrier. When her anxiety has been getting out of control, one thing that always makes her feel better is drawing. Kiki keeps drawing and her sketchbook is full of fanciful characters of Indian legends (传说) her mother has told her since childhood. When her drawings come to life, she enters the fantasy world she created to save her real world.

Clarice the Brave

Topics of friendship, family, and overcoming previous prejudices are at the heart of this animal adventure tale. A young mouse, Clarice, gets separated from her brother Charles after a fight in the ship. Clarice finds herself on a lifeboat while Charles remains on the ship. As struggling to find each other across the sea, they learn the true meaning of bravery.

The Phantom Tollbooth

When Milo gets bored, he goes through a tollbooth that strangely appears in his room which magically leads him to meet new friends like Tock and go on the adventure-filled exploration of a lifetime. Full of humorous and figurative puns (双关语), the tale interests today’s young readers.

Circus Mirandus

Micah wants to help his dying grandfather reconnect with the magical Circus Mirandus that he remembers from his youth. Micah believes his grandfather’s stories and sets out to find Light Bender, a circus member who promised a miracle (奇迹) to his grandfather. This story perfectly mixes fantasy with true emotions related to family and friendship.

【推荐1】Are you tired of the present boring life? Don’t worry. For anyone looking for thrills and excitement, welcome to head on over to New Zealand, which is the home of adventure tourism. You can lose yourself in the adventurous world.

Ziplining(高空滑索)

Zip your way past awesome harbour views on Waiheke Island, have a fascinating wilderness experience through the treetops in Rotorua or fly through the air in thick rainforest on the West Coast tree tops. Admire the Remarkables mountain range in Queenstown, or combine ziplining with river drifting (漂流) and glow worms on the West Coast. It’s the perfect combination of delight, nature and speed.

Heli-skiing

Heli-skiing is for adventurers who are seeking pure excitement and freedom in fresh powder snow. Take a scenic flight to the top of the mountain, make your own downhill tracks as you ski your way back down on the guided heli-ski adventure.

Off-road driving

Fasten the safety belt, hold tight and head out on a scenic wilderness off-road adventure on one of New Zealand’s back-country roads and tracks. Are you electric with enthusiasm? Or why not try your luck on the enormous sand hills of the popular Ninety Mile Beach in Northland?

Caving

Featuring some of the most challenging and spectacular caving systems in the world, New Zealand is top of the list for cavers. Walk or float (black-water rafting as it is referred to)through the spectacular Waitomo Caves or enjoy guided underground adventures in Nelson.

【推荐2】Four Places to Go in Bogota

Wilborada 1047 Bookstore

Since opening in 2013, this homey bookstore with floor-to-ceiling shelves has become a beloved neighborhood meeting spot. Set inside a three-story building with a wooden staircase on which you can read, it’s the kind of place that makes you want to stay. The bookstore has a full schedule of author readings, lectures and other literary events.

Las Heroinas

This shop is owned by four sisters - one of whom also runs the attached La Manola ceramic studio. The shop, which opened in 2015, carries high-quality, made-in-Colombia products such as geometric vases,pendant lamps and dishware,plus furnishings like colorful embroidered(绣花的）chairs.

Nueve

Set inside an old house, this restaurant opened in 2009 and serves a variety of small plates that put innovative (革新的） twists on local ingredients — all listed on a cloth menu that doubles as a napkin. Many of the dishes are inspired by the chef’s travels abroad. There are two dining areas,both of which provide views of the open kitchen. There’s also a speakeasy-style bar, perfect for a pre-or post-dianer cocktail.

Abasto

Ever since this cafe opened in 2014, there’s been no need to wait in line for breakfast at the original location in the historic neighborhood of Usaquen. The coffee comes from the Colombian countryside; the bread is baked in-house daily; and the arepa options are plenty, stuffed with fillings like eggs, cheese and meat. Don’t miss the cake, honey and jam.

【推荐3】These science-themed field trips will offer you fantastic experiences.

Explore London’s notable sites of scientific interest along the River Thames, starting at Kew Bridge and walking to the Thames Barrier during the day with talks in the evening with some professors.

Visit the London Wetland Centre, Kew Gardens, Battersea Power Station, and the Greenwich Observatory. You will never be far from the river as you experience a wide range of topics including wildlife, medicine, power generation, engineering, physics and astronomy.

Discover Edinburgh and Glasgow’s most famous scientific thinkers, and learn how their ideas supported our emerging understanding of the world from the 16th century onwards.

Enjoy expert talks and explore key sites from the Scottish Enlightenment (启蒙). Learn about the wide cast of advocates and hear from guest speakers, take part in walking seminars (研讨会) and enjoy several museum trips, as well as visits to two industrial wonders, the Falkirk Wheel and the Whitelee Windfarm.

Involve yourself in the early human periods the Bronze and Iron Ages. A gentle walking tour that explores the pre-historic origins and evidence across Wiltshire and Dorset.

Visit several National Trust, English Heritage and UNESCO listed sites including Stonehenge and Maiden Castle and hear talks from the directors of the Wiltshire and Salisbury museums.

【推荐1】Eleven years ago, Ms. Liivand moved to Miami, Florida, where she continued swimming in the ocean. In one training session, she nearly wound up swallowing (吞) some plastic that was floating in the sea.

That experience made her think of all the sea animals facing similar pollution every day. She decided she wanted to work to make people more aware of plastic pollution.

She began swimming with a special single swimming fin attached to both of her feet. This rubbery “monofin” (单鱼鳍) allows her to swim by kicking both of her legs together. “Swimming without using my arms is similar to how dolphins swim,” says Ms. Liivand. She believes that swimming with a monofin “sends a bigger message”.

Ms. Liivand first set the world record for swimming with a monofin in 2019 off the coast of California. In 2020, she broke the record again in Miami, Florida. A year later, she set a new Guinness World Record again in Florida. For the last year, Ms. Livand has been getting up at 4 every day, putting on her monofin, and going swimming. To help improve her strength, she sometimes even pulled other people in the water.

On May 7, Ms. Liivand broke the record once more, this time swimming the length of a full marathon. It took her 11 hours and 54 seconds to swim 26. 2 miles. The water was rough, and she ran into a few problems, but she didn’t stop. “I got hurt by jellyfish,” she said, “And kept telling myself that it was not the time to cry.”

To keep her energy up, a friend followed her in a kayak (皮艇) and gave her food and water from time to time. Along the way, Ms. Liivand picked up all the trash she found and put it in the kayak. By the end of her marathon, the kayak held three bags full of trash.

【推荐3】GREAT BOOKS TO TEACH CHILDREN ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE

Here is a shortened list of books sponsored by the magazines TIME and TIME for Kids that are suitable for primary schoolers. To make the list, we considered how age-appropriate the material was, and whether the tone and story line left the reader feeling engaged and empowered rather than anxious or confused.

Experts recommend the youngest kids to read books that explore the beauty and fragility (脆弱) of nature. When developing an appreciation for the world around them, they can switch to books that show the cause and effect of how humans treat our planet, and why it’s important to respect the environment. For older primary school kids, picture books can illustrate how our use of fossil (化石) fuels contributes to global warming. Most of the books on the list also offer lessons about how children, families, schools, and communities can make a difference.

THANK YOU, EARTH: A LOVE LETTER TO OUR PLANET By April Pulley Sayre This photography book shows to us plants, animals and landscapes in vivid colors and descriptions. From up-close images of insects to pictures of mountain ranges, the pages introduce children to the planets’ diversity in a simple but effective way.	THE LORAX By Dr. Seuss Thanks to its rhyme, and whimsical illustration, this classic tale is suitable for young children who can grasp the scarcity of natural resources, and also older kids who can see a danger in valuing profits over long-term environmental harm.
WE ARE WATER PROTECTORS By Carole Lindstrom A tribute to native tribes that are protecting the planet, this book vividly shows the harms of oil pipelines. Kids will see the value of community action, while adults will recognize the story of the native tribes Standing Rock Sioux’s fight against the Dakota Access Pipeline.	POLAR BEAR, WHY IS YOUR WORLD MELTING? By Robert E. Wells This book introduces the greenhouse effect with illustrations showing how sunlight gets trapped. It then explains fossil-fuel energy, and our reliance on it for electricity and transportation. The pages are full of science.