【推荐3】I was born at Blunderstone, in Suffolk, in the east of England, and was given my poor father’s name, David Copperfield. Sadly, he never saw me and died six months before I was born. My early childhood was extremely happy, as my beautiful mother and kind Peggotty took care of me. But when I was about eight, a shadow passed over my happiness. My mother often went out walking, in her best clothes, with a gentleman called Mr Murdstone. He seemed to be very fond of my mother. But I knew that Peggotty did not like him.

A few months later Peggotty told me that my mother was going to have a short holiday with some friends. Meanwhile Peggotty and I would go to stay with her brother Daniel in Yarmouth，on the east coast, for two weeks. I spent a wonderfully happy two weeks there, playing all day on the beach with Emily, and sleeping in my own little bed on the ship. I am sure I was in love with little Emily in my childish way, and I cried bitterly when we had to say goodbye at the end of the holiday.

But on the way home to Blunderstone, Peggotty looked at me very worriedly. ‘she said suddenly in a trembling voice.‘I must tell you—While we’ve been away, your dear mother—has married Mr Murdstone！He’s your stepfather now!’

I was deeply shocked. I could not understand how my mother could have married that man. And when we arrived home, I went straight to my room and lay sobbing on my bed, which made my poor mother very unhappy too. As she sat beside me, holding my hand, Mr Murdstone suddenly came in.

What’s this, Chara, my love?’ he asked sternly. ‘Remember, you must be firm with the boy！I’ve told you before, you’re too weak with him!’ And when mother left the room, Mr Murdstone whispered angrily to me, ‘David, do you know what I’ll do if you don’t obey me？I’ll beat you like a dog!’ I was still very young, and I was very frightened of him. If he had said one kind word to me, perhaps I would have liked and trusted him, and my life would have been different. Instead, I hated him for the influence he had over my dear mother, who wanted to be kind to me, but also wanted to please her new husband．

【推荐1】When I was growing up, I had an old neighbor named Dr. Gibbs. He didn’t look like any doctor I’d ever known. He never yelled at us for playing in his yard. When Dr. Gibbs wasn’t saving lives, he was planting trees. His house sat on ten acres, and his life’s goal was to make it a forest.

The good doctor had some interesting theories about plant care and growth. He never watered his new trees as others did. Once I asked why. He said that watering plants spoiled them and that if you water them each successive tree generation would grow weaker and weaker. So you have to make things tough for them and weed out the weaker trees early on. He talked about how watering trees made for shallow roots, and how trees that weren’t watered had to grow deep roots in search of moisture. I thought he meant that deep roots were to be treasured.

So he never watered his new trees. He planted an oak and, instead of watering it every morning, he beat it with a rolled-up newspaper. Smack! Slap! Pow! I asked him why he did that, and he said it was to get the tree’s attention.

Dr. Gibbs passed away a couple of years after I left home. Every now and again, I walked by his house and looked at the trees that I’d watched him plant some twenty five years ago. They’re extremely tall, big and robust since they have deep roots now. However, the trees in my garden trembled in a cold wind although I had watered them for several years.

It seems that adversity and suffering benefit these trees while comfort and ease never could. I stood there, deep in thought.

Every night before I go to bed, I check on my two sons. I often pray for them. Mostly I pray that their lives will be easy. But I think that it’s time to change my prayers because now I know my children are going to encounter hardship.

【推荐2】On a comfortable sunny Sunday, I was going to meet an old university friend I hadn't seen for years, and was really excited to hear all his news. My train was running a little late, but that was no big problem 一 I could text him to say I would be delayed. He would understand. But.. . where was my mobile phone? I had that familiar sinking feeling. Yes, I'd left it at home.

No mobile phone . I'm sure I'm not alone in feeling anxious, on edge and worried when I don't have my phone with me. In fact, I know I'm not alone: two-thirds of us experience this “ nomophobia".

That’s according to a study which surveyed 1,000 people in the UK about their relationship with mobile phones, which says we check our mobile phones 34 times a day, that women are more "nomophobic" than men, and that 18-24-year-olds are the most likely to suffer fear of being without their mobiles: 77% of them say they are unable to be apart from their phones for more than a few minutes.

Do you have " Homophobia” ？

•You never turn your phone off.

•You obsessively （着迷似地）check for texts, missed calls and emails.

•You always take your phone to the bathroom with you.

•You never let the battery run out.

It's funny to think that around 20 years ago the only people with mobile phones would be businesspersons carrying their large, plastic "bricks”. Of course, these days, mobile phones are everywhere. Its subscriptions has outnumbered people across the world.

And when there are more phones than people in the world, maybe it's time to ask who really is in charge? Are you in control of your phone, or does your phone control you? So, what happened with my university friend? When I arrived a few minutes late he just laughed and said： "You haven't changed at all 一 still always late!” And we had a great afternoon catching up, full of jokes and stories, with no interruptions and no nagging (唠叨的）desire to check my phone.

Not having it with me felt strangely liberating. Maybe I'll leave it at home on purpose next time.

【推荐1】Antarctica, the great white continent and one of the last true wilderness areas on earth-largely unchanged since the early explorers, is home to the world's greatest concentration of wildlife.

Antarctica Expeditions

We offer an extensive list of trips to Antarctica at the best price. You may choose the trip which you like best among our various trips, according to your needs, in terms of price, duration and the type of excursion（短途旅行）.

The Antarctic season goes from late October to March.

CRUISES	FLIGHTS
AIR-CRUISES	SAILBOATS
CRUISES Cruises to Antarctic Peninsula, Polar Circle, Weddell Sea, South Georgia, Falkland Island and mid-Atlantic Islands. Budget from $4,720 to $21,499 Length from 9 to 32 days
FLIGHTS Fly from Punta Arenas, Chile to Antarctica or to the very South Pole. Budget from $5,400 to $68,500 Length from 1 to 9 days
AIR-CRUISES Combine both sailing and flying-flying to or from Antarctica takes around 2.5 hours, making you save the 2.5-day navigation across the Drake Passage that is made in a regular cruise. Budget from $3,995 to $19,795 Length from 5 to 9 days
SAILBOATS Sail to Antarctica on board of sailboats with a capacity of 9 or 48 passengers. Budget from $7,750 to $11,600 Length from 22 to 59 days

If you're looking to experience one of the most attractive and untouched regions of the world in an unhurried way away from the crowds, we have got a trip for you!

【推荐2】Music has a great effect on everyone. But does music affect plants, too? People have been experimenting with music for almost three decades. From school-level projects to higher-level scientific experiments, the effect of music on plants has been a confusing and debatable topic.

We know music is sound and sound is nothing more than a wave. Plant growth is a result of the cell division that takes place within the cells. But why is music associated with plant growth? In humans, music has a strong effect on our health and mood, and over the years, people have claimed that the same effect has been observed on plants, too. Plants are sensitive by nature, and many people claim that they have feelings just as humans do. There are stories about plants shedding tears. Although scientists do not support these as facts, these myths have led them to take up various experiments on plants.

Various studies have proved that plants respond to acoustic (音响的) energy. It increases their rate of growth and their size, and influences their overall health. Dan Carlson, after a thorough study over a span of many years, has reached a conclusion that music helps plants absorb nutrients(养分) more efficiently.

It took Dan about fifteen years to develop a foliage spray (叶面喷剂) that is used beneficially with the sound frequencies. Carlson calls this spray “Sonic Bloom”. His findings have proved to be beneficial for countless farmers and have resulted in－according to Guinness Book of World Records－the largest indoor plant on record.

The Purple Passion was treated with the Sonic Bloom process. It grew to be 1,300 feet tall and was alive even after 25 years. Its normal lifespan(寿命), however, is 18 months and it grows not more than 18 feet tall. The book, Secret of the Soil, writes about Sonic Bloom and its results. Sonic Bloom is also sold in the market.

【推荐1】Have you ever had trouble pronouncing a common English word correctly or finding English practice partners in your own city or country? If so, the following four American English pronunciation apps will help.

Say It: Pronunciation

Users of this app developed by Oxford University Press can practice more than 35,000 words. It can record your voice and then create a waveform from your voice, which you can compare to that of the model speaker. A marker shows which part of each word to stress.

The app offers a free version. But its usability is limited. You would need to buy the paid version to get full use of the app, which costs $6.99.

ELSA Speak

ESLA Speak uses artificial intelligence(AI) to act as your, own pronunciation teacher. This app offers a speaking test with detailed results and a score. And its AI software lets you have conversations with the computer and get assessment.

The app has a free 7-day trial version. After that, you would need to pay for the full version. Prices range from $0.99 to $99.

Accent Training

This app centers on a few important elements of pronunciation, including reduced speech, intonation and connected speech.

The app is free, but unwanted ads show up often. You can choose whether to pay $2.99 to remove them.

English Pronunciation Tutor

This app developed by Language Arts Press is useful if there are specific sounds in English that give you continuous trouble.

The app is free for the first unit only. After that, you would pay $5.99 to activate the full version.

None of these apps can replace real-life speaking practice. But if you are in serious need of pronunciation support, try them.

【推荐2】Something you may not know about End of Heat

The traditional Chinese lunar calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms. End of Heat is the 14th solar term of the year, which implies that most parts in China are getting rid of the hot summer and entering autumn. But in some areas, especially in South China, autumn is late in coming and people are still bothered by hot weather. End of Heat is also the busy harvest season for farmers.

The following are the things you should know about End of Heat.

Time for night-blooming cereus (昙花)

The night-blooming cereus is a flower full of mystery, which often blooms during the period of End of Heat. This is because the climate during End of Heat, characterized by warm days and cold nights, is similar to tropical deserts. Night-blooming cereus originates in the tropical deserts from Mexico to Brazil in South America. They blossom at night to avoid the blazing daytime sun.

Eating Duck

Duck has a sweet flavor and according to Chinese traditional medicine it has a “cool” nature. A folk tradition is to eat duck during the End of Heat period. There are many recipes for cooking duck such as roast duck, cooked duck with lemon, smoked duck with walnut dressing and sautéed duck with ginger shoots. The tradition of eating duck during the End of Heat period is still popular in China.

The Fishing Season Festival

For fishermen, the End of Heat is a season of harvest. During this period，the Fishing Season Festival is held in regions along the coastline of the East China Sea in Zhejiang province. The festival is held on the day when the fishing ban ends and fishermen can start fishing again. Due to high temperatures in the sea, stocks of fish remain and become mature. People can enjoy many kinds of seafood during this period.

【推荐3】Geographers are interested in the spatial patterns observed on earth. Bridging the natural and social sciences, Geography is the interdisciplinary study of environments and how people interact with the environment. It is important to study geography because many of the world's problems require understanding the interdependence between human activities and the environment. Geography is therefore a beneficial major for students because its theories and methods provide them with analytical skills relevant to occupations focused on solving social and environmental problems. The Department of Geography offers eight majors that help students tailor their focus of study.

The Geography—Globalization and Development major will provide students with a sophisticated understanding of contemporary global issues and a geographical framework for analyzing key issues involved in national and international development. Reflecting the discipline of geography as a whole, this major emphasizes an integrated approach to studying the relationship of global change to individual and community well-being by combining the benefits of area studies with theoretical and topical investigations in the curriculum.

Our department is committed to excellence in both teaching and advising. Several of our faculty members have received teaching awards, and we are known across campus for the quality of our advising. As a geography major, you will meet one-on-one with your faculty advisor every semester during advising week, and you are always welcome to talk with your advisor at any time throughout the semester whenever questions may arise. In addition to advising our students about their academic programs, we provide timely information about internships, nationally competitive awards, and other opportunities as they arise. Many of our students complete internships and several of our students over the last few years have received nationally competitive awards.

For more information about our program, please visit our website, or contact our Undergraduate Chair, whose information is listed above. Admissions Information

Freshmen/First-Year Admission

No requirements beyond University admission requirements.

Change of Program Policy

No selective or limited admission requirements.

External Transfer Admission

No requirements beyond University admission requirements.

Opportunities Upon Graduation

With a liberal arts degree in Geography—Globalization and Development, students are prepared for employment in a variety of fields, including non-profit and government work, particularly in the areas of community and international development. This degree will also prepare students well to work in the private sector in an international context. Graduates from this program will also be well situated to continue on to graduate school or law school, with research and professional interest in academic fields, including, but not limited to, geography, public affairs and policy, development studies, and community and regional planning.

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