【推荐1】Seward, which lies on Alaska’s beautiful Kenai Peninsula, is a coastal town full of activities for children. The natural history and wildlife of the area provide opportunities for kids to learn as they enjoy the many wonders of this part of the world.

Kenai Fjords National Park

Seward serves as the gateway to Kenai Fjords National Park. Boat trips from the Seward small boat harbor daily. Various companies offer half－day and full－day trips to view wildlife, including a variety of sea animals and birds.

Choose a boat tour that offers kids a chance to see the wildlife of Resurrection Bay.

Fishing

Sport fishing in Seward is an exciting year－round activity for all ages. Even those who choose not to hit the water can enjoy Seward’s beauty. Walking around the harbor and watching the boats pull up with their catches can be loads of fun. And it’s free!

Alaska Sealife Center

To get an up close and personal view of local sealife, check out the Alaska Sealife Center. The center offers exhibits showing the various wildlife of the Gulf of Alaska, including Stellar sea lions, harbor seals, deep sea fish, Alaskan king crab, and even the Giant Pacific Octopus. The Alaska Sealife Center is open daily, year-round, except Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Into the Woods

For kids who enjoy the great outdoors, plan a visit to a Chugach National Forest or Caines Head State Recreation Area. Take a hike and even bring a picnic on one of the many trails each of these areas has to offer. Trail rides are another great way to get off the beaten path and view the wildlife for which Alaska is so famous.

【推荐3】Point Reyes

At Point Reyes you will find trails, historic buildings and visitor centers where visitors can enjoy all aspects of the unique area. Visitors can enjoy camping, hiking and biking. Point Reyes National Park also features the Point Reyes Lighthouse and visitor center, and at the visitor center you can learn all about the lighthouse (灯塔) and for the very adventurous tourists a trip down the 308 stairs to the lighthouse is a great option.

Big Sur

Big Sur is a region in California with many wonders to offer visitors. The Los Padres National Forest is an excellent destination for hiking. Throughout the forest there are many trails, including trails allowing visitors to walk along the coastline. In addition, Big Sur is also a fantastic destination for wildlife viewing. This region is one of the few places where the majestic bird can be seen.

Yosemite National Park

Located in central California, Yosemite National Park is an amazing destination for recreational enthusiasts, especially rock climbers. Climbers travel from around the world to take on the challenges presented at Yosemite. There are many other recreational activities to enjoy, including biking, hiking, backpacking and many more. Yosemite Valley has a wide range of attractive sights, and waterfalls.

Joshua Tree National Park

Located in southeastern California, Joshua Tree has some amazing sites to see. There are many nature trails, hiking trails, as well as options for mountain biking and rock climbing. Visitors to Joshua Tree can enjoy the beautiful desert ecosystem. At Joshua Tree you can look into the dense star clouds of the Milky Way, and see clearly. These star clouds are especially dense and bright to the south near the horizon.

【推荐1】The African elephant, the largest land animal remaining on earth, is of great importance to the African ecosystem. Unlike other animals, the African elephant is to a great extent the builder of its environment. As a big plant-eater, it largely shapes the forest-and-savanna(稀树草原)surroundings in which it lives, therefore setting the terms of existence of millions of other animals that live in its habitat.

It is the elephant's great desire for food that makes it a changer of the environment and an important builder of its habitat. In its continuous search for the 300 pounds of plants it must have every day, it kills small trees and undergrowth, and pulls branches off big trees. This results in numerous open spaces both in deep tropical forests and in the woodlands that cover part of the African savannas. In these open spaces are numerous plants in various stages of growth that attract a variety of other plant-eaters.

Take the rain forests for example. In their natural state, the spreading branches overhead shut out sunlight and prevent the growth of plants on the forest floor. By pulling down trees and eating plants, elephants make open spaces, allowing new plants to grow on the forest floor. In such situations, the forests become suitable for large hoofed(有蹄的)plant-eaters to move around and for small plant-eaters to get their food as well.

What worries scientists now is that the African elephant has become an endangered species. If the elephant disappears, scientists say, many other animals will also disappear from vast areas of the forest and savanna, greatly changing and worsening the whole ecosystem.

【推荐2】There are many online and in-person courses that promise to teach a “native accent”. But is it really necessary to sound exactly like a native speaker? Some experts say it is not. Eusebia V. Mont leads the Accent Modification (修正) Program at the University of Maryland's Department of Hearing & Speech Sciences. Mont talked about it to reporters.

Students come to the program for one or two school terms. They meet in a group for 90 minutes a week. Each student meets with one other student and a “doctor” for more individual work. Altogether the program amounts to about 60 hours of learning in class. Mont says the rate of progress absolutely depends on the type of accent it is, how long they've been speaking English and how often they speak English.

Mont says, “I view accent as the spread of culture; the spread of a person's individual identity - and I don't work to remove any part of the culture from an individual.”

Students will most probably work in English-speaking environments when they leave school. The program teaches them tools for this. For example, they learn how to give an “elevator pitch”— a short description of an idea—and how to discuss their research. They also practice interviewing and giving presentations at work.

Mont says that there are a few methods for modifying accent, but most have the same basis. One method is called the Compton Method. Arthur J. Compton developed the method for English learners who know English vocabulary and grammar fairly well. It begins with a test to find out how the student's native language affects different areas of pronunciation. Then learners use practice materials to record their own voice and compare their pronunciation attempts to recordings of a native speaker.

Another method is the Tomatis Method, which uses special headphones and includes listening to electronically modified voices and asks students to find the difference between their pronunciation and the voices they hear. This method is also used to cure children who have mental conditions that can cause difficulty in language learning.

Mont's final advice to English learners is not to expect to sound exactly like a native speaker. And remember: Even native English speakers do not all speak alike!

【推荐1】Constant worry and tension can cause one to suffer hair loss. It would make sense that if it can cause this problem, perhaps it also may contribute to graying. However, there is no sound evidence to support this. Main factors in gray hair were thought to be age, stress, environment and improper diet.

In addition, genetics is a very powerful factor, if one of your parents turns gray at an early age, there is a good chance that you will too. The team led by Professor Andres Ruiz-Linares at University College London analyzed DNA samples of more than 6,000 volunteers in Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Mexico and Peru. It identified a gene called IRF4 that is responsible for gray hair. He said the most important reasons for gray hair are genes rather than other influences. This newfound gene means that preventing or even reversing gray hair is now a possibility.

But most scientists think that the answer for gray hair comes from the cells in your hair. These are what determine the color and, eventually, the fade to grey. Your hair is made up of cells called melanocytes which produce pigments (色素) as they grow into the hair fiber. Our hair color is determined by the amount of melanin (黑色素) in our body. The more melanin a person has, the darker his or her hair color.

There are two different types of melanins: eumelanins (真黑色素) and pheomelanins (类黑色素).The former produces black and brown pigments, while the latter produces red and yellow pigments. The exact amount of these pigments determines whether a person has black, brown, blonde or yellow hair. As we age, the ability of the melanocytes to produce more pigments weakens.

Scientists are continuing to try and find ways to prevent graying hair. A team of scientists in France is working to try and stop the melanocytes from being damaged at the end of each hair cycle. They are trying to use a special enzyme to protect the cells from damage. If successful, it could lead the way for new products that keep our locks full of color for years to come.

【推荐2】In most an museums, the paintings on the wall just look flat, but sometimes visitors come across an image that appears to be three-dimensional(三维的).The artist has cleverly used colors, lines, and shading to give the painting some depth, making it more realistic The artistic technique of creating three-dimensional images of something on a flat surface is called trompe I’oeil.Some artists are adapting the idea of trompe I’oeil to make things become invisible(隐形的), which is called camouflage.

In nature, using camouflage not only allows insects and animals to hide from their natural enemies but also allows them to get close enough to surprise other insects or smaller animals that they want to catch and eat.Artists are not hiding or preparing to attack.Instead, they are using the idea of camouflage to make city space look nicer or to make statements with their art.

It is not difficult to find things that we would like to make disappear such as the dull wall of a large industrial building or the poles carrying electricity wires.Artists can make these things more interesting and in some cases less visible.In many city areas, large buildings have been painted with amazing pictures that trick our eyes.Thus, ordinary brick walls are turned into interesting works of art.

Some artists include camouflage in their work to say something about the modern world we live in.For example, American artist Trina Merry camouflages people so that they disappear in the landscapes(风景) she photographs.Her latest series, New York City blends (融合) women and their environment to create images that closely examine the relationship between people and where they live.“My series shows respect for Big Apple women who feel the need to blend in with everyone else in New York,” Merry says.“I think many women move here hoping to live a city life when the reality is that most women have to change their fancy designer heels(高跟鞋) on the subway for more practical sneakers.”

【推荐3】In a hot summer, there’s no better place than a UK beach—these shores offer walks and wildlife, picnics and rockpools.

Runswick Bay, North Yorkshir

It is a popular destination for rock poolers, walkers and hunters. Many of the homes are now holiday accommodations, linked by paths and walkways rather than streets. The Royal Hotel, at the heart of the village, offers homemade cakes and coffee alongside a simple but tasty bar menu and local Black Sheep bitter on draft.

Stay in Castle House (sleeps six, three nights from £500) at the top of the village; has sweeping views of the bay from a comfortable window seat.

South Shore, Brownsea Island, Dorset

Reached by ferry from the moneyed shores of Sandbanks, Brownsea Island is a pocket of safe wilderness in Poole harbour. Famous for its red squirrel population and as the site of Baden-Powell’s first Scout camp, its mixture of woodland, wildland, and ponds suits a day of exploration and adventure. Push yourself into the sandy banks and enjoy views across the harbour in the company of various sea birds.

Stay in National Trust-owned Custom House on the seaport (sleeps four, three nights from £622); offers a real Brownsea experience.

Kingsgate Bay, Broadstairs, Kent

The lack of a convenient car park means that Kingsgate Bay, between Margate and Broadstairs, is quieter than other beaches on the Thanet coast. A short walk from the car park at neighboring Joss Bay (popular with surfers), however, will take you to this sheltered sandy bay with its sea caves. It is also a safe place to swim and canoe.

Stay in the Botany Bay Hotel (family rooms from £80 B&B); has some dog-friendly rooms.

【推荐1】Before war and time destroy more of our important cultural sites, we need to save them in 3-D digital libraries. Across 163 different countries, 1,000 natural and cultural historic places make up our most precious human heritage, which UNESCO calls World Heritage Sites.

We lose a little of that heritage every day. War, climate change and pollution have a bad effect, as do wind and rain. The $4 million a year that UNESCO spends on preservation is not nearly enough to take care of even the four dozen sites considered at approaching risk of being lost forever. Now there’s a better choice. New digital-conservation technologies let us hold on to them, at least virtually(虚拟的), through 3-D scanning, modeling and digital storage. Such projects can be accomplished through cooperation between governments, universities, industry and non-profit organizations.

To make a 3-D model, a laser(激光) scanner bounces light off an object and records the results. To reproduce every corner and opening, the scanner collects overlapping(重叠的) images from all possible angles. A computer then sews them together into one large surface image and draws lines from one point to another to create a wire-frame model. High-resolution digital cameras add color and texture. When fully put together, the models can be viewed, printed or operated.

These scans do more than preserve a memory in a database. With highly accurate measurements, archaeologists(考古学家) can find hidden passages or reveal ancient engineering tricks. School kids can explore places they might otherwise never see. And when a site is destroyed, the scans can even be used to reconstruct what was there. That has already happened for one World Heritage Site, the Kasubi Tombs in Uganda. Built of wood in 1882, they were destroyed by fire in 2010 and rebuilt in 2014, based in large part on 3-D models made in 2009. More than 100 World Heritage Sites have been already preserved as 3-D models, and conservationists are racing to record as many more as possible.

【推荐2】Summer Fun at Happy Kids’ Learning Centre

Are you looking for something that can add color to your summer holiday? If yes, here are the summer courses that you cannot miss!

Children Can Cook

The course is to improve children's knowledge in the kitchen. They will learn basic cooking skills, kitchen safety, and how to buy proper ingredients （原料）and follow steps in recipes （食 谱）.Children can sit comfortably and eat what they have cooked at the end of each lesson.

Little Writers

The course is divided into two parts. In the first part, children are introduced to famous stories and their writers. In the second part, they are taught to write their own stories. Children also get the chance to write other text types, such as poems and plays.

Acting for Fun

This is a course that lets children enjoy the fun of acting. Through acting and speaking in front of people, children will be more confident. Parents are welcome to watch the performance given by the children at the end of the course.

Watercolor Painting

This course teaches children the basic skills of painting people and animals. We encourage children to watch, imagine and create their own works.

【推荐3】Depression hurts, Prozac can help

Depression isn’t just feeling down. It’s a real illness with real causes. Depression can be triggered by stressful life events, like divorce or a death in the family. Or it can appear suddenly, for no apparent reason.

Some people think you can just will yourself out of a depression. That’s not true. Many doctors believe that one thing that may cause depression is an imbalance of serotonin -- a chemical in your body. If this happens, you may have trouble sleeping. Feel unusually sad or irritable easily. Find it hard to concentrate. Lose your appetite. Lack energy. Or have trouble feeling pleasure. These are some of the symptoms that can point to depression -- especially if they last for more than a couple of weeks and if normal, everyday life feels like to much to handle.

To help fight depression, the medicine doctors now prescribe（开处方）most often is Prozac. Prozac isn’t a “happy pill”. It’s not a tranquilizer（镇静剂）. It won’t turn you into a different person.

Some people do experience mild side effects, like upset stomach, headaches, difficulty sleeping, sleepiness, anxiety and nervousness. These tend to go away within a few weeks of starting treatment, and usually aren’t serious enough to make most people stop taking it. However, if you are concerned about a side effect, or if you develop a rash（皮疹）, tell your doctor right away. And don’t forget to tell your doctor any other medicines you are taking.

Some people should not take Prozac, especially people an MAO inhibitors（单胺抑制剂）.

As you start feeling better, your doctor can suggest therapy or other means to help you work through your depression. Prozac has been carefully studied for nearly 10 years. But remember, Prozac is a prescription medicine, and it isn’t right for everyone. Only your doctor can decide if Prozac is right for you -- or for someone you love. Prozac has been prescribed for more than 17 million Americans. Chances are someone you know is feeling sunny again because of it.