【推荐1】A Two-day Trip to Moon Lake

【推荐1】Do you often eat ice cream on a hot day and suddenly feel a sharp pain in your head? If so, you had a very common experience that some people call a “brain freeze”.

Brain freeze happens when cold food or drink touches the roof of your mouth. Nerves (神经) in your mouth send a signal to your brain. Then it turns the signal into a sharp pain. However, the pain does not go to your mouth where the cold is — it stays in your head.

Most brain freezes last for less than 30 seconds. But if you want to make it go away quicker, you can try some tips. When you start to get a brain freeze, push your tongue (舌头) against the roof of your mouth. This sometimes warms up your mouth. And the nerves don’t send the signal that causes a headache. You can also prevent brain freeze by eating and drinking more slowly. If you take smaller bites or sips and wait longer between them, your mouth won’t get as cold.

Of course, sometimes a cold drink or an ice-cream cone on a hot day is just too good to enjoy slowly!

【推荐3】Do you think there is too much noise in our city? Perhaps you do. If you live near an airport, you will probably feel unhappy because of the noise of planes. It is said that the noise of planes or trains or trucks can make one deaf if he keeps on hearing it.

Noise is a kind of pollution. However, most people in our city do not seem to mind noise. They do not know it is harmful to their health. They like to enjoy music when they are doing their work. It is a new danger that music is played through powerful loudspeakers (声音大的喇叭). It can reach 120 decibels (分贝).

It is known that continuous (连续不断的) noise of over 85 decibels can make people deaf. For example, when newspapers and books are being printed, the noise is over 85 decibels, and some of the workers become deaf. Scientists believe that 10 percent of all the workers in British printing offices have been deafened (使……聋) by the noise. Besides, noise of less than 85 decibels can make some people tired and nervous. We all know that too much noise makes life difficult and unpleasant. It can do great harm to health and prevent people from working well. Workers in noisy offices are not so efficient as workers in quiet offices. Noise makes people less efficient. Can anything be done to keep down noise?

In Britain, the government has made several laws to keep down noise. It has spent a good deal of money making airports and main roads quieter. In Japan, America and Canada there are such laws too.

When visitors get off the plane and come to Singapore’s Central Area, they will be surprised, because the city is so clean. There are bright glass buildings, green trees, grass and flowers of all colours in the city. People also call it the “Garden City”. Singapore River is an important river in Singapore. It was dirty in the past, but now it is very clean after a ten-year river cleaning plan. Nowadays people can walk along the river or take a short trip on a ship to enjoy themselves in the river.

The river runs down to the harbour (港口). There visitors can see the well-known white Merlion (鱼尾狮) statue with water coming out from its mouth. With the head of a lion and the body of a fish, it is famous as Singapore’s mascot (吉祥物). When the night comes, the tall buildings around the Merlion begin to light it up in every direction. There are many clubs, restaurants and hotels in Singapore and many people come there to enjoy themselves. When you are outside at night in Singapore, there is no need to be afraid. Singapore is one of the safest countries in the world.

【推荐3】Copenhagen is a city full of fairy tales(童话故事). If you want to explore it, you have to spend a long time and walk slower to enjoy yourself. Copenhagen was the first city to have a street for walkers only. The city has less traffic noise and pollution than any other European city.

Walking along the river banks, you’ll see the Amalienborg Palace first. The king’s family are living there.

Churches and castles(城堡) show us the original city. Copenhagen became the capital(首都) of Denmark in the early 15th century. But fires in the 18th century completely destroyed the old wooden buildings. Much of what we see today dates back to(追溯到) the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Keep going, and you’ll see the Christiansborg Palace. The town of Copenhagen began there. Then you are going to Nyhavn, a waterway, which was dug from 1670 to 1673. When you see it, you’ll understand why Hans Christian Andersen made this beautiful waterway his home. Nyhavn is a peaceful and wonderful place. You’ll usually see some rich people walk along here.

If you walk there, you can enjoy the old trees, the colorful lights and the beautiful gardens. You might feel as if you were in a fairy tale.

【推荐1】As we know, there are differences between western culture and Chinese culture. Let's look at the words about animals and plants. Most expressions in Chinese about the dog, for example, “a homeless dog”, “a mad dog”, “a running dog” and “a dog catching a mouse”, have negative (消极的) meanings.

But in western countries, people think dogs are honest and good friends of humans. In English, people use the dog to describe positive (积极的) actions. For example, "you are a lucky dog" means you are a lucky person. And “every dog has its day” means each person has good luck sometimes. To describe a person's serious illness, they say “sick as a dog”. The word “dog-tired” means very tired. However, Chinese love cats very much. But in western culture, “cat” is often used to describe a woman who is cruel.

The rose is regarded as (被看作) a symbol of love in both China and some western countries. People think the rose means love, peace, courage and friendship. And the rose is the national flower of England, America and many other countries.

The words about plants and animals are used in positive or negative ways in different cultures. We can learn about many differences in cultures by comparing how some words are used.

【推荐3】Different countries have different ideas about manners—how you behave when you are eating. In England, table manners are important. Good table manners in England are as follows:

How to sit: You should sit up straight in your chair. It is not a good idea to lean(倾斜) forwards or backwards. When you eat, you should not lean towards the plate, but bring the knife, fork or spoon towards you. At the same time, do not put your elbows on the table, nor reach over someone’s plate for something.

Using your finger: English people normally don’t pick food up with their fingers when they are eating main courses. If you are not sure, the safest is to use your knife or fork. There are, however, some foods that are usually eaten with fingers. They include pizza, sandwiches, burgers, crisps and fruits.

Your mouth: It is not polite to talk with your mouth full of food, or to eat with your mouth open. And if possible, do not make any noises. Never lick(舔) your plate after eating.

How much to eat: It is possible to eat food that you have been offered, so a clear plate is a good plate. It shows that you enjoyed the food. If you can’t finish everything and you need to leave a little, that’s also okay. You could say something like “That was very nice, thank you, but I’m just too full to eat another bite.”