1 . The following is the information of some excellent hotels at the famous resort (度假胜地) for skiers in Italy.   

£550 per person

The hotel Ela lies in the center of the resort, only 100 m from the main ski lift and 300 m from the ski school meeting point. It is ideal for those who prefer a hotel which is very close to all the resort’s action.

Rooms (2-4 people): Twin rooms with cable TV, hairdryer, shower and WC. All rooms have recently been redecorated.

£540 per person

It is near shops, bars and restaurants. The hotel is a great choice for those looking for lively nightlife. The famous bar is just on the ground floor.

Rooms (2-4 people): All rooms are located on the 2nd and 3rd floors and have hairdryer, mini-safe, satellite TV, shower and WC.

Please note: This hotel doesn’t accept groups larger than 6 people.

£559 per person

It is an attractive hotel decorated in the traditional style and offers comfortable accommodation. The atmosphere is welcoming. It is 300m from the main ski lift and the village center.

Garage: £10 a day

64 rooms: Twin or double bedrooms with shower, hairdryer, satellite TV, telephone and safe.

£540 per person

The Villa Cary is a small but well located hotel with comfortable rooms for two people making it ideal for couples. You’re guaranteed a warm welcome from the English owner.

Rooms (2 people): Pleasantly furnished double bedrooms with cable TV, mini-safe and bathrooms with shower and WC.

3 . There are some amazing places to visit across the world, so get ready to put clothes into a bag in preparation for a trip away from home.

Italy continues to delight and no matter how many times you may have visited, there’s always something new to uncover. Discover beautiful lakeside towns near Lake Garda, Italy’s largest lake—it’s also the perfect base if you’re looking to take tours to the wonderful cities of Venice and Verona.

Whether it’s the wonderful Spanish weather you’re after, or to experience the country’s culture, cuisine (菜肴), art and history, there’s something for everyone in this fantastic place. There are also plenty of tours from Tenerife, with Mount Teide and the UNESCO World Heritage Site (联合国教科文组织世界遗产地) of San Cristeóbal de La Laguna in easy distance for a visit.

From the noticeable city of Porto to the beautiful beaches of the Algarve, whether you want to enjoy culture or relaxation, you’ll find it all and more with a trip to Portugal. Holidays to the Algarve are some of the most popular in Europe and for good reason. It is an area full of fascinating culture and history, charming towns and villages and superb cuisine.

It is one of the smallest countries in the world, but Malta is a huge shock. With a fascinating mixture of history, culture, golden sandy beaches and wonderful weather, it’s a place just waiting to be explored.

5 . Windows open? Fans on? Ready for another water break? For schools across Greater Toronto, the extremely hot temperatures provided some lessons in how to beat the heat—or at least attempt to—without air conditioning. It wasn’t easy. With some classroom temperatures getting close to 40℃—one teacher even handed out temperature meters to see how hot it got—both students and educators were red-faced and bathed with sweat all day.

The extreme weather had some parents wondering if their children should be spending most of the day inside hot schools, and a few chose to keep them home. Very few schools across Greater Toronto are air-conditioned. There are no rules or requirements that schools shut down as the temperature rises.

At Bowmore public school, near Coxwell Ave. and Gerrard St. E, teachers arrive at 7 am and open all the doors and windows to circulate fresh air. The windows at the school, replaced in stages over the past few years, swing in at the top, and out at the bottom to provide better air flow.

“Is it hot? Yes. Is it something that makes us feel uncomfortable? Yes,” said Headmaster Lilian Hanson. Despite that, she said she’d never advocate for air conditioners in schools, which are expensive and would consume the city’s electric power. She’d rather see more gardens, more trees—more natural solutions, more sustainable choices.

“We are teaching kids to make good choices,” she said. “Social responsibility is the key.” Students from kindergarten to Grade 8 seek pleasant places under trees and in the outdoor peaceful garden during the break time between classes and after school as the trees there provide much-needed shade. Teachers also take classes with students out there during the day. And kids do get the message about staying cool. Students are reminded to dress in cool clothing. When Hanson arrived at work in a dark-colored dress, a student asked her: “What were you thinking wearing a black dress on a day like today?”

6 . Europeans got more of their electricity from renewable sources than fossil fuels for the first time last year, according to an annual report from Ember and Agora Energiewende.

The report, which has been tracking European Union’s power sector since 2015, found that renewables delivered 38% of electricity last year, compared to 37% delivered by fossil fuels.

The shift comes as other sources, such as wind and solar power, have risen in the European Union. Both sources have nearly doubled since 2015, and as of last year accounted for one-fifth of electricity generation in EU countries, the report found. It’s also the reason why coal power declined 20% last year, making up only 13% of electricity generated in Europe.

“Rapid growth in wind and solar has forced coal into decline, but this is just the beginning,” said Dave Jones, senior electricity analyst for Ember and lead author on the report, in a statement. “Europe is relying on wind and solar to ensure not only coal is phased out by 2030, but also to phase out gas generation, replace closing nuclear power plants, and to meet rising electricity demand from electric cars and heat pumps.”

Last year’s COVID-19 lockdown measures resulted in less demand for electricity across the globe. European demand decreased by 4% in 2020, according to the report, which said COVID trends had no effect on the growth of renewable energy sources. Since 2015, Europe’s electricity emissions recorded a historic decline, becoming 29% cleaner, the report noted.

The milestone follows commitments from EU leaders last month to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 55% from 1990 levels by 2030. In the United States, their counterparts (同身份的人) successfully developed renewable energy to overtake coal consumption in recent years. Last May, renewable energy sources were consumed more than coal for the first time since 1885.

“Post-pandemic economic recovery must not slow down climate action,” said Patrick Graichen, director of Agora Energiewende, in a statement. “We therefore need strong climate policies — such as in the Green Deal — to ensure steady progress.”

8 . Large amounts of waste, or garbage, are filling streets in Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu, after protesters blocked a road leading to a landfill outside the city. People in Bancharedanda where the garbage is kept blame the government for not doing enough to protect them from the waste.

One British tourist, Richard McSorley, recently talked about the problem. He remembered how clean Kathmandu was when he first visited it many years ago. “If I were a new tourist, I would be despondent now,” McSorley said, while pointing to a load of garbage next to a city street. For weeks, treatment of waste has been a continuous problem in the city surrounded by hills. The problems started after people in the village of Bancharedanda refused to have the garbage thrown at a nearby landfill.

Biswas Dhungana was one of the protesters. He said the villagers were refusing to permit trucks loaded with garbage to enter. They say government officials have done little to provide basic equipment and effective ways to deal with the garbage. He added, “We have been forced to live like pigs in terrible conditions for several years as the government has not done anything to keep the village clean.”

Last week, hundreds of villagers built a wall of rocks on the road leading to Bancharedanda. It forced about 200 trucks filled with Kathmandu’s garbage to return without dumping their load. It was said that protesters also threw stones from surrounding hills.

Sunil Lamsal is an official to watch over how Kathmandu’s garbage is treated. He said, “I am working to deal with the concerns of the locals in Bancharedanda. But now, garbage continues to grow on the streets of Kathmandu. This has led to increased danger for people living in the capital. In the light of it, the government will soon take further positive measures to tackle the problem, as the environment affects every family.”

10 . Once there was a dandelion (蒲公英) living alone by the road. It felt bored and sad all day as no one ever stopped to take a look at or talk to it.

One day, a mother was walking on the road with her baby. The baby was crying hard and loudly. No matter what the mother did, she couldn’t get the baby to stop crying. Then the mother looked down, and she found the lonely dandelion. It looked so lovely in the sun with its white seeds widely open, and more beautiful than other plants around.

The mother squatted down, (蹲下) picking the dandelion softly. Then she brought it up to her baby so that he could see it clearly. When the baby saw the flowers of the dandelion, he quickly stopped crying and looked at them with interest.

His mom put the dandelion near her mouth and blew the flowers up and down. The dandelion seeds then flew in the air, spreading far away with the wind. The mother gave the dandelion to her son. He didn’t know what the plant was, but he knew it was fun to play with, which made him giggle (咯咯笑) so happily.

Now the dandelion knew its value and didn’t feel sad. It lived a beautiful life just by being itself. It wasn’t as beautiful as other flowers, but it brought the child a simple kind of happiness that money can’t buy.

The dandelion’s story tells us that everyone is special and great. We can help others in one way or another. We’re far greater than we think we are.