5 . Enjoy yourself in the beauty and energy of Havana and the charm and history of Trinidad as we explore these two dynamic Cuban cities. We’ll experience the people, politics, and culture of the island during this important period in the country’s history.

THE HIGHLIGHTS

Learn about housing, infrastructure(基础设施),and restoration(修复)programs in Havana during a lecture with urban planner Miguet Coyula.

Hear from Norma Guillard, a Cuban social psychologist and former brigadista(准将)with the 1961 Cuba Literacy Campaign, about Cuba’s efforts to bring literacy to the entire country.

Attend a discussion about the current process of economic reform with economist Giulio Rioci.

Visit the site of the Bay of Pigs invasion of 196l and the Bay of Pigs Museum. Take a walking tour of Old Havana and feel amazed at the splendid architecture.

Wander the cobblestone(鹅卵石) streets of Trinidad, a UNESCO World Heritage site, with Nancy Benitez, an expert in restoration, architecture, and history.

Tour a second UNESCO World Heritage site—Cienfuegos—and observe wonderful French and Spanish architecture during a walking tour.

These are only a few of the highlights of this extraordinary program. See the full travel guide at the Nation.com/ HAVANA—TRINIDAD.

The whole trip costs $ 5,455 per person ($ 370 extra for a single room) and includes hotel accommodations for 7 nights, all transportation within Cuba, all tours, all lectures, meals, tips, and numerous other events and activities.

100% of the income from our travel programs supports our journal The Nation.

For more information, e—mail us at travels@thenation.com, call 212—209—5401, or visit us at the Nation.com/ HAVANA—TRINIDAD.

6 . How good are we at predicting what people will do? What magazine will they buy, what music will they download，or what shoes will they choose for a party? Probably not nearly as good as we think. When it comes to human behavior, the brain is shown to have two different ways of thinking. So it doesn’t matter how old you are or how confident you are feeling. It’s all about what mood the brain is in!

A common thought process is the automatic and fast way which helps us to react quickly in dangerous situations. This is known as system 1 and dates back to the prehistoric(史前的）times when people lived with a natural awareness of the dangers around them—bad weather, falling rocks and trees，and threatening animals. Nowadays we still have the ability to react so rapidly and naturally to situations that it can feel like you’re not thinking at all. Have you ever found yourself giving in to temptation（诱惑）and unable to say “no” to buying that new jacket in the window? This is because system 1 is in control—a human characteristic which the world of advertising likes to make the most of!

System 2 is the opposite. It’s a slow thought process that requires us to pay attention and concentrate. This way of thinking helps us to make sensible long-term decisions like choosing which university to study at, or what type of car to buy. The problem is that system 2 often starts to feel boring and so system 1 takes over. How often have you put down your homework or put off doing important jobs to go on Facebook or watch a TV soap?

We like to think that we go through life mainly using system 2. However, sometimes it’s system 1 that makes the right decision but system 2 that gets it wrong. For example, sports teams put a lot of effort into a game plan, but often it’s the unconscious（无意识的）human wish to do something differently that often leads to an unexpected win. This can also lead to the common mistaken idea that your successful decisions show your skill and talent，when in fact they are just luck.

Perhaps one day scientists will be able to predict what decisions people will make by measuring brain activity. In one study, volunteers were monitored with brain-scanning equipment. They were asked to press either a left or a right button whenever they wanted. The researchers found they could predict which button the volunteers would press up to seven seconds before it happened—your brain seems to know what it will do before you do! Some scientists say our brains are just machines and we are not really in control of what’s going on. Let’s hope they’re wrong! It’s one thing to be able to tell which of two buttons a person will press, but I don’t like the idea that science could one day tell me what decisions I will make in my life before I’ve even had the chance to make them!

7 . People are always full of imagination about the deep and mysterious sea, however, the waters known as the sea are not all the endless seas as we think, or may be beautiful or magnificent lakes.

Aral Sea

The Aral Sea is an inland lake that lies to the north of Uzbekistan and to the south of Kazkhstan. Its name literally（按字面）means “the sea of island” in the Turkic language.

Thus, its name refers to the many islands that dotted it in the past. Although the Aral Sea occupied a vast area of about 68,000 square km for a long period of time, it’s believed to be less than 10% of its original site.

Caspian Sea

The Caspian Sea is also an inland lake. Often regarded as the largest lake in the world, the Caspian Sea is located between the continents of Asia and Europe. The Caspian Sea is an enclosed water body. It is called “sea” probably because of its massive size of 371, 000 square km and its saltiness.

Salton Sea

Located in California, US, the Salton Sea is a rift lake that is saline (咸的) in nature.

Several rivers, creeks, agricultural runoffs，and drainage systems feed this lake. The Salton Sea encompasses (包括) an area of 890 square km, making it the largest lake in California.

Sea of Galilee

The Sea of Galilee is a freshwater lake with “sea” in its name. It occupies an area of 166.7 square km in Israel. It is the second-lowest lake in the world after the Dead Sea with the surface elevation (海拔) ranging from 705ft to 686ft below sea level. The Jordan River is the primary source of water for the Sea of Galilee. Underground springs also feed water to the lake.

8 . When you think of a national park, you generally picture fresh air and wild animals, right? Well, now you’re going to have to add tea shops and something called “the Tube” to your definition, because London, England has signed up to be the first “National Park City.”

London was established by the Romans around 2, 000 years ago and has been continually inhabited(居住于)since then. In all that time, however, nobody had the idea to replace all the parks with big box stores or high buildings, which means London already has a much lower urban density(密度)than most of the world’s cities. Nowadays about a third of the city is green space.

In July 2019, London announced its willingness to become the world’s first National Park City. Now the city is moving toward the goal of achieving 50% green space by the year 2050 by connecting and expanding public parks, greening up unused parking lots and the private yards of existing and new houses, fixing some green roofs on existing buildings and even cutting holes in fences for wildlife to pass through.

“Inspired by the aims and values of our precious rural national parks, the London National Park City is basically about making life better in the capital through both small everyday things and long-term strategic thinking,” Daniel Raven-Ellison, who began the campaign to make London a National Park City six years ago, said in a press release. “We’ve been doing that in London for centuries, which is why London is so green and diverse.”

London will have a much easier job to achieve this type of green transformation than more densely-urbanized cities like Paris and New York, which have 10% and 27% green space, respectively. But that doesn’t mean it’s not possible—the National Park City Foundation hopes to employ 25 more cities in addition to London by the year 2025. Glasgow, Scotland and Newcastle upon Tyne in northeast England are all currently considering becoming National Park Cities.

9 . As a well-known Chinese TV hostess, Dong Qing is now hosting two cultural shows. Chinese Poetry Conference and Readers. The two shows are encouraging people to love traditional culture and find the beauty of life.

Dong was born in a highly educated family in 1973. She had a great love for traditional literature from an early age. In 2015 when she was about to study in the US, Dong received an invitation from the director of Chinese Poetry Conference asking her to be the hostess.

Because of her passion for traditional literature, Dong accepted the job.

“The contest interests me very much. Hosting it is a process of learning about poetry and performing,” said Dong. To her great joy, the show has become more and more popular.

Under the slogan “Reading touches people’s hearts”, the new TV show Readers has become a success. It invites famous guests from all walks of life to read something. Dong works as both hostess and producer.

Readers became a turning point in Dong’s 21 years of hosting. She said it brought her “quite a huge challenge”.

“There is no shortcut in this world. If you want to be a good host, you need to make thorough preparations,” said the beautiful hostess. The charm of life lies in its unknown, so we just have to try and keep going.

10 . The Outdoor Centre

Opening times

Water sports: 9 a.m.—5 p.m.

Play Park: 10 a.m. —4 p.m.

Entrance/Car park fees

Low season: Weekdays ￡2.00 per car; Weekends ￡3.00 per car

High season: 23 July —11 September; Weekdays and weekends ￡3.00 per car

One-day adventure (冒险) course

This is a chance you have been waiting for. Come and try sailing, climbing and surfing.

This course is trying to introduce outdoor activities to adults in a fun way. You do not need to be very fit or to have had experience of the activities. All you need is to be interested.

Play Park

The Play Park is suitable for children from 2 to 10 years of age. It is one of the best of it stype in the country. It has sand and water play, large ball pools, play castles and much, much more.

Group day and weekend courses

We also offer day and long weekend courses for groups. We receive regular visits from schools and colleges. There are three large rooms with twelve beds in each, which can be booked beforehand (提前) for groups of up to 36 people (12 at least) .

Summer adventure holiday (for 8-14 years of age)

Safety is of great importance at the Outdoor Centre. All our workers are fully trained in first aid (急救), and able to teach the activities on offer. We also make certain that all children only take part in activities that are suitable for their age and physical abilities. For this programme, children must be able to swim 25 metres and be in good physical health.