3 . The world’s craziest festivals

Crazy festivals all over the world are out there just waiting to be celebrated. Join Cornelia Kumfert on a trip to the most unusual events taking place around the globe.

Burning Man Festival

Every year in Nevada (US) there is artwork and cunosities galore to marvel at when the Black Rock Desert changes into a mammoth art exhibition.

In August and September, some 70,00 people come here to celetrate the Burning Man Festival.

San Diego Comic Con

Surely superheroes don’t queue? Well, at San Diego’s Comic Convention they do. Each July hey open their dos to fans of Superman and other comic figures. More than 100,000 annual visitors have paid homage to their mythical heroes.

Crying Baby Festival, Tokyo

At the Crying Baby Festival in Tokyo (Japan), sumo wrestlers do what they can to bring babies to tears.

Sadists run riot? Certainly not! It’s a 400-year-old tradition based on a Japanese proverb, which says that crying babies grow fastest and parents believe the event brings good health to their children.

Palio Contest, Siena

Fame and honour await the winner of the Palio contest in Siena (Italy).

In July and August, ten inhabitants of different districts of the city jockey for first place in a spectacular horse race.

The trophy goes to the contestant whose horse crosses the finishing line first—whether he’s still in the saddle or not.

4 . If knowledge is power, then books are fuel and libraries are power stations! Here are four amazing libraries that can get you positively charged.

New York Public Library—New York

Opened in 1911, New York Public Library was the largest marble building in the world. Over the years the library has a collection of 53 million items, including rare first edition books, 300 million pages of historical newspapers and around 40 ,000 restaurant menus dating back to 1850!

Chetham's Library— Manchester

Founded in 1653, Chetham's Library is a free public library with the longest history in the UK. The building itself is even older —built in 1421, it's one of the most well—protected medieval buildings in England!

With 100 ,000 + books lining the shelves, the special atmosphere of the library attracts students and scholars alike to attend guided tours offered throughout the year.

The Library of Congress Washington, D. C.

Located on Capitol Hill, the Library of Congress is considered the national library of the US and the second largest library in the world. The library has around 168 million items, adding 10 ,000 to this number every day.

Need to catch up on the news? The Library of Congress, which was founded in 1800, holds the world’s largest newspaper collection, with some dating back as far as 1659!

The British Library—London

The British Library was founded in 1973. With around 170 million items spread across 750 km of shelving, it's the largest library in the world. And this number is continually growing and 8 km of shelving has to be added every year! This is partly because the British Library must receive a copy of every publication produced in the UK and Ireland, by law.

5 . Rome can be pricey for travelers, which is why many choose to stay in a hostel (旅社). The hostels in Rome offer a bed in a dorm room for around $25 a night, and for that, you’ll often get to stay in a central location (位置) with security and comfort.

If I had to make just one recommendation for where to stay in Rome, it would be Yellow Hostel. It’s one of the best-rated hostels in the city, and for good reason. It’s affordable, and it’s got a fun atmosphere without being too noisy. As an added bonus, it’s close to the main train station.

If you love social hostels, this is the best hostel for you in Rome. Hostel Alessandro Palace is fun. Staff members hold plenty of bar events for guests like free shots, bar crawls and karaoke. There’s also an area on the rooftop for hanging out with other travelers during the summer.

If you’re looking for cleanliness and a modern hostel, look no further than Youth Station. It offers beautiful furnishings and beds. There are plenty of other benefits, too; it doesn’t charge city tax; it has both air conditioning and a heater for the rooms; it also has free Wi-Fi in every room.

Hotel and Hostel Des Artistes is located just a 10-minute walk from the central city station and it’s close to all of the city’s main attractions. The staff is friendly and helpful, providing you with a map of the city when you arrive, and offering advice if you require some. However, you need to pay 2 euros a day for Wi-Fi.

I was on a train in Switzerland. The train came to a stop and the conductor’s voice over the loudspeaker     1     (deliver) a message in German, Italian, and French. I’d made the mistake of not learning any of those languages before my vacation.

Everyone started getting off the train and an old woman saw that I was     2     (confuse). She could speak some English and told me that an accident had happened on the     3     (track). She asked me where I was trying to get to, then went and talked to some workers, and came back to tell me that we’d have to get on trains three or four times to get there.

I was really glad she was heading     4     same way because it would have been impossible for me to figure it     5     on my own. So we went from one train station to the next, getting to know each other along the way.

She was really the     6     (sweet) woman. It was a 2.5-hour journey in total, and     7     we made it to the final destination, we got off and said our goodbyes. I had made it just in time to catch my train to Rome. She told me she had a train to catch as well. I asked her how much farther she had to go and     8     turned out that her home was two hours back the other way.

She had jumped from train to train and traveled the whole way just     9     (make) sure that I made it. I was in shock. A woman spent her whole day sitting on trains and taking her hours away from her home just to help out a confused tourist     10     (visit) her country.

7 . Four Great Persons

Born in Austria in 1756, Mozart was the son of a successful musician . He wrote his first piece of published music at five. Within the year, he began playing for the public, which included a tour of Europe where people admired the young boy’s talent. By the time he was a teenager, Mozart had written several operas. He wrote over 600 pieces of music in his lifetime.

Shirley Temple received her first acting chance at the age of three and starred in Carolina, her first film, at six. She quickly caught attention and by 1940, she had starred in 43 films, including Bright Eyes for which she won a special award for “Outstanding Personality”. As an adult, Temple became a US diplomat（外交官）for the United Nations.

South African Nkosi Johnson was born HIV-positive（携带艾滋病毒）. His story caught the media’s attention when his local public school refused to admit him because of his condition. Soon he traveled the world, telling his story wherever he could,encouraging other patients to speak out. Besides,he founded Nokie’s Haven,a safe place for HIV-positive mothers and their children.In 2005,he was award the International Children’s Peace Prize.

Alexandra Scott had cancer before she celebrated her first birthday.At the age of four, she decided to raise money for other children going through the same thing.So she set up a lemonade stand（摊位）,which inspired others to start lemonade stands, too.They raised over$1 million before Scott died of cancer.Her family carries on her legacy(遗产) through Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation,which has raised over $150 million.