1 . Best Apps to Practice Language Skills

Babbel

Babbel is a popular online language-learning platform that offers courses in 14 different languages. Babbel’s courses are designed to teach users practical, everyday language skills that can be used in real-life situations. The platform uses interactive lessons that cover topics such as vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, and cultural insights to help learners build their language skills. Babbel’s courses are available on desktop and mobile devices, making it easy for users to learn on the go. Babel operates on the subscription based model, which costs $19.99 per month.

Memrise

Memrise use a variety of interactive techniques, including spaced repetition, audio and visual cues, to help learners remember new words and phases more effectively. Memrise’s courses also prioritize practical, everyday language skills over academic language. Additionally, Memrise offers a community feature where users can interact with other learners and native speakers to practice their language skills. A monthly subscription to Memrise will cost $12.99.

Busuu

Busuu offers comprehensive courses in 13 different languages, all of which feature audio recordings of native pronunciations. The lessons are organized into topics. And what’s more, each course even comes with a separate travel course for those who need to quickly get the basics before a trip abroad. Uniquely, Busuu also allows users to engage native speakers in their learning process. However, to access most of the features and course materials, users have to invest $11.99 a month.

Drops

Drops uses engaging visuals and game-like exercises to help learners remember new words and phrases more effectively. The platform offers short, bite-sized lessons that last only a few minutes. This makes it easy for users to fit language learning into their busy schedules. According to Drops, its online courses contain over 20,000 beautiful illustrations and 3,300+ words covering 180+ topics. A subscription to Drops will cut you back by $12 per month.

5 . Australia is a fantastic country that boasts a variety of breathtaking natural attractions and cultural hot spots. Here are some of the best tourist destinations to visit in Australia.

The Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef is one of the most iconic natural wonders of the world, located off the coast of Queensland. It is the world’s largest coral reef system, home to over 1,500 species of fish and hundreds of different types of coral. Visitors can snorkel or scuba dive to explore the vibrant underwater ecosystem, or take a scenic flight above the reef for a bird’s eye view.

Ayers Rock

Ayers Rock is a large sandstone rock formation located in the heart of the Australian outback (内陆). It is sacred to native Australians, who have lived in the area for over 10,000 years. Visitors can take guided tours to learn about the history and cultural significance of Ayers Rock, or hike around the base of the rock to see its impressive size up close.

Sydney Opera House

Sydney Opera House is undoubtedly one of Australia’s most recognizable landmarks. Completed in 1973, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a masterpiece of modern architecture. Visitors can take a guided tour to learn about the building’s history and design, or attend a performance in one of its many theaters.

The Great Ocean Road

The Great Ocean Road is a scenic coastal drive that stretches over 240 kilometers along the southern coast of Victoria. It offers stunning views of rough cliffs, primitive beaches, and towering rock formations like the twelve apostles (使徒). Visitors can stop at lookout points along the way, or take a helicopter ride for a truly unforgettable experience.

6 . Best China Nature Tours with the Most Beautiful Landscapes

8-day Lhasa & Everest Base Camp Tour

A famous saying in Tibet goes: “No Tibet tour is complete without visiting Mount Everest!” That’s right! This is a once-in-a-lifetime adventure that everyone should take so they can leave their footprints on the highest mountain in the world but remember not to leave carbon (碳) footprints. This tour will help you realize that dream. The tour starts from Lhasa, travels via the cities of Gyantse and Shigatse, to Mount Everest, and then back to Lhasa.

6-day In-depth Guilin Tour

It is specially designed for travelers who are interested in visiting Guilin, including Guilin City, Yangshuo Town and Longji Rice Terrace. You will have flexible time for both arrival and departure (离开). Not only will Li River and Yangshuo be covered, but also the Longji Terrace.

6-day Fujian Tulou & Xiapu Photography Tour

Unlike well-known Beijing, Shanghai and Guilin, Fujian Province is often ignored by foreign tourists. In fact, there are two masterpieces worth your attention—Tulou and Xiapu mudflat. One is built by native Hakka people, and the other is carved by nature. This Fujian photography tour can be customized depending on which sites you want to visit, what photos you want to take, and on the weather condition when you go. Feel free to tell your interests and ideas to your personal travel advisors!

11-day Amazing Yunnan Tour

Yunnan is a land of the most magical attractions like ethnic groups, snow-capped Tibetan Peaks, ancient tiny villages and temples, species of plants and animals... It’s hard to appreciate all that Yunnan has to offer until you get there. This tour covers the highlights of amazing Yunnan, including top landscape of Kunming, Dali, Lijiang and Shangri-La.

9 . The History and Development of Soccer

Soccer, known as football in most of the world, is one of the most popular sports today. Let’s explore its history and how it developed and spread over the years.

It is said that the history of soccer dates back as far as 2500 B.C. in London. In China, the most relevant(相关的) is the Chinese game of Tsu’Chu(Cuju). Records of the game began during the Han Dynasty(206B.C.—220A.D.) and it may have been a training exercise for soldiers. Players kicked a small ball into a net between two bamboo poles. The use of hands was not allowed, but a player could use his feet and other parts of his body.

The modern shape of soccer was formed at the beginning of the 19th century. In 1848, the “Cambridge Rules”were established(建立) at Cambridge University. After they graduated, adult football clubs became more common, players could continue to play the ball.

The Football Association(FA) was created on October 26,1863. Over the years, more clubs joined the FA until the number reached 128 by 1887. In 1872, the first Football Association Cup was played in London. Other associations were formed, including the Football League in 1888 in the north and midlands of the country, and the first championship(冠军) league games were played.

It did not take long for other European countries to accept the British love for soccer. Leagues began popping up throughout the world: the Netherlands and Denmark in 1889, Argentina in 1893, Chile in 1895, Switzerland and Belgium in 1895, Italy in 1898, Germany and Uruguay in 1900,Hungary in 1901, and Finland in 1907. It was not until 1903 that France formed their league.

In 1930,the first-ever FIFA World Cup was held in Uruguay. There were 41 members of FIFA at that time. Today it has over 200 members and the World Cup is one of the biggest events of the year.

10 . The listed books may be a nice taste for your coming holidays. Take one and enjoy yourselves!

If tragedy is the excavator (挖掘机) of beauty, the era of our pandemic shutdown showed that. Bird songs rose when noise levels from traffic, airplanes and even barking dogs nosedived. Bird-watching boomed. The world stopped, and birds and people noticed each other. A new book with brilliant illustrations by Nancy Lane, is an epic story of tough migration of a warbler (莺) told through the eyes of two little girls. The story of its adventure is smart, beautiful and a reminder of what’s possible when we notice what we have in common with a tiny bird.

Alexis Hall delivered the romantic comedy of this summer. In the book, friends long thought lost are found and slowly become lovers. Viola Carroll, a veteran (老兵) of the Napoleonic wars, was long assumed dead. Injured on the battlefield, she gave up her family, wealth and title to live as her true self. Then she returns to public life after years of absence and finds love with her sorrow-stricken best friend who’s still mourning her.

While working her day job as a pop star, Janelle Monáe has written plenty of music with science-fiction topics—most recently on her 2018 album Dirty Computer. But seeing as how Monáe tells tales in just about every medium she can get her hands on, including film, it was inescapable that she’d turn to the literary form one day as well. The book is a collection of short stories that pick up the loose threads of Dirty Computer’s. It serves readers tales grounded in the human trials of identity expression, technology, and love, but also reaching through to the worlds of memory and time within.