1 . Wilderness Explorers Center Guide

Welcome to the Wilderness Explorers Center, your gateway to the adventure of nature's wonders! With engaging exhibits, wildlife sightseeing, and natural activities, there's something for everyone to enjoy.

Discover Nature's Treasures

Don't miss the chance to explore our Nature Gift Shop, located near the entrance of the Wilderness Explorers Center. Here, you'll discover a delightful array of eco-friendly gifts, educational books, and unique handicrafts inspired by the natural world.

Enjoy at Forest Café

After a day of exploration, fuel your energy at the Forest Café. Indulge in a selection of delicious snacks, sandwiches, and beverages sourced from local ingredients. Whether you're craving a refreshing drink or a heart y meal, the Forest Café is the perfect spot to relax and unwind.

Ensure the Accessibility

Ensuring that every visitor can fully enjoy their experience is our top priority. That's why we offer wheelchair and stroller rentals at the entrance, making it easy for everyone to explore our center comfortably. Our staff are also available to ensure that all guests feel welcome.

Support the Conservation

Join us in our mission to protect and preserve the natural world for future generations. Your support plays a crucial role in our conservation efforts. Click our website here to learn more about how you can get involved, from donating to becoming a member of our conservation community. Together, we can make a difference in safeguarding the beauty of our planet.

Born in 551 BC, Confucius has made the greatest contribution to Chinese culture of anyone in history. When he began teaching in his early     1    (twenty), he soon began to attract many disciples(弟子). He was not only a scholar, but also a man     2     had political ideals. But when his ideals could not     3     (realize), he resigned. After his resignation from government service, he spent his last years     4    (teach) and editing earlier writings. It is generally believed that Confucius preserved the literature of China for later times. Fearing that it would be lost during the troubled era in which he lived, he gathered earlier writings to prepare     5     are called the Five Classics. He also left behind him the Analects,     6     collection of sayings, which were put together by his disciples. Confucius was born only a few years after the Buddha. Unlike the Buddha, however, he did not seek to escape from the world, but wanted to find a way     7     man to be happy on earth. He thought that human nature was good, not bad. If men would think and act     8     (proper), he believed, most evils would disappear. In government he believed that the ruler was like the father in a family. He also stressed the importance of education, good manners, and tradition. Highly     9    (value) by the Chinese people, his thoughts and teachings formed the foundation of a great philosophy, Confucianism. Over the last 2,000 years, his philosophy     10    (continue) to influence China and the rest of the world.

5 . Robots doing chores is nothing new, with Tesla having put forward its cool Optimus robot and DeepMind revealing its latest achievements in robotics. Recently, a robot called Mobile Aloha caught the attention of many at the beginning of 2024, with short videos of it cooking at someone’s home going viral in January.

Developed by a team of researchers at Stanford University in the US, the robot can handle everything for a dish, whether it is chopping(切) vegetables or cracking eggs.

It is also good at various household tasks like watering plants, petting cats, cleaning the floor and doing laundry. It even knows to shake the pillow after putting on a pillowcase (枕套). An Internet user joked under one video that as long as this thing doesn’t try to kill him while he is asleep, he is in real need of it.

However, a following video posted by one of the researchers, Tony Zhao, and showing Mobile Aloha’s failures proved that the idea of having a robot servant may just be wishful thinking. In the video, Mobile Aloha randomly smashed(打碎) glasses and plates, collided(碰撞) with cabinets(橱柜) and even burned a pot.

It turns out that Mobile Aloha is not a complete self-learning system that can independently navigate new environments. It relies on demonstrations by human operators in its surroundings, meaning that the robot needs to learn from human behavior before completing each task. Also, according to the team, the robot achieves a 95 percent success rate in wiping red wine stains(污渍), 80 percent in pushing chairs, and a me re 40 percent in frying shrimp(虾). In short, it’s far from perfect.

The behavioral problems of AI robots have been bothering scientists for decades. Although AI robots do pretty well in things requiring high-level reasoning like math, they perform worse than a one-year-old child when it comes to simple tasks demanding abilities of perception, reflexes(反射) and mobility, among others.

As the team observed, the interaction between the arm and the base of Mobile Aloha would get quite complex if more flexibility is required in a task. Even a slight deviation(偏差) in the base settings might lead to significant drift in the arms’ motions, resulting in failure to complete the task.

10 . In November, National Geographic published its “The Cool List for 2024”, a collection of the most exciting destinations worldwide to visit next year.

Europe topped the list, with 13 locations, including traveling the entire continent by train. Six places in North America were named on the list, with three in the United States.

A standout location in Europe is Tartu, Estonia. According to Nat Geo, Estonians consider the city to be the “country’s cultural and intellectual heart”. Tartu is home to the country’s oldest university, a designated UNESCO City of Literature, and was selected as one of the European Capitals of Culture for 2024.

Three places in the U. S. ranked as the most exciting destinations in 2024. Texas stands out among the list because, in 2024, people in central Texas will be able to see the total solar eclipse set for April 8.

Sikkim, India, is one of the smallest states in the country. The area offers visitors the opportunity to go climbing. Over a quarter of Sikkim, India, is covered by Khangchendzonga National Park — a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

According to Nat Geo, Sierra Leone is a country to watch in 2024. The international airport in Freetown got a major renovation in 2023 and many roads are also being upgraded. The report mentions that tourism is blossoming in West Africa. Sierra Leone’s first Hilton is set to open its doors next year.