DOHA, Sept 18 —The “Hello, Beijing” Photography Exhibition     1     (hold) on Monday herein the Qatari capital Doha, showcasing historical and cultural emblems (象征) of the Chinese capital. It also showed how the big city succeeds     2    becoming a world famous tourist destination.

Themed “Capital, Ancient Charm, New Look, Humanity and Ecology”, the exhibition    3     (feature) 79 photography works that highlight the natural beauty,    4     (tradition) charm, and cultural significance of Beijing.    5     (photo) of world cultural heritage sites such as the Great Wall and the Forbidden City, as well as iconic Olympic venues (场地) like the Bird’s Nest and the Water Cube, and beloved giant pandas, are all on display at the exhibition.

Abdulaziz Al Anzy,    6    Qatari civil engineer who brought his families to the exhibition, told Xinhua that     7     (see) these photos brought back many of the good memories in Beijing. “I love Beijing, particularly love the city in winter, as it’s the first place    8    I’ve ever seen snow,” he said honestly. “I hope there will be more events like this in the future    9     (bridge) both countries through tradition, culture and art. China is    10     (true) beautiful, and the Chinese people are very friendly. I often tell my family and friends that they must visit China to experience it for themselves,” Anzy added.

3 . In order to escape from bats’ hunt through sound, some of the moths have therefore evolved a “stealth coat” — made of tiny hairs and a layer of scales(磷片) — that reduces their detectability through echolocation(回声定位).

Mare Holderied, a biologist at the University of Bristol, wanted to know how good the moths were at hiding from bats. So he shaved off their hairs and then sent sound waves towards them, imitating how bats might echolocate to find their prey.

It turned out the moths’ one and-a-half-millimeter layer of fur reduced their detectability by just over 40％. In addition to the fur, moths also have a thin layer of scales, tens to hundreds of thousands of them, on each wing. The scales each respond to specific frequencies of sound waves and when a bat’s echolocation signals hit the moth’s wings, the scales start to shake. The acoustic energy (声能) from the echolocation is thus absorbed.

Dr. Holderied and his colleagues tested how well the scales worked and found that they were as good at absorbing sound as the fur. They absorbed as much as 87% of the incoming sound energy, but at only one tenth of the fur’s thickness. In terms of their ability to absorb sounds, the moth’s scales outperform and are much thinner than any human-designed soundproofing(隔音) used in homes and offices.

Recognizing the significant impact of noise on human health, especially in urban environments, Dr. Holderied’s team has been taking inspiration from the sound-absorbing proper tics of moths to design wallpaper that can reduce the noise of road traffic. Dr. Holderied concluded, “One day it will be possible to adorn the walls of your house with super-thin sound absorbing wallpaper, using a design that copies the mechanisms from moths. Moths are going to inspire the next generation of sound absorbing materials.”

4 . Many of the world’s most wondrous and beautiful destinations are in danger of being destroyed by a combination of environmental and social factors. Below are some popular locations worth visiting before they disappear.

Glacier National Park

United States and Canada

Glacier National Park contains some of the most beautiful and primitive wilderness in the Rocky Mountains. There are more than 200 glacier-fed lakes and much wildlife. However, the latest warm period has caused the number of glaciers to decrease from 150 in 1850 to 26 today. If current global warming trends continue, there will be no glaciers left in the park by 2030.

Venice

Italy

With as many as 40 floods per year between March and September, Venice is slowly sinking at an estimated rate of 2.5 inches every ten years. A severe flood in December 2008 brought renewed attention to Venice’s vulnerable(脆弱的) state and approaching fate as an underwater city.

Taj Mahal

Agra, Uttar Pradesh State, India

The Taj Mahal is considered the finest example of the late style of Indian Islamic architecture. The building is visited by three to four million tourists each year. The crowds and air pollution, however, have caused irreversible(不可逆转的) damage to the building, making tourism officials consider closing the historic site to the public.

Pyramids of Giza

Giza, Egypt

The Pyramids have witnessed a heavy traffic in this sightseeing area for centuries, but the pollution and great number of visitors have caused damage to the ancient structures, which are not protected by Egyptian officials. Although camel and horseback tours are now banned from the site, the structures are still difficult to see through the crowds and vendors.

I had a secret. I had been considering the decision for some time, but hadn’t discussed it with anyone. As an English Language Arts teacher in my fourth year, I had to leave my beloved profession.

I kept praying for a sign to stay, but my father was very ill and needed someone to take care of him. Although many students liked my class and I had received hundreds of letters from former students appreciating my influence on their lives, I still made this difficult decision.

It was nearing the end of what I had come to think of as my last year. A senior named Lyric, who was my assistant, asked if I could meet him and another student named Ari for dinner to discuss how to prepare for college. I agreed but didn’t think anything of it.

It was on a Saturday evening and my schedule for that day was already packed. I attended an academic conference that morning and then spent the next four hours at the boys’ basketball game where I was the assistant coach of the school team. By the time the game ended, I had about an hour to get to the dinner. I was so tired that I almost called Lyric to re-schedule. But I had promised, so I got in my car and headed to the restaurant.

As I was walking up to the restaurant, I saw Lyric, Ari, and Sal, another former student, all dressed up. I asked Lyric, “Why are you guys so dressed up?” He responded, “Follow us and you’ll see. “The three of them led me to the outside patio (露台) where there was a long table full of some forty students. They had decorated the patio with fairy lights and flowers, and the table was adorned (装饰) with a beautiful tablecloth and candles. They had even prepared my favorite dishes and drinks!

When they saw me, they all stood up and started clapping.

A week later, I was voted Teacher of the Year.

When Li Bai, Master Cen, Dan Qiusheng and others fly freely like elves into the colorful clouds,     1     line “together with you I’ll wipe out the cares often thousands ages” comes to life with vivid imagery; when the magnificent Chang’an of the prosperous Tang Dynasty appeared, suddenly we understood     2     it meant by “Looking back, I believe it must be Chang’an right at the end of the red sunset”. The movie Chang’an has transformed many Tang poems that     3     (memorize) during school days into real scenes. If we treat it as a textbook, the best way is naturally to preview before     4     (watch) the movie, and consolidate and understand the poems after watching it.

    5     the middle adulthood to the twilight years, Gao Shi’s and Li Bai’s destinies and encounters     6     (gradual) diverged further and further apart. Li Bai became famous as a young man, but in his old age he made a mistake and ended up with     7     (charge) of rebellion. Lost and frustrated for most of his life, he     8     (choose) the wrong man and stood on the wrong side. On the other hand, Gao Shi achieved success in     9     (he) later years, taking every step cautiously. When     10     (face) with pleas for help from his good friend, he could not do anything. It is not just a lesson in literature; it is more like a lesson in life.

8 . Benefits of attending a concert

There are more reasons than just having a good time why attending a concert can be good for you.     1    

You’ll burn calories

Most concerts involve a lot of standing, jumping and dancing, which can help you to burn calories that you would otherwise hold onto. Attending a concert may not be the most direct form of exercise, but it’s definitely better than sitting on the couch watching TV.     2     So if you enjoy dancing and singing along to music, this is a great way to burn some calories and get your heart rate going while you’re enjoying your favorite music.

Raise your spirits

    3    . The excitement of purchasing a ticket, preparing for the show, attending with friends, and savoring the moments can provide happy memories and feelings for several weeks at a time. The expense is well worth the positive experience you will have when you hear your favorite band play live.

Discover new sounds

Most bands will offer an opening act or two to get the crowd excited and on their feet.     4     Attending a concert gives you a chance to experience their music live and discover new sounds that you didn’t know you liked. For most people, music has a huge impact on mood, and finding music you love helps to improve your mood.

If you are still debating whether or not to purchase a ticket that may seem like a large expense, consider the alternative.     5     Attending a concert is a great way to spend on the everlasting memories.

9 . From losing your wallet in the subway to a newly-broken part in your car, the planet closest to the Sun is often blamed for life’s misfortunes, big and small. You may hear responsibility placed on “Mercury retrograde (水星逆行), referring to how the planet appears to move backward in its march across our sky fora few weeks about every four months. The apparent backward movement of Mercury is an actual astronomical phenomenon, but its connection to happenings on Earth is largely denied as pseudoscience.

Still, the idea that Mercury holds power over our communication is popular in the West. Retrograde motion has captured sky-gazing humans’ attention for millennia. Among ancient astronomers’ Earth-centric ideas about the heavens, a celestial body appearing to move backward would’ve presented an eye-catching sight. Indeed, the apparent retrograde motion of planets was documented quite early in human history. Mercury retrograde was probably first documented by Babylonian astronomers around the 7th century B.C., says Mathieu Ossende, a historian.

The idea that the positions and motion of celestial bodies could predict the fates of a nation, a ruler, a harvest, or an event endured into medieval Europe. “You’d have someone really powerful go to an astrologer and say, ‘I want to surround a castle or attack my enemies, what’s a good time?’” says Nicholas Campion, an expert of cosmology culture. Mercury in retrograde was believed to prevent such endeavors, as well as these astrologers’ divinations (占卜). In fact, Campion adds, some astrologers might say they couldn’t read the chart when Mercury was in retrograde.

Mercury isn’t actually moving backward in its orbit around the Sun. Retrograde motion is an optical illusion caused by all the planets moving at different speeds from one another. It’s kind of like driving on a highway with multiple lanes going the same direction, explains Carolyn Ernst, a planetary scientist. If you’re passing a car in another lane that’s going more slowly, it might appear to move backward compared to you, despite going in the same direction, and vice versa. That’s what happens when Mercury laps Earth.

10 . Beyond the blue: Some of the best aquariums worldwide

Located in the heart of Atlanta, Georgia Aquarium is among the world’s largest aquariums featuring more than 11 million gallons of water and over 500 different species. The aquarium also offers behind-the-scene tours, animal encounters, and even sleepovers for a truly immersive experience.

S. E. A. Aquarium in Singapore is not only one of the largest but also one of the most impressive aquariums in the world. The aquarium is home to over 100, 000 marine animals, including more than 1, 000 species from different regions across the globe. It has 45 different habitats and 10 different zones, each with a distinct underwater environment that ranges from the tropical coral reefs to the chilly Antarctic Ocean.

Dubai Aquarium &Underwater Zoo is a must-visit when in Dubai. It houses over 140 species of aquatic animals, including the world’s largest collection of sand tiger sharks. The aquarium also features three large ecological zone exhibits, each with unique marine life. However, the highlight of the Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo is the 48-meter-long aquarium tunnel that takes visitors on a memorizing journey below the aquarium’s surface.

As the largest aquarium in Europe, Oceanográfic in Valencia, Spain offers tourists an unparalleled opportunity to explore the world’s major ecosystems and see unique marine animals up close. As tourists walk through the aquarium, they will witness diverse marine life. The aquarium even has a walk-in see-through shark tunnel, which is one of the best in the world.