2 . Discover Nature Schools Programs

Becoming Bears(Kindergarten－2 grade)

By becoming baby bears, children learn from their “parent” to survive the seasons. Kids will find safety in the spring and learn kinds of food bears eat during the summer, and then create a cave for winter hibernation(冬眠)．After learning the skills needed to survive, students will go out of the cave as an independent black bear able to care for themselves.(1.5－2 hours)

Whose Clues?(3－5 grade)

Kids will discover how plants and animals use their special structures to survive. Through outdoor study of plants and animals, kids will recognize their special structures and learn how they enable species to eat, avoid their enemies and survive. Using what they have learned, kids will choose one species and tell how they survive in their living places.(3－4 hours)

Winged Wonders(3－5 grade)

Birds add color and sound to our world and play an important ecological role. Students will learn the basics of birds, understand the role birds play in food chains and go bird­watching using field guides and telescopes. Students will do hands­on activities. Students will use tools to build bird feeders, allowing them to attract birds at home.(3－4 hours)

Exploring Your Watershed(6－8 grade)

We all depend on clean water. Examining how our actions shape the waterways around us. Go on a hike to see first­hand some of the challenging water quality problems in a city. Students will test the water quality to determine the health of an ecosystem.

·Each program is taught for a class with at least 10 students.

·All programs include plenty of time outdoors. So please prepare proper clothing, sunscreen and insect killers for children.

·To take part in a program, please email dcprogramsmdc.mo.gov.

“Who is Peppa?”     1     upcoming film’s trailer (预告片) has gained huge attention on China’s social media platforms. Well     2     (receive) by the viewers, the short video has earned     3     (it) the “best commercial video of 2019”. It focuses on the question “Who is Peppa?” and tells a touching story     4     highlights Chinese families. In the beginning, a senior man named Li Yubao living in remote rural area asked his grandson on the phone     5     gifts he wanted for the Spring Festival, but only heard the word “Peppa” due to the poor mobile signal. Therefore, the man begins an     6     (interest) journey to discover who Peppa is.     7     the help of neighbors, the senior man made a Peppa model that     8     (consist) of irons and steels and surprises his grandson. The short video encourages people working outside to come back home often and accompany family     9     (member) to spend a happy and warm Spring Festival holiday. After all, family bonds are the     10     (significant) thing in Chinese people’s hearts.

4 . It can be tough to pull kids away from their computers and mobile devices these days. While they’re playing games, wouldn’t it be great if they could be learning at the same time? Good educational apps offer fun challenges that teach specific grade-level skills. Here are four that combine fun and learning.

Understanding Math($3.99; iOS)

Understanding Math goes beyond basic comprehension to gain a deeper understanding of the whys and hows of math. The app tracks your child’s progress to determine strengths and weaknesses in different skill areas, and you can customize(订制)your child’s learning experience to suit the needs.

Word Creativity Kit($2.99; iOS)

Word Creativity Kit aims not only to make creative writing fun but also build up grammar rules. The app presents a series of words from seven categories, such as space or fantasy. Kids add their own words to finish the complete thoughts that these words have inspired.

Barefoot World Atlas($4.99; iOS)

Barefoot World Atlas helps kids learn about geography and world cultures with a touch of the screen. Each region features a set of sub-topics, from wildlife and natural features to native people, landmarks, and architecture. These facts and illustrations are delivered in photographs, sounds, and hundreds of mini videos.

My Grades & Homework($0.99; iOS)

A combination of grades and homework tracker, My Grades & Homework can help your child stay organized and on top of the progress in school. A convenient calendar and course list format and offer a glance at your child’s assignment schedule that he or she might not normally get from standard homework planners.

5 . British Museum

Located in Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG, the British Museum houses a vast collection of world art and artifacts and is free to all visitors. The British Museums surprising collection spans over two million years of human history and culture, and it has more than 7 million objects, so it would probably take a week to see everything.

Over 6 million visitors every year experience the collection, including world-famous objects such as the Rosetta Stone and Egyptian mummies.

Admission (入场费) and opening times

Free, open daily from 10:00 to 17:30.

Open until 20:30 on Fridays,except Good Friday.

Closed on 24, 25 and 26 December and 1 January.

Large luggage (行李), suitcases and cabin baggage

For everyone’s safety, all bags, packages and personal items may be searched before entry. Wheeled cases and large items of luggage are not allowed on British Museum for safety and security reasons. Storage for luggage is available at major rail stations, including Euston, Kings Cross and Charring Cross.

Membership

Membership allows you to discover two million years of human history with free unlimited entry to special exhibitions.

Individual (个人) membership: $74

Under 26 membership: $54

Young friends (ages 8—15):$25

Shops

The Museum has four shops where you can buy books, souvenirs, and family gifts.

6 . Planning to get away? Think passport first

If you’re planning to get away from it all this year, you should think passport first. Checking you have a valid passport before you book your trip takes minutes but could save you the trouble and cost of not being able to go.

Renewing (更新) your passport before it runs out

You can renew your passport up to 9 months before it can no longer be legally used. So take the time now and save the tears later.

Applying for a passport for the first time

Our eligibility (资格) checks mean that it takes at least one week to issue (颁发) a passport. So make sure you don’t leave it to the last minute, and apply in plenty of time.

Help with your application is just around the corner

Selected Post Office branches and Worldchoice travel agents offer a Check and Send service that helps you with your application. It’s convenient and you should receive your passport within 2 weeks.

If you need to apply for or renew a passport, you can either:

Pick up a Passport Application Form at Selected Post Office branches and Worldchoice travel agents.

Or call the Application Form Request line on 0901 4700 100 or visit www.passport.gov.uk

If your need is urgent, call 0870 521 0410 for an appointment at one of our offices. We can’t guarantee to see customers without an appointment.

7 . Becoming famous is the dream of many, and Tian is getting closer to that dream.

Tian, 30, is a white - collar worker in Beijing. On short video application Douyin, Tian has more than 2, 000 fans, So far, she has received more than 50, 000 likes on the Dubsmash - like app. On her page on Douyin, Tian shares everything, from her son's daily activities, to her pet dogs, to little skits (段子) made up by her and her husband. “Making funny videos, and combining them with music is really interesting, ” Tian said. “Of course, I make the videos for fun because it is quite relaxing.”

China's short video market has seen great growth, according to a report. The report said that China's short video market was valued at 5. 73 billion yuan ($ 900 million) in 2017, an increase of 184 percent. The industry value is expected to go up to the 30 billion mark in 2020. Companies like Tencent, Sohu and Iqiyi have all started providing short video content.

“Short videos are popular because they are an addition to traditional audio and video content on the internet, ” said Sun Jiashan with the Chinese National Academy of Arts.

Fans say that the short videos help them “chill out” from a stressed - out lifestyle. “My favorite videos are all about pets, ” said Zhou Na, a nurse in Hefei, capital of East China's Anhui province. “After a whole day's work, watching the 15 - second videos makes me laugh, which reduces my pressure.”

8 . 4 Popular Places to Go This Winter

Harbin, China

China Harbin’s winter is for the brave ones—the average temperature is 1.8°F- but those who brave the cold will be rewarded with experiencing one of the world’s largest winter festivals. 2021 marks the 37th Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival (January-March), when massive frozen structures rise and are lit up, transforming the city into a winter wonderland.

Lyon, France

Paris may be called The City of Light,but every December, light takes center stage in Lyon, France’s third-largest city. That’s when the annual Festival of Lights (around December 8) takes over, with light installations (装置)that transform the city’s streetscapes into modern works of art. The city is also home to two Christmas markets (one in La Croix-Rousse; the other at the Place Carnot; through December 25).

Lima, Peru

Peru’s capital Lima is home to the world’s highest number of cooking schools per person. Aside from its delicate dining, the city also has great cocktail bars where you can taste classic or contemporary takes on the Pisco Sour.Combine that with the oceanfront setting and temperatures in the 80s, and you’ll understand why Lima should no longer be ignored this winter.

Vermont, US

Winter in Vermont means skiing and snowboarding, Many resorts (度假胜地)have greatly upgraded their snowmaking abilities as part of a $15 million statewide program that replaced many outdated snow guns with new, low-energy models.These new machines will also improve the quality of snow surfaces and lengthen the season, meaning this will be one of the best winters for skiing and riding in Vermont in recent memory.

9 . Smart Kids is a collection of one hundred events scheduled in October. This year, it is experimenting with Pay What You Decide (PWYD). That is, you can decide to pay what you want to or can afford, after you have attended an event. You can pre-book events without paying for a ticket in advance. Here are some of the director’s picks.

Walk on the Wild Side

Not ticketed, Free

Join storyteller Sarah Law to hear science stories about animals. Along the way you’ll meet all sorts of beautiful creatures and discover life cycles and food chains. Best suited to children aged 5-9. Children under 8 must be accompanied by an adult.

Introduction to Waves

Pre-book, PWYD

Subjects range from sound waves to gravity waves, and from waves of light to crashing waves on the ocean. Mike Goldsmith explores the fundamental features shared by all waves in the natural world.

Science in the Field

Not ticketed, Free

This storytelling night features a scientist sharing his favourite memories of gathering first-hand data on various field trips. Come along for inspiring and informative stories straight from the scientist’s mouth. Join Mark Samuels to find out more in this fun-filled workshop.

Festival Dinner

Pre-book, £25 per person

Whether you want to explore more about food, or just fancy a talk over a meal, join us to mark the first science festival in London. Which foods should you eat to trick your brain into thinking that you are full? Find out more from Tom Crawford.

10 . Beautiful Islands in the World

Waiheke Island, New Zealand

Waiheke is just a 35-minute ferry ride from Auckland. Join a wine test and relax over a delicious vineyard (葡萄园）lunch. Visiting Waiheke is a great journey, where you can either take a relaxing walk explore the beaches or fly smoothly in the forest with a zip-line（飞索）.

If you want to stay on the island overnight, we advise you to stay at the “Delamore lodge”, where you will enjoy relaxing spa treatments, delicious food and wine and a wonderful swimming pool with a good view.

Madagascar.   Africa

Madagascar is the fourth largest island on our planet and a dream destination for outdoors lovers where you can see rare animals, rain-forests and great white sandy beaches. The Avenue of the Baobabs is a must- see if you are traveling to Madagascar. You must also visit one of Madagascar’s natural parks to see its wild animals. From July to October, pass by “Nosy Be” to see one of the rarest animals on the planet, Omura’s whales(鲸).

Kauai. Hawaii

Kauai is part of the Hawaiian Islands and is also named “the Garden Island”. It is indeed an island made up of sharp mountains and waterfalls. On the south shore, you'll find sites of cultural, historical and geological importance alongside beautiful beaches. The island of Kauai has been well-known for more than seventy Hollywood movies and television shows, such as Indiana Jones , Jurassic Park and Jurassic World.

Jamaica

In Jamaica, you will fall in love with the warm Caribbean weather, beautiful beaches, amazing sunsets and great waterfalls.

Our favorite spots: the romantic “Reach Falls” in Portland and “Negril town” for its great concerts and beautiful sunsets. Walk into Floyd’s Pelican Bar, named after the birds that like to sit on its roof. It’s one of the world’s coolest bars and is lying in the middle of the sea!