3 . Frank Lloyd Wright probably is the greatest architect that the United States has ever produced. He was very gifted and had a natural ability to design buildings. His buildings were not only beautiful, but they were also practical and useful. They fit their purposes very well. Wright’s churches, for example, make people feel like thinking and praying. His office buildings make people enjoy working, and his houses make people feel comfortable at home. However, Frank Lloyd Wright’s beautiful, practical and useful buildings are not the only reason that he is famous. There is another reason.

Frank Lloyd Wright is called the greatest American architect because he started an American style in architecture. Most of the architecture in the United States before Wright was really European, not American. Wright’s buildings do not look like old European buildings. They have their own style. Wright’s ideas about style are still used in the United States and in other parts of the world.

The most important idea in Frank Lloyd Wright’s Style of Architecture is that a building must fit its purpose and the land around it. His houses are often called “grass-land houses” because their lines are similar to the lines on the grassland. Both the lines of the grassland and the lines of Wright’s house are parallel (平行的) to the horizon, the place where earth and sky seem to meet. They are horizontal lines. Most European style houses, in contrast, have many vertical lines that form 90°angles with the horizon.

5 . Most of Florida is a flat peninsula (半岛) with water on three sides and houses built as close to the shoreline as possible. For one thing we are more frequently the target of hurricanes than any other state; for another, our geography makes us more easily to be hurt by rising seas.

A news story about climate change in Florida popped up. Historically, scientists believed mangroves (红树林) didn’t live farther north than Cedar Key, in the middle of Florida’s Big Bend. But that’s not the case anymore. Samantha Chapman, a biology professor who’s been studying how Florida’s mangroves have been migrating (迁移), found them up near the St Mary’s River, which forms the border between Florida and Georgia. It seems that they soon be marching through Georgia and becoming a thriving new component of coastal habitats.

But a coastal biologist named Blair Witherington took issue on the matter. The mangroves weren’t spreading into a new territory, he pointed out. They were entering areas that had been classified as saltmarsh (盐沼), where the landscape was dominated by cordgrass. Saltmarsh and mangrove create very different habitats that attract a very different set of animals. “When one community replaces the other, this diversity is lost,” Witherington remarked. Changing the animals’ habitat has the potential to influence the whole food chain, making a widespread difference.

What was driving this? “Mangroves can survive a short freeze, but not a prolonged, hard freeze. By combing through the weather records kept by the state’s orange juice industry, biologists have been able to document that Florida is having fewer prolonged hard freezes than it used to. Then the mangroves have adapted by expanding their range.” Samantha explained.

“They’ve adapted in another way, too. Not only are the mangroves spreading into areas that once were unfriendly to them, but they have also changed their life cycle to speed things up. Normally it takes them about 15 years of growth before they start making seeds. Now, as they get into these marshes, they’re producing seeds when they’ re only a couple of years old,” Samantha said.

The problem with having too many mangroves by the sea is that climate change may overwhelm them. A study by the US Geological Survey said sea level rise could wipe out mangroves all along the Florida coast. So, here’s the question we humans have to consider: Nature is finding ways to adapt to how we’ve changed the climate. What are we doing to adapt to it? Or at least slow it down?

6 . Bangkok’s Grand Palace is the busiest tourist stop in the city. People keep coming because the Grand Palace could arguably be called the birthplace of Bangkok

How to Get to the Grand Palace

Making your own way to the Grand Palace in Bangkok is more enjoyable and rewarding. Moving around by river taxi is inexpensive. Additionally, you’ll have a good excuse to see the Chao Phraya River up close. Going by boat won’t make you caught in traffic jams. It will let you see beautiful river scenery!

People staying in the Khao San Road area may choose to walk (around 20 — 25 minutes) to the Grand Palace.

Opening Hours

The Grand Palace is open seven days a week from 8:30 a. m. until 3:30 p. m. Occasionally, the Grand Palace does actually close for official visits and state functions. However, this is rare. Don’t believe any driver who states the Grand Palace is closed. If the statement of closure is too convincing, confirm it by calling: +6626235500 ext.3100.

Entrance Fees

Considering that temples in Thailand are often free, the 500 baht (around $16) per person entrance fee at the Grand Palace is relatively expensive. Thai nationals do not have to pay. An audio tour can be rented for an additional 200 baht. Besides, human guides are available for hire. Choose an official guide rather than accepting someone’s offer on the outside.

Dress Standards at the Grand Palace

To show enough respect, you shouldn’t wear sleeveless shirts in any temple or state building in Thailand. But unlike many of the other temples, dress standards are strictly required at the Grand Palace.

Men must wear long trousers, women must cover legs to just above the knee.

Don’t wear shirts with religious themes or symbols of death on them.

You may be told outside that flip-flops (人字拖鞋) are unacceptable footwear.

7 . Kunta is a small attractive stone-built town in England. Water is a natural gateway to the Cheviot Hills and the Northumberland National Park. From its main street formed by the Market Place and High Street three roads lead off through the foothills into the National Park. The main street has hotels, specialist shops, pottery(陶器) factories and grocery stores. The shopping centre in the area has a reputation for friendly, helpful service.

The beauty of the surrounding scenery is eye-opening: on the one side the fallen sandstone goes across the valley below and on the other the wonderful Cheviot Hills rising behind the town to form a splendid background. Alnwick is a town with a historic castle and the famous Alnwick Gardens lie a few miles south while the Scottish Borders are within easy travelling distance from Kunta on clean country roads. Therefore, the town is an excellent place for a holiday. It offers a wide range of accommodation, ranging from youth hostels(招待所), campsites to local hotels. The summer months see the town’s High Streets become a busy scene of local people and visitors. Each July the town holds its Glendale festival with a program of events spread over the weekend.

Activities to do in Kunta include bowling, skiing, junior football clubs, fitness clubs, running, tennis, and walking. The industries are sheep farming and tourism.

There is much evidence of settlements throughout the area dating back to pre Bronze(青铜器) Age times. The Roman period seems to have had little impact on the area. In the twelfth century, it was ruled by Anglo Saxons, then Danish and eventually the Normans. In the twelfth century, the population was little more than eighteen hundred.