2 . As one of the city’s most popular free outdoor events, the Cape Town Carnival is a multicultural celebration which focuses on social inclusion and bridging the divide between the diverse communities of the Western Cape and specifically Cape Town. It’s a celebration of the many diverse cultures which makes Cape Town stand out from the most world-famous cities. The carnival is considered a community participation event by the Western Cape Government and draws bigger crowds each year.

The event serves a platform for local performance groups, designers, musicians and artists to showcase their talents to the world. Every year, it may create over 1, 000 part-time jobs. The long-term vision, however, is to create more programmes focusing on skills development, thus permanently employing people. Since 2010 when the carnival was held on Long Street, it has become the festival of the year, and has grown from 17, 000 spectators to as many as 55, 000. This year, the carnival will be held on the Fan Walk in Green Point.

And its theme is Mother City, Mother Nature, exploring two of Cape Town’s greatest assets, its natural beauty and its people. The festival will showcase what makes the Mother City one of the most unique cities in the world. Over 2, 000 shining costumed performers and musicians will take to Cape Town’s Fan Walk, entertaining viewers with floats (花车) and dynamic dance routines. The parade (游行) will be followed by a grand street party, showcasing some of South Africa’s hottest musical talent.

Fans and tourists are encouraged to join in the street festivities anytime from 16: 00, when it will turn into a pedestrian walkway with 2km of food stands and festive hospitality (好客) areas. Later in the evening Cape Town will up the pace with the most appealing and festive open air party, the Cape Town Carnival Street Party! This Culture Comer: A Glimpse of Cape Town, was contributed by Marilyn Steward. I’m Rich Claymount. Stay tuned and see you next time.

3 . 4 Most walkable cities in Europe

Seville in Spain takes the top spot as Europe’s most walkable city, offering the shortest walking route between the top four tourist attractions.Visitors can explore the impressive Plaza de Espana public square, before wandering over to the UNESCO-listed palace of Real Alcazar and Seville Cathedral. After that, it’s only a short trip on foot to visit the beautiful Barrio Santa Cruz neighbourhood.

Venice is well-known as a heaven for pedestrians (行人), so it’s no surprise it ranks as the second best location for walkable city breaks. There are endless alleyways to explore, as well as plenty of beautiful bridges over the crisscrossing canals that the city is famous for. Just under half an hour of walking here will take you on a tour of the impressive Grand Canal, Doge’s Palace, St Mark’s Square, Basilica and bell tower, all in only 1.3 miles.

Nestled along Portugal’s picturesque coast, Porto comes in third with its top attractions all covered by a 30-minute walking route. Meander along the Dom Luís I Bridge over the Douro River, head to the Clérigos Church Bell Tower and enjoy a riverfront walking place along the Cais da Ribeira. The Stock Exchange Palace is also just a short walk away.

Florence, Italy, secures its place as the fourth most walkable city in Europe thanks to its stunning attractions that can be seamlessly explored on foot. A 1.6 mile route covers the awe-inspiring Piazzale Michelangelo; the famous Uffizi Gallery; the Piazza del Duomo where you will be amazed at the magnificent Florence Cathedral; and the Galleria dell’Accademia, home to Michelangelo’s masterpiece, the statue of David.

As is widely acknowledged, China can trace her history back thousands of years. Ancient     1     (dynasty) came and went, with each era (时期)     2     (reflect) unique architectural feats.

At present, China is home to     3     couple of modern architectural treasures. These include a hospital in Hong Kong that     4     (complete) last year. Other notable structures include the Shanghai Tower, the third     5     (tall) building in the world, and the Qinghai-Tibet railway. It is a high-elevation railway,     6     route includes a station in the Tanggula Mountains, which is the highest railway station in the world.

Another celebrated structure, the Bank of China Tower in Hong Kong, was designed by renowned architect 1. M. Pei.     7     (it) triangular shape was inspired by bamboo shoots, symbolizing growth and hope.

Looking to the future, Chinese architects are exploring several possibilities, the concept of “sponge cities (海绵城市)”     8     (include). This innovation could help with the country’s water     9     (short) by absorbing rainwater and turning it     10     drinking water.

Despite its rapid industrialization, there are still some corners in China that have maintained its original color.

Ancient towns and villages in China are places     1     traditions are well preserved in terms of architecture, lifestyle and folk customs. All of these can be found in Huangyao Ancient Town, one of the most-visited tourist     2    (spot) in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

    3    (cover) an area of 3.6 square kilometers, Huangyao has a history of nearly 1,000 years     4     its origins dating back to the Song Dynasty. People     5    (carry) on traditional festivals and customs here for hundreds of years up to now. During Chinese Lunar New Year, over 20 traditional performances     6    (hold), including the dragon dance and suona horn show. On July 14 in the Chinese lunar calendar, residents often come to the riverbank and put lanterns into the river     7    (celebrate) Zhongyuan Jie, the Hungry Ghost Festival.

Black soybean is often added to its local food to create an     8    (extreme) distinctive flavor. When you visit, Huangyao tofu is     9     must-try local dish as it is sold only in this town.

It usually takes a day or two to tour around the old town due to its small size, but you can always stay     10    (long) to experience more of its local hospitality and culture.

Chongqing is a city different from other Chinese cities. With beautiful natural scenery and places of historical interests, Chongqing    1     (own) rich local culture color. The city has become a popular tourist destination at the upper reaches of the Yangtze River best known    2     its spicy food and unique landscapes.

When the night falls, decorative lights, lanterns, roadside lamps, bridges and towers all combine to form a number of ever-burning lights, each one     3     (represent) a part of the city’s past and present.

    4     (build) on the mountainous area, Chongqing is often called the mountain city of China. It is also often named as “burning furnace (火炉)” because of its burning summers     5     its typical foods: spicy hotpot.

As    6     Chongqing native, I can speak on the subject of every mountain and river here. Many times when someone asks me    7     (brief) the city, I can be more than happy to speak out the reasons behind its charm. The love for the city ruts deep in my blood, I have been witnessing (见证) Chongqing’s rapid economic    8     (develop) and all the great changes     9     have taken place here in the past 30 years. Looking back at the new look of the city, I am    10     (extreme) proud.

7 . A 2020 study in the journal Science concluded that marine heat waves have increased more than 20-fold as a result of climate warming. The authors found that in the first decade after satellites began recording ocean temperatures (i.e., after 1981), there were 27 large marine heat waves, with an average duration of 32 days and an average peak temperature anomaly of 8.5°F; in the 2010s, there were 172, which lasted 48 days on average with an average peak temperature almost 10°F above normal.

Much remains unclear about marine heat waves. For example, explains Nicholas Bond, research scientist at the University of Washington and Washington’s state climatologist, there is the question of why so many persist for weeks or months. “There must be something else going on that helps maintain them,” he says. He notes that one explanation is that as the ocean surface warms, it radiates heat into the atmosphere that prevents cloud cover from forming, exposing the seawater to increased sunlight and further warming.

However, enough is known about marine heat waves for scientists to be gravely concerned about their potential impacts. Of special note is the fact that those impacts can last long after the heat waves have disappeared. After three years of the Blob, the waters of the northeastern Pacific began to cool in 2016; but years later, scientists are still determining the extent to which the region’s ecosystem is likely to return fully to its pre-Blob status. Similarly, notes Scannell, who is a data scientist with Jupiter Intelligence, Inc., following the 2010-11 Western Australia event, “lots of kelp(巨藻) forests died, and it takes literally decades for those ecosystems to bounce back”.

Eric Oliver, a scientist from Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, Canada, expressed his own opinion about the potential impact of the heat waves in tropical waters. “I think that’s really a tough issue,” he says. Life in the tropics, he notes, is adapted to “quite a narrow range of temperatures. So that’s where things can get really messy. We can have complete shifts in tropical systems.”