2 . For thousands of years, Chinese writers have travelled all over the country to take down notes about the geographical conditions of each city. Among them, well-known Chinese geographer and writer Li Daoyuan, in the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534), composed his book, Commentary on the Water Classics, after studying the original literary version, Water Classics. He later expanded the river records to 1, 252 from the original 137.

The book is now being studied again by Professor Li Xiaojie and his team from Fudan University. They have been using drawing software and 3D modelling to recreate the waterway situations on a map based on the book description. So far, they have completed research on four rivers.

“Ancient people knew really well how to apply the power of nature to technical considerations,”Li said, giving the example of Qianjin’e, one of the most famous ancient water conservation projects in Luoyang, Henan. In order to lead the river into the city for irrigation (灌溉) in ancient Luoyang, the officials built a canal branch by separating a northwest-southeast river. However, the canal water wasn't enough to support the citizens in dry seasons. To solve that, on the northern side of the canal branch, the officials built a reservoir (水库) and a channel to lead the water to the canal branch, where the waterways would converge and flow together to the city.

In Commentary on the Water Classics, a total of 2, 800 cities are recorded with details. Still, the process of recreation takes much effort. After doing a lot of text analysis and fieldwork, the team has gradually created the model with 3D modelling software based on repeated deductions (推论).

For Professor Li, the book is not only a record of the natural landscape over 1, 000 years ago, but also a detailed description of humanity and culture and a treasure for today’s reference.

3 . I am not a morning person, but as I stand on the boulder (巨大的砾石) in the early dawn, my mind is sharp and alert. I am more than awake, concentrating on the vast endlessness below.

There is a noticeable lack of early birdsong here; no hiss of offshore wind fanning the waves. The only sound is my breath, heavy after the scramble to the top. It is by no means a difficult climb, but I had to hurry to beat the sun.

“If you stand at the top of Kubu Island just before sunrise,” said one of the returning visitors, “You can see the arc (弧线) of the Earth.”

He was right.

From up here the horizon cuts not so much a line as an arc.

Soon my feeling of being in the moment is replaced with something as strange and ancient as this place itself. My breathing calms and becomes shallow. My heartbeat slows. I am first surrounded by in silence. I am a tiny, shrinking spot. Then I disappear completely.

They say that astronauts looking down on Earth gain a sense of perspective that changes them forever. They begin to understand how much we are a part of our planet, and how much it is a part of us. The astronauts are 400 kilometres off the surface of Earth, and while the top of Kubu Island is only 10 metres high, there is something about this pile of boulders that sends you into orbit.

Kubu Island isn’t actually an island, but rather, an outcrop of ancient rocks that are up to two billions year old. It was once rested on the edge of a vast lake. As the water evaporated, it created the huge Makgadikgadi Pan (马卡迪卡迪盐沼盆地), one of the world’s largest salt pans.

Ancient tribes and civilizations have migrated and lived here, first to fish from its rocks and then to commune with nature and its spirits. Today, adventurers and tourists come here to marvel at this strange pile of boulders with baobab trees (猴面包树) growing out of it. These trees are estimated to be 3,000 or 4,000 years old; they are really impressive not only for their size but also because they seem to have so much to tell about the history of this island.

This is the gift that Kubu Island gives and the power that it has. This tiny, weird outcrop — if not in the middle of nowhere, then certainly on the edge of it — can give you a sense of yourself that very few places can. A sense of yourself as a person on this planet and, somehow, way beyond it.

There are certain things on the Earth that we must not lose. The great animal migration across the Serengeti Plains or the towering pyramids of Egypt are such examples. Every country is proud of     1     (it) cultural or natural heritage sites,     2     must be protected. We are lucky to have UNESCO to oversee such an important task. It sees heritage as our legacy from     3    past, what we live with today, and what we pass on to future generations as well as sources    4    irreplaceable inspiration.

The incredible splendour of heritage sites is a     5     (remind) of the power of nature and the genius of man. As a nature reserve, Jiuzhaigou Valley is home to snow-capped mountains, thick forests, impressive waterfalls and lakes. This dream-like scenery makes us realize that nature has    6     (true) created a masterpiece. Similarly, standing in the shadow of the Borobudur Temple, as the sun rises over this grand historic building, we    7     (impress) with the effort and determination of the people who     8    (build) it with only primitive tools.

It is in heritage sites like this     9     we cannot help but be humbled, come to understand our limitations as human beings, and know that our duty is to protect them for generations     10     (come).

5 . Warm Mineral Springs Park

Step into the past at the only natural warm spring in Florida! With a consistent average temperature of 85 °F year round, Warm Mineral Springs Park provides visitors with a number of recreation options. The spring is reported to have one of the highest mineral contents of any natural spring in the United States. With highly mineralized properties, internationally known for its healing qualities, the park attracts more than 130,000 visitors annually.

At Warm Mineral Springs Park, you will find a day full of relaxation. A variety of spa services are available to those who book in advance by calling (941) 426-1692. An on-site gift shop offers diverse items and souvenirs for purchase.

Pricing

Tickets are not refundable, cannot be exchanged, and cannot be reissued if lost or stolen. Same day re-entry is permitted. Residents include all of Sarasota County. Proof of residency includes driver’s license, water bill and tax bill. Entry pricing, including sales tax, is as follows:

General Rules

To ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all visitors, please respect the following rules:

♦ Children 10 years and younger must stay in the children’s area.

♦Children ages 11-16 must remain in the outer border.

♦You must be 17 years or older to swim in the middle.

♦No toys are allowed in the water.

♦No food or drinks in the water.

♦No visitors may block the entrance or exit ramps (坡道).

♦Devices for the producing or reproducing of sound are prohibited.

For Daily Programming, Contact: (941) 426-1692

Hours of Operation: Monday through Sunday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Open every day, with the exception of December 25.

Covering 7 million square kilometers of jungle and river over eight countries, the Amazon Rainforest is home to millions of sorts of plants and animals, some of     1     are still being discovered today. It's also the world’s     2    (large) supplier of oxygen and is a treasure chest for medical     3    (researcher) who are experimenting with different plants in hopes of finding cures for certain diseases.    4    , the world is at risk of losing this rich rainforest because of deforestation (滥伐森林)    5     (cause) by the actions of farmers, loggers and settlers.

The Amazon Basin     6    (lose) 20% of its rainforest since 1970. Cattle farmers have     7    (continuous) cleared the land for cows     8    (eat) on and crop farmers have begun “slash and burn” (刀耕火种), a farming method that involves cutting down forests and burning the land to make     9     suitable for agricultural purpose. Loggers have been cutting down the trees for timber(木材), further decreasing its size.

With the destruction of the Amazon Rainforest, global warming becomes more of a threat. It is up to each individual to fight against the     10    (disappear) of the Amazon by making the world know something about this environmental disaster.

9 . The huge stone human statues of Easter Island have fascinated the world for centuries, but now a new research has solved one of the biggest mysteries (谜团) why the statues are located where they are.

Easter Island has more than 600 statues, built by different families hundreds of years ago. It is thought the statues represent their ancestors. However, it was previously a mystery why many of them were around the coast. While scientists have suggested the sites may have a connection with the island’s resources (资源), the latest research is the first attempt to look into such views.

Researchers focused on the east of the island, where various resources are located, and looked at the distribution (分布) of 93 statues built before European sailors arrived in the 18th century. After finding no connection with the rock used for the construction, they considered whether the statues were found near other important resources.

Things became interesting when they checked where the islanders got their drinking water. The island has no long-standing streams or lakes. However, fresh water brought by storm could pass through the ground and go deeper into the underground water system. “It is sort of amazing at low tide (潮水) when the water goes down, suddenly there are streams running off at different sites right at the coast that is just pure fresh water,” said Lipo. “We noticed, actually, when we were doing an investigation on the island, that we saw horses drinking from the ocean.”

The results of the new research—published in the journal Plos One—found that closeness to freshwater sites is the best explanation for the location of the statues, including why they appear inland as well as on the coast. “Historical records show the islanders also made wells to get drinking water,” said Lipo, adding that historic wells explained some inland statue locations that were apparently without natural water resources.

The results, said Lipo, made sense, as drinking water is important for the islanders and it is not practical to have to walk miles to get it.