1 . Intrigued by Maya civilization from a very young age, 15-year-old Canadian William Gadoury thought he had made an incredible discovery from his study of ancient star charts. Through comparison, he found that the locations of the 117 known Maya cities correspond to the positions of the stars. Based on this, he believed he had spotted an unknown Maya city buried deep in the jungle.     1    

It isn’t difficult to see why. Extending south from parts of what we now know as Mexico into Central America, Maya civilization has been surrounded by mystery since its rediscovery in the 19th century. The Maya built impressive palaces and temples, including their representative step pyramids. What is most extraordinary about these complex structures is how they were built without the use of wheels, metal tools or even animal power. The Maya’s understanding of mathematics and astronomy was also quite amazing.     2    

The fact that Maya society was technologically primitive makes its achievements all the more incredible and mysterious.     3     By 700 AD, Maya civilization was at its peak. Yet, within just a couple of generations, it began to mysteriously decline. The cities were left to be taken back by the jungle. When Europeans arrived in Central America in the early 16th century to claim its riches, the remaining Maya people were living in small settlements.

Why Maya civilization collapsed remains a mystery. Was it a natural disaster? A deadly disease? Conflicts between cities? Or was it a combination of several different factors?     4     They had turned wetlands into fields for growing grains, and had dug huge canal systems. As their population expanded, yet more land was needed for agriculture and more trees for construction. By changing the landscape in this way, it is possible that the Maya people unknowingly reduced their ability to deal with natural disasters.

Whatever the reasons, Maya civilization largely disappeared within the deep jungle. Its once—great cities fell into ruin, leaving various mysteries for later people to solve.

2 . At the top of a hill called Mount Lee in Los Angeles on the west coast of the USA is a very famous sign, recognizable to people around the world. My job is to look after this sign.     1     The first film was made there in 1907 and by 1912, at least 15 independent studios could be found making films around town.

In the 1940s, TV started to become popular and some Hollywood film studios closed, but then TV companies moved in and took them over. Modern Hollywood was born.     2     If one of them ever fell down I would have to put it back up at exactly the same angle. They follow the shape of Mount Lee and this is part of their fame.

I am responsible for maintaining and protecting the sign.     3     When I first arrived in 1989, security was pretty low-tech-we put up a fence around the sign to stop people messing with it. But people just jumped over the fence. The back of the sign was black with graffiti(涂鸦)there was wire across it, but they still got through. So I decided to improve the effectiveness of the security.

Now we have motion-detectors and cameras. Everything goes via the internet to a dedicated surveillance(监控)team watching various structures around the city. Even so, people still try to climb over the barrier, mostly innocent tourists surprised that you can’t walk right up to the sign. But they can get a closer look on one of my regular tours.

    4     They want to light the sign, paint it pink, or cover it in something to promote their product. You’ll get a really enthusiastic marketing executive call up, terribly excited because they think they’re the first person to think of this or that idea. They mostly get turned down. That’s because we don’t like to change the image and we hope it will have the same significance for generations to come.

6 . These summer festivals in New Orleans are few of the hottest happenings the City has to offer for holiday seekers.

Oyster Festival

There’s an old saying that it’s only safe to eat oysters in months ending in ‘R’, which was good advice in the age before refrigeration became a fashion. And that’s exactly why originally the New Orleans Oyster Festival was held in June, to break up the myth as locals never bothered to preserve the creatures with their habit of directly eating the seafood, fresh from the sea. Today, featuring oysters harvested from the Gulf of Mexico, Oyster Fest is a celebration of the world’s favorite food. If you’ve ever wanted to enjoy the legendary oysters at Drago’s where the recipe originated or take a bite out of an oyster the size of a hamburger. Oyster Fest is for you.

When to Co: June 3-4

Essence Festival

New Orleans holds a special place in African-American life and history so it should be no surprise the city hosts a festival celebrating African-American music and culture in the United States. With free admission, Essence Festival, organized by the African-American women’s magazine of the same name, is a combination of tour days of dynamic speeches and a showcase of African-American artists.

When to Co: June 29-July 2

Cajun-Zydeco Festival

Southern Louisiana is home to a variety of rich, unique cultures, and on a weekend in June in New Orleans, one of them— Cajun— is on lull display. The heart of Cajun country is in south-central Louisiana, a strong showcase of Cajun culture, for which the Cajun-Zydeco Festival emerged. On the particular weekend, you get ready to chew down on traditional food like Cajun gumbo at eateries, buy Cajun crafts, and purchase a Cajun T-shirt.

When to Co: June 24-25

Running of the Bulls

Due to its history, the Spanish influence still shows itself in New Orleans. The architectural style of the French Quarter is actually from Spain, and New Orleans’s annual Running of the Bulls is, in part, a nod to the city’s Spanish heritage. Unlike the Spanish festival in Pamplona, the “bulls” in the Fest are not actual bulls but the women of the Big Roller derby team. However they do chase down white-and=red-clothed festival-goers, if infuriated. Therefore behave yourself or be prepared to run tor life.

When to Co: JuIy7-9

7 . Is there a need to rebuild the Old Summer Palace? In reply to such a proposal from a national lawmaker, the National Cultural Heritage Administration said there was no such need.

The Summer palace on the outskirts of China’s capital is a tranquil park with canals, bridges, pagodas, ginkgo tone ruins, and a few traditional buildings. Despite still covering a large area, the site today represents only a shadow of what stood before.The ruins have long been a potent symbol of China's"humiliation"at the hands of foreign powers.

In 1860, British and French troops looted and burned the Summer Palace in response to the killings of 20 European emissaries during the Second Opium War: Forty years later, it was further damaged by a coalition of foreign nations. Historian Bernard Brizay described these acts of cultural destruction as equivalent to invaders blowing up the Palace of Versaille (凡尔赛宫), looting thousands' of priceless artworks from the Louvre((卢浮宫), and burning France's national library to the ground。

Since rebuilding the Old Summer Palace was first proposed in 1980, there has been an ongoing public debate about whether its ruins should be left to stand as a permanent reminder of China's dark history. The state-run newspaper Guangming Daily called the remains of the Summer Palace "the most realistic teaching materials" for instilling a patriotic education. "Though humiliating, they cause people to think, "an author wrote. “They use a cruei reality to tell all Chinese people: Those who fall behind are struck down, while the strong rise and prosper.”

Those in the rebuild camp want to recapture old glory, but they don't understand the importance of cultural relics. A ruin like Yuan Ming Yuan is a historical record. In this case the history includes its destruction by fire. If you rebuild, you erase the record.

9 . Ivrea is a town in the Piedmont province of northern Italy. It is known for its local carnival（狂欢节）organized in February.

The main part of the carnival is the famous Battle of the Oranges (La battaglia delle arance). The Battle includes nine teams who throw oranges at each other during three carnival days – Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.

Oranges were not always used in the battle. In the middle ages people used beans. Twice a year the local feudal lord gave a pot of beans to the poor families who, as sign of rebellion, threw them out of their homes. Later beans became part of carnival as sort of “ammunition” for throwing at people passing by.

It is still not known why exactly people started using oranges. It is believed that the origin for this tradition is in the mid 19th century. The legend says that local girls, standing on balconies, started to throw some oranges, together with confetti, lupins(白羽扇豆)and flowers, onto the parade carriages. The girls actually wanted to draw attention of boys in the carriages. Boys “answered” by throwing some objects back at girls. Little battle started that way.

Battle of the Oranges got strict rules after the World War II. The battles are organized on town's squares. The battles are fought between teams in carriages (symbolizing local the guards of local tyrant(恶霸)) and the teams walking beside those carriages (symbolizing rebellious people of Ivrea).

Oranges for the event are brought from the island of Sicily. The oranges used are of low quality, not suitable for humans. About 270,000 kilograms of oranges are used each year.

The carnival ends with a silent march on the night of “Fat Tuesday”. The Carnival "general" says goodbye to everyone with the phrase "See you next Fat Thursday at 1 p.m."

Special prizes are awarded to three best foot teams, three carriages drawn by two horses and three carriages drawn by four horses. Different elements are judged like for example throwing ability, fair play or decoration of carriages.

10 . Guns have a special place in American culture, and though not everyone agrees on whether or not they are a good thing, there is no mistaking that they will be part of the cultural landscape for some time. To answer the question, no, not everyone has a gun.     1    

Americans use guns for one of two uses: either for sport, where they can use them on firing ranges or for hunting in approved areas, or for self-protection. The latter is where most people begin to take sides, either arguing for the removal of guns from society or allowing more people to have them. There are organizations and community groups for both sides and both sides have strong feelings.

Legally, there are restrictions on gun owners.     2     Only certain kinds of weapons can be purchased by the public, and that excludes automatic weapon and military grade weaponry. Gun owners must transport their weapon in a safe way, unloaded and in most cases, out of sight. Special—concealed carry permits from the police station must be obtained for people who want to wear weapon, and most people are rejected for this kind of permit.     3     Criminals steal guns or buy them illegally to commit crimes, and the news is full of terrible stories of what happened next. Occasionally a child will get a hold of legal weapon and accidentally hurt themselves or others.

It is important to remember, however, that the news stories that make the United States seem like a dangerous place are deceiving; guns are not everywhere or constant.     4     After all, America is a safe place to live.