1 . I was having breakfast at home, checking out social media on my phone. Suddenly, a picture ________ my eye. It was a 9-year-old dog, Charlie, who was regarded as the loneliest one in Britain. He had been in a rescue center for more than 500 days.

I ________ on the link of this story, and straight away, I saw Charlie’s cute but sad eyes looking at me. I was ________ and my husband Sam felt exactly the same way. The idea of taking him home appeared in our minds. It took us some time to ________ it. A few days later, we ________ an email asking us to ________ him.

On our way to the center, we had no idea of what was going to happen. We hadn’t got much information about Charlie’s ________. Since he hadn’t got along with a new ________ for a long time, we thought there might be some ________. We had been told Charlie was ________ of humans, but when he saw us, he was full of joy, wagging (摇) his tail happily and coming straight over to us. He even jumped on Sam’s lap as if they’d been best friends for many years. Later, being told that we could take him home, we were so ________.

As soon as he got to our house, he soon made himself at home. He sniffed (嗅) around and then ________ onto a chair. Charlie knows exactly what he wants, which is to be with us all the time. He’s so warm-hearted and has none of the ________ you might think of after spending a long time in a rescue center.

We get out every day on walks and we’re much closer now. He’s always so happy to see us when my husband and I come through the door. If you give dogs ________, they’ll give you a number of wonderful things in return.

2 . WHY SHENNONGJIA?

As we know, in 2016, Shennongjia made it on to the UNESCO World Heritage List. But there are so many important places not yet on this list. So you might ask: why Shennongjia?

UNESCO awarded Shennongjia this status because it meets two criteria required by the list. It contains a naturally-balanced environment that allows the many and various species to live and prosper. It is also one of the rare locations in the world where scientists can observe in real time the ecological and biological processes that occur as the plants and animals develop and evolve.

For the first criterion, Shennongjia is apparently one of the most “complete” natural areas in the world. The region rises from about 400 metres to over 3, 000 metres above sealevel, giving it the name the “Roof of Central China”.

For the second criterion, we can see that Shennongjia has incredible biodiversity. Look at this slide. According to official statistics, over 3, 000 plant species have been recorded there. This represents more than ten percent of China’s total floral richness.

It is a challenge to look after so many species. In winter, scientists brave heavy snow and freezing temperatures to supply food to the Golden Snub-nosed Monkey. Thanks to their efforts, the monkey’s population has doubled since the 1980s.Their number reached over 1, 300 in 2015 and continues to grow.

But the most impressive aspect of Shennongjia is the local people, who take things from nature without causing damage. I visited a local village which is known for its home-made honey. What is special about the honey is that it is produced by the earliest species of Chinese bee. All of this explains why Shennongjia earned—and deserves—its place on the UNESCO World Heritage List, as well as highlighting how understanding, awareness and hard work have contributed towards protecting a unique and wonderful part of our natural world.

3 . Instagram is one of the most popular photo apps. Animal photos are huge on it, with creatures such as tigers, monkeys holding millions of tags (标签) each. This year Instagram reveals the top four most Instagrammable animals that can be found in the UK.

Our clear winner is the rabbit. Popular as pets, rabbits are a common sight in many UK homes. Although it is a symbol of Easter, rabbits can be seen year-round. Shy, danger-averse animals, wild rabbits will run away when threatened, which may make it tricky to get the perfect shot of them.

A variety of duck species native to the UK can be seen year-round, close to bodies of water. The Mallard with its bright yellow beak and emerald green head is well-known to many of us. Ducks tend to stick together in groups, so visit your local pond or river to try and spot a flock to photograph!

The red-breasted robin is associated with winter and Christmas. Robins will protect their space aggressively and won’t hesitate to drive away interlopers (闯入者) . Interestingly, robins can often be heard singing at night in that they mistake artificial light, such as street lamps for daylight. Try to catch a quick shot of a robin singing to the street lamps at dusk!

Hedgehogs are nocturnal creatures and hibernate during the coldest months. You’re most likely to catch sight of one on a summer evening in dry spaces. Hedgehogs can travel as far as 12 miles in a single night!A baby hedgehog is known by the sweet name of “hoglet” and a little hedgehog family makes for the perfect picture if you can capture it without frightening the animals.

5 . A pair of best friends from Texas are proving that adventure doesn’t have an age limit — even when you’re 81.

Ellie Hamby, a photographer, and Sandy Hazelip, a physician, toured the world in 80 days, adventuring from the beaches of Bali to the deserts of Egypt.

Their first stop was Antarctica. “The beauty of the Antarctic is just unbelievable,” Hamby recalled. Since then, the pair have visited 18 countries across all seven continents.

And despite the challenges international travel presents, the best friends say they finished their trip without any arguments.

“We’re both independent, very stubborn. But we seem to allow each other to give space,” said Hamby. “We just understand each other and we know this is a good thing we’re doing and we kind of respect each other’s feelings.”

For Hamby, the most interesting aspect of the trip was the people they met along the way.

“We love all the sights that we saw, but the things that we remember the most are the people that we met,” she said. “We met some of the most wonderful, kindest, friendliest people in the world. We just have friends now all over the world that we love dearly.”

And they shared an important piece of advice for any travelers worried about the language barrier on their own adventures.

“You know, people ask us often about the language, how we manage it,” said Hamby. “We say with Sandy and Ellie, there’s one language and that’s a smile. And we found that worked wonders because we were often aware that there was not English spoken. But a smile covers all languages.”

9 . For many people, visiting a wildlife park is a must-have bucket-list item. Few travel experiences can compare with watching wild animals wandering freely in wildlife reserves, enjoying their natural habitat. Here are some of the very best wildlife parks from all around the world.

1. Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya

The Masai Marais located in the southwest of Kenya and is one of the most important and well-known wildlife conservation areas in the world. Covering an area of 1,510square kilometers, the Masai Mara National Reserve consists of the grasslands, mountain highlands, lakelands and valley.

Those looking for an unforgettable traditional wildlife park experience should look no further than the Masai Mara National Reserve. Famous for its natural diversity of animals, you can expect to see vast numbers of leopards, elephants and lions. The wildlife park is also home to over 450 bird species.

2. The Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Serengeti National Park is a land of beauty that is one of the last naturalistic wonders left on this planet. This wildlife park is the symbol of Africa, and also one of the world’s oldest ecosystems to ever exist. Located in the northern area of Tanzania, the Serengeti National Park has also been famous for the annual migration (迁徙) of wildlife to permanent waterholes.

During this phenomenon, you’ll get to see vast herds of zebras, buffaloes and elephants migrating to the waterholes due to the change of season, followed by predators(捕食者) on the hunt for them.

3. Tierra del Fuego National Park, Argentina

The Tierra del Fuego National Park, located at the southern tip of Argentina, is nestled between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, thus featuring a dynamic weather ecosystem with beech forests, mountains, waterfalls and glaciers (冰川). Not quite the image you may have in mind of a wildlife park being muddy, brownish and all dry landscapes.

It is a most breathtaking wildlife park, home to beautiful species such as eagles, rabbits and North American beavers. Aside from basking in the sightings of these wild animals, visitors to Tierra del Fuego often go hiking and fishing there.

10 . How Weather Affects Our Mood

The weather supplies many metaphors (隐喻) for our changeable minds. Moods can brighten and darken, futures can be under a cloud, and relationships can be stormy.    1    , but does it also influence our moods?

Of the many aspects of weather, sunshine is the most closely tied to mood. Although the link is weaker than many people imagine, sunlight has repeatedly been found to increase positive moods and reduce tiredness.    2    . Happy people tend to be more favorable toward one another, and people are more helpful when the sun is shining. One study even found that diners in Minnesota, US, tipped more generously on sunny days.

    3    . A study showed that university admissions officers stressed the academic qualifications of applicants more on cloudy days, and their non-academic qualities more on sunny ones.

    4    . The more it departs (偏离) from an ideal of around 20C, the more discomfort we feel. One study found that rates of helping others decreased as temperatures dropped below or rose above this value.

Indeed, the effects of weather on mood depend on our behavior and on how we think.     5    . A study by US psychology researcher Matthew Keller and his colleagues showed that beneficial effects of warm and sunny conditions on mood were only seen in people who had spent more than 30 minutes outdoors that day. Good weather even had negative effects on mood for people confined (限制) indoors, who perhaps looked enviously (嫉妒地) outside at the solar fun they were missing.