Attitudes toward new technologies often fall along generational lines. That is, generally, younger people tend to outnumber older people on the front end of a technological shift.
It is not always the case, though. When you look at attitudes toward driverless cars, there doesn't seem to be a clear generational divide. The public overall is split on whether they'd like to use a driverless car. In a study last year, of all people surveyed, 48 percent said they wanted to ride in one, while 50 percent did not.
The fact that attitudes toward self-driving cars appear to be so steady across generations suggests how varying the shift to driverless cars could be. Not everyone wants a driverless car now—and no one can get one yet—but among those who are open to them, every age group is similarly involved.
Actually, this isn't surprising. Whereas older generations are sometimes reluctant to adopt new technologies, driverless cars promise real value to these age groups in particular. Older adults, especially those with limited moving or difficulty driving on their own, are one of the classic use-cases for driverless cars.
This is especially interesting when you consider that younger people are generally more interested in travel-related technologies than older ones.
When it comes to driverless cars, differences in attitude are easily noticeable based on factors not related to age. College graduates, for example, are particularly interested in driverless cars compared with those who have less education, 59 percent of college graduates said they would like to use a driverless car compared with 38 percent of those with a high-school diploma or less.
Where a person lives matters, too. More people who live in cities and suburbs said they wanted to try driverless cars than those who lived in rural areas.
While there's reason to believe that interest in self-driving cars is going up across the board, a person's age will have little to do with how self-driving cars can become mainstream. Once driverless cars are actually available for sale, the early adopters will be the people who can afford to buy them.
It is not easy to eat perfectly for all time-even for dieticians! But when bad habits become common practice, you may end up with health issues ranging from weight gain to heart disease. So which unhealthy habits are getting us into trouble? Among the many, we've chosen six common ones that we should all avoid1.
⒈Poor Meal Planning
Based on our survey, one of the biggest obstacles to healthy eating goes to" time". Leave your meal for last-minute decisions, and it usually ends in fast food and pizza delivery. Planning your weekly meals may only take a few minutes, but will save your money, calories, and time in the long run.
⒉Too Many Meals Away from Home
Despite being convenient, food served in restaurants and takeaways also tends to have larger portions with more calories and sodium. Preparing your meals at home, instead, would be a wiser and healthier choice.
⒊Too Many Processed Foods
When shopping at the supermarket, you will find a large variety of salty, fatty and sugary convenience food with few nutrients. But it is the fresh and whole foods that you actually need. So next time when going shopping, read labels first before you go for more highly processed goods
⒋Too Much Added Sugar
Not limited to sweets, chocolate, cakes and sweet drink, Sugar is also hiding in foods you might not think of, such as salad dressings, ketchup, bread and fat-free yoghurt. Keep records of the total sugar in your diet and figure out how to cut back on those empty calories.
⒌Mindless Eating
Instead of eating when hungry, many of us would take a bite when we're bored, tired, stressed happy, or sad. You'd better not eat when your stomach isn't empty.
⒍Too Many Liquid Calories
It's easy to forget that calories from soda, juice and other sugar-sweetened beverages count! Choose calorie-free drinks like water and plain tea instead
A Kenyan teacher who gave away . most of his monthly salary (工资)to poor people has won a $1 -million Global Teacher Prize.
In 2016, Peter Tabichi came to Keriko Mixed Day Secondary School, a public school, in a faraway Kenya s Rift Valley. The school had just a single computer and had problems connecting to the Internet. It had no library or laboratory, as well. To make matters worse, the students came from poor families where basics like food and clothing were hard to come by. While these difficulties would have caused most people to leave quickly, Tabichi stayed.
Realizing that starving kids make for poor students, the teacher began using as much as 80 percent of his monthly salary to buy food and learning objects for them. He set up a science club to get kids interested in the topic. "Our laboratory does not have everything, but I encourage them to think wider and use what we can get locally. "
Tabichi and other four teachers regularly visit low-achieving, at-risk, students at their homes to provide one- on-one help and to understand the difficulties these children face daily. Tabichi also encourages parents to allow girls to continue their high-school education.
Tabichi's efforts have made a difference. School registration (注册)has more than doubled to almost 400 now since he came . In 2017, 16 of the 59 graduating students went to college, while in 2018, the number rose to 26. In 2017 , five students qualified(有资格)for the Intel ISEF (International Science and Engineering Fair). This year, two other students will compete in the 2019 Intel ISEF to be held in Phoenix, Arizona.
The teacher, however, owes his success to his students, saying,"I am only here because of what my students have achieved. This prize gives them a chance. It tells the world that they can do anything. " As would be expected, Tabichi plans to spend the prize money on his school community and to feed the poor.
Downey's mother spent one year studying abroad through an international exchange program with a French school. She often talked about how exciting and interesting the experience was. So, even before finishing high school, Downey had decided to follow suit one day.
Downey began studying architecture at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in 2004. Near the end of her second year, she started to feel unhappy with her school and decided it was time to study abroad.
U. S. colleges and universities commonly have joint programs with foreign schools that permit student exchanges. These programs usually last half a school year or sometimes a whole school year. The classes students take abroad usually give them credits toward their degree. In a fouryear degree program, the third year is the most common time for American college students to study abroad. Many students think they need a change before what is usually their final and most difficult year of study.
Downey said her school did not want her to go at first. The architecture program at Lehigh was very intense, and her professors were worried she might miss learning important material. However, she was eventually able to get special permission to study internationally for a whole year. During the fall term in 2006, she attended a Danish international school in Copenhagen, Denmark, explaining she did so because Danish architects are well known for their housing design.
Young adult as she was, she had to deal with travel documents and many other issues (问题) on her own. Overcoming the language barrier is the biggest challenge of studying abroad. However, she had a lot of emotional (情感的) and financial support from her family. She learned life lessons and made friendships and memories that have lasted to this day. She said, “The more you're out of your comfort zone, the more rewarding the experience is in the end.”
Summer Leadership Programs for High School Students
Do you see yourself as a leader? Strong leadership skills are a great way to set yourself apart on a college application as well as in your future career. Below are four summer programs that will give you a head start on improving your leadership abilities.
The Brown Leadership Institute
Brown University's pre-college summer programming includes The Brown Leadership Institute, a month-long leadership training session for high school students. The program aims to apply leadership skills to social issues. Through case studies, discussions and debates, students examine complicated global issues and learn to come up with effective solutions.
Students Today Leaders Forever
Students Today Leaders Forever, a national non-profit student leadership association, offers this live-in summer experience for high school students. Students participate in leadership workshops and team-building activities with a focus on organization, teamwork, communication, and an overall commitment to effecting positive change. There are two six-day sessions hosted on the campuses of Hamline University.
Leadership in the Business World
Rising high school seniors interested in exploring undergraduate business administration and leadership are encouraged to apply to this program, sponsored every summer by the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. The two-week program is offered at both of Wharton's campuses in San Francisco and Philadelphia.
National Student Leadership Conference
This program offers a five-day course on Mastering Leadership. It includes a series of workshops that emphasize the "Pillars of Effective Leadership", including goal- setting, group brainstorming, team building, people-convincing communication, and community service, as well as taking field trips, meeting with leadership professionals, and completing a day of service in the local community. Dates and locations vary.
Animal moms are great ones. You might be surprised at some of these moms.
Octopuses (章鱼）
The mother octopus lays about 50,000 eggs. For about 300 days, she stays with the eggs, cleans them and protects them. She does not leave to feed. However, this animal mom dies as soon as the eggs are hatched (孵化）.
Crocodiles
A crocodile mother puts a lot of time and effort into raising her babies. She starts by building a nest, which she guards for over two months! When the eggs are ready to hatch, the young crocos call out to their mother, who digs them out and helps them hatch. She then in her mouth down to the water, where she will guard them for several more weeks or months until they learn to hunt on their own.
Bats
Bats become moms by hanging head up in a cave, giving birth. Catching the youngster before it can fall to the ground below, she puts it in a pouch (育儿袋). bat moms may carry babies with them when feeding for the first few days. As the little bats get bigger and heavier, moms help them hang on the wall of their caves and return often to feed them. It continues for about three weeks, until the babies are grown up and able to fly on their own.
Koalas
The animal mom gives birth after a pregnancy of only 35 days. The hairless baby climbs into its mother's pouch and lives there for another five months. When the little koala is between five and eight months old, it leaves the pouch for short periods of time but returns for safety. Once it is too big to return to the pouch, it will climb onto its mother's back and ride there until it is about 12 months old.
Red pandas are native to the high forests of Asia. They are only a little bigger than a house cat and considered to be endangered. Scientists reported last month that not all red pandas belong to the same species. There are two different species of this animal, not just one, a study found.
The scientists reported finding major differences in three genetic markers between Chinese red pandas and Himalayan red pandas. Scientists identified the markers after studying DNA from 65 of the creatures. DNA carries genetic information for the development, growth and reproduction of living things.
Recording the existence of two separate species could help guide efforts for protecting red pandas, scientists added. "Chinese red pandas live in northern Myanmar, as well as southeastern Tibet, Sichuan, and Yunnan provinces in China. Himalayan red pandas are native to Nepal, India, Bhutan and southern Tibet in China," the researchers said.
Researchers Yibo Hu and Fuwen Wei led the study. Their findings appeared in the magazine Science Advances.
Scientists had earlier suggested there were two species of red panda. But the new study was the first to provide the genetic information necessary to allow such a judgment. International experts guess a total population of around 10,000 red pandas in the wild. The two species differ in color and skull shape. The Himalayan red panda is the less of the two.
Major threat stored pandas include deforestation and habitat loss. While they have similar names, red pandas and giant pandas are not closely related. Giant pandas are one of the world's eight bear species. Red pandas are sometimes called living fossils because they have no close living relatives. They are the only remaining member of their mammalian family.
Heat stress from extreme heat and humidity (湿度) will annually affect areas that are now home to 1.2 billion people by 2100, assuming current greenhouse gas emissions (排放), according to a Rutgers study.
Most climate studies on projected heat stress have focused too much on extreme heat but did not consider the role of humidity, which is another key driver. "When we look at the risks of a warmer planet, we need to pay particular attention to the combined effects of extreme heat and humidity, which are especially dangerous to human health." said Robert E. Kopp, director of the Rutgers Institute of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences.
Rising global temperatures are increasing exposure to heat stress, which harms human health. Heat stress is caused by the body's inability to cool down properly through sweating. Body temperature can rise rapidly, and high temperatures may damage the brain and other vital organs. What's more, heat stress can result in heatstroke (中暑), which is the most serious heat-related illness, can kill or cause permanent disability without emergency treatment.
Annual exposure to extreme heat and humidity above safety guidelines will be projected to affect areas that are currently home to about 500 million people, if the planet warms by 1.5℃ and nearly 800 million at 2℃. The planet has already warmed by about 1.2℃ above late 19th century levels.
An estimated 1.2 billion people would be affected with 3℃ of warming, as expected by the end of this century under current global policies. That's nearly four times the number of people affected today, and nearly 12 times the number who were affected in no industrial age.
A clever technologist took steamboat inventions and turned them into the first commercial steamboat service.
Although Robert Fulton did not invent the steamboat, as is commonly believed, he played an important role in making steamboat travel a reality. He was born in Pennsylvania in 1765. As a young man, he set out to make his name as a portrait painter. His career took him to Europe and into the orbit of people with the power to support him politically and financially.
Fulton entered London society after he painted Benjamin Franklin's portrait. While abroad, Fulton left the arts for a career in shipbuilding. He was interested in the recently-invented steam engine, and thought it could be used to power ships. Fulton's vision was not original; many others had entered the field, and the unfortunate inventor John Fitch had built a working steamship already. But like Henry Ford, Fulton's talent lay not in the invention but in the product's application in the marketplace.
Fulton didn't focus entirely on the steamboat. In 1804, he tested the first submarine successfully, which he had built for the British Royal Navy. His invention would make him a celebrity upon his return to the United States two years later. Fulton's partner Robert Livingston obtained an exclusive license for steamboat services on New York's Hudson River. It was time for Fulton to deliver.
To build an efficient, reliable steamboat, Fulton used a special English steam engine. The ship's bottom was flat and its stern was square. The steamboat Clermont made its debut (首次亮相) on August 17, 1807, steaming up the river from New York to Albany, and it soon entered commercial services. The hilly terrain of New York made water transport faster than land transport, and Fulton's boat - formerly known as the "North River Steamboat" - was a hit. Within five years, Fulton would be running services on six major rivers plus the Chesapeake Bay, and bring in great profits.
Top Music Festivals in 2021
Coachella
Selling out fast every year, the Indio desert becomes a fashionable place where the coolest bands are watched by trendy people and celebrities. Near the top of everyone's bucket list of festivals, Coachella is a constant source of annual expectation and a hotbed for musical discussion.
When &. where: April 9-11 &. 16-18, 2021; Indio
Ultra Music Festival
Seen as the ultimate gathering for electronic music fans across the nation and globe, the streets of Miami turn into a bold and bumping party with popular DJs playing what will be the sounds of summer.
When & where: March 26-28, 2021; Miami
South By South West
Regarded as the ultimate trend-setter and launcher of careers, SXSW is an annual showcase of music, films and interactive highlights enjoyed through performances, showcases, talks, screenings and more. Virtually taking over the city of Austin, everyone in the world of music from fans to media flock here to discover the next big thing.
When &, where: March 16-20, 2021; Austin
The Governors Ball Music Festival
Another event which proves the music loving potential of Randall's Island Park is Governors Ball, an exciting and infectious mix of rock, hip-hop, electronic, pop and folk. Providing a variety of music and food tastes, whether you look to kick back and relax or dance to the beats, Governors Ball has what you want.
When & where: June 11-14, 2021; New York
Of course, she wasn't really my aunt and, out of fear, I never called her that to her face. I only referred to her as "My Aunt Fannie" because the name always made my father laugh quietly and gave my mother cause to look strictly at both of us — at me for being disrespectful of my elder and at my father for encouraging my bad behavior. I enjoyed both reactions, so I looked for every opportunity to work the name into as many conversations as possible.
As a young woman, my mother had worked in the kitchen of a large Victorian farmhouse. During those years, my mother helped Aunt Fanny make the best blueberry jam ever tasted by anyone in Glenfield. She was well-known for her jam and for never sharing the recipe with others. Even though my mother knew the recipe by heart, as long as Aunt Fannie was alive, she never made the jam without Aunt Fannie in our kitchen to direct the process and keep the secret.
Each August, my mother would prepare me for Aunt Fannie's visit. One year, after I had helped with the jam process, Aunt Fannie gave me a coin and then made me promise that I would never spend it. "Hold onto this coin," she said, "and someday you will be rich. I still have my very first coin, given to me by my grandmother." So, I kept the coin in a small box and waited to become rich.
I now have the blueberry jam recipe and the coin from Aunt Fannie. In people's eyes Aunt Fannie's success resulted from that secret recipe. But to me, it was just a common recipe. Neither have made me become a rich person, but I keep them as reminders to hold onto the valuable things in life. Money can make you feel rich for a while, but it is the relationships and the memories of time spent with friends and family that truly leave you wealthy. And that is a fortune that anyone can build.
MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab (CSAIL) has released a video of their ongoing work using muscle signals to control devices. Their latest involves full and fine control of drones (无人机), using just hand and arm gestures to pilot through a series of circles.
This work is impressive not just because they're using bio-feedback to control the devices, instead of optical (光学的) or other kinds of gesture recognition, but also because of how specific the controls can be, setting up a range of different potential applications for this kind of remote tech.
This particular group of researchers has been looking at different applications for this tech, including its use in collaborative robotics (协作机器人) for potential industrial applications. Drone piloting is another area that could have big applications in terms of real- world use, especially once you start to imagine entire groups of these taking flight with a pilot provided a view of what they can see via VR. That could be a great way to do spot surveying for construction, for example, or remote equipment check of dangerous places and other construction that's hard for people to reach.
The development of drones is just part of the team's work. Smooth robot and human interaction is the ultimate goal of the team working on this tech. Researchers believe the process should be as easy when controlling and working with robots. They say thinking and doing are essentially happening at the same time when we communicate with our environment, but when we act through machines or remote tools, there's often something lost in translation, showing slow learning, and the requirement of lots of training. Therefore, much more work is going on.
Shay cannot learn as other children do. When a child like Shay comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes, in the way other people treat that child. Seeing some boys playing baseball, Shay wondered if he could join in. His father knew it difficult, but he also understood if Shay were allowed, it would give him a sense of belonging.
Thankfully, Shay was admitted by one boy, whose team was losing by one run (跑垒分), to play in the outfield. Though no hits came his way, Shay was still ecstatic just to be in the game, grinning (咧着嘴笑) from ear to ear as his father waved to him. Eventually, the potential winning came while Shay was scheduled to be next at bat. At this juncture (关头), let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game?
Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew the hit was impossible. Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly. The pitcher (投手) moved in some steps to throw softly so Shay could hit it, but Shay swung clumsily and missed. The pitcher took more steps forward to throw softly again. This time, Shay made it, hitting a slow ground ball back to the pitcher.
The pitcher picked up the ball and could have easily thrown it to the first baseman. Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game. Instead, the pitcher threw it on a high arc (弧) to right field, far beyond the reach of the first baseman. Everyone started yelling, "Shay, run to first!" Never in his life had Shay ever made it. He scampered (惊慌奔跑) down the baseline, wide-eyed and frightened. "Run to second!" Meanwhile, the first baseman had the ball, who could have thrown it to the second baseman, but he also intentionally threw the ball higher and farther over the third baseman's head. "Run to third!" the boys from both teams were screaming, "Shay, run home!"
That day, Shay was cheered as the hero who hit the "grand slam" (全垒打) and won the game for his team. In the stand, a man's face was flooded with tears.
A junior at Loyola High School in Los Angeles, Adam Faze, 16, decided in October to organize a film festival. "I want to go to film school and work in the industry, but Loyola has nothing like that, which is strange because we're right here in LA (a part of the city is Hollywood where films are made)," he said. "So instead of sitting around and feeling unhappy, I decided to do something."
The school was unenthusiastic. "Every year, students approach me with many projects that are really difficult to carry out," said Lance Ochsner, Adam's adviser. "I thought it wouldn't happen, but I gave him the go-ahead anyway."
Adam sent letters and made cold calls, and got no response. By January, he had little more than a single participant: Jordan Roberts, the father of a friend and a writer-director. (Mr. Roberts had agreed to serve as a festival judge)
Then Adam looked through a catalog for Loyola's annual money-raising event and noticed that someone had donated two tickets to a Sony movie premiere (the first public performance of a movie). That person turned out to be an Oscar campaigner. By working the connection, he managed to line up a festival speaker: Michael De Luca, a three-time Oscar nominee (someone who has been officially suggested for the prize of Oscar) for producing films like "The Social Network".
"Adam's energy, enthusiasm and fearlessness are infectious," Mr. De Luca wrote in an email. "I wish I had done this at my high school!" Adam got a local newspaper to write an article about Mr. De Luca's involvement, and that started a sponsorship and submission wildfire.
The Loyola Film Festival is set for Saturday and advertised as "the best in student film making 7. It will feature 72 films in four categories.
But Adam is already focused on his next plan. In an email to a reporter, he wrote, "Could you mention that I'm still looking for a summer internship?"
Some hot dog lovers may feel guilty when they enjoy their favorite food. They even exercise excessively(过分的)to burn off calories afterward. Now they can relieve the pain. A company in Norway develops a product made from trees. It can replace fat in foods like hot dogs but has no calories.
A product named SenseFi is introduced to the public by a Norwegian biorefinery company, Borregaard. Though its taste and feel are similar to those of fat, no calories are contained in it.
The material used to create this product is microfibrillated cellulose(MFC), which is a waste product that trees produce when they are cut and prepared for use. Every year there is over a hundred billion tons of cellulose(纤维素) produced by plants, among which only a small part is now useful to humans.
According to a report from the Norwegian daily newspaper Dagbladet, Borregard has spent $36.3 million on developing SenseFi. This project went through a 10-year study conducted by the Paper and Fibre Research institute in Trondheim, Norway. It successfully entered the U.S. market and the company opened a plant in Wisconsin. The food industry there was expected to embrace the arrival of SenseFi.
The company is speaking highly of this product for its incredible effect on fighting against obesity(肥胖). "We're rolling it out primarily in the U.S., where it has been approved. Sales are just about underway, and there is a lot of focus on fighting obesity," said the company's Business Director Harald Ronneberg.
Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that about 40 percent of adults are overweight, and in 2008, the cost of medical treatment of obesity was $147.
With the help of SenseFi, meat used for making foods like hot dogs can be recreated. Not only does it keep the flavor of fat, but it also reduces calorie intake while providing the body with more fiber, which helps people fill themselves up and digest more effectively.
University of Maryland: TERP Young Scholars
July 8 - July 27
The University of Maryland's TERP Young Scholars Program is the perfect summer camp for academically talented teenagers who want to earn college credit, pursue academic interests, explore career opportunities, and discover college life at the University of Maryland.
During three weeks of intellectual exploration, teens preview the university experience, study with students who share similar interests, and engage with some of the University of Maryland's best faculty (全体教师) in a dynamic, challenging classroom environment. Upon successful completion, students earn three college credits that post to the University of Maryland transcript (学生成绩报告单).
The TERP Young Scholars Program offers college courses that are at the cutting edge of theory, thought and technology. The three-credit introductory course includes career discovery through field trips or guest speakers. Classes generally meet every day, Monday through Friday. The program offers over 20 courses that include:
• Journalism
• Engineering
• Psychology
• Life Sciences
• Communication
• Computer Science
• Humanities and the Arts
• Government and Politics
• Business and Technology
• Movement and the Human Body
The TERP Young Scholars Program is a great introduction to the University of Maryland. Participants benefit from the University of Maryland's vast resources, including libraries, computer and instructional labs, and recreational, residential and dining facilities. Workshops and seminars featuring speakers in innovative career or academic fields further enrich the learning experience. Students enjoy trips to nearby Washington, DC, movie nights, activities at the student union, and more.
The TERP Young Scholars Program is open to rising high school students who have an academic average of 3.2 or better. The application process includes submission of the application, high school transcript, and a letter of recommendation.
Folklore(民间传说) has long been passed down from one generation to the next，holding families and communities together. But the National Trust has warned that advances in technology are causing traditional folklore to die out as it's no longer related to modern life. It said that in a world flled with smartphones and the Internet，legends（传说）of magical blacksmiths（铁匠）wero28no longer of interest to children who have never put coal on the fire.
Jessica Monaghan, the National Trust's Head of Experiences and Programming, called on the public to share their knowledge of folklore from different areas of the UK in an effort to keep it alive. "These legends and traditions tell us so much about our ancestors and their relationship with the world around them and help us appreciate the history and symbolism in the places where we live now, "she said. "Through these legends, we can explore what makes communities around the UK unique and what has tied us together for generations. "
"In the 16th century， the walnut （核桃） was considered as a treatment for brain illnesses simply because they are similar in shape. Few people today would believe this as we now have advanced medical knowledge and scientific methods, "said Dee Dee Chainey, author of A Treasury of British Folklore. But she thinks there are still chances for folklore as many people attempt to unearth old legends and efforts are becoming common.
Folklore should be rewritten and retold in new ways with new heroes and new lessons that are related to modern life. And that's what folklore is about: taking the old wisdom and traditions and redescribing them for who we are and the lives we now have.
Must-Visit Attractions in Turin, Italy
Mole Antonelliana
The tall pointed structure of Mole Antonelliana is the highest point of the Turin skyline and a symbol of the city. It was built in 1848 and is now the National Museum of Cinema. But the real draw is the viewing platform at the top of the building, which offers amazing views of the city and mountains beyond.
Piazza Castello(卡斯特罗广场)
In the heart of the historic centre of Turin is Piazza Castello, which hosts two major Baroque structures—Palazzo Reale and Palazzo Madama(夫人宫). Palazzo Reale was originally built in the 16th century and underwent repairs in the late 17th century. Palazzo Madama dates from 1003 and is now home to the Museo Civico d'Arte Antica, which has a remarkable collection of paintings from the medieval, Renaissance and baroque periods.
Basilica di Superga(苏佩尔加大教堂)
The Basilica di Superga was built in the 18th century on the Superga hill with amazing views over the city and wider landscape. From here you can see peaks(顶峰) of the Alps such as Monviso and Doufour peak.
Parco del Valentino
Located on the west bank of the River Po that runs through the city, Parco del Valentino makes for lovely walks. The park is also home to the Castello del Valentino—one of the Residences of the Royal House of Savoy.
Top-rated Tourist Attractions in Belgium
Belgium may be small but it's full of sights. This small nation has been right at the forefront of Europe's history.
La Grand Place, Brussels
La Grand Place is surrounded by finely preserved grand buildings. The square is busy with tourists and locals at all times of year, but especially in August, when the center is filled with a beautiful flower carpet. You'll get the best full view of the beautiful designs from the balcony of the town hall.
The Battlefields of Flanders
For many visitors, Belgium's role in the Battlefields of Flanders is the main reason for a journey here. This area is also scattered with vast cemeteries for thousands of soldiers who died here. The Tyne Cot Cemetery (British) and Langemark's German War Cemetery are both reminders of the fighting that took place here during the Great War.
Meuse Valley
The Meuse Valley, south of Brussels, is one of the best places to get a feel for Belgium's rural center. The Meuse River offers Belgium's most scenic river trip opportunities. Head to either the towns of Namur or Dinant to plan your river trip. Both of these small centers act as gateways to this region. The Meuse Valley is also ho me to a host of hiking and cycling trails for travelers who want to add some activities into their holidays.
Ghent's Canals
For easy sightseeing while in Ghent, simply take to the water. Several companies offer sightseeing trips upon Ghent's waterways. Most canal cruise(航游) options are either 40 minutes or one hour. Departures are regular from around March through November, with fewer departures during winter. A couple of companies offer boat rental, so you can explore the canals at your own speed.
Becca was 6 when she was told she had cancer on Sept. 8, 2014. She clearly remembers the bad days of her 26 months of non－stop treatment. Luckily, Becca celebrated her final treatment on Nov. 13, 2016, and she has been cancer－free ever since. But she was thinking about what her life was like while experiencing the treatment.
I was never able to do much, and that's what the kids lying in their hospital beds right now experience, asking their mom and dad, "When are we leaving? When can I play with my friends?" So I decided I have to help them.
In February, 2017, Becca came up with the idea for Knots and Arrows, a company that makes bracelets (手镯) out of swimsuit materials (泳衣布料). Part of the money made from each bracelet goes to the organizations that help people with cancer.
Becca created the company with her father, Gerhard Salmins. Gerhard Salmins once had cancer and already recovered from it. "I would be in the hospital sitting there crying and then my dad would come in and he would play games with me，" she said. "It made me forget about what I was going through." Becca said the name of the organization shows the motto (座右铭) she stuck to through her personal cancer journey.
Her organization has already given thousands of dollars to research organizations and families in need. Becca said she hoped her bracelets would make people remember that great things can result from small changes. "No matter what age you are, what you look like, and how you act, you can make a difference!" she said.
