Holiday activities you won't want to miss

Here are a few fun and festive ways to spend a day or night off around Los Angeles this holiday season with your friends or family.

Ice skate in Pershing Square

The Bai Holiday Ice Rink opens for business in Pershing Square in downtown LA Nov. 15 through Jan. 21. Attention, Wicked fans: Cast members of the Broadway musical will break the ice on Nov. 15 with a performance, and every following Wednesday will be dedicated to the show with Wicked songs.

Info: Tickets $9, skate rentals $5, lockers $3.

Gaze at the Mission Inn Festival of Lights

The Festival of Lights at the Mission Inn in Riverside attracts 250,000 people a year for a reason: It's awesome. A fireworks display brings the festival to life on Nov. 23, when 5 million colorful lights lighten the grounds, there to stay through Jan. 6. Walk inside the hotel for more eye candy, which includes artificial snow and a 12-foot-tall gingerbread house.

Info: Free admission, $17 parking.

El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument

Local singers and dancers will celebrate the lighting of the tree on Paseo de la Plaza near Olvera Street on Nov. 30. Festivals start at 5:30 pm. Once the lights are on, enjoy children's workshops, face painting and free champurrado (the beloved Mexican chocolate drink).

Info: Free.

Watch holiday movies in Marina del Rey

Catch live music and a holiday movie every Saturday Dec. 15 through 29 at Burton Chace Park. Festivities start at 4 pm. Expect 1950s-style music, followed by winter favorites The Nightmare Before Christmas and Frozen. There will be a heating station, but dress warmly.

Info: Free.

When a language dies, so does a unique way of seeing the world. Time is running out for many tongues. Experts estimate that of the 6,700 or so languages spoken around the world, 40% could disappear by the end of the century. The UN has designated 2019 the International Year of Indigenous Languages to draw attention to the danger. Slowly, countries are developing more resources to the issue.

Canada aims to pass an Indigenous Language Act before its elections in October 2019. The act would give more than 65 languages spoken by First Nations, Inuit and Metis peoples national recognition and teaching resources. In government-funded boarding schools, which operated from the 1880s to 1996, indigenous children faced beatings or electric shocks if they were caught using their native languages. "We want to put the same amount of effort to revitalise indigenous languages as Canada put to wipe them out," says Perry Bellegarde, national chief of the Assembly of First Nations.

Legal recognition for a language is the first step in bringing a native culture back from the brink (边缘). Maori is one of the success stories. When it became one of New Zealand's official languages in 1987, less than 20% of the Maori population spoke it well enough to be regarded as native speakers. Today it is off the endangered list.

The second step is to teach a new generation of native speakers. Technology is a big help. Duolingo, a popular language-learning app, recently added Hawaiian and Navajo to its courses. BASAbali, a wiki documenting Balinese, uses Facebook to reach speakers in rural areas. Say it in Saami is an online dictionary that translates modern lingo into languages spoken by the Sami people in Northern Europe.

Saving rare languages needs people to champion them. Bali now asks officials to use Balinese on Thursdays. The UN year will kick-start projects that could save thousands of tongues. The challenge in 2019 will be to get others to listen and start talking.

On a trip to India in 2012, Anirudh Sharma took a photo of a diesel generator (柴油发电机) blowing black soot (烟灰) against a white wall. That dark stain made Sharma, who was then a student in the Media Lab of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), think seriously about pollution—and also about coloring matters, like ink.

The black ink we use in our pens or in inkjet printers is essentially from soot. The technical term for the substance is "carbon black", and it is the powder that remains after burning coal or oil. The powder is mixed with other chemicals to turn it into smooth, flowing black ink.

"So, if you can do it with soot, can we do the same with air pollution?" Sharma explains. "The black ink in the pen you use is made by burning fossil fuels. But you shouldn't need to burn new fossil fuels just to make ink. Fossil fuels are already being burned." If he could find a way, he thought, to catch the soot that produced that stain on the wall in his photograph, he could not only reduce the amount of pollution released into the air, but also turn it into something new, or perhaps something beautiful.

In 2014, following the completion of his Master's degree at MIT, Sharma returned to India to focus fully on developing what would become a product called AIR-INK, the first commercial ink made entirely from air pollution. He and his team built a lab in a small garage in Bangalore to create a device that could catch air pollution at the source, in engines or factory machinery.

They first developed a filtering device called Kaalink that consisted of a steel container that could be attached to an exhaust pipe. Now Kaalink can filter air pollution from almost any source, and turn it into soot, which is then processed to form ink that can be used in AIR-INK pens and markers. Each marker holds about 30 milliliters of AIR-INK, which is equal to approximately 45 minutes of diesel car pollution.

The inventor would like AIR-INK to have practical applications, like in inkjet printers in offices, newsprint, or textbooks. "We've set up industries for our comfort, but the environment has to bear the price of it." Sharma explains, adding that AIR-INK isn't a complete solution to the world's pollution problem. "It's a start, and it can inspire several others to start looking at new forms of waste that are lying outside, unused."

Facebook and other social media companies should make children aware that their online activity is monitored by their parent or carer, under a code to improve child Internet safety in the UK.

Turning off the "like" function, and limiting data collection and geolocation tools on popular platforms such as Instagram and Facebook, are among a 16-point list of recommendations for age-appropriate design released by the Information Commisioner's Office (ICO).

It said some techniques, which platforms employ to encourage users to use them, including Facebook "likes", should not be used to try to keep under-18s online for longer. Other recommendations under the ICO's code of practice for Internet companies, which platforms would be responsible for carrying out, include:

*Limiting how children's personal data is collected, used and shared by social media companies.

*Making "high privacy" the default (默认) setting for children using social media platforms unless there is a convincing reason not to.

*Requiring social media companies to show that all staff involved in the design and development of services likely to be used by children obey the code of practice.

*Introducing age checks on platforms or treating all users as if they were children.

Companies that do not stick to the code could face fines of up to 4% of their global turnover, around $1.6 bn for Facebook. The consultation ended at the end of May, and the final version of the code of practice, regarded as a new international standard is expected to come into effect by 2020.

Elizabeth Denham, the information commissioner, said, "This is the connected generation. The Internet and all its wonders have been a part of their everyday lives. We shouldn't have to prevent our children from being able to use it, but we must demand that they should be protected when they do. This code does that."

The ICO sought views from parents and children while developing the code of practice, as well as those of designers, app developers and academics.

The NSPCC children's charity said social networks had "continually failed to put child safety first in their design", resulting in "bad consequences". "That's why it is vital this code requires children to be given the highest privacy settings by default and forces companies to act in the best interests of children," the NSPCC's associate head of child safety online Andy Burrows said.

Lady Beeban Kidron, the chair of the 5Rights Foundation and who led the debate about the creation of the recommendations, said, "For too long we have failed to recognize children's rights and needs online. I firmly believe in the power of technology to transform lives, be a force for good and rise to the challenge of promoting the rights and safety of our children. But in order to fulfill that role, it must consider the best interests of children, not simply its own commercial interests."

Travelling can be a positive and life-changing experience. While it is possible for you to feel tired, it will turn you into a storyteller. , travelling can be a great combination of fun, adventure and relaxation. If you're planning a vacation around, these steps can make your trip interesting!

First things first, it is important to know why you want to travel. Is it for some adventure, relaxation or to experience new things? , you will get your direction or the next step, namely, choosing where you want to go.

When you've decided where you want to go, the next most important thing is to check your budget. Do you think you've got enough bills in your pocket that you can travel to your chosen place? . This can also help you decide when it is suitable for you to start your trip.

Once you know why you want to travel and have the budget in hand, you can have a better idea about the type of destination you want to visit. Are you interested in historic sites? Beaches? Night life? Mountains? , you can choose a destination. Choosing a destination, whether at home or abroad, can help you move forward towards the next phase of an easy travel.

Even if you know you've saved enough, you still want to travel as cheaply as possible and save some more. So look for cheap travel deals across the Internet and you'll surely find a deal and experience that suits your budget. Some deals even include hotel accommodation, transport, city tours, etc. .

A. If done right

B. If you depend on your interests

C. Once you understand the reason for your travel

D. If not, it's time to start saving now with a positive attitude

E. It is important that you should choose the way of travelling

F. If having enough money you can choose to travel to a farther place

G. One good trick is to book flights as early as possible for discounts and special offers

My name is Gillian Healy. I run a small start-up company in Dublin called Gut Instinct, and we 1 a fermented (发酵的) drink called kombucha. It originated in China around 200 BC and later spread across Asia and into Europe. It's been quite 2 in America and Australia for a number of years 3 it's just hitting Ireland now.

People are becoming more health-conscious today, and kombucha is very good for your gut (肠). I first got into kombucha because I 4 soft drinks, but if I had too many, I wouldn't feel great and my skin would break out. Then I found that kombucha was a really good 5. I think people buy our kombucha mainly for one reason: they're increasingly aware of the 6 connection between a healthy stomach and a healthy mind.

I spend part of most days going out to customers, 7 the product is selling well and finding out if they'd like me to do a promotional tasting for them. That's a(n) 8 side of the business for us at this stage because it's such a niche product (利基产品). A few potential customers will be familiar with kombucham, but 9 won't, which is why it's good to let people see if they like it before they 10 a bottle.

11, we'd like to go into export markets, but I want to get our 12 established in our home market first. England is already quite a(n) 13 market, with a number of kombucha microbreweries (小型酿造厂) there. However, I think that when we're 14 to look abroad, Germany will be one of the first places we'll 15. After all, a lot of their foods are fermented.

It's not easy to grow up. In fact, it's far from easy.  (grow) up can be a real "pain" for some of us. We are always doing things that someone else  (make) us do and aren't allowed to do all the things  we like. Sometimes we feel  (trap), sometimes we are fearful, and sometimes we just don't understand why we can't stay young forever. When we look back on all the  (hardship) in life with a positive attitude, we realize that all of our growing pains  (actual) turn into growing gains!

As a young girl, my parents forced my sisters and me  (do) so many things that I never liked. They made me learn to play the violin and then the piano. At that time I hated music, just it was what they wanted me to do. But looking back now, I am so glad that my parents encouraged me to take music lessons. Music has enriched my life  so many ways. I realize that they've always wanted me to have  better life than they did themselves.

1）表示慰问；

2）让他安心养伤；

3）表达祝愿。

注意：

1）可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；

2）词数80左右，开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。

Dear Jack,

……

Yours,

Li Hua

"The mall? Really, Mom?" 13-year-old Michelle asks her mother as her sister Nicole, three, looks on. "Absolutely." Patty smiles. "You girls deserve some fun, and I need to get out of the house." With dialysis (透析) treatments every five hours, Patty rarely ventures (冒险) from her Raymond, New Hampshire, home. She's also been waiting four years to receive a call—the call that would call her for the double organ transplant (移植) she so desperately needs to live—the call that could come at any time. "There," Patty smiles. "Let's go have an adventure!"

Before leaving, Patty phones her firefighter husband Gary. But there's no answer. Patty and her children arrive at the mall. "Whoa!" Patty laughs, forgetting in the excitement to call Gary.

At 3:05 Gary returns to the fire house. Just as he's about to phone home to check on Patty, the phone is ringing! "We've got a match!" Patty's doctor says. "But she's got to Charlotte, North Carolina, by midnight." Gary's heart beats fast as he calls home. "Why doesn't she answer?" Gary dials again and again.

Gary worries at the fire station. He's booked four tickets on both of the two flights to North Carolina, a 6 pm from nearby Manchester or a 7:25 pm from Boston. Where are you Patty? With still no answer, Gary hangs up and dials the police department. He and his firefighter colleagues phone local stores and malls.

Now as Patty and her daughters go shopping, the mall loudspeakers are making an announcement. But in the crowded mall, Patty doesn't hear it.

At 5:45 Gary realizes it's too late to make the Manchester flight. And if he doesn't find Patty soon, they won't make the Boston flight either. Patty still hasn't returned at 6:40. "Come home, Patty!" he begs, looking at the driveway. 7:00. It's too late! Gary panics. Suddenly, he hears the sound of a car! "Patty!" he cries. Spotting her car pulling into the driveway, he calls the fire department. "Get that helicopter here!" he shouts. "She's home!"

Paragraph 1:

Patty spots Gary racing toward her, a nervous look on his face and suitcases in his hands!

Paragraph 2:

At 7:37 the plane takes off.