Glastonbury Festival, one of the pioneer festivals, is famous not only for its amazing bands, but also for its wonderful performances in many fields surrounding (围绕) the stages. It attracts over 130,000 people every year, who join in the three-day party to celebrate the summer solstice, the longest day of the year.

    Glastonbury Festival has been held on Worthy Farm in Somerset since 1970. This year, all sorts of singers and bands were there, from the likes of Beyoncé, Jessie J, to my favorite — Paolo Nutini, who I really wish I could have met!

    We drove straight in to one of the muddiest (泥泞的) Glastonbury Festivals ever! We came to our camp site, carrying enough clothes for a weekend of extreme weather conditions, and spent an hour or so putting up the tent. On the second day it began to rain and didn't stop for the rest of the day. We sat in the tent waiting for it to stop, and after several hours we realized that it wouldn't. When the need for food became too strong we put on boots and raincoats and made our way across many muddy fields.

    There is something for everyone at the festival — my favourite place is the Circus Field, which is full of interactive (互动的) performances. Also, I love the Kidz Field, where famous CBBC stars perform, and where you can get your face painted then run around on a climbing frame (框架) with dragons.

    In the English language there are striking similarities to many of the characteristics present in Spanish, French, and German. So what are the things that make English so difficult for foreign people to learn?

    English doesn't necessarily have more regular consonant(辅音) or vowel(元音) sounds than other languages, but how the stress is placed on some of those consonants or vowels makes it such a difficult language for learners. There are hard and soft consonants like “c” taking on a “k” sound or an “s” sound depending upon the situation. There are silent letters in some words and then some consonants that take on an entirely different sound ( like “th” ) when combined. The changes in the pronunciation of words make English much more difficult to learn.

    Another thing that makes English difficult to learn has to do with verb tense. Some languages have very limited changes in verb tense, sometimes just present and past, which makes it relatively simple to grasp. English, on the other hand, is a bit more difficult in this area. For example, in different situations it may be proper to use any of the following tenses: present, past, future, past perfect or present perfect. The verb “choose” can be used in the following forms depending on tense: choose, chose or chosen. This can be very difficult for a foreigner to grasp.

    Slang(俚语) is more widely used in American English than proper grammar. In the US just knowing the language as it's generally taught isn't enough. In every single region or even close neighborhoods, the same slang terms make an almost entirely different language. In some areas there are repeatedly used terms that wouldn't even be found in the Webster's Dictionary. They are created by locals and only locals understand them. This can make it very difficult for someone not familiar with the language to get used to it, especially if they don't remain in one area for a very long period.

    Teaching materials for learning Chinese are provided here. There are sites where you may find interesting instructions suitable for you. Here are some sites to begin your surfing.

    You may start with these pages from this website — just to get a little taste of it without working too hard.

    A Is For Love

    Flash cards for learning a few Chinese words

    Listening to the sound of Chinese

    Play a few words of Chinese on your computer.

    A few Chinese words

    Each word is enlarged for easy study.

    If you are studying Chinese, these tools can help.

    Zhongwen site

    More than a dictionary!

    Clavis Sinica

    Excellent program by Professor David Porter. It displays a whole document in Chinese [GB] or [BIG5], and gives individual word's definition, pronunciation as well as much more information when you click on that word. If you are studying Chinese, this is a very useful tool.

    Chinese Character Visual Dictionary

    If you like to know more, go to the following sites on the Internet.

    The Chinese Outpost

    Pronunciation, Character and Grammar By Mark Andrew Baker. The best. A must-visit site.

    Learn Cantonese / Mandarin Online

    Internet Based Chinese Teaching and Learning

    Rainland Kids discover Chinese — Site is in Germany

    If you want to have a better understanding of China, go to this one.

    Wanfang Data

    As an affiliate (分支) of Chinese Ministry of Science & Technology, Wanfang Data has been the leading information provider in China since 1950s. With a wide range of database resources and value-added services, Wanfang Data has become a gateway to understanding Chinese culture, medicine, business, science, etc.

    The death of the plastic credit card could be a step closer as high street names including McDonald's and the Co-op prepare to test a breakthrough finger-scanning payment technology.

    FingoPay, developed by British start-up Sthaler, uses a biometric reader to scan the veins of a shopper's finger, building up a “map” that is unique to each individual.

    By connecting this pattern with a credit card or bank account, the company plans to let shoppers pay simply by placing their finger in a pocket-sized scanner, doing away with cash and credit cards.

    Sthaler, founded by former music industry executive Nick Dryden, will begin testing the technology next month in Proud, a London nightclub. Mr. Dryden said McDonald's is experimenting with a pilot of the technology, and that Sthaler is also planning a project with Co-op's food stores.

    It comes amid growing interest in using biometric identification in payments, which backers believe are more secure and efficient than passwords and PINs. Apple Pay, which uses the iPhone's fingerprint technology, launched in the UK in 2015 and was followed by the Android equivalent in May 2016.

    Hendrik Kleinsmiede, the director of Visa Europe's innovation arm Collab, which is backing Sthaler, said the Fingopay technology was less immune to problems such as wet and dusty fingers or fraud. “People are ready to accept biometrics as a secure authentication mechanism,” he said.

    Sthaler says the chance that two people have the same vein structure is 3.4bn-to-one, making it virtually impossible to crack. The vein scanner, developed by Hitachi, is already being used by Barclays to identify business customers as well as in cash machines in Japan, but Sthaler has the unique rights to license it to retailers.

    In the trial at Proud set to begin in September, the technology will be used to speed up waiting times at the bar both by cutting down on cards and by being able to suggest drinks based on what a patron has previously ordered.

    Grey clouds move as low as smoke over the treetops at Lolo Pass. The ground is white. The day is June 10.It has been snowing for the past four days in the Bitterroot Mountains.Wayne Fairchild is getting worried about our trek over the Lolo Trail-95 miles from Lolo Montana to Weippe in Idaho, across the roughest country in the West. Lewis and Clark were nearly defeated 200 years ago by snowstorms on the Lolo. Today Fairchild is nervously checking the weather reports. He has agreed to take me across the toughest, middle section of the trail.

    When Lewis climbed on top of Lemhi Pass,140 miles south of Missoula, on Aug.12,1805,he was astonished by what was in front of him; "high mountain chains still to the West of us with their tops partially covered with snow.＂Nobody in what was then the US knew the Rocky Mountains existed, with peaks twice as high as anything in the Appalachians back East.

    Today their pathway through those mountains holds more attraction than any other ground over which they traveled, for its raw wilderness is an evidence to the character of two cultures:the explorers who braved its hardships and the Native Americans who prize and conserve the path as a sacred (神圣的)gift. It remains today the same condition as when Lewis and Clark walked it.

    The Lolo is passable only from July to mid-September. Our luck is holding with the weather, although the snow keeps getting deeper. As we climb to Indian Post Office, the highest point on the trail at 7,033 ft, we have covered 13 miles in soft snow, and we hardly have enough energy to make dinner. After a meal of chicken, I sit on a rock on top of the ridge .There is no light visible in any direction, not even another campfire. For four days we do not see another human being. We are occupied with the things that mix fear with joy. In our imagination we have finally caught up with Lewis and Clark.

I love hiking. In the mountains, the birds sing for me; the various trees and flowers overwhelm (征服) my eyes and the deep blue of the sky inspires me and makes me feel calm. Furthermore, I can breathe the fresh air, keeping away from the dust and pollution of the city. It seems that all my senses are awakened when I am in the mountains. More importantly, hiking teaches me a lot.

I have been a traveler since childhood and was drawn towards mountains and their beauty. Later my reading several travel books made me think if I could also go on such journeys. Finally, I decided to give it a try. After I was well-prepared to face all difficulties of the hike, I joined a group of hikers. On the way, we encouraged each other, took beautiful pictures, and sat down now and then to feel the breath of the land. All my worries disappeared and we talked and laughed just like kids. This journey excited me for a long time.

I never actually realized the need for water until I started hiking. I remember once I was on a hike where our water was not enough. It was a night hike and the next day we had to return back to our base camp following the same route. So we have to save it for emergencies (紧急事件).That day I exactly learned water is of great value and that we have a duty to save it.

Besides enjoying the beautiful natural views, you have to go out of your comfort zone and push yourself hard to challenge your normal limits when hiking. On a hike, you may sometimes get injured but you can't stop until you reach the destination. Every next try will surely make you stronger and happier if you embrace (拥抱) your injuries, pains and discomforts.

Sometimes we may have a conversation with those locals living in wooden houses. You know, mountain life is hard and difficult. But they never complain about their life. They are happy with what they have. Many times they are facing extreme weather and they just fight with them. They are so brave. What can we complain about?