People may wonder{#blank#}1{#/blank#} different words are used to describe these four countries England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. You can clarify this question{#blank#}2{#/blank#}you study British history.

    First there was England. Wales was linked to it in the thirteenth century. Now when people refer to England you find Wales included as well. Next England and Wales were joined to Scotland in the seventeenth century and the name was changed to "Great Britain". Happily this{#blank#}3{#/blank#} without conflict when King James of Scotland became King of England and Wales as well. Finally the English government tried in the early twentieth century to form the United Kingdom by getting Ireland connected in the same peaceful way. However, the southern part of Ireland was {#blank#}4{#/blank#}and broke away to form its own government. So only Northern Ireland joined with England, Wales and Scotland to become the United Kingdom and this was shown to the world in a new flag{#blank#}5{#/blank#} the Union Jack.

Why Bike Theft Is Not Taken Seriously?

    For many people a bicycle is the only transport they can afford and it is very convenient for them to use. Therefore, the impact of the loss of their bike can be {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. But why is cycle theft so often seen as a minor crime?

    According to the police, 96,210 bikes were stolen in 2018, and about one in 50 bicycle-owning households fall {#blank#}2{#/blank#} to cycle theft each year. Those who can afford a second bike might have a "beater", a cheap bike they leave in {#blank#}3{#/blank#} areas, and can afford to lose — but those who cannot make both ends meet, and live below the poverty line will find themselves cornered by bike theft.

    According to a survey for Bike Register, 50% of victims felt police didn't investigate the crime, while those {#blank#}4{#/blank#} in cycle theft see it as low risk in terms of being caught. Police recover just 3% of stolen bikes. In fact, the problem is almost certainly much greater: People often don't report it thinking there's nothing the police can do, so the full {#blank#}5{#/blank#} of the problem remains hidden.

    Cycle crime hotspots were identified as Cambridge, Oxford, Southampton, Bristol, etc. Most cycle thefts occur near or in people's homes, but thieves also {#blank#}6{#/blank#} transport hubs (中心，枢纽) and university campuses. In the meantime, the police have come up with a way to {#blank#}7{#/blank#} the issue. Training 23 officers in regional cycle crime taskforces is part of a national cycle crime strategy, {#blank#}8{#/blank#} with measures like education on safe locking techniques, working with websites where more than half of stolen bikes are sold, and identifying cycle theft {#blank#}9{#/blank#} and priorities.

    If a bike is stolen, there is about a 20% chance the victim will not replace it, losing their transport, exercise, and potential access to local communities and service. It is widely accepted that police's {#blank#}10{#/blank#} effort is fundamental to a drop in cycle theft.

Measles (麻疹) breaks out in the Northwest

    The U.S. is experiencing outbreaks of measles, a disease it had declared eliminated years ago, largely due to a drop in vaccination (接种疫苗) rates in some communities.

    An outbreak in Washington state has sickened 23 people this month, mostly children under 10. Local health officials in Clark County, declared a public-health {#blank#}1{#/blank#} on Friday. They also urged residents to track {#blank#}2{#/blank#} symptoms and call ahead before heading to medical centers.

    State officials announced the {#blank#}3{#/blank#} of measles from the U.S. in 2000, thanks to a widespread vaccination program. But travelers entering the country with measles, as well as dropping vaccination rates in some states in recent years, has led to a rise in infection. Last year, there were a total of 17 outbreaks, {#blank#}4{#/blank#} as three or more cases linked together, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. New York and New Jersey {#blank#}5{#/blank#} for roughly half of the 2018 cases. The Clark County outbreak began early last week with three confirmed cases and has since grown to 23 confirmed and two more {#blank#}6{#/blank#}. Of those cases, 20 were unvaccinated and the others are unconfirmed.

    Measles is highly {#blank#}7{#/blank#}; the virus spreads through the air by coughing or sneezing, the CDC says. Early {#blank#}8{#/blank#} include a high fever, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes, followed by tiny, white spots inside the mouth and the red, bumpy rash (疹子) that people {#blank#}9{#/blank#} associate with the infection. Children younger than 5 or adults older than 20 are more likely to suffer from complications, according to the CDC.

    In order to prevent the further spread of the outbreak, local health officials are posting times and places where residents may have been exposed. They are urging residents who haven't been vaccinated to {#blank#}10{#/blank#} whether they have been exposed and to take appropriate action.

The Floating School

    Life on the islands can feel a bit isolated due to a lack of electricity and internet connectivity.

    Although some of the islands have primary schools, most young people must travel to the larger islands or to the mainland to attend high school. Schools on the islands follow the {#blank#}1{#/blank#} curriculum (课程). They don't teach subjects such as maritime skills, swimming or local fishing traditions, and so the curriculum isn't always {#blank#}2{#/blank#} with students' everyday life.

    So, we {#blank#}3{#/blank#} the Floating School after winning funding through a US State Department grant competition called Seeds for the Future. Before we started the school, we spoke with young people, community leaders and teachers on the islands to find out the topics young people are most interested in. We also learned about the various {#blank#}4{#/blank#} of students and young people who don't go to school. Thus, we {#blank#}5{#/blank#} our own non-formal educational programme that fits with the context of life on the islands. For example, those working in fishing have responsibility {#blank#}6{#/blank#} the marine life, so we teach environmental protection and discourage destructive fishing practices.

    The Floating School is a wooden boat that can {#blank#}7{#/blank#} up to twenty people and it goes to the students, not the other way around -- we use it to transport educational materials, tools, and teachers to young people living on the islands. Our teachers are local young {#blank#}8{#/blank#}— so far we have had journalists, photographers, computer engineers and musicians — and students who want to {#blank#}9{#/blank#} their skills.

    At first, many of the young people thought the Floating School would be the same as their schools on the islands. They had thought of the teachers to be {#blank#}10{#/blank#}. But our students learn through art, media and literature. They don't have to wear uniforms or shoes, and the teachers treat the students as equals, without judging them. This means our students can be themselves.