Spring is just around the corner and it's a time to get outside and enjoy the great outdoors. Here is a selection of festivals around the country that are a great excuse to get back in the spring sunshine.

Dana Point Festival of the Whales

Dana Point, California

March 7 to 8 and 14 to 15, 2010

    Each year, over two sunny weekends in March the town of Dana Point, California celebrates the return of migratory California Gray whales to this part of the Pacific Ocean. Festivities include whale-watching, an arts festival and educational hands-on activities for the entire family. Prices start at $ 29 per adult and $ 19 for children. For more information, visit www.dpfestivalofwhales. com

Chandler Ostrich Festival

Chandler, Arizona

March 13 to 15, 2010

    Chandler is the center of Ostrich(鸵鸟) ranching in the U.S. You can see jockeys ride these feathered beasts around the ostrich track at Tubleweed Park. General admission is $ 9 for adults, $ 8 for seniors, $ 7 for children aged five to 12 and kids four and under are free. For more information visit www.ostrich festival.com

Festival of Houses and Gardens

Charlestib, South Carolina

March 19 to April 18, 2010

    The Historic Charleston Foundation gives curious travelers the opportunity to explore gardens of some of the finest private residences in America. Each three-hour tour(afternoons from 2 to 5 p.m. and evenings from 6 to 9 p.m.)lets you to visit eight to ten properties dating from the American colonial period. Prices range from $25 to $45. For more information, visit www.historic-charleston.org.

Tulip Time Festival

Holland, Michigan

May 1 to 9, 2010

    You don't need to travel to the Netherlands this spring to see and smell some of the world's finest tulips (郁金香). The town of Holland is home to millions of colorful bulbs. The 81^st annual Tulip Time Festival, one of the largest flower festivals in the country will begin with fireworks on May 1. Admission fee ranges from $ 6 for the children's area to $ 38 for theatre tickets. Tickets and more information are available at www.tuliptime.com.

    Sunscreens (防晒霜) can offer protection from two types of ultraviolet (UV) rays (紫外线): UVB, which according to the Skin Cancer Foundation, are the chief cause of sunburn and play a key role in the development of skin cancer, and UVA, which get through the skin more deeply and are largely responsible for skin aging and wrinkling, as well as skin cancer risk. The SPF (防晒指数) measurement on sunscreens refers to the UVB protection level — and the number may not mean what you think it does. SPF 15 doesn't protect you from 15% of UVB rays, just as SPF 100 doesn't protect you from 100% of the rays. In fact, as you get into the higher numbered SPF sunscreens (think: 50 and above), the difference in UVB protection is actually pretty small.

    Theoretically, though the increase in UVB protection with a super-high SPF sunscreen may be not worth considering, it may help, and certainly can't hurt, to use it — that is, as long as you do so correctly. “The only downside is whether you're giving yourself a sense of false security,” Dr. Gohara says.

    Indeed, as Dr. Wang also pointed out, when people choose increased SPFs, they may actually feel so protected by the product that they finally ignore proper sun protection. “When people use really high SPF products, they tend not to reuse, they tend to stay out in the sun much longer, and they don't use other protective measures such as clothing and hats,” he says. Regardless of any increase in protection that a high SPF may or may not offer, one thing is certain: It doesn't give your body a free pass from sunburns, aging, or cancers, and it doesn't protect you from those things for any greater length of time than the lower SPF options. Both Dr. Wang and Dr. Gohara emphasized that, no matter what the SPF is, it's important to reapply your sunscreen every two hours.

    Everybody hates it, but everybody does it. A recent report said that 40%of Americans hate tipping. In America alone, tipping is a $ 16 billion-a-year industry. Consumers acting politely ought not to pay more than they have to for a given service. Tips should not exist. So why do they? The common opinion in the past was that tips both rewarded the efforts of good service and reduced uncomfortable feelings of inequality. And also, tipping makes for closer relations. It went without saying that the better the service, the bigger the tip.

    But according to a new research from Cornell University, tips no longer serve any useful function. The paper analyzes numbers they got from 2,547 groups dining at 20 different restaurants. The connection between larger tips and better service was very weak. Only a tiny part of the size of the tip had anything to do with the quality of service.

    Tipping is better explained, by culture than by the money people spend. In America, the custom came into being a long time ago. It is regarded as part of the accepted cost of a service. In New York restaurants, failing to tip at least 15% could well mean dissatisfaction from the customers. Hairdressers can expect to get l5%-20%, and the man who delivers your fast food $ 2. In Europe, tipping is less common. In many restaurants the amount of tip is decided by a standard service charge. In many Asian countries, tipping has never really caught on at all. Only a few have really taken to tipping. According to Michael Lynn, the Cornell papers' author, countries in which people are more social or outgoing tend to tip more. Tipping may reduce anxiety about being served by strangers. And Mr. Lynn says, “In America, where people are expressive and eager to mix up with others, tipping is about social approval. If you tip badly, people think less of you. Tipping well is a chance to show off.”

    What do you use to unlock your cellphone? A password? A fingerprint? Or simply a glance?

    On September 12, 2017, Apple introduced its iPhone X, which has an eye-catching feature—Face ID.

    With Face ID, Apple says, you can unlock your new iPhone by just looking at it. It is powered by a so-called TrueDepth camera system built into the front of the iPhone X.

    When the camera system sees a person's face, it uses 30,000 unseen dots to “map” the shape and outline of the face. A mathematical model of the face will then be created and stored in the phone.

    The next time the person looks at the iPhone X, the same dots are mapped onto his or her face and compared to the stored model. If the two match, then the phone unlocks. This happens in less than a second.

    Apple says the system is smart. If you change your hairstyle, put on sunglasses or makeup, or use the phone in the dark, Face ID still works.

    Although the technology sounds fancy, there are still concerns. For example, will Face ID work for twins?

    According to Apple, the chance of others to unlock your iPhone X using Face ID is one in a million. Face ID can tell the difference between twins, but the error rating（出错率）rises. So one would need to set a password then.

    Apple also emphasizes that Face ID only unlocks when you stare at it. It is what Apple calls “attention aware”. So the phone won't unlock if you are just glancing at the phone for the time. It won't work either if someone puts the phone at your sleeping face or your photo.

    Pastime is a bi-monthly magazine for curious young minds. Many of the topics we write about won't be covered in the classroom. All the articles are written in a lively style, and each one is paired with drawings by some of the country's most talented artists.

    History focuses on archaeological (考古的) sites around the world where archaeologists work to unearth important finds.

    World includes stories about daily life, folk tales, and history and traditions of the people and places.

    Sport includes nutrition tips, information about up-and-coming young athletes, and sports events.

    Art stimulates a child's cultural life, from film to theatre through to writing and music.

    On top of all that, Pastime is packed with items to stimulate a youngster's imagination, including pages of puzzles and a step-by-step guide to creating their own impressive-looking drawings.

    In every issue, we review the latest books top authors write for youngsters. There are also short works of fiction written especially for Pastime by some of our best writers.

    We know that children at this age are dealing with many emotions and sometimes difficult feelings, so we have a personal advice page to reply to questions dealing with personal and moral problems.

    Unlike many of today's throwaway comics, Pastime is written and designed to be kept and treasured. We know children love going online — but we also know how much they enjoy holding a printed magazine in their hands, and the excitement they get when each new issue drops through the letterbox personally addressed to them.

    Subscription

    Pastime is published six times a year. An annual subscription costs just £20 and makes a great gift for any child aged eight to twelve.

    To order by phone: Dial 1-800-821-0156 and use Offer Code WEBSAVE86 for print-only subscriptions.

    You can cancel at any time for magazines that haven't shipped yet.

Vancouver Tours

    Vancouver Stanley Park Tour

    If you want to see the major sights in Vancouver and come home with amazing photographs, this 3-hour photography tour is the way to go. Walk through Vancouver's top sightseeing locations; get guidance on photography basics and find the best spots to photograph the city. From Stanley Park's totem poles and old-growth trees to the most popular beaches and dining spots, you leave with beautiful mementos of the city.

    Historical Chinatown Walking Tour

    Explore the colorful past of Canada's oldest Chinatown, in Victoria, British Columbia. This guided walking tour will lead you through the streets and storied allies of the historic neighborhood, as your guide tells you the interesting, sometimes sad tales of the people who helped build the city and shape Canada as well as modem China.

    Small Group Sea to Sky Tour

    The Sea to Sky Highway is one of the world's most beautiful and celebrated roadways. You don't have to take your eyes off the scenery on this small group tour because someone else is doing the driving. Tour stops include a short hike to impressive Shannon Falls, the gorgeous Sea to Sky gondola, and award-winning Britannia Mine Museum.

    Eagle Viewing River Float Tour

    Dress warmly under a blanket with a cup of hot chocolate for a winter float on the river. The area is the winter habitat of bald eagles, and this trip gives you the opportunity to learn about the birds as you float through their area. After the boat ride, return to dry land just in time for a free, hearty meal before heading back to Vancouver.