Festivals play an important role in a culture's identity. I can't think of a better way of appreciating a new culture than by taking part in one of its festivals. Here are some special festivals around the world．

    Boryeong Mud Festival－Boryeong, South Korea

    For two weeks in July, millions gather in Borueong to experience the grey pools and slides．What began as a way of promoting the region's mineral-rich mud has turned into a festive party, complete with music and fireworks.While the mud is usually only available in cosmetic products, here you can cake yourself in grey as you want．

    Holi－India

    Holi, the Festival of Colors, is a Hindu celebration full of joy and one of India's most important holidays. During the day of the last full moon of the lunar month, usually late February throughout the country, but the cheerful spirit is common throughout Hindu communities around the world．

    Koninginnedag－The Netherlands

    Although their current Queen's birthday is really during the winter, the Queen still celebrates it on April 30th, the country's official “ Queen's Day” since 1949．Orange is the national color, and the streets become a sea of feather boas（长围巾）and body paint as crowds gather in the plazas（广场）．Amsterdam is the center of this outdoor party, with many live music acts, but nearly every town is alive with orange on this day．

    National Elephant Day in Thailand

    In Thailand, March 13th is regarded as National Elephant Day to show that the Thai elephant plays an important role in the Thai history. Thai Elephant Day has been held on an annual basis since the idea was first approved by the Thai government in 1998. Special events are held at a number of venues in northern Thailand．At the Mae Sa Elephant Camp, it has become a tradition on March13th for the dozens of elephants there to be treated to a huge feast of fruits and sugarcane．

    People with bigger brains tend to score higher on standardized tests of intelligence, according to new study findings.

    However, the study author Dr. Michael A.McDaniel of the Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond emphasized that these findings represent a general trend, and people with small heads should not automatically believe they are less intelligent. For instance, Albert Einstein's brain was "not particularly large", McDaniel noted." There's some relationship between brain size and intelligence on the average, but there's plenty of room for exceptions," he said.

    Interest in the relationship between brain size and intelligence grew in the1830s, when German anatomist(解剖学家) Frederich Tiedmann wrote that he believed there was "an unquestionable connection between the size of the brain and the mental energy displayed by the individual man". Since that statement, scientists have conducted numerous studies to determine if Tiedmann's assertion was correct. Most studies have looked into the link between head size and intelligence. More recently, however, researchers have published additional studies on brain size and intelligence, measured using MRI scan(核磁共振成像扫描).

    For his study, McDaniel analyzed more than 20 studies that looked into the relationship between brain size and intelligence in a total of 1,530 people. The studies showed that on the average, people with larger brain volume tended to be more intelligent. The relationship between brain volume and intelligence was stronger in women than men, and in adults than in children. McDaniel notes in the journal Intelligence.

    McDaniel is not sure why the relationship was stronger for adults and women. "Other research has shown that women, on the average, tend to have smaller brains than men, but score just as well—if not higher—in tests of intelligence," he said.

    McDaniel insisted that the relationship between brain size and intelligence is not a "perfect" one. "One can certainly find lots of examples of smaller-sized people who are highly intelligent," he said, "But, on the average, the relationship holds."

    They say that an apple a day keeps the doctor away. Well, there is one lady who believes that it's actually chocolate. At 102 years of age, she's living proof.

    According to Boonville, Indiana's Eunice Modlin, a daily dose of chocolate has been the key to a long and healthy life. Specifically, two pieces of dark chocolate. It's not just Eunice who believes this.

    Many scientists have attributed the sweet to health benefits such as lower chances of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes.

    However, researchers believe that Eunice might be overlooking the fact that she has never smoked or drunk alcohol in her long life, and that chocolate might not be the significant cause of her longevity.

    "There are so many other factors to her long life and chocolate isn't the only one," nutritionist Vanessa Rissetto said. "Genes, her diet in general…are probably the main reasons."

    At any rate, Eunice is still alive and kicking. With four children, seven grandkids, 14 great-grandkids and 11 great-great grandkids, this lady has a big family.

    It must be noted that Eunice was also very athletic, being an archer in her 20s .Amazingly, she has lived through tough times such as the Great Depression and World War II .Also, the healthy blood runs through the veins of other family members. Eunice's brother is also still alive, at 101 years of age.

    No matter what you might think, Eunice's consumption of chocolate can't be ignored. In 2015, a BMJ study showed that a daily treat of one small bar would give the consumer 23% less chance of having a stroke (中风).

    What is in the sweet that makes it so beneficial? Apparently, cocoa beans have flavonoids, plant nutrients that have useful antioxidants (抗氧化剂).

    "Not all chocolate is created equal," Rissetto warns. "Dark chocolate has more flavonoids than milk chocolate, and white chocolate—which does not actually contain chocolate—is not a good source of flavonoids."

    The booking notes of the play 'Sherlock'

    Price: $10

    BOOKING

    There are four easy ways to book seats for the play:

—in person

    The Box Office is open from Monday to Saturday, 10 am—8 pm

—by telephone

    Ring 01324976 to reserve(预订) your tickets or to pay by credit card (Visa and MasterCard).

—by post

    Simply complete the booking form and return it to Box Office.

—online

    Complete the online booking form at www.Satanfiedtheatre.com.

    DISCOUNTS（折扣）:

    Saver: $2 off any seat booked any time in advance for the play from Monday to Thursday. Savers can be got for children up to 16 years old, over 60s and full-time students.

    Supersavers: half-price seats can be got for people with disabilities and one companion. It is advisable to book in advance. There is a maximum of eight wheelchair spaces and one wheelchair space will be held until an hour before the show.

    Standby: best seats are on sale for $6 from one hour before the play for people suitable for Saver and Supersaver discounts and thirty minutes before for all other customers.

    Group Booking: there is a 10% discount for parties of twelve or more.

    School: school parties of ten or more can book $6 standby tickets and will get every tenth ticket free.

    Please note: we are unable to exchange tickets or pay the money back unless the play is called off because of unexpected situations.

    Large gatherings such as weddings and conferences can be socially stressful. Pressure to learn people's names only adds to the stress. A new facial-recognition app could come to the rescue, but privacy experts recommend going on with caution.

    The app, called SocialRecall, connects names with faces via smartphone cameras and facial recognition, potentially avoiding the need for formal introductions. "It breaks down these social barriers we all have when meeting somebody," says Barry Sandrew, who created the app and tested it at an event attended by about 1,000 people.

    After receiving an invitation to download SocialRecall from an event organizer, the user is asked to take two selfies and sign in via social media. At the event, the app is active within a previously defined geographical area. When a user points his or her phone camera at an attendee's face, the app identifies the individual displays the person's name, and links to his or her social media profile. To protect privacy, it recognizes only those who have agreed to participate. And the app's creators say it automatically deletes users' data after an event.

    Ann Cavoukian, a privacy expert who runs the Privacy by Design Center of Excellence praises the app's creators for these protective measures. She cautions, however, that when people choose to share their personal information with the app they should know that there may be unintended consequences down the road with that information being used in another context that might come back to bite you."

    The start-up has also developed a version of the app for individuals who suffer from prosopagnosia, or "face blindness", a condition that prevents people from recognizing individuals they have met. To use this app a person first acquires an image of someone's face, from either the smartphone's camera or a photograph, and then tags it with a name. When the camera spots that same face in real life, the previously entered information is displayed. The collected data are stored only on a user's phone, according to the team behind the app.

The editor of the Cool Camping Britain chooses some of his favorite new finds in England, Wales and Scotland.

Cleadale, Isle of Eigg, Inner Hebrides

Is this Britain's most beautiful campsite? From the grassy point looking seaward to the mountains, it's not hard for campers to see how the island inspired fantasy landscapes in The Lord of the Rings.The campsite itself is as wild and wonderful as its setting.

Open April~September, pitches from £5 per tent per night.

Swattesfield, Thornham Magna, Suffolk

Deep in the wilds of north Suffolk, this seven-acre campsite has only been open for a few years, with two fields separated by a lake and surrounded by woodland. The position is perfect. It's a great place to do nothing and get into nature.You can set up your tent in the bottom field or the woodland beyond.

Open Easter~October, pitches from £10 per tent per night.

Pleasant Streams, near St Austell, Cornwall

This site, by a lake, is all about simple pleasures. Located in the former mining village, it has a summerhouse with books and games for a rainy day, many animals including pigs, hens, goats and ducks, and a pub just a 10-minute stroll (walk) away. There's very little to do here, no bells or whistles. Campfires are encouraged.

Open Easter~September, pitches from £10 per tent per night.

Troytown Campsite, St Agnes, Isles of Scilly

Its only campsite couldn't be in a more remote position. Isolation is its greatest asst (优点)－so bring plenty of books to read and don't expect a phone signal. But at least one of life's necessities is available. Lying on the hillside overlooking the bay and near the island of the Gugh, it might just win the prize for best beer garden view in England.

Open MarchOctober, pitches from 7.50 per tent per night.