The aye-aye, in the same family as people, monkeys and apes, is about 40 cm long, with a bushy tale about the same length as the body. The dark brown fur is long and woolly, giving the animal a rather shaggy(蓬松的) appearance. They are found only on Madagascar, an island off the coast of Africa. It lives in the tropical forests in the east and north of Madagascar.

    The aye-aye is mostly arboreal(栖息在树上的), but is sometimes seen walking on the ground. It's active during the night, looking around in the trees for food. The aye-aye is actually the largest primate(灵长类动物) active during the night. Large eyes help the aye-aye find its way about at night. During the day, the aye-aye sleeps in a nest in a tree. Aye-ayes spend almost the whole night travelling about and feeding.

    Aye-ayes live alone. Sometimes pairs are seen, but basically little is about their lives. They don't Icap and cling to trees like primates. They move about on all four legs.They occasionally make brief cries but are silent. Worms inside dead wood form the largest part Of the aye-aye diet. The aye-aye also feeds on fruit, eggs, and bamboo shoots.

    The front feet of the aye-aye are unique. All the toes are long and thin, but the third is exceptionally long. The aye-aye taps on the tree trunk and listens for movement as searches places "'here worms might-be located. It bites at the tree to make homes. then it uses its third finger to reach inside and hook out worms, The front teeth of the aye-aye grow continuously and are worn down by its eating at bark in its search for worms.

    Aye-ayes are close to be gone or totally gone. Because of deforestation (伐木), or forest destruction, the animals have therefore been forced to eat villagers' crops, and many aye-ayes been  have been killed while doing In addition. Some people on Madagascar believe that seeing an aye-aye is a sign that someone close to them will die, so they kill the animals on sight.

    Do you love holidays but hate the fact that you put on weight (增加体重) after the holidays? You are not alone.

    Holidays are happy days with pleasure and delicious foods. Many people, however, are worried about the weight that comes along with these delicious foods.

    With proper planning, it is possible to control your weight. The idea is to enjoy the holidays but not to eat too much. You don't have to turn away from the foods that you enjoy. The following suggestions may help you.

    Do not miss meals. Before yon leave home for a feast(宴会), have a small, low-fat snack. This may help to keep you from getting too excited before delicious foods.

    Begin with clear soup, fruit or vegetables.

    A large glass of water before you eat may help you feel full.

    Use a small plate; a large plate will encourage you to have more than enough.

    Better not have high-fat foods. Dishes that look oily or creamy have much fat in them.

    Choose lean（瘦的） meat. Fill your plate with salad and green vegetables.

    If you have a sweet tooth, try mints (薄荷) and fruits. They don't have fat content as cream and chocolate.

    Don't let exercise take a break during the holidays. A 20-minute walk after a meal can help burn off excess calories (多余的热量).

    When you are travelling, whether on business or for pleasure, you often need to stay in a hotel. The kind of hotel you choose probably is decided above all according to how much money you want to spend. There are small hotels with very few services, where the prices are low, or there are large hotels with all the very latest comforts, where you could spend all the money you have in the bank for one very comfortable night.

    There are several different kinds of people who go to hotels. Some want to live, rather than just stay, in a hotel; the hotels which are designed to meet their needs are called residential hotels. However, most people who stay in hotels are either business people or tourists on holiday.

    In most hotels, there are two kinds of rooms: single rooms, for the use of one person, and double rooms, for the use of two people. In addition, in large hotels, there are also suites(套房), which include two or more rooms connected together—perhaps a bed-room and a living room. They are for people who are very rich or very important.

    With its snow-covered mountains and a variety of wildlife, Yellow Stone National Park is one of the scenic treasures of the United States. Located primarily in Wyoming, the park hosts millions of visitors every year. If you plan to travel within the park, keep in mind advice from the National Park Service.

    Seasonal Travel

    Travel varies vastly from season to season. Roads are generally open in the summer except for cases of rock or mud slides, wild fires, accidents or road construction. Early snows in the fall can cause some roads to close temporarily. In the winter almost all roads are closed to motor vehicles, but snowmobiles and other snow vehicles with tracks are allowed. Roads begin to open for the spring by the latter part of April but can close if snowfall continues.

    Driving Time

    Grand Loop is the main road through Yellowstone National Park; it passes by most of the major attractions. These include Old Faithful, Yellowstone Lake and the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. The maximum speed limit on the Grand Loop is 45 miles per hour, but the speed limit drops during some of the winding and twisting sections of this narrow road. Allow yourself at least two days to fully travel the loop due to the size of the park and being sometimes stuck in heavy traffic.

    Safety Awareness

    Buffalo(水牛)often block the roads in the park as they move through the fields. If a group is traveling across the road you are on  you can either wait for them to pass or find an alternative route. If you get out of your vehicle, the National Park Service says to stay at least 25 yards from any buffalo (and 100 yards or more away from bears and wolves). Buffalo are particularly unpredictable and charge people at speeds up to 30 mph.

    You can take your bicycle on any public roads and routes designed for bikes, but bicycles are not allowed on the park roads which are narrow with few shoulders. Altitudes range from 5, 300 to 8, 860 feet. The National Park Service recommends cyclists wear helmets and noticeable clothing.

The Master Gardener Foundation

Aim

The Master Gardener Foundation provides free information to the public on environmentally safe gardening practices and water conservation. The information is research-based and encourages limited use of farm chemicals and fertilizers.

Donation Activities

The master gardeners here did much donation work. They donated over 35,000 volunteer hours, serving 40,000 adults and more than 5,200 children. They did this through about 35 plant clinics, 6 demonstration gardens, 4 youth gardens, as well as a classroom program and dozens of workshops. The Master Gardener Foundation provides roughly two-thirds of the financial support for all these valuable activities.

Washington State University currently provides the salary and benefits of the Master Gardener Program. The foundation funds office space and supplies, as well as a part-time program assistant.

The Master Gardener Program

Safe and green gardening and water use practices are vital to preserving our environment. The Master Gardener Program seeks to provide this kind of education and information to the citizens for free. It is a highly successful example of cooperation between a foundation and volunteers.

Waiting for Your Donations

The Master Gardener Foundation is a non-profit organization, and all donations are allowed by law and support the Master Gardener Program and activities.

Please consider a donation to the Master Gardener Foundation and help keep our environment green!