There are many differences between country life and city life in many ways. One person even does different things in the two places.

    Julia lived in the countryside, but one year she decided to visit the capital city to do some shopping and to see the sights. She stayed at a hotel near the central market. She had seldom been to the city before, and was very excited about what she would find.

    On the first morning of her visit, as she walked from the hotel to the market, she passed a beggar(乞丐). He was holding up a notice, which said, “Blind from birth. Please give generously(慷慨地).”

    Julia felt sorry for the blind beggar and she bent down and put a dollar coin into his bowl. “Thank you.” he said.

    The same thing happened again the following day.

    On the third day, however, Julia did not have a dollar coin. She had only fifty cents, so she dropped this into the beggar's bowl.

    “What have I done wrong?” the beggar said, “Why are you so stingy today? ”

    Julia was very surprised at what the beggar said. “How do you know I haven't given you a dollar?” she said, “If you're blind you can't know what coin I put into your bowl.”

    “Ah, ” explained the beggar, “The truth is that I'm not blind. I'm just looking after this place for the regular beggar while he's on holiday.”

    “On holiday?” Julia said, “And what exactly does your blind friend do on holiday?”

    “He goes into the countryside,” the man said, “and takes photographs. He's a very good photographer.”

    The holidays are a time to give. These organizations are looking for volunteers and donations (捐赠). Read on to learn more about them. Then, find out how you can help.

    American Red Cross

    This holiday season, your donation can make a difference at home and abroad. The American Red Cross is making it easy to help people who have experienced natural disasters (灾害), members of the U.S. armed forces, and children all over the world. With just one click (点击), you can give the gift of caring.

    National Military Family Association

    Each year hundreds of Americans serve both at home and abroad to keep our country safe. This holiday season, we can help serve them. Through donations, National Military Family Association helps to provide military members and their families with scholarships, family retreats, camp programs for kids, and more.

    Network for Good

    This website allows its users to donate to organizations and discover volunteer chances. After natural disasters, the Network for Good provides a system of help and support for those in need. The website also offers tips to kids who want to give. Visit the website to find out how you can help make someone's holiday season shine bright.

    Make-A-Wish Foundation

    Sometimes all it takes is one wish made come true to make someone smile. The work of Make-A-Wish Foundation is to make the wishes come true. Through support and donations, the foundation has made dreams come true for hundreds of thousands of children with serious illnesses.

    If you want to help others, don't wait for a better time. Help now! Your help will be valued highly.

    Almost all researches in sleep explain that nightmares are a reaction to negative experiences that happen during waking hours. However, some of them believe that nightmares do have some real benefits. One 2017 study, for example, found that frequent nightmare sufferers rated themselves as more empathetic (共鸣的). They also displayed more of a tendency to unconsciously mirror other people through things like yawning. People who have constant nightmares also tend to think further outside the box on psychoanalysis tasks. Some other researches have found support for the idea that nightmares might be linked to creativity.

    People seeking cure for nightmares were not necessarily more fearful or anxious, but rather had a general sensitivity to all emotional experience. Sensitivity is the driving force behind intense dreams. Heightened sensitivity to threats or fear during the day results in had dreams and nightmares, whereas heightened passion or excitement may result in more intense positive dream. And both these forms of dreams may feed back into waking life, perhaps increasing suffering after nightmares, or promoting social bonds and empathy after positive dreams.

    The effects go further still. This sensitivity overflows over into perceptions and thoughts: people who have a lot of nightmares experience a dreamlike quality to their waking thoughts. And this kind of thinking seems to give them a creative edge. For instance, studies show that such people tend to have greater creative talent and artistic express. And people who often have nightmares also tend to have more positive dreams than the average person.

    The evidence points towards the idea that, rather than disturbing normal activity, people who are unfortunate in having a lot of nightmares also have a dreaming life that is at least as creative, positive and vivid as it can be distressing and terrifying. What's more, this imaginative richness is unlikely to be limited to sleep, but also is filled with waking thought and daydreams. Even after people wake up and shake off the nightmare, in other words, a mark of it stays behind, possessing them throughout the day.

    A Spanish company Siesta &Go has opened the first public napping (小睡) space in Madrid. It promises people a quiet rest in the middle of the city's business center.

    Napping spaces are nothing new; places to rest are already set up in other big cities in the world. But the idea would appear to work well with the culture of Spain, where people traditionally take an afternoon nap, called siesta.

    The Madrid nap space recently opened with 19 beds. People can use them by the minute or by the hour, and they can also choose either a private or shared room. An hour of napping inside a private room costs about $ l5.

    Siesta &GO provides all bedding, clean nightshirts and other materials. Nippers can request to be woken up when their time is up. It also offers areas to work, with armchairs, newspapers and coffee for those not wishing to sleep.

    Philip &Go is one happy customer. Marco says he gets tired during the day because of hard work. He says a siesta is the perfect way to build up energy. “I come for about 30 minutes or something like that. That is usually enough for me to be full of energy.”

    While many Spanish people love their naps, others like Carlos Villarroja say they are just too busy to keep the tradition. “It's a Spanish tradition, but I think it's more of a legend (传说) than a tradition. Because of the lifestyle and the working hours, we have very little free time for a siesta at least during the week.”

    But many health experts believe there is evidence that taking a short nap can be very good for the body and mind. Scientific studies show that taking a siesta can also prevent illness and lower blood pressure.

    Many years ago, people relied on the sun, the moon and stars to find their way around. Later, the compass was introduced. And now, we have satnav（卫星导航）systems to guide us. A satnav system uses groups of satellites to show the user's location. They send information to a receiver, such as a smartphone, to show us where we are.

    The earliest built satnav system is the Global Positioning Satellite System, which belongs to the US. Then there is Russia's Global Navigation Satellite system，the European Union's Galileo and China's own satellite navigation system, Beidou.

On October 18, 2017, an ARJ21-700 plane, which was the first domestically（国内地） produced jet equipped with the Beidou navigation system, successfully completed a test flight. The results showed the performance of the system developed by China matches that of similar systems produced abroad, according to the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China.

    Since its introduction in 2000, the Beidou navigation system has been increasing numbers of applications linked to everyday life, from shared bikes to farming.

When it comes to shared bikes, smart locks that support Beidou chips offer more accurate positioning than others, making it easier to find a bike.

    Farmers can use Beidou-enabled tractors to plow（犁）the soil and use unmanned aircraft with Beidou to sow seeds, which can improve efficiency and make better use of resources. Beidou's farming applications have spread from Heilongjiang Province to Beijing, Liaoning, Shanxi, Hubei and other regions across China.

    With its many uses, the Beidou navigation system is even playing a big role in the Belt and Road Initiative（一带一路）. “To date, the Beidou system has covered most parts of the Asia-Pacific region, as well as countries along the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21^st Century Maritime Silk Road,” said Yang Changfeng, chief designer of the Beidou system.

    Today, there are more than 20 Beidou satellites above our heads, and China plans to launch even more this year to expand the Beidou network to better serve the Belt and Road Initiative.

    “As Beidou expands its overseas reach, it will be increasingly popular in the logistics（物流） industry,” said Miao Qianjun, Secretary General of the navigation services association. “Ships, for example, can use it to position themselves while sailing across oceans to European countries, no longer limited to Southeast Asian regions in the near future.

    The city of Amsterdam is one of the best preserved in all of Europe. When visiting this remarkable city, you tend to forget your troubles just for a moment. With this travel guide, you will be able to discover the real Amsterdam.

    Best Time to Visit Amsterdam

    To see the tulip(郁金香)flowers you can visit from mid-April to early May. For the New Year's celebration, there're a lot of parties going on then. However, if you want to enjoy a quieter and more relaxing Amsterdam, visit from October to March.

Getting Around Amsterdam

    You can rent a bike to go wherever you want to go. Public transportation is also convenient. You can get a chip card for about$9.

    What You Should Know Before Visiting Amsterdam

    Plan ahead since most of the attractions are usually busy and be careful with your wallets as the city is well-known for pickpockets. Also be cautious when you are buying something in the markets.

    The Best of Amsterdam

    Rijksmuseum

    This museum is one of the finest in the world. Make sure you arrive before 10 am to avoid big crowds.

    Vondelpark

    If you are looking forward to relaxing and enjoying some peace and quiet, make a trip to this top choice park in the city.

    Van Gogh Museum

    The Van Gogh Museum is very fascinating; you will definitely be moved as you see Vincent van Gogh's life and how he developed through art.

    A'DAM Tower

    If you want to get the inspiring views of Amsterdam, take the lift to the top of this tower. You can also climb aboard the giant four-person swing for some fun rides.