America's Best National Parks

Pacific: Yosemite National Park, California

Closest city: Oakland, Calif. (3.5-hour drive)

    This Golden State treasure has thick forests and rock formations like the Half Dome—a naturalist's dream in winter, spring, summer or fall. “Anytime of year, it's such an important park,” says Patricia Schultz, author of 1000 Places to See Before you Die. She recommends taking a tour with a naturalist guide to learn about the reintroduction of wolves into the park.

Pacific: Denali National Park, Alaska

Closest city: Fairbanks, Alaska (two-hour drive)

    Denali National Park includes the towering Mt. McKinley. At 20,320 feet, it's America's tallest peak. “But the park's real glory is the wildlife viewing in a setting that is vast, terrific and pristine(原始的),” says Schultz.

West: Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming.

Closest city: Jackson, Wyo. (45-minute drive)

    Home to ski paradise Jackson Hole, the Grand Tetons offer a charming Wild West view in any season. Schultz especially likes the park for its cross-country skiing and wildlife sighting opportunities.

East: Acadia National Park, Maine

Closest city: Bangor, Maine (45-minute drive)

    A former haunt(消磨时光的去处) of an older generation of America's wealthiest, this stretch of coastline once played host to Rockefeller, Astor and Vanderbilt. Easy hiking trails(小道) lead through forests dotted with small lakes.

    After spending the first five years of his life in San Diego, Adam Driver's family packet up and moved to a small town in Indiana, where Adam enjoyed a relatively routine adolescence. Then the horrific events of September 11th made Adam's life become anything but routine.

    Just a few months following the events, Driver decided to join the United States Marine Corps. He considered 9/11 as being one of the reasons for joining the army, with his desire to leave Indiana providing the rest. He once said,"I'm grateful for having grown up in Indiana, but I needed to go out and the Marine Corps was a nice, stable option." After serving for two and a half years, and just two months before he was sent to Iraq, Driver injured his sternum in a biking accident. After he was healed, he injured it again during military training, which resulted in an honorable medical discharge.

    After leaving the military, Driver decided to try his hand at acting. At first he studied close to home at the University of Indianapolis, but after just a year, he transferred to Julliard in New York City. He lived in a tiny apartment in Hoboken, New Jersey apartment while studying drama at a prestigious performing arts conservatory（音乐学院）. Following his graduation in 2009, Driver immediately began appearing in plays, including 2010's Mrs. Warren's Profession.

    Adam's first major television experience was a guest spot on Law & Order, and was soon followed by a small role in the award-winning film You Don't Know Jack, which was Driver's first experience working with Home Box Office. Then after landing his star-making role on Girls, Driver was cast in a handful of feature films, including 2011's J. Edgar and 2012's Gayby, Not Waving but Drowning and Frances Ha.

    He'll appear next year in the Coen brother's Inside Llewyn Davis and Steven Spielberg's Lincoln.

根据短文内容，选择最佳答案，并将选定答案的字母标号填在题前括号内。

    Is there a magic cutoff period when offspring become accountable for their own actions? Is there a wonderful moment when parents can become spectators (旁观者) in the lives of their children and shrug, "It' s their life," and feel nothing?

    When I was in my twenties, I stood in a hospital corridor waiting for doctors to put a few stitches in my son's head. I was asked, "When do you stop worrying?" A nurse said, "When they get out of the accident stage." My mother just smiled faintly and said nothing.

    When I was in my thirties, I sat on a little chair in a classroom and heard how one of my children talked incessantly, disrupted (打断) the class, and was headed for a career making license plates. As if to read my mind, a teacher said, "Don't worry. They all go through this stage, and then you can sit back, relax, and enjoy them." My mother listened and said nothing.

    When I was in my forties, I spent a lifetime waiting for the phone to ring and the cars to come home, the front door to open.

    My friends said that when my kids got married I could stop worrying and lead my own life. I wanted to believe that, but I was haunted by my mother' s wan ( 淡淡的 ) smile and her occasional words, "You look pale. Are you all right? Call me the minute you get home."

    Can it be that parents are sentenced to a lifetime of worry? Is concern for one another handed down like a torch to blaze the trail of human frailties and the fears of the unknown? Is concern a curse? Or is it a virtue that elevates us to the highest form of life?

    One of my children became quite irritable recently, saying to me, "Where were you? I've been calling for three days, and no one answered. I was worried!!!"

    I smiled a wan smile.

    Farah was sitting in the kitchen going over the party list with her mother. The exams were over and Farah wanted to invite her friends for a party.

    “Farah, aren't you going to invite Hafsa?” her mother asked. Hafsa had been her best friend since childhood.

    “Mother, you know I am now a part of Purple Girls Club and we have some rules about people we can be friends with,” Farah answered.

    “Really? And what are the rules?” her mother asked.

    “Well, only very pretty girls can be part of our group. And Hafsa is so, you know, dark.”

    “I cannot believe it.” her mother said angrily.

    As Farah left the kitchen, her father called her from the living room.

    Farah went to her father and paled when she saw the exam report in his hands.

    “Farah, what has happened to your grades? You have failed in Mathematics.” her father said.

    Farah had no answer. The truth was that the activities of Purple Girls Club left her with very little time for studies.

    “Farah, it says that you can take part in supplementary exams(补考). If your grades don't improve then, I'll cancel your trip to Spain.”

    Farah went to her room and called Gina, the leader of Purple Girls Club.

    “Gina, can you help me to complete my notes before the exams?”

    Gina laughed, “Exams? Who cares about exams?”

    One by one, she called her friends in the club but no one seemed to care or wanted to help. Farah knew Hafsa would help her. Farah also knew Hafsa had been hurt by her, but Hafsa said, “If you need any help, just let me know. We can study together till your exams.”

    Next Monday, as two friends entered the school together. Gina called out

    “Farah, you know our rules. You cannot be friends with those who do not belong to our club.”

    “Gina I have a new rule about friendship,” Farah replied.

    Have you ever noticed how Americans fill up their entire glass with ice and then pour their beverage(饮品) in, but Europeans take their drinks at room temperature? In the U. S., we've created fridges that give you cold ice at the press of a button, but in Britain they typically serve their tap water warm.

    This tradition—if that's what you want to call it-dates back to the 19th century. During that time, it was already commonplace for most American homes to have an ice box. Ice would be harvested in northern America or Canada and shipped across the Atlantic and sold at a high price in British department stores. Can you imagine heading to Macy's to treat yourself to a block of ice?

    Putting ice in your drink started to become somewhat of a fashion(时尚) trend for the wealthy in Britain. Some would put a few cubes in their champagne and sip on their chilled drinks at high-class parties. But, like with any fashion trend, it eventually faded, mainly because the ice was just too expensive. And even once ice boxes began appearing in homes in Britain as well, Brits never took a liking to ice in their drinks.

    So, next time you travel overseas, don't feel offended(冒犯) when your server gives you an eye roll when you ask for ice water.

Amsterdam Destination Guide

    Amsterdam is one of the most popular travel destinations in the world, famous for its beautiful canals, top art museums, cycling culture and so on. It is the capital and most populous city in the Netherlands and often referred to as the "Venice of the North" because of its expansive system of bridges and canals. Here are some of the key points to remember as you plan your trip to Amsterdam.

Must-See Attractions

    Most visitors begin their Amsterdam adventure in the Old Centre, which is full of traditional architecture, shopping centers, and coffee shops. You'll also want to check out Amsterdam's Museum Quarter in the South District, which is great for shopping at the Albert Cuyp Market and having a picnic in the Vondelpark. The top museums to visit there are the Rijksmusuem, the Ann Frank House, and the Van Gogh Museum.

    If You Have Time

    There are several other unique districts in Amsterdam, and you should try to explore as many of them as time allows. The Canal Ring is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that was originally built to attract wealthy home owners and is a center for celebrity spotting and nightlife today. The Plantage area has most of the city's museums, including the Jewish Historical Museum, the Scheepvaart Museum, and the botanical gardens.

    Money Saving Tips

    Unless you really want to see the tulips (郁金香) blooming, avoid booking between mid-March and mid-May. This is when hotel and flight prices rise.

    Look for accommodations in Amsterdam's South District, where rates are generally cheaper than in the city center.

    Buy train tickets at the machine instead of the counter to save a bit of money.

    Instead of hiring a tour guide, hop on a canal boat. They're inexpensive and will give you a unique point of view of the city.

    Check out our homepage to view price comparisons for flights, hotels, and rental cars before you book.