Worlds of Fun

    Location: Worlds of Fun is located off Highway 435 in Kansas City, Missouri.

    History: Worlds of Fun was opened on May 26, 1973, at a cost of 25 million dollars. Loosely themed around the Jules Verne book, Around the World in Eighty Days, the park was founded by Hunt Midwest Company. In 1982, Hunt Midwest bought a nearby waterpark, Oceans of Fun. In 2013, Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun were combined to a one ticket admission, providing all guests with access to 235 acres of amusement and water rides.

    Hours: Worlds of Fun is open from April through Halloween.

    Tickets: Buy and print online. Always try to buy your tickets in advance, to save time when you get to the park.

    Reservations: Worlds of Fun sells “Fast Lane” cards that save riders' time by allowing them to bypass the majority of wait for most of rides and attractions including Mamba, Prowler, and Patriot. Ride as many times as you want all day long.

    Strategy: Most visitors tend to begin the day with Prowler, the hottest attraction in the park. Use that tendency to your advantage and head to the Patriot first. After that, try the Dragons. Then work your way back to the Prowler. After riding the Prowler, there is only one coaster left, Mamba. Hit it next. If the park is not very crowded, you can ride Boomerang on the way to Mamba. After riding Mamba, head back for a ride on the Wolf. By then you will have tried most of the popular rides and attractions in the shortest possible time.

    News: In 2017, Worlds of Fun is adding Steel Hawk, a ride that will take guests up 301 feet in the air and spin them at a 45-degree angle for a 60-second flight. Wait to have a try!

    People in the western state of California who are in the United States illegally can now request a driver's license. The law went into effect on January l. California is not the first American state with such a law, but it has the largest number of illegal immigrants. More than a million people began to request licenses shortly after the new state law went into effect. Among them was Christian Alvarado. Mr. Alvarado entered the United States from El Salvador eight years ago without permission from the U.S. government. Some call such people "illegal immigrants." Others call them "undocumented immigrants".

    Mr. Alvarado thinks it so exciting, for he has been waiting for the license for a long time. But some are worried that their personal information will be used to find them and deport them. Armando Botello is a spokesman for the California Department of Motor Vehicles, or DMV. He says people should not be afraid, for such information will not be shared.

    The new licenses are the same as licenses given to citizens except that they have the words "Federal Limits Apply". That means the license cannot be used to travel on an airplane or enter a federal building. Ana Garcia, working at the Central American Resource Center, says some illegal immigrants fear those words will be used to abuse them. Civil rights groups say the police and others will not.

    Dan Schnur, a political scientist at the University of Southern California, said that the main argument against the new law is that it rewards illegal behavior. But Professor Schnur argued that young, white Americans generally support immigration reform, including giving driver's licenses to illegal immigrants

    "It's simply because they grew up in a much more multicultural society than their parents or their grandparents did." Professor Schnur says he believes the changes in beliefs about illegal immigrants that have taken place in California will spread throughout the United States.

    Auckland is New Zealand's largest urban area with a population of just over a million people. It is not, however, the capital, although it was at one time, until the capital moved to Wellington. Auckland is the center of commerce and industry, and is perhaps the most energetic, prosperous and multicultural city in New Zealand.

    The city's landscape is decided by volcanic hills, the twin harbors, bays, beaches and islands. Its nickname “the city of sails” is very suitable. Auckland has more boats for each person than anywhere else in the world.

    Auckland has many volcanic hills, many of which currently afford great views of the city. And Auckland's geography is such that shiny waters seem to attract people from every point. It is a water lovers' best place, with some of the best beaches, swimming, diving, fishing, sailing, windsurfing and water sports in the country.

    Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand. It is also the cultural, administrative and political center of the country. Two aspects of the city that will immediately strike any visitor are the harbor and hilly landscape. Everywhere you go, the sounds and the smell of the ocean hang in the air, and green hills and valleys wrap you in a bear-hug embrace. At night, Wellington offers a spectacular, shimmering(闪闪发光的) cityscape that is unlike almost anywhere else in the world. Even after seeing it for a hundred times, it takes your breath away.

    Wellington is a scenic, windy and diverse place. It has some of the best museums, art galleries, restaurants, and coffee houses in the country. It is the storehouse for the nation's historic, cultural and artistic treasures. Being the first place where European settlers arrived, it also boasts lots of historic streets and buildings.

    Wellington is host to an excellent Festival of the Arts every two years.

    Would it surprise you to learn that, like animals, trees communicate with each other and pass on their wealth to the next generation?

    UBC Professor Simard explains how trees are much more complex than most of us ever imagined .Although Charles Darwin thought that trees are competing for survival of the fittest, Simard shows just how wrong he was. In fact, the opposite is true: trees survive through their co-operation and support, passing around necessary nutrition “depending on who needs it”.

    Nitrogen（氮） and carbon are shared through miles of underground fungi（真菌） networks, making sure that all trees in the forest ecological system give and receive just the right amount to keep them all healthy. This hidden system works in a very similar way to the networks of neurons（神经元）in our brains, and when one tree is destroyed, it affects all.

    Simard talks about “mother trees”, usually the largest and oldest plants on which all other trees depend .She explains how dying trees pass on the wealth to the next generation, transporting important minerals to young trees so they may continue to grow .When humans cut down “mother trees” with no awareness of these highly complex “tree societies” or the networks on which they feed, we are reducing the chances of survival for the entire forest.

    “We didn't take any notice of it .” Simard says sadly. “Dying trees move nutrition into the young trees before dying, but we never give them chance.” If we could put across the message to the forestry industry, we could make a huge difference towards our environmental protection efforts for the future.

    My family was gathered for a barbecue when the discussion arose about a celebrity who earned a large amount of money. The major criteria for receiving millions of dollars seem to be determined by how much the audience will pay to watch the performer achieve.

    The discussion led to a sudden self-questioning. Why did I choose teaching for a career? I half-listened to their conversation as I pondered the answer.

    I remembered my three children watching me spend nights planning for my class. I remembered how they intently listened to my frustrations concerning materials, procedures and the amount of responsibility that seemed to endlessly be thrust into the laps of classroom teachers. I remembered when it came time for each of my own children to choose a profession. How I waited to hear if any had plans to follow Mom into teaching. Long considerations held no mention of anyone becoming a teacher.

    Dessert was being served, and everyone was still involved in the discussion of the enormous salary of one individual, when the phone rang. My husband handed the phone to me.

"Hello, this is Bonnie Block," I said.

"Is this the Bonnie Block who used to teach kindergarten?"

    A nervous sensation swelled in me, and my mind raced with memories of those days long ago.

"Yes!" I exclaimed with a lump in my throat. It seemed like forever as I waited anxiously to hear what the caller would say next.

"I am Danielle—Danielle Russ. I was in your kindergarten class."

    Tears of surprise and joy rolled down my flushed cheeks.

"Yes," I uttered softly as I remembered that darling, wonderful child.

"Well, I am graduating from high school this year, and I have been trying to find you. I wanted you to know what a difference you made in my life."

She proceeded to give details. My influence on her wasn't limited to kindergarten but remained a strong motivating force when she needed a coach to help her meet a challenge. "I pictured you praising and encouraging me all the way."

    Why choose teaching?

    The pay is great!

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