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.

    Lost cities that have been found

    The White City

    In 2015, a team of explorers to Honduras in search of “the Lost City of the Monkey God” led to the discovery of the White City. They found the ruins in the Mosquitia region of the Central American country — which is known for poisonous snakes, vicious jaguars and deadly insects. It is believed that local people hid here when the Spanish conquerors(征服者)occupied their homeland in the 16th century.

    Canopus and Heracleion

    Modern researchers were teased by the ancient writings about the Egyptian cities Canopus and Heracleion — where Queen Cleopatra often visited. But the cities weren't found until 1992, when a search in Alexandria waters found that the two cities had been flooded for centuries. Artifacts(史前器物)showed that the cities once highly developed as a trade network, which helped researchers piece together more about the last queen of Egypt.

Machu Picchu

    A Yale professor discovered “the Lost City in the Clouds” in 1911. A combination palaces, plazas, temples and homes, Machu Picchu displays the Inca Empire at the height of its rule. The city, which was abandoned in the 16th century for unknown reasons, was hidden by the local people from the Spanish conquerors for centuries, keeping it so well preserved.

Troy

    The ancient city of Troy in Homer's The Iliad was considered a fictional setting for his characters to run wild. But in 1871, explorations in northwestern Turkey exposed nine ancient cities layered(层叠)on top of each other, the earliest dating back to about 5,000 years before. It was later determined that the sixth or seventh layer contained the lost city of Troy and that it was actually destroyed by an earthquake, not a wooden horse.

    The following is a selection of the 2017 summer programs offered at colleges and universities around the world．

    Earthquakes happen without warning(前兆). They can happen any time of a day, at any point during the year. But don't worry because most are so weak that they cannot be felt. Only a few big ones hurt people. However, it's important to know what to do when an earthquake is happening.

    Do NOT go outside. You could get injured from falling glass or parts of buildings. If you are outside, stay away from buildings and power lines (输电线).

    Stay under a desk, table, or other strong furniture. Hold on to it. Or stay in a corner of the building. Cover your face and head with your arms and cover your mouth with a towel or clothing. Stay inside until shaking stops and it is safe to go outside.

    Keep away from windows, pictures or advertisements on the wall or the building, and anything else that could fall and hurt you. Most people get injured by falling things during an earthquake, not by the shaking itself.

    Also keep away from a fire. You could fall down and burn yourself on the fire.

    If you are driving when an earthquake happens, stop the car if it's safe. Stay inside your car until the earthquake stops, and don't drive near bridges. Try not to stop by power lines or trees. These could fall and hurt you.

    For centuries, mankind and dogs have suffered from a communication failure. We can tell dogs what we want them to do and sometimes they comply, but we've always struggled when it comes to understanding the true meaning of their barks and whimpers. There is exciting news now – a dog translator has been invented to help you communicate with your furry friend.

    Researchers at North Carolina State University have fashioned some kind of miracle dog translator body harness(束腰带). What's special about it is that it doesn't just rely on the dog's vocalizations to interpret what Fido is banging on about.

    Oh no – this miracle harness reads and interprets the ordinary dogs' body language as well, giving us a full two-way dog communication experience.

    Researcher David Roberts says: "Dogs communicate primarily through body language, and one of our challenges was to develop sensors that tell us about their behavior by observing their posture remotely."

    Sensors on the harness monitor the dog's heart rate and body temperature and software builds up a vocabulary, letting the human know what the dog is feeling.

    What would dogs say if they could talk to us? The human can even communicate back through the harness thanks to vibration motors, supposedly by tapping into the dog's senses so that it can understand what you're trying to say to it.

    The dog harness is designed for dogs involved in search and rescue and other front-line work, but it's got us dreaming of a beautiful future, one where humans and dogs can co-exist as equals, with the dog able to fully express itself at all times.

    Have you ever been to Singapore? It is a dynamic city-state where you will find a harmonious mixture of culture, cuisine, arts, people and architecture. If you have at least 5 hours to spare in transit(运输；中转) before your next flight, join us in one of our free two-hour guided tours, which runs daily at regular times. Registration for the tour must be made at least one hour before the start of the tour.

    HERITAGE TOUR

    Tour Timings:

    9:00 am to 11:00 am

    11:30 am to 1:30 pm

    2:30 pm to 4:30 pm

    4:00 pm to 6:00 pm

    The heritage（遗产） tour has a short stopover at the Merlion Park before going to the Colonial District, Central Business District and Chinatown or Little India. The journey to the Merlion Park offers you an entire view of Singapore's landmarks like Marina Bay Sands, Singapore Flyer and Gardens by the Bay. The tour will bring you through a discovery journey where you will have a glimpse of a unique mixture of East and West, tradition and modernity. It will be a splendid way for you to explore the history, culture and lifestyle of multi-racial Singapore while in your transit.

    CITY LIGHT TOUR

    Tour Timings: 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm

    As night falls, Singapore takes another look to offer an entertainment choice. The City Light Tour brings you to various attractions in Singapore. As the journey begins from Changi Airport towards Benjamin Sheares Bridge, you will get a wide view of Singapore's famous symbols- the Singapore Flyer, Marina Bay Sands and Esplanade. Next, you will see the Helix(螺旋的) Bridge which is inspired by the double helix of our DNA structure.