If you've been to Europe a few times already, chances are that you've hit all the big destinations: London, Paris, Rome,Berlin.On your next trip you can either visit those same cities a second time,or instead you can take a chance and walk the streets of some cities that are a little bit smaller,a little bit less famous,but still full of European grace and charm.Here are four European cities to visit that you probably haven't been to yet.

    Besancon,France

    This hidden French city has had a long reputation for being a well-kept secret.It can be at once sleepy with few tourists but abundant galleries,restaurants,and a wonderful Beaux Arts museum whose collection is second only to the Louvre.The city is wound by the River Doubs and also touts (吹捧) its own UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Citadel,home to several small museums and a zoo.

    Seville,Spain

    For the tourist who is already tired of Barcelona and Madrid,Seville offers a different take (意见) on Spain. Located on the Southern coast,it keeps beautiful signs of the long period of Moorish rule,nowhere more than in the Alcázar palace building,just one of the city's UNESCO World Heritage Sites.Seville has over a dozen museums, tropical parkland,and probably the best tapas (餐前小吃) culture in all of Spain.

    Ghent,Belgium

    Ghent is a city that looks like it should be the setting for a fairy tale. All of the typical Belgium features abound here-waffles and beer.Every year from Saturday before July 21,Ghent hosts a ten-day festival.This music and theater festival draws almost 2 million visitors,as the city streets transform into performance spaces for performers,buskers (街头艺人) and musicians.

    Palermo,Italy

    Palermo is the capital city of Sicily,the southern island off the coast of mainland Italy.The city has an ancient history,and the various cultures that have controlled the island through the years have all left their marks on it. You can see winding street markets,antique (古玩) fairs,and open air nightclubs here.

    The Winter Olympics are also called The White Olympics. At this time, many colorful stamps are published to mark the great Games. The first stamps marking the opening came out on January 25th,1932 in the United States for the 3rd White Olympics. From then on, publishing stamps during the White Olympics became a rule. During the 4th Winter Olympics, a group of stamps were published in Germany in November 1936. The five rings of Olympics were drawn on the front of sportswear. It was the first time that the rings appeared on the stamps of the White Olympics.

In the 1950's, stamps of this kind became more colorful. When the White Olympics came, the host countries as well as the non-host(非主办方)countries published stamps to mark those Games. China also published four stamps in February 1980, when the Chinese sportsmen began to take part in the White Olympics.

    Japan is the only Asian country that has ever held the White Olympics. Altogether 14,500 million stamps were sold to raise money for this sports meeting.

    Different kinds of sports were drawn on these small stamps. People can enjoy the beauty of the wonderful movements of some sportsmen.

    First aid is defined as the emergency care given to a sick or injured person. The goals of first aid are to prevent death and to prevent injuries from becoming worse. Each emergency condition is different. However, the following rules apply to any kind of emergency.

    Be aware of your limitations. Do not try to do more than you are able to. Nor should you do things if you are unfamiliar with them. Do what you can under the conditions at the time.

    Stay calm. Acting calmly will help the victim feel safe.

    Take a quick look to see if the victim is bleeding, and if there is a pulse.

    Keep the victim lying down and do not move him or her. You could make an injury worse if you move the victim.

    Call for help or ask someone to make the EMS system (急救系统) start.

    Keep the victim warm. Cover the victim with a blanket. Coats and sweaters can be used if a blanket can not be found.

    Reassure (使……安心) the victim. Explain what is happening and that help has been called.

    Do not give the victim any food or fruits.

    Keep the bystanders (旁观者) away from the victim. Bystanders want to have a look, offer advice, and say something about the victim's condition. The victim may believe that the condition is worse than it really is.

    The STAR Eco Station is an environmental science museum, a wildlife rescue center, and a shelter for endangered and illegally-traded foreign animals confiscated (没收) by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It carries out the mission "Preservation through Education "by educating visitors about the preservation of the environment and the inter-dependence of all living things.

    Field trips

    STAR Eco Station hosts field trips for schools and camps throughout Southern California. Each field trip lasts two hours, consisting of a one-hour gathering and a one-hour tour of the facility, with lessons associated with California State Science Standards.

    Throughout the field trip, students learn about the latest developments in environmental protection and the ways in which wildlife interacts with various ecosystems. The students also receive an up-close and hands-on experience with our rescued foreign wildlife. The tour includes different environmental exhibits that showcase the ways students can help protect animals in the wild.

    Field trips are offered on weekdays only, from 10 a. m.-12 p. m. or 12 p. m.-2 p. m. The rate is $6 per visitor, both child and adult, with a $120 minimum. We offer one free adult per 10 children for groups of 40 or more. Maximum capacity is 120 people per field trip.

    Public tours

    Guided tours of the STAR Eco Station introduce visitors to over two hundred rescued foreign wildlife. Each tour is led by an Eco Station staff member, and features fun animal facts, hands-on animal encounters, surprising rescue stories, environmental exhibits, and original approaches to going green. Visitors may only see the animals on a guided tour, for both your safety and the safety of our animals.

    The guided tour lasts approximately 45-60 minutes. Visitors are served on a first-come, first-served basis. No reservations are required. However, tours may sell out. We suggest larger groups schedule a private tour.

Note:

    Our regular public tours times are subject to change without notice・ Please call in advance for the most up-to-date information

Forget Cyclists, Pedestrians are Real Danger

    We are having a debate about this topic. Here are some letters from our readers.

    Yes, many cyclists behave dangerously. Many drivers are disrespectful of cyclists. But pedestrians are probably the worse offenders.

    People of all ages happily walk along the pavement with eyes and hands glued to the mobile phone, quite unaware of what is going on around them. They may even do the same thing while crossing a road at a pedestrian crossing or elsewhere. The rest of us have to evade (避让) them or just stand still to wait for the unavoidable collision.

    The real problem is that some pedestrians seem to be, at least for the moment, in worlds of their own that are, to them, much more important than the welfare of others.

——Michael Horan

    I loved the letter from Bob Brooks about cyclists (Viewpoints, May 29). I am afraid they seem to think they own the roads.

    I was walking across Altrincharn Road one morning when a cyclist went round me and on being asked what he was doing he shouted at me.

    The government built a cycle lane on the road but it is hardly used.

    The police do nothing. What a laugh they are!

    The cyclists should all have to be made to use the cycle lanes and wear helmets, fluorescent (发荧光的)jacket and tights at night and in the morning. They should pay some sort of tax and be fined for not wearing them.

——Carol Harvey

    Cyclists jump on and off pavements (which are meant for pedestrians), ride at speed along the pavements, and think they have a special right to go through traffic lights when they are on red.

    I was almost knocked down recently by a cyclist riding on the pavement when there was a cycle lane right next to him.

    Other road users, including horse riders, manage to obey the rules so why not cyclists?

    It's about time they had to be registered and insured, so when they do hit a pedestrian or a vehicle, or cause an accident, at least they can be traced and there might be an opportunity to claim.

——JML

    Write to Viewpoints of the newspaper.

    In earliest times, men considered lightning to be one of the great mysteries (神秘的事物)of nature. Some ancient peoples believed that lightning and thunder were the weapons (武器) of the gods.

    In reality, lightning is a flow of electricity formed high above the earth. A single flash of lightning 1.6 kilometres long has enough electricity to light one million light bulbs (灯泡).

    The American scientist and statesman, Benjamin Franklin, was the first to show the connection between electricity and lightning in 1752. In the same year he also built the first lightning rod (避雷针). This device (装置物) protects buildings from being damaged by lightning.

    Modern science has discovered that one stroke (闪击) of lightning has a voltage (电压) of more than 15 million volts (伏特). A flash of lightning between a cloud and the earth may be as long as 13 kilometers, and travel at a speed of 30 million meters per second.

    Scientists judge that there are about 2,000 million flashes of lightning per year. Lightning hits the Empire State Building in New York City 30 to 48 times a year. In the United States alone it kills an average (平均数) of one person every day.

    The safest place to be in case of an electrical storm is in a closed car. Outside, one should go to low ground and not get under tress. Also, one should stay out of water and away from metal fences. Inside a house, people should avoid open doorways and windows and not touch wires or metal things.

    With lightning, it is better to be safe than sorry?