The poaching（偷猎）, or illegal killing, of rhinos(犀牛) in South Africa is growing worse each year．The government recently reported that a record number of rhinos were poached in 2015，a year which had more rhino killings in South Africa than ever before.

    The World Wildlife Fund，or WWF，says about 20, 000 rhinos live in South Africa．That is more than 80 percent of the rhinos in the world．Edna Molewa，South Africa's Environment Minister，says, “During 2015，we are sad to say this，1,215 rhinos were killed．This is a rise in the number of poached rhinos from 1,004 in 2014 and indeed very worrying.”

    The animals are hunted for their horns(角)．Many people in Asia believe the horn has curing power，which drives poachers， at all costs，mad for more horns． But there is no scientific evidence for this belief．The horn is made of keratin(角蛋白)．That is the same thing as human hair，fingernails and toenails.

    Ms．Molewa said 386 suspected poachers were arrested last year，an increase from the year before．But rhino protection workers say poachers often go unpunished after arrest． South Africa's legal system is ineffective． Ms． Mo1ewa said more needs to be done and South Africa is taking strong measures to protect rhinos．The efforts include moving some of the animals to secret places in neighboring countries. “Now approximately 100 rhinos have been moved to neighboring states in the SADC region during 2015 and 200 more rhinos will be moved this year,” Molewa said.

    Jo Shaw，the rhino program manager at the WWF，said， “We're talking about a loss of a hundred rhinos a month，or more than three a day．We really need to see effective action not just at a national level but internationally．” She says officials should find the criminal groups responsible for the poaching and punish them. Government officials are to meet in Botswana in March at the Inter-governmental Conference on Illegal Wildlife Trade.

    No matter where you travel in Asia, you'll find yourself faced with a new culture. You can start your Asian exploration (探索) by visiting some of these attractive cities first.

    Beijing, China

    Beijing is the second largest city in China and serves as the capital. The city is so old, in fact, that almost every building has some sort of cultural or historic features — no matter how small. Getting around the city you'll find yourself faced with amazing temples (寺庙), the largest palaces in the world, and many works of art that leave you breathless.

    Siem Reap, Cambodia(柬埔寨)

    Siem Reap is the capital city of Siem Reap Province in northwestern Cambodia. Siem Reap has a lot of French and Chinese­style architecture. In the city, there are traditional dance performances, silk farms, fishing villages and a bird sanctuary (保护区) near the Tonle Sap Lake. Siem Reap today, being a popular tourist attraction, has a large number of hotels and restaurants.

    Kathmandu, Nepal(尼泊尔)

    Situated in the heart of the Himalayans, Kathmandu, the largest city and capital of Nepal, is considered to be one of the most outstanding cities in the world today. The shopping districts are world famous and the hotels in Kathmandu are among the most comfortable in the world.

    Kyoto, Japan

    The city of Kyoto served as the capital of Japan from 794 to 1868. No longer the capital, it is known for being the seventh largest city in Japan. Kyoto was destroyed throughout history by fires and war. But now the city is home to more than 1.4 million people, and it presents a modern face to the rest of the world.

    Every city throughout Asia has a story of its own. It's up to you to explore them all and find out exactly what each one has to offer. Enjoy!

    Mother Teresa was born on August 26th,1910 in Skopje, Macedonia. She always wrote her birthday as 27th of August because it was the day of her baptism(洗礼), which was always more important to her than her birthday. For her work with the poor around the world, she received the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize.

    In 1928, she accepted a religious order and took the name Teresa. The order immediately sent her to India. A few years later, she began teaching in Calcutta. In 1948 the Catholic(天主教的) Church agreed her request and let her enter the convent( 女修道院) and she began to work for the poor people. She became an Indian citizen in the following year. In 1950, she set up a religious organization in Calcutta. The organization provided food for the poor people and then she set up hospitals, schools, youth centers, and homes for the sick and the dying poor. It now has branches in 50 Indian cities and 30 other countries.

    Besides the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize, Mother Teresa has received other awards for her work with the poor people. On September 5th,1997, Mother Teresa passed away, but she will continue to inspire people all over the world through her lasting present of love and faith.

    Put on your sunglasses and enjoy the island, the sun and the blue sea. Malta combines (结合) learning English with the Mediterranean way of life: you will have language course and a great holiday at the same time,

    Your language course    Our school lies in Sliema, only a few meters from the sea, the beach road and cafés. The school is in an old Maltese building. Our teachers use a modern teaching method and you will learn English quickly.

    The leisure (休闲) programmes    Our school and team leaders organize varied leisure programmes. There will be a welcome party on your first day. You will also take part in beach volleyball, and beach parties. Other activities include: Discos, visit to Popeye Village, Water Park, bowling, cinema, ice skating (different prices).

    Accommodation (住宿) Family    You will live in friendly host families that the school has known for years. All families are near the school (20 minutes on foot or by bus).

    Supervision (监督)    Our team of friendly teachers, team leaders and host families will always be there for you. There is also an emergency phone number for parents and students.

    Dear parents, please note that there are periods of time when your children are unsupervised, for example on the way to school. We are happy to discuss any questions you may have. Please contact us by phone or email.

    “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Similarly, if we drink a little more water every day, we may find that we need to go to the doctor a lot less often. A healthy diet is made up of water and a great many different kinds of foods. We know that healthy foods like fruits, vegetables and fish, are important as they provide us with energy and fiber, without giving us too much fat and sugar. But why is water important?

    The human body needs water to survive. Water is important as it carries poisons and waste out of our bodies. So, doctors advise us to drink plenty of water, much more than the small amount we need to stay alive.

    Some doctors believe that water is important for our health in all kinds of ways. They believe that a great many illnesses and health problems start as a result of dehydration(脱水)—a lack of water in the body. Most people are dehydrated at least some of time, although they probably don't know it. It is surprising to learn that if we feel thirsty, we are already in the first stage of dehydration. In fact, we are advised to drink water before we feel thirsty.

    These doctors think that health problems such as headaches, high blood pressure and asthma(哮喘) could be helped if people drink more water. They also believe that drinking more water can help people who are overweight. Water contains no calories so it will not make us put on weight. If we drink water, we will probably drink less sugary soft drinks such as Coca-cola. Doctors also believe that drinking more water may stop people from overeating. They say that many people think that they are hungry when they are, in fact, thirsty. Doctors suggest, therefore, that we eat less food and drink more water. There are still many health problems that cannot be solved by drinking water, so we should not stop going to seeing the doctor completely. However, if we make a decision to drink water every day, we may find that we need to go to the doctor a lot less often.

    Chris Mazdzer won a silver medal in a men's luge (无舵雪橇) singles event at 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, South Korea — equaling the best finish ever for any member of the US Olympic luge team. In the luge, competitors lie flat, feet first, on a small sled (雪橇). They can travel around an icy track at speeds up to 140 kilometers an hour. The riders control the sled's speed by changing the position of their feet or by moving their shoulders.

    So why did the US luge team win a medal at the Pyeongchang Olympics? Most credit must go to Chris Mazdzer himself. The American said his win was a product of 16 years of preparation and intense training. But another reason for Mazdzer's success could have been the 3-D printing technology, which his team used to make its equipment.

    The term 3-D is short for three dimensional, meaning an object with length, width and height. In 3-D printing, 3-D models are first created as files, or documents, on a computer. The printer then uses a substance (物质) like plastic or metal to create physical objects. The process involves making one layer of material at a time until the objects reach full form.

    The US luge team worked with an American company called Stratasys on the designing and manufacturing process for the sleds. First, the company made a scan, or image, of the body of every member of the luge team. Then, 3-D printing technology was used to create tools for making molds (模子) in the shape of Olympians on top of a sled. The process of designing and tooling sled parts is highly complex and can take several weeks. Officials from the US luge team say 3-D printing can greatly simplify the process, speeding up the production of parts.

    Jon Owen, says the use of 3-D printing has made the team more competitive. It helps the team “continuously adjust designs and run the sleds on the track much faster than traditional processes,” he said. He added that the technology also provides a way to perfectly fit each rider to the sled, while cutting production time and costs.