Nowadays people are putting our water supply in danger, because they use too much water or throw rubbish into the river. You may wonder how paving(铺砌) a road can lead to less usable fresh water. A major part of thewaterweuse every day is groundwater. Groundwater does not come from lakes or rivers. It comes from underground. The more roads and parking lots we pave，the less water can flow into the ground to become groundwater.

    Human activity is not responsible for all water shortages(短缺). Drier climates are of course more likely to have droughts(干旱) than areas with morerainfall，but in any case, good management can help to make sure there is enough water to meet our basic needs.

    Thinking about the way we use water every day can make a big difference，too. In the United States，a family of four can use 1.5 tons of water a day! This shows how much we depend on water to live，but there's a lot we can do to lower the number.

    You can take steps to save water in your home. To start with，use the same glass for your drinking water all day. Wash it only once a day. Run your dishwasher (洗碗机)only when it is full. Help your parents fix any leaks in your home. You can even help to keep our water supply clean by recycling batteries instead of throwing them away.

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My decision to travel around China lay merely with my curiosity about the place. Before coming here, China seemed alien to me —-a place that expected to be hugely dissimilar from my own British culture.

After travelling from Beijing up to Xi'an, I wanted to challenge myself by choosing a smaller town—-Xiahe in Gansu Province. I arrived in Lanzhou at around 5 am, but there were no buses to Xiahe. I managed to spot a policeman and attempted to explain my destination to him in simple English, praying that he would understand. I wasn't sure that he did but I just followed him anyway as I had no choice. He took me on a bus and I didn't know where I was going. Luckily, I met a student who explained to me in English that the policeman was taking me to another bus station where I could take a bus to Xiahe. During this conversation a third man said he was also a policeman and would help me buy tickets. But as he was not in uniform, I was a little doubtful. The uniformed policeman told me it was OK to go with the third man, so I got off the bus with the so-called policeman who at this point, disappeared and I was left in the middle of nowhere. I stood panicking. Around one minute later a police car came and stopped right by me. It was the un-uniformed policeman. I got into the car and he dropped me directly at the bus station, and helped me buy the ticket.

    This is one of many experiences that I have had in China. I realized that however different this culture was, there was one thing that would always stand out—kindness. In the west we seem to lack the foundation of trust, yet in China it seems that there will always be someone to answer your questions and lead you the right way.

    The UK has a whole host of things to do for free or at a low price and there are a number of websites devoted to bringing you the best. Take a look at our guide to some of our favorite UK cities.

    London

    If you live in or near London and have access to the Internet, you'll discover many choices of free entertainment. The Londonist is an amusing website that offers daily and weekly breakdowns of the free and cheap events in the city. Categories include art, comedy, music, food and drink, theatre, festivals and talks. Head over to Londonist.com for the latest schedule of affordable entertainment. Time Out's website (Timeout, com/London) also has lots of information about free fun in the lively capital.

    Find out why the 60s really cemented(巩固) London as counterculture capital of the UK in our shop.

    Manchester

    Manchester is probably one of the top creative centers of England (if not the UK). If you need any further convincing evidence, then head over to Creative Tourist, where you can find bags of daytime and nighttime entertainment that's easy on the pocket. While you're there you can also check out Liverpool and Sheffield.

    Manchester is a historical city, which has shaped life in Britain. Take a look in our shop.

    Glasgow

    If Manchester is the creative center of England then Glasgow has to be the creative center of Scotland. You can visit Scotland's Center for Design and Architecture at The Lighthouse, or go over to the Gallery of Modem Art, and then there's the wonderful and strange Hunterian Museum. For a lowdown on the best free of Glasgow, take a look at VisitScotland.

    For a look at Glasgow's picturesque qualities click here.

    Attractions in New York

    Empire State Building

    Towering over 444 meters into the sky, the building has an indoor and outdoor observation deck on the 86th and 102nd floor, where you can see the overall view of the New York City. The building houses more than 1000 businesses. You can buy your ticket online in advance to avoid waiting .Telephone ： 212-736-3100 Location ： 350 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10118.

    Open Hours： 08:00-02:00

    Central Park

    For more than 150 years, visitors have come to Central Park's 843 green acres in the heart of Manhattan. Since 1980, the Park has been managed by the Central Park Conservancy, in partnership with the public. You can visit the official website of Central Park to learn more about Park happenings and activities and to learn how to help Central Park Telephone： 212-310-6600

    Location: 59th to 110th Street, Manhattan Borough from Central Park West to 5th Avenue, New York

    City NY 10022

    Open Hours： 06:00-23:00

    The National 9/11 Memorial & Museum

    The National 9/11 Memorial & Museum is a place of remembrance honoring those who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The 9/11 Memorial Museum displays Monumental artifacts linked to the events of 9/11, while presenting stories of loss, sympathy and recovery that are central to telling the story of the 2001 attacks and the consequence. It also explores the global impact of 9/11 and its continuing significance.

    Telephone： 212-312-8800

    Location: 180 Greenwich St. World Trade Center New York City, NY 10007

    Open Hours： 09:00-20:00

    The Metropolitan Museum of Art

    At New York City's most visited museum and attraction, you will experience over 5,000 years of art from around the world. The Met is for anyone as a source of inspiration, and understanding. You can learn, escape, play, dream, discover and connect.

    Telephone： 212-535-7710

    Location ： 1000 5th Avenue, New York City, NY 10028-0198 Open Hours： 10:00-17:30

Harry, the first camel to arrive in Australia in 1840, was an unlucky beast. He was imported from the Canary Islands by explorer John Horrocks. On an expedition (探险), Horrocks picked up his gun in order to shoot “a beautiful bird to be added to the collection.” Perhaps Harry was an ecologist —- he lurched (突然倾斜), and the gun discharged, shooting Horrocks in the face.

    Horrocks not surprisingly died of his injuries, and his treatments ordered Harry to be shot. The first importation of a camel into Australia came to naught.

    In 1860, 24 camels arrived in Australia to be part of an expedition by explorers Robert O'Hara Burke and William John Wills. It was an unlucky expedition. The pair made one mistake after another, and ended up eating most of their camels, before starving to death.

    Six years later, more than 100 camels and their Afghan minders, arrived in Australia. This time it succeeded and thousands more camels followed.

    Sir Thomas Elder set up the first camel studs (种畜场) in South Australia, while others were set up in Western Australia. This time the camels bred (繁殖) like wildfire. They were used for working, rather than exploring expeditions.

    The imported Afghan cameleers were just as hardy and vital, leading camel trains across the cruel interior (腹地) of Australia, where few dared to go. The camels carried heavy packs of wool and supplies and opened up the desert areas as none had managed to do before. The train that does this crossing today is called The Ghan, in their honor.

    Motorization put these camel trains out of business, and many camels were turned loose. The camels loved Australia, and multiplied in amazing numbers. What is to be done with them?

    Not surprisingly they have become quite a tourist attraction and you can take a camel ride in the desert as the Afghan cameleers once did. But the fact is that camels create quite a problem in areas where they have taken over, as they damage local vegetation, muscle out native animals competing for food, and create chaos when they wander into settled area.

    Going back to school can be an anxious time for many students. But one institution in Texas is doing its part to make sure middle schoolers are returning refreshed and inspired to learn.

    Through a process called the "bathroom inspiration project," teachers and administrators at Warren Middle School, spent their summer beautifying the school's restrooms by painting motivational murals (壁画) on each of the stalls (小隔间).Forming messages like "Your mistakes don't define you" and "Scatter (撒播) kindness," the brightly colored words are exactly what a young student needs to see when having a rough day-or any school day for that matter. And now that classes are officially in session, people are already noticing a positive impact.

    Since posting photos of upgrades to the school in July, Principal Joshua Garcia says that the alterations have aroused a great response.

    "Students have been talking about the murals from the moment the pictures had been posted. Some even took the time to find a reason to come up to the campus to see the murals," he says." I think what makes this small little action so valuable is that it has set the tone for our campus."

    And not only is that important to students, parents, and fellow staff, but it is also vital for the school's new principal, who is trying to gain the trust of the community during a time in which trust is so necessary for schools.

    "Being new to the campus, I think the parents were able to see how much I value their children and have their best interest at heart," Garcia continues. "I have had many parents tell me how they can just feel a difference in the campus climate and how much they are enjoying seeing their children wanting to come here. These murals have put trust back in the campus and its teachers, and by doing so we are able to build a culture in which our students want to be here and learn."