The Best Time to Visit These Pricey Destinations

    If you're going to shell out on a vacation, then you might as well do it right. With that in mind, we've asked a few experts for tips on when to visit some of the most expensive places across the globe. Here's what they had to say.

    Botswana

    Hotels in Botswana are second only to Dubai in terms of average cost per person, per night, at around $257. To make the most of your time there, consider an autumn visit, suggests Sarah Faith of Responsible Travel. “The heat peaks in October—this is the best time to go and see wild animals as they gather around in the Okavango Delta”, says Faith. While wildlife viewing is incredible in Botswana, there's much to enjoy away from the wilderness, too.”

    New York City

    New York is the second-most expensive holiday destination overall and the most expensive place to dine out, with an average meal for two costing around $67. Garrett, the CEO of Discover New York, suggests, “October and June have gorgeous weather, so outdoor activities are a good choice, with sailing, in-depth neighborhood walks and biking.” For great value, she advises traveling in January and February, when the city offers tons of indoor activities, from art galleries and Broadway shows to indoor sports events and thousands of dining options.

    Sydney

    With its incredible surfing beaches, dining scene and friendly locals, Sydney is always a favorite of travelers. It's also expensive. Generally, the shoulder seasons (fall and spring in the U.S.) have the most comfortable weather and fewer crowds than the December-to-February high season. But some months have particular appeal, according to Stuart Rigg, Australian travel specialist for Southern Crossings. April, for example, falls into the low season, which means you'll find hotel deals along with weather that's typically “very pleasant,” Rigg says. “Sydney also has some great events during this low season period,” he adds.

    London

    Petulia Melideo, who runs Context's London walking tours, advises booking well in advance for lower hotel rates, and suggests a wintry visit. “November is a great time for London. The weather is still tolerable—and if it gets too chilly, there are plenty of cozy pubs to pop into,” she says. Other good times to visit include June, which means fewer tourists.

    There is an English saying: “{#blank#}1{#/blank#} Until recently, few people took the saying seriously. Now, however, doctors have begun to look into laughter and the effects it has on the human body{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Tests were carried out to study the effects of laughter on the body. People watched funny films while doctors checked their hearts, blood pressure, breathing and muscles. It was found that laughter has similar effects to physical exercise{#blank#}3{#/blank#}If laughter exercises the body, it must be beneficial.

    Other tests have shown that laughter appears to be able to reduce the effect of pain on the body. In one experiment doctors produced pain in groups of students who listened to different radio programs. The group that tolerated the pain for the longest time was the group which listened to a funny program.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}They have found that even if their patients do not really feel like laughing, making them smile is enough to produce beneficial effects similar to those caused by laughter.

A. Laughter can change one's life.

B. As a result of these discoveries, some doctors in the United States now hold laughter clinics in which they help to improve their patients' condition by encouraging them to laugh.

C. The reason why laughter can reduce pain seems to be that it helps to produce a kind of chemicals in the brain which diminish both stress and pain.

D. It increases blood pressure, the heart beating and breathing; it also works several groups of muscles in the face, the stomach and even the feet.

E. Although laughter helps cure the disease, doctors still can not put this theory into clinic practice.

F. Laughter is the best medicine.

G. They have found that laughter really can improve people's health.

    There is a cry of anger, and a tennis racket crashes to the ground. Jake, age 7, has just lost another match and is now in tears beside the court. His sister Sally, just one year older, looks at her mother and rolls her eyes: it is hard to enjoy winning when this keeps happening. It is not an unusual situation, and it is one reason why many people argue that competition is bad for children. However, the truth is that competitive games are a valuable preparation for adult life.

    Games with winners and losers give children the chance to experience life's ups and downs. Take Jake, for example. Even though he is unhappy now, he will probably be smiling and laughing with his sister in a few minutes, just like the last time this happened. Gradually, he will learn that the world does not end when you lose a game. Eventually, he may even be able to lose with a smile on his face. This is an important lesson. Not everything in life goes the way you would like, and it is important to know how to handle disappointment when it occurs.

    Children who participate in competitive games develop qualities that allow them to succeed in the complex world of adult life. For example, one of the missions of the Youth Olympic Games is to inspire young people to adopt the Olympic values, which include striving, determination and optimism. Competition creates a desire to do better. Children have to learn to succeed in a competitive atmosphere in order to take advantage of opportunities in the future. Although it is possible to win by chance occasionally, people who win and keep winning work very hard to achieve their success.

    On the negative side, there are those who will say that competition actually encourages some values, which does happen. It is common to see sports competition in which the desire to win has replaced the desire to have fun. You may even see very young children playing violently—like the superstars they see on TV. While the bad behavior of young athletes is troubling, the problem is not the competition itself. In reality, the blame lies with the professional players who are bad role models for these children. In fact, a recent study of young athletes by the school of Physical Health Education at the University of Wyoming showed an improvement in mood after exercise, athletes were less depressed or tense.

    Of course, there are parents who argue that children of Jake's age are too young to handle the pain of losing. But whether we like it or not, adult life is very competitive, and keeping children away from competition does them more harm than good. If children do not learn how to compete, they will be defeated by people who can. It is an unfortunate fact of life: whether ten or a hundred people want the same job, there can be only one winner. Wouldn't you want your child to be that person?

    Have you ever considered all the English expressions that include words about clothes? Let's have a look.

    People wear pants to cover the lower part of their bodies. We sometimes say that people who are nervous have ants (蚂蚁) in their pants. Sometimes, people may get caught with their pants down. They are found doing something they should not be doing. And, in every family, one person takes control. Sometimes a wife tells her husband what to do. Then we say she wears the pants in the family.

    Pants usually have pockets to hold things. Money that is likely to be spent quickly can burn a hole in your pocket. Sometimes you need a belt to hold up your pants. If you have less money than usual, you may have to tighten your belt.

    I always praise people who can save their money and not spend too much. I really take my hat off to them. Yet, when it comes to my own money, I spend it at the drop of a hat, which means I instantly spend it.

    Boots are a heavy or strong kind of shoes. People who are too big for their boots think they are more important than they really are. I dislike such people. My father is an important person. He runs a big company. He wears a suit and tie, and a shirt with sleeves (衣袖) that cover his arms. Some people who do not know him well think he is too serious and never shows his feelings openly. But I know that my father wears his heart on his sleeve.

    A recent study finds that the dirt on the ground is likely to worsen climate change. Researchers have shown that warmer temperatures are heating the soil, which is causing microbes (微生物) to become more active and release more of the soil's carbon into the atmosphere. These soil changes can potentially contribute to even higher temperatures.

    Scientists studied device readings, soil measurements, plant growth details and satellite observations from around the world. Their work is the most complete study on the subject.

    They found a sharp increase in carbon released into the atmosphere by bacteria and fungi (真菌) in soil from 1990 to 2014. Researchers explain that the carbon comes from the dead plants and leaves the microbes eat. As temperatures rise, the microbes eat more. And the more they eat, the more carbon can be made into carbon dioxide and released into the atmosphere.

    This uncontrolled cycle speeds up and intensifies climate change. Overall, soil releases about nine times more carbon than human activities. But that is part of a natural cycle: the amount of carbon released into the air is about equal to the carbon oceans and plants take in.

    However, carbon released from fossil fuel causes an imbalance. Burning coal, oil and natural gas puts more carbon into the atmosphere than nature can take in. The additional carbon heats the air and soil. And as the air and soil get hotter, the earth will release more carbon than it has been holding.

    If something isn't done, we are really in trouble. Proper soil conservation can help keep more carbon in soil. Conservation methods include avoiding turning the soil, covering off-season crops and leaving crop deposits on the ground.

Diving in the ocean, marine biologist Erika Woolsey has seen how coral reefs (珊瑚礁) are being damaged by climate change. It has made her decide to find a way to share her experience —including those who can't easily explore the ocean.

Through her non-profit, The Hydrous, Woolsey is using virtual reality to bring the ocean to everyone. Scientists, filmmakers and divers are taking people on immersive (沉浸式的) virtual dives, attracting attention to reef damage and expecting action to protect our sea. About 25% of marine species depend on coral reefs. However, climate change, pollution and overfishing have done harm to around half the world's shallow water coral reefs.

Twenty years of underwater exploration has given Woolsey a detailed understanding of the dangerous situations facing reefs. "I've seen this first-hand shift. Healthy colourful coral reefs become what look like the moonscape step by step," Woolsey says.

It is through this experience that The Hydrous team set out to recreate with their award-winning film Immerse. Intended to watch with a VR headset, viewers join Woolsey for a nine-minute guided virtual div e on the coral reefs, immersed in a 360-degree underwater view.

They swim alongside sea turtles and sharks before witnessing the worsening of the reefs. The experience often brings out strong feelings. "As soon as people take off that headset and look me in the eye, they want to tell me a story about their ocean experience," Woolsey says. "It's that human connection to our ocean that will solve our ocean problems."

Woolsey hopes advances in camera technology will allow her team to take more and more people to places in the ocean that are underexplored and places further away from human civilization. They are developing a virtual experience that will put the people in the role of a marine biologist, carrying out biodiversity surveys underwater, and even transporting the viewers to space to monitor global sea surface temperatures.