For centuries, elephants have played a big role in the world's economies, culture and religion. The African elephant used to be found all over Africa and the Asian elephant moved from Syria to China to Indonesia. Nowadays, elephants are found in small groups in the south of the Sahara Desert and scarcely in Southeast Asia, Sri Lanka and India.

    In the early twentieth century, there were close to ten million elephants, and now the elephant number is as low as 252,000 and expected to drop down to 160,000 by 2025. Between 2007 and 2014, the elephant population fell by at least 30%, or 144,000 elephants. As researchers have traveled over the African plains, they only spotted one herd of 36 elephants in an area like the size of Mexico. It is clear that these gentle mammals are disappearing right before our eyes.

    There are many reasons why the elephant population has been decreasing, one of which is their habitat. Humans are competing with elephants for living space, and as more and more humans clear the land that is being used by elephants, the elephants have less space. Elephant hunting or "poaching" has been a major factor for the disappearance of this species, and they are killed only for their valuable ivory tusks. Although the trade of tusks is illegal, it is still a common practice in many places.

    Often, all the local people living among elephants would be farmers, and found that they could make more money by selling the tusks of one elephant, than doing manual labor for twelve years. That alone makes it really hard to prevent them from killing the elephants.

    Some places such as Botswana, have put in extra effort to protect their wildlife from poachers by founding their Botswana Defense Force, which is made up of around 700 specially-trained soldiers that are stationed in 40 different areas. You may feel worried about the present situations elephants are in, but there are ways to help. To find out how you can help elephant conservation, adopt an elephant, or donate, click here.

    Are you scared about moving up to senior high school?It can be a new experience,but you shouldn't worry.We've put together a guide on how to survive the first week.

    You're not alone

    Remember everybody else in your year is in the same boat.They may not realize it,but they're just as nervous as you are.Moving to senior high is an opportunity,not a problem.Things are different and all you need to do is be polite and learn the new rules.

    Teachers are ready to help!

    If you're unsure what to do or are worried about anything then you had better ask for help.Teachers are probably the best people to turn to as they're experienced in helping new students.Some senior high schools also have a “friends system”.If your school has this,then you will be paired with an older student.They will look out for you and help you if you have any problems or questions.

    All change

    There are lots of differences between junior high school and senior high school.You'll have a homework diary or a student planner.You will have your lessons with different teachers in different rooms.You will have homework for different subjects on different days,so make sure you get organized.Make sure you have a copy of your school timetable written down so you know which rooms your classes are in and on which days you will have your different subjects.

Other points

    If you've got an older brother or sister at the school then ask them for advice.

    Be yourself! It sounds simple,but people will know you much better if you just act naturally.

    Having early nights makes a difference and you'll find it easier to get up in the morning!

    As the weather costs you a loss on trains and flights, we look at your rights.

Cancelled trains

    On a single ticket, a passenger will usually receive 25% of the fare if the train is delayed by 15 minutes. If the delay reaches 30 minutes, the compensation（补偿金）rises to 50%, and if it's over an hour you should be able to reclaim the whole cost. Clear arrangements vary according to train operators（运营商）.

    If you were due to travel, to say Aberdeen from London, your train is cancelled and you decide not to travel, you can get a full compensation. If you had a non-cancelable ticket with one operator, and failed to make that train because the connecting train was delayed, you can take the next available train.

Flights

    If your flight is cancelled because of the snow you have the right to s full compensation of the ticket, or to be rerouted home on a later flight.

    But you will have no right to get a delay or cancellation compensation under EU rules, because the snow is an extraordinary circumstance beyond the airline's control. If you don't take the compensation and choose to be rerouted, and it means you are stuck at the airport overnight, it's the airline's duty to pay for a reasonably priced hotel room and meals.

    The airline has to reroute you at the earliest opportunity, or at the passenger's free time, you are supposed to take the availability of seats.

    If you choose to be rerouted or if your departure is delayed by more than two hours, airlines also have to provide assistance such as food. The airlines keep this quiet and getting the money out of the low-cost operators can be a hard job. Keep evidence of cancellations, all receipts, and use your mobile to video any offer to pay by airline staff.

    A DREAM, for me, is like a torch to light up my insipid (平淡的)life and a pair of wings to fly me into the sky. The uncertainty of my future and the heavy burden of schoolwork had driven me into a negative situation and not until I had a dream did I get out there. I decided to become a hostess.

    It was last summer. I went to Jinan, which is famous for its natural springs, and started to learn broadcast hosting. However, I found that it was not easy.

    The weather was bad. It was too hot to stay calm, which made me homesick. I called-my parents at least five times a day. But as I tried my best to adapt to the weather and living conditions there, I became more independent.

    Another thing bothered me, too. My teacher criticized all my mistakes. Grievance (委屈)and exhaustion often reduced me to tears and sweat flowed down my checks. To get her recognition, I practiced my voice skills in a park every day, even on rainy days. You can't imagine how happy I was when she praised me for the first time.

    My dream enabled me to change a lot. Without my dream, I wouldn't have had the courage and the confidence to host the New Year party at our school. On stage, I knew that it was a good beginning to my hosting dream.

    I took the arts examination in the winter. To my delight, I did well. And I was more than excited when I received the offers from Shandong Normal University, Yunnan Normal University and Yunnan Art Institute.

    My dream has powered so much energy in me that my life has become colorful every day. So, however hard it will be to stick to my dream, no way will I give it up!

About us

    Family, Career and Community Leaders of America ( FCCLA) is a non-profit national career and technical students organization for young men and women in Family and Consumer Sciences education in public and private school through grade 12. Since 1945，FCCLA has  been making a difference in their families, careers and communities by addressing important issues through Family and Consumer Science education.

    Mission (任务)

    To promote personal growth and leadership development through Family and Consumer Science education. Focusing on the various roles of family members, wage earners and community leaders, members develop skills for life through: character development, creative thinking, interpersonal communication, practical knowledge and career preparation.

Purposes

    To provide opportunities for personal development and preparation for adult life.

    To strengthen the function of family as a basic unit of society.

    To promote greater understanding between youth and adults.

    To provide opportunities for making decisions.

    To prepare for the various roles of men and women in today's society.

Membership

    FCCLA has a national membership of over 205, 000 young men and women in nearly 6, 500 chapters. There are 50 associations. Since its founding in 1945, it has involved more than 9，000, 000 youth.

     Financial (资金）and Cooperative Support

     FCCLA is supported primarily by student membership dues. Additional money comes from individuals and businesses. It is supported by the US Department of Education artd the America Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS).

National Publications

    Teen Times, the official magazine of FCCLA, is published once every three months during the school year and sent to its members. The national staff also publishes a variety of other resource materials for members and adult leaders.

Sagrada Familia (2,056,448 visits/year)

Opening hours: 09:00—18:00 (October—March); 09:00—20:00 (April—September) Admission: $ 11, or $ 10 with the Barcelona Card.

Disabled Access: Yes.

The temple has been under construction since 1882 and they've still got another 30 to 80 years to go before it is finished. The project's vast scale and its special design have made it one of Barcelona's top tourist attractions for many years.

La Pedrera (1,133,220 visits/year)

Opening hours: November—February: 09:00—18:30; March—October: 09:00—20:00

Admission: $ 9.50. Save 20% with the Barcelona Card.

Disabled Access: No.

This building used to be called Casa Mila but nowadays it's more commonly known as La Pedrera. It is a unique modernist building in Barcelona and was made of bricks and had colorful tiles (瓦). It was built between 1906 and 1912 by famous Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi (1852—1926) and in 1984 it was declared a UNESCO World Her it age site with other Gaudi buildings in Barcelona.

Barcelona FC Museum (1,032,763 visits/year)

Opening hours: 6th April—4th October: (Monday to Saturday) 10:00—20:00; the rest of the year: 10:00—18:30

Admission: $ 8.50 for entry to the museum and $ 17 for a guided tour.

Disabled Access: Yes.

When you buy your ticket you have two options. You can buy a ticket for the museum to see the football stadium or you can buy a dual (双的) ticket for $ 15 where you get to see the museum and the scenes at the club.

Miro Museum (518,869 visits/year)

Opening hours: Check the website for details as they vary relying on the time of the year. Admission: $ 8. Save 20% with the Barcelona Card.

Disabled Access: Yes.

This museum has a wide range of Miro's works dating back as far as 1914. This art work collection not only includes his paintings but also a good selection of sculptures.