Dujiangyan is the oldest man-made water system in the world, and a wonder in the development of Chinese science. Built over 2,200 years ago in what is now Sichuan Province in Southwest China, this amazing engineering achievement is still used today to irrigate over 6,000 square kilometres of farmland, take away floodwater and provide water for 50 cities in the province.

    In ancient times, the region in which Dujiangyan now stands suffered from regular floods caused by overflow from the Minjiang River. To help the victims of the flooding, Li Bing, the region governor, together with his son, decided to find a solution. They studied the problem and discovered that the river most often overflowed when winter snow at the top of the nearby Mount Yulei began to melt as the weather warmed.

    The simplest fix was to build a dam, but this would have ruined the Minjiang River. So instead Li designed a series of channels built at different levels along Mount Yulei that would take away the floodwater while leaving the river flowing naturally. Better still, the extra water could be directed to the dry Chengdu Plain, making it suitable for farming.

    Cutting the channels through the hard rock of Mount Yulei was a remarkable accomplishment as it was done long before the invention gunpowder and explosives. Li Bing found another solution. He used a combination of fire and water to heat and cool the rocks until they cracked and could be removed. After eight years of work, the 20-metre-wide canals had been carved through the mountain.

    Once the system was finished, no more floods occurred and the people were able to live peacefully and affluently. Today, Dujiangyan is admired by scientists from around the world because of one feature. Unlike modern dams where the water is blocked with a huge wall, Dujiangyan still lets water flow through the Minjiang River naturally, enabling ecosystems and fish populations to exist in harmony.

    Safe Travel Abroad

    Preparing to go traveling abroad can be really stressful （有压力的）, especially if you don't know what to expect. Here is a list of important things to remember, so you know exactly what you need to do before you take off.

    What vaccines(疫苗) do I need?

    Go to your doctor for advice as soon as you know you're going traveling. They will know what vaccines you will need and will be able to advise you on when you need to have them. Remember, some vaccines need to be given months ahead, so make sure you book an appointment as early as possible.

    Do I need a visa(签证)?

    It's important that you have the correct official documents for traveling abroad. If you don't have the necessary paperwork, you might be refused entry. You'll need to check that your passport hasn't been out of date either.

    How do I arrange travel insurance(保险)?

    Travel insurance is really important. It can protect you in different kinds of situations, such as if you need medical treatment or if your flights are canceled. Travel insurance can be arranged easily online or over the phone, but you can always turn to your local travel agency. Travel agents will also be able to advise you on what you are insured against.

    In his 402nd anniversary year, Shakespeare is still rightly celebrated as a great wordsmith （语言大师）and playwright （剧作家）.But he was not the only great master of dramatic writing to die in 1616, and he is certainly not the only writer to have left a lasting influence on theater.

    While less known worldwide, Tang Xianzu is considered China's greatest playwright and is highly spoken of in that country of ancient literary and dramatic traditions.

    Tang was born in 1550 in Linchuan, Jiangxi province, and pursued a low-key career as an official until, in 1598 and aged 49, he retired to focus on writing. Unlike Shakespeare's large body of plays, poems and sonnets （十四行诗），Tang wrote only four major plays: The Purple Hairpin （《紫钗记》），Peony Pavilion （《牡丹亭》），A Dream under the Southern Bough （《南柯记》），and Dream of Handan（《邯郸记》）. The Peony Pavilion is considered Tang's masterpiece. The latter three are constructed around a dream narrative, a device through which Tang unlocked the emotional dimension of human desires and ambitions and explored human nature beyond the social and political restrictions of that time.

    Tang lived toward the end of the Ming Dynasty（1368—1644）and the popularity of his works had a good reason. Similar to Shakespeare, his success rode the wave of a renaissance （复兴）in theater as an artistic practice. As in Shakespeare's England, Tang's works became hugely popular in China too. During Tang's China, the way, in which playlets were enjoyed and performed, changed. Kunqu opera, a form of musical drama, spread from southern China to the whole nation and became a symbol of Chinese culture. Combining northern tune and southern music, kunqu opera was known for its poetic language, music, dance movements and gestures. Tang's works benefited greatly from the popularity of kunqu opera, and his playlets are considered classics of kunqu opera.

    While Tang and Shakespeare lived in a world away from each other, there are many things they share in common, such as the humanity of their drama, their iconic and heroic figures, their love for poetic language, a lasting popularity and the anniversary during which we still celebrate them.

Explore Nice in France - how car travel makes for a memorable holiday.

A classic option to explore the celebrated city of France, such as Nice is through hard travel. Cruising through the South of France, there are museums and restaurants to experience. Visiting these attractions is most convenient with a car. As hiring a car in Nice from the airport is simple. One can sit back and drive through the wonderful country lands without a care in the world. The west side has small hills while the east extends to the Mediterranean Sea. Peaceful vineyards, quiet villages at a rich life awaits you if you drive through the countryside.

Restaurants

The kitchen delights that Nice offers are the cities chief attraction. The Cours Saleya market, offers fine delicacies while sipping the Provencal wine is another soothing experience. Overall, Coted' Azur can be put as the gastronomic capital of France.

Beaches

Being along the coastline，Nice offers some really warm and relaxing beaches to its tourists lined with cosy seaside apartments and hotels.

Tips for Hiring a Car

Choose a car which can easily accommodate you and your family without being too big-- Traffic can be a major issue in some cities.

A GPS navigation system aids in traveling without getting lost and also helps in saving time.

Check with various number of car hire companies for the different prices so that you do not end up with an expensive package. Traveling to France has perhaps been on the wish lists of every travel-hungry person. And you can make your trip even more memorable by traveling through the country in the car.

Online classes began to be popularized just a few decades ago. They are advertised as a way for adults to finish their education and students to learn the material at their own pace—it is far more suitable for people with busy schedules.

But after being enrolled in an online course last fall semester, I came to realize online classes were merely a means to fulfil course requirements.

First of all, students lack the desire to learn, and they simply complete their assignments to receive credit for a passing grade rather than genuinely engage with the course material.

As online courses tend to have more than 100 students, most of the assignments are short and simple. They are not designed for students to interact with the material in depth but designed to be graded casily to accommodate such a large number of students.

Perhaps the biggest disadvantage of taking an online class is the absence of face-to-face interaction between the teacher and their students. Live sessions are infrequent and are often scheduled during the middle of the day when students have to attend other classes or work. The office hours of the professor may also be during inconvenient times for many students as well. Most interaction with the professor has to be through email which is often impersonal. It is nearly impossible for students to build a relationship with their professor.

There is also little interaction amongst students. It can be harder for students to create study groups and form relationships with their peers.

Online classes also require either a computer or laptop and a reliable internet connection. Not all students have access to these types of resources, whether it is for financial or other reasons, and some students can be put at a disadvantage.

Offering online classes certainly helps students who would otherwise not be able to attend classroom sessions. However, they fail to provide a genuine education with an emphasis on convenience rather than critical thinking. We need restructured online classes in which students can have a learning experience that will actually provide quality education.