From visiting museums to watching Changing the Guard, there are some amazing experiences for you to get while in London. Here we pick some of the best free activities in London.

    Changing the Guard

    For a display of British ceremony, watch Changing the Guard outside Buckingham Palace. This is where one member of Queen's Guards exchanges duty with the old guard. Both guards are dressed in traditional red uniform and bearskin hats, and the handover is accompanied by a Guards band. Guard Mounting takes place at 11:30 am. It is held daily from May to July, and on alternate(间隔的)dates throughout the rest of the year.

    Sir John Soane's Museum

    Sir John Soane was an architect. During his lifetime he collected some valuable antiquities(古董) from all four corners of the globe. They are now on display in Sir John Soane's Museum which gives a real insight into the life of this outstanding Victorian gentleman.

    Geffrye Museum

    A very unique experience, the Geffrye Museum, located in 18th century almshouses(救济院),gives a fascinating insight into the lives of the British middle classes from the 1600s to the present day. Explore a series of room sets, complete with furnishing and textiles(纺织品)from each period.

    Hogarth's House

    Hogarth was very famous and criticized 18th century society in his engravings(雕刻),such as A Harlot's Progress, A Rake's Progress and Marriage a-la-Mode. As the name suggests, Hogarth's House is where he lived before he died in 1764, and it's here that you'll find the most extensive collection of his paintings on public display.

    Bank of England Museum

    The splendid Bank of England Museum traces the history of the bank from its foundation by Royal Charter in 1694 to its role today as the country's central bank. There are many items you have never expected to see.

    My senior years, I can't believe it is almost over. Now when I look back, it was stressful, but exciting, the ball, graduation, and then of course, college.

    I started applying for my college months before Christmas. My parents told me it would be smart if I set up interviews and tours. But I wasn't motivated. I wanted to go to college, but I didn't want to deal with the stress.

    As the days flew by, my applications lay on my desk just as I had left them three months before. “You are wasting valuable time,” my parents complained. Sweeping away the gathered dust on the applications, I worked on them every Sunday until I finished. Next came writing the essays. I had many ideas, but every school had different requirements. I changed them until I was pleased. Finally, everything was underway.

    Now I just had to wait. In March, I started receiving letters of rejection. I began to think that I had set myself up for disappointment. I had a letter from Salem State College starting that they wanted to see my grades before they made their decision. Yes! At least someone wanted to consider me. At the beginning of April, I received a letter from Keens State. Those opening words: “We regret to inform you…” made me sit down and cry. I had lost all hope. Then I heard from Plymouth State. Not my first choice, but…I had been accepted. Maybe if I get my grades up, I can choose another school…

    The college application hurt me deeply. All my friends had dozens of schools to choose from. I guess my parents were right. High school grades are undoubtedly important to your future plans. If I could do it all over again, I would take it more seriously.

    Whenever something looks interesting or beautiful, there's a natural impulse(冲动) to want to own and preserve it — which means, in this day and age, that we're likely to reach for our phones to take a picture.

    Though this would seem to be an ideal solution, there are two big problems associated with taking pictures. Firstly, we're likely to be so busy taking the pictures that we forget to look at the world whose beauty and interest drove us to take a photograph in the first place. And secondly, because we feel the pictures are safely stored on our phones, we never get around to looking at them, so sure are we that we'll get around to it one day.

    These problems were noticed right at the beginning of the history of photography, when the average camera was the size of a grandfather clock. The first person to notice them was the English art critic, John Ruskin. He was a traveler who realized that most tourists make a boring job of noticing or remembering the beautiful things they see. He argued that humans have a natural tendency to respond to beauty and wish to have it, but that there are better and worse expressions of this desire. At worst, we get into buying souvenirs or taking photographs. But, in Ruskin's eyes, there's one thing we should do and that is attempt to draw the interesting things we see, no matter whether we have any talent for doing so.

    Ruskin was very upset by how seldom people notice details. He strongly disliked the travelers who prided themselves on covering Europe in a week by train. "If he be truly a man, no harm to go slow; for his glory is not at all in going, but in being."

    Your house may have an effect on your figure. Experts say the way you design your home could play a role in whether you pack on the pounds or keep them off. You can make your environment work for you instead of against you. Here are some ways to turn your home into part of your diet plan.

    Open the curtains and turn up the lights. Dark environments are more likely to encourage overeating, for people are often less self­conscious (难为情) when they're in poorly lit places—and so more likely to eat lots of food. If your home doesn't have enough window light, get more lamps and flood the place with brightness.

    Mind the colors. Research suggests warm colors fuel our appetites. In one study, people who ate meals in a blue room consumed 33 percent less than those in a yellow or red room. Warm colors like yellow make food appear more appetizing, while cold colors make us feel less hungry. So when it's time to repaint, go blue.

    Don't forget the clock—or the radio. People who eat slowly tend to consume about 70 fewer calories (卡路里) per meal than those who rush through their meals. Begin keeping track of the time, and try to make dinner last at least 30 minutes. And while you're at it, actually sit down to eat. If you need some help slowing down, turn on relaxing music. It makes you less likely to rush through a meal.

    Downsize the dishes. Big serving bowls and plates can easily make us fat. We eat about 22 percent more when using a 12­inch plate instead of a 10­inch plate. When we choose a large spoon over a smaller one, total intake (摄入) jumps by 14 percent. And we'll pour about 30 percent more liquid into a short, wide glass than a tall, skinny glass.

 Lindsey Stallworth, a high school student from Alabama, is on her way to a promising career in paleontology (古生物学) due to an unexpected discovery on family property. For years, she had been collecting fossils on their land in Monroe County, unaware of significant scientific value. However, her teacher at the Alabama School of Math and Science, Dr. Andrew Gentry, a paleontologist himself, took an interest when she showed him her collection.

" Upon examining the fossil shark teeth Lindsey presented, I quickly identified one cr: became eager to learn about its origin," said Andrew.

Lindsey guided her teacher through the rural area where she had unearthed various relics, including shark teeth. Before long, they encountered an especially significant find on the. grounds:a large bone from a 34- million- year- old whale skeleton! This led the pair to launch the huge project of uncovering the rest of the bones. After two months of hard work, they' ve managed to find the animal's skull·(颅骨),

" Assuming the entire skeleton is present, it may require several years for us to have the entire animal back in the lab," Andrew explained.

 Lindsey secured a research scholarship to persist in her fossil- digging expeditions alongside her instructor. Her enthusiasm for the project was at an all- time high, though she had never imagined a childhood pastime would lead her down this road." We would go out and pick up shark teeth and fossil shells, but we never knew anyone that could tell us anything about them," she recalled." We just thought they were cool."

" The Research Fellows Program allows Lindsey to gain real- world experience in scientific research and even present that research at professional conferences," Andrew said." It's a once- in-a- lifetime opportunity for a high school student to stand out when applying to college and maybe even discover a new career path."