Floods are second only to fire as the most common of all natural disasters.They occur almost everywhere in the world,resulting in widespread damage and even death.Consequently,scientists have long tried to perfect their ability to predict floods.So far,the best that scientists can do is to recognize the potential for flooding in certain conditions. There are a number of conditions,from deep snow on the ground to human error,which cause flooding.

    When deep snow melts it creates a large amount of water.Although deep snow alone rarely causes floods,when it occurs together with heavy rain and sudden warmer weather it can lead to serious flooding.If there is a fast snow melt on top of frozen or very wet ground,flooding is more likely to occur than when the ground is not frozen.Frozen ground or ground that is very wet cannot absorb the additional water created by the melting snow.Melting snow also contributes to high water levels in rivers and streams.

    Rivers that are covered in ice can also lead to flooding.When ice begins to melt,the surface of the ice cracks and breaks into large pieces.These pieces of ice move and float down the river,They can form a dam in the river,causing the water behind the dam to rise and flood the land upstream.If the dam breaks suddenly,then the large amount of water held behind the dam can flood the areas downstream too.

    Broken ice dams are not the only dam problems that can cause flooding.When a large human-made dam breaks or fails to hold the water collected behind it,the results can be devastating.Dams contain such huge amounts of water behind them that when sudden breaks occur,the great force of the water is like a great tidal wave.The dam waters can travel tens of kilometres,cover the ground in metres of mud and litter,and drown and crush every thing and creature in their path.

    Although scientists cannot always predict exactly when floods will occur,they do know a great deal about when floods are probably going to occur.Deep snow,ice-covered rivers,and weak dams are all strong conditions for potential flooding.

    Sports can help you keep fit and get in touch with nature. However, whether you are on the mountains, in the waves, or on the grassland, you should know that your choice of sport might have great influence on the environment.

    Some sports are resource-hungry（消耗资源）. Golf, as you may know, eats up not only large areas of countryside, but also tons of water. Besides, all sorts of chemicals and huge amounts of energy are used to keep its courses（球场）in good condition. This causes major environmental effects. For example, in the dry regions of Portugal and Spain, golf is often held responsible for serious water shortage in some local areas.

    There are many environmentally-friendly sports. Power walking is one of them that you could take up today. You don't need any special equipment except a good pair of shoes; and you don't have to worry about resources and your wallet. Simple and free, power walking can also keep you fit. If you walk regularly, it will be good for your heart and bones. Experts say that 20 minutes of power walking daily can make you feel less anxious, sleep well and have better weight control.

    Whatever sport you take up, you can make it greener by using environmentally-friendly equipment and buying products made from recycled materials. But the final goal should be “green gyms(健身房；体育馆)”. They are better replacements（代替物）for traditional health clubs and modern sports centers. Members of green gyms play sports outdoors, in the countryside or some other open spaces. There is no special requirement for you to start your membership. And best of all, it's free.

    "Are you going to Seattle?" an anxious-looking woman asked a female traveler at the Amtrak Airport in Sacramento. "No, I'm going to Eugene," the traveler replied. "Oh, I was hoping you could watch out for my daughter, she's never been on a plane before."

    Now, as I am quite a seasoned plane traveler, I know that seats and cars are supplied by destination（目的地）. So I came up to the woman and her frightened-looking daughter, telling them that her daughter could sit with me and that I would take care of her during the journey.

    The plane had arrived 25 minutes late, and people walked in line to get their seats. The conductor wanted to know if there were people traveling together, so I went to the front of the line with the girl and we were arranged to sit next to each other. Once on board, I showed her where to put her package, and took her to the bathroom area. Then we settled down to sleep. In the morning, I showed her the dining room and bought her a drink. She became comfortable enough to do what most 15-year-olds do: talk and text on her mobile phone.

    All through the trip, I made sure she picked up her ID, which had fallen out of her backpack, some money, which had fallen into the crack （缝隙） of the reclining seat, and continuously kept an eye on her. I hope someone takes her under their wing when she flies back to Sacramento.

    I do hope that kindness will spread around the world through these ways. We're conditioned to think that our lives go on with great moments. But great moments often catch us unaware, beautifully wrapped（包裹）in what others may consider a small one.

    Chinese high school students who want to enter the University of Cambridge may find that their scores on the national college entrance examination, or gaokao, will help their applications in the future.

    The University of Cambridge said in March that it has been using scores on gaokao as part of its admission criteria (标准) for Chinese students for several years, according to its official Weibo account. In addition to top scores on gaokao, Chinese applicants also need to meet English language requirements, participate in an interview and take a subject-specific wrillcn admission assessment (评估).

    The gaokao has been crillcized by some as a one shot exam that focuses on rote learning (死记硬背) rather than creativity. However, more and more people believe that there's no perfect predictor (侦测指标) of academic performance, and gaokao has the advantage of being what educational experts call a criterion-referenced (标准参照) exam—tests when her students are able to master a given body of knowledge , as well as their ability to work hard and consistently. Recent years have seen more and more foreign universities begin to accept gaokao scores as part of the application process.

    Despite the gaokao's growing acceptance among US universities, "There is a long way to go before the US education circle fully recognizes the gaokao, as there are still many US universities that don't accept it as part of their application process," Chu Zhaohui, a researcher from the National Institute of Education Sciences, told the Global Times.

Since 1912, The Nederlander Organization has continued the tradition pf operating historic theatres, producing and presenting the best theatrical and concert events. The following are a few of its Broadway, theatres.

GERSHWIN THEATRE: 222 W SIST ST,NEW YORK, NY 10019

Home of the Broadway smash-hit musical Wicked, Gershwin Theatre was named in honor of one of America's greatest composers, George Gershwin. The theatre's circular hall was designed to display the names and photographs of Broadway's own "Theater Hall of Fame, Opened in 1972 with 1,900 seats, it is one of the Nederlander Organization's. nine Broadway theatres.

DURHAMPERFORMING ARTS CENTER: 123 VVIAN STREET, DURHAM, NC 27701

Since its opening in 2008, DPAC has become the center for entertainment in North Carolina With 2,700 scats, DPAC truly has "something for everyone," and hosts more' than 200performances yearly. DPAC welcomes all guests and events in an open, friendly, and respectful setting. It stands committed against all forms of discrimination.

DOLBY THEATRE:6801 HOLLYWOOD BLVD, HOLLYWOCD, CALIFORNIA 90028

Dolby Theatre, built in 2001, delivers the most natural, lifelike sensory experience with the latest innovations in "Dolby entertainment technology," including: DolbyAtmos^TM, a breakthrough audio technology: Its cutting edge technologies attract, many world's biggest movie premieres, notable television awards events, and, performances. With 3,400 seats, it is one of two Broadway theatres in Los Angeles.

WINTER GARDEN THEATRE: 1634 BROADWAY, NEW YORK, NY 10019

The playhouse occupies the second American Horse Exchange, built by William K. Vanderbilt in 1896, when Longacre (now Times Square) was the center of the horse and carriage trade, By 1911, it had been rented out, as horses had given way to automobiles. The Winter Garden was converted into a theatre in 1911. It served as a movie house from 1928 to1933 when Warner Brothers rented it, Winter Garden Theatre. has l,600 seats and is one of Broadway theatres, The sound of music: the classic musical is now playing, at the Winter Garden Theatre.

The automobile industry is spending billions on self-driving cars, but what if we quite like driving? 

One holiday a few years ago, I spent hours being transported on trains, buses and planes. I read a novel for a while, then stared out the window, in a black mood. I was turned into goods, being shifted from one location to another. Then, finally, came the exciting section of the holiday when I hired a car.

My wife Jocasta and I followed the positioning system, turning right, then right again, and found ourselves in a small town. I spoke to the positioning system, "We don't want to be here; we want the highway." Then it instructed me to turn right again and again. With every turn, the street narrowed. The walls were so close that I had to hold my breath.

Another car appeared, coming towards us from the opposite direction. The driver signaled, telling me I had to make way. But how? I didn't have the courage to back up along the impossibly narrow passage. Soon some locals came to help. One lady stood at the back of the vehicle, waving me on. She continued making "this way, this way" movements with her arms. In an act of blind trust, instructions, creeping (小心行进) backwards and forwards. Remarkably, it worked. I completed my turn into the side street. The other car passed and the driver gave me a grateful wave. Then I followed the lady's suggestion and—finally—saw the highway.

My hands were shaking. I breathed in and out. Jocasta turned to me. "You're my hero, "she said. I looked at her, expecting a shadow of a teasing (嘲笑的) smile, but can find none. "You're my hero," she repeated. "I mean it. You did a really good job." Finally, I managed to steady my nerves. Then we set off again and the car sped smoothly away. Who would exchange all this for a self-driving car?