Often in Scotland it can feel like the only difference between summer and the rest of the year is that it doesn't snow. (This isn't a guarantee!) But when the weather is good, it's a truly special place-here are some things you can do in summer when the weather is nice.

    See

    With the richest wildlife across the UK, take the chance to see some of the less common sites. On the West coast of Scotland there are lots of places where you can take a boat trip to see many kinds of whales. If you prefer dolphins, you can see the most northerly colony of bottlenose dolphins (海豚) in the world just off Inverness in the Moray Firth. Of course it's likely that you'll see seals (海豹) and many other animals on these trips too.

    Do

    The waves of Thurso right in the north of Scotland are just great. If you're not feeling brave enough to go in the water and prefer to watch from the safety of the shore then there're several major surf contests held there.

    Another very Scottish activity ideal for good weather is “Munro Bagging”. Named after Sir Hugh Munro, the 218 mountains in Scotland over 914m high are called Munros and walkers try to see how many they can climb in a set amount of time. This is not easy though-conditions can change suddenly and many of the routes are very tough (艰难的).

    Eat

    Thanks to a large Scottish-Italian population, there are too many specialist ice cream sellers. One of the most famous of them is Nardini in Largs, Ayrshire. Not only can you watch people actually make ice cream but you can sit and eat in a beautiful refurbished (翻新的) 1930s building facing the river Clyde. There's even a piano player at the weekends.

    Last April, on a Sunday, we took one of our “nowhere” drives. My husband was quietly driving along a back road. I was occupied in the front passenger seat watching the scenery.

    I noticed out of the corner of my eye that my husband was struggling to look out of my window. This frightened me, since his eyes should be on the road in front of him. I asked him what he was looking at out of the windows, and he quietly replied, “Nothing.”

    After a few minutes, I looked over at my husband and noticed a tear running down his cheek. I asked him what was wrong. This time he told me, “I was just thinking about Pop and a story he had once told me.” It had something to do with Pop, his friend from childhood, and I wanted to know the story, so I asked him to share it with me.

    He said, “When I was 8 years old, Pop and I were out fishing and he told me that the pine trees know when it is Easter.”

    I have no idea what he meant by that, so I pressed him for more information.

    He continued on… “The pine trees start their new growth in the weeks before Easter because spring is drawing near. If you look at the tops of the pine trees, you will see the yellow shoots. As the days get closer to Easter Sunday, the tallest shoot will branch off and form a cross. By the time Easter Sunday comes around, you will see that most of the pine trees will have small yellow crosses on all of the tallest shoots.”

    I turned to look out of the window and I couldn't believe my eyes. It was a week before Easter, and you could see all of the trees with the tall yellow shoots stretching to the sky.

    The tallest ones shone in the sunlight like rows of tiny golden crosses. May you find your Easter season filled with beautiful golden crosses!

    I began to grow up that winter night when my parents and I were returning from my aunt's house, and my mother said that we might soon be leaving for America. We were on the bus then. I was crying, and some people on the bus were turning around to look at me. I remember that I could not bear the thought of never hearing again the radio program for school children to which I listened every morning.

    I do not remember myself crying for this reason again. In fact, I think I cried very little when I was saying goodbye to my friends and relatives. When we were leaving I thought about all the places I was going to see—the strange and magical places I had known only from books and pictures. The country I was leaving and never to come back was hardly in my head then.

    The four years that followed taught me the importance of optimism（乐观）, but the idea did not come to me at once. For the first two years in New York I was really lost—having to study in three schools as a result of family moves. I did not quite know what I was or what I should be. Mother remarried, and things became even more complex for me. Some time passed before my stepfather and I got used to each other. I was often sad, and saw no end to “the hard times.”

    My responsibilities in the family increased a lot since I knew English better than everyone else at home. I wrote letters, filled out forms, translated at interviews with Immigration officers（移民局官员）, took my grandparents to the doctor and translated there, and even discussed telephone bills with company representatives.

    From my experiences I have learned one important rule: Almost all common troubles go away at last! Something good is certain to happen in the end when you do not give up, and just wait a little! I believe that my life will turn out all right, even though it will not be that easy.

    "I feel unlikable, lonely and hopeless," said Lisa, a bright teenager from a loving home. "It seems that nobody wants to become my friend. What's wrong with me?"

    Like Lisa, many of us experience loneliness. The truth is that all people, no matter what their age or character — even the most outgoing, wealthy and popular — experience loneliness at least sometimes. It's healthy and natural to want to be around people who care. After all, we've all heard "No man is an island." That's true. We all need others in our lives.

    Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, explains that if we want friends, we must be friendly and reach out to others. But it has risk. Because we are often afraid of rejection (拒绝), many of us are unwilling to reach out to others. We take a safer way and wait for others to make friends with us. But if we want friends, we've got to get beyond this.

If making friends is your goal as well, you need to consider taking some measures (措施).

    Be willing to take the initiative (主动权). If you see someone whom you would like to know, don't wait for her to make the first move. Get close to her and begin a conversation. Let her know in a non­aggressive (无攻击性的) way that you are interested in being friends with her.

    Reach out to those who are lonely. When you see someone at school sitting alone, go over and talk to her. And don't let popularity decide whom you reach out to. You'll often be surprised at the beautiful qualities behind a shy appearance.

    Ask questions. Start your first conversation by asking this possible friend what she likes to do or asking about her family. Be sure to ask questions that cannot be replied with "yes" or "no". For example, don't ask "Do you have a dog?" Instead, say "So, tell me about your pets." Avoiding asking "yes" or "no" questions makes your possible friend not end your communication with a one­word answer.

    A video of a three-year-old girl being kicked by her own mother during a photo shot went viral (疯狂传播) on Thursday, indicating China's under per forma nee in regulating the emerging child modeling industry.

    The girl, known as Niu Niu, was physically abused by her mother in several videos. The videos have annoyed Chinese media and Internet users alike. Many netizens and scholars call for local authorities to carry out further investigations into possible child abuse.

    In response to the public outcry (强烈抗议), Niu Niu's mother issued an apology via Sina Wei bo on Thursday, condemning accusations of abuse. She noted that she was merely guiding her daughter for better shots and the girl is well looked after.

    Despite her apology, many E-shops which used Niu Niu's images for brand promotion have canceled their cooperation with the mother, while over 110 well-known child garment shops on Taobao have signed up for a campaign to provide better protection for child models.

    "It is necessary to adopt comprehensive laws and regulations to further protect the kids, preventing their parents and companies from exploiting (利用) them," Fang Zhiqing, a lawyer and child protection expert, said.

    Niu Niu is not alone. In Zhili, a small town in Zhejiang province, thousands of children from across China are taken here by their parents to seize the chance of fame. With a population of 450,000. Zhili has over 13,000 manufacturers of child clothing. In 2017, the town earned over 7 billion yuan by selling do thing for children online, thus providing opportunities for child models.

    "China's current advertisement law isn't workable when it comes to the industry of child modeling, as it lacks clear supervision measures and clear legal punishment." Fang added. "It is important to issue new laws which regulate child modeling."

After a long and hard journey that made international headlines, China's famous herd of wandering elephants appears to finally be heading home.

In August, the 14 Asian elephants of various sizes and ages were guided across the Yuanjiang river in Yunnan and a path was being made for them to return to the nature reserve in the Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture.

The elephants' return completes a more than 500km odyssey that caught the attention of the country. The highlights of their trip included the birth of a calf in Pu'er in last November; and going viral for taking a nap. If they were just taking a walk in the forest, it wasn't a big deal. But the fact is, they left whatever they stepped on in ruins, causing great damage to local residents.

Local wildlife experts have been unable to pinpoint the reason the herd decided to move. One reason is given that the population of elephants in the nature reserve in the Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture is so large, which has increased from 190 to over 300 since 40 years ago, that there is not enough food for them. Some say that their move is due to the influence of the magnetic field of the earth and there is another story saying maybe that lead elephant lost its way, thus leading the herd out of the way. But Zhang Li, a professor on conservation biology at Beijing Normal University, told the Global Times in June that large-scale human engineering developments have sped up the ‘islanding'of elephant habitats.

This meant "the traditional safe zones between humans and elephants are gradually disappearing, and the chances of elephants encountering humans naturally increase greatly".