Many people believe that you lose the ability to learn new languages as you get older. Language experts, however, will tell you that you're never too old to learn a new language. As you get older, it can be more difficult to learn a new language, though.

    Children and adults learn new languages in different ways．For children, language is their life. They study for thousands of hours every year, because they need to learn languages to become part of their communities. Adults, on the other hand，are already part of a language community. Learning a new language means becoming part of another language community, and adults seldom get the chance to practice as much as young children do.

    Moreover, children learning a new language are expected to make mistakes. This gives them freedom when learning to be daring and confident. Adults, however, often feel pressured to be perfect when learning a new language. This can discourage many people and make it even harder to learn a new language.

    Research has shown that children who learn a new language when they are very young will not be likely to have a “foreign” accent when speaking a different language. Some scientists also believe that it can take up to 10,000 hours of study to master a new language. This can be difficult for adults to achieve, but young children can accumulate(积累) those hours over several years as they grow up.

    When young children learn a new language, they come to see multiple languages as a “normal” part of society. This mindset (思维模式) helps them learn a new language without feeling like they're doing something unusual or “too hard”.

    So if you want to learn a new language, go for it! It's never too late to learn a new language. If you're older, it may take more work, but it can be done. If you're a young child, though, now is the time to step out and learn a new language!

    While beach vacations may be a great way to take your mind off work, lakes surrounded by mountains make for an even grander experience. If you are looking for come peace on your vacation, we have some recommendations for you in the Caucasus (高加索).

Lake Sevan

    Lake Sevan is situated in the central part of Armenia, in the Gegharkumk province. It is the largest lake in Armenia, located 6,200ft above sea level. Along the lake shore, there are various accommodations such as resorts and hotels with plenty of activities to partake in such as windsurfing, swimming and sunbathing. While there, do not forget to visit one of the famous cultural monuments, the Sevanavank Monastery, and it offers a great view of the lake as well.

Lake Paravani

    Lake Paravani, located at 6,801ft above sea level, is in the south of Georgia, near the Javakheti plateau. At this level, altitude sickness can occur and it is a good idea to be prepared to adapt to it properly, or bring medication for altitude sickness. Being a volcanic lake makes for a more interesting: experience. The lake is best known for fishing. Do not come home during the winter months when the lake freezes.

Lake Cildir

    Lake Cildir is located in the Ardahan province. East Turkey, near the borders of Georgia and Armenia. It is the second largest freshwater lake of Eastern Turkey, and many tourists are not aware of this beautiful attraction. Lake Cildir is surrounded by mountains of the Caucasus. The lake freezes during late November. If the winter is not extremely cold, you can try some lake activities like ice skating and ice fishing.

Lake Van

    Lake Van is the must visit of all lakes in this list. The largest lake in Turkey. Lake Van is located on the eastern shore of Turkey and is also the most accessible lake here. It's situated at 5,380ft above sea level, and unique to lakes around the world, the water is high in salt content.

    Buttons are found on all sorts of clothing. They are usually small and round and made of metal or plastic. They fasten, or connect, one piece of clothing to another. They make sure your clothes don't fall off. When we are speaking or writing m English, buttons can be just as useful.

    Men or women often wear button-down clothes to the office. Button-down as an adjective means to be conservative（保守的）or traditional. People who are described as buttoned-down stay close as possible to the normal way of dressing and behaving. They don't wear crazy clothing or do unusual things. People and events can both be described as buttoned-down.

    If someone is buttoned-up, he or she seems very business-like. In personal relationships, a buttoned-up person is cold and standoffish, meaning they physically and emotionally keep away from others. Buttoned-up people are not warm or friendly. And they do not share their inner thoughts and feelings with others.

    In the expression “button up”, button is a verb. It means to stop talking. Now, let's say you find yourself buttonholed in a conversation at a party. The person just keeps talking and talking and talking! Finally, you can't take it any longer. You tell the person to button it! This is a direct, but unacceptable way of saying “stop talking”. Button you lip is another equally rude but effective to stop a person who talks too much.

    Another kind of difficult person is someone who pushes your buttons. To push someone's buttons means to know exactly how to get that person angry or upset. People who like to push other people s buttons usually do it for selfish reasons. First they find a person's weak point. Then they use it to upset him.

    He met her at a party. She was outstanding; many guys were after her, but nobody paid any attention to him. After the party, he invited her for coffee. She was surprised! In order not to appear rude, she went along.

    As they sat in a nice coffee shop, he was too nervous to say anything and she felt uncomfortable. Suddenly, he asked the waiter, "Could you please give me some salt? I'd like to put it in my coffee."

    They stared at him. He turned red, but when the salt came, he put it in his coffee and drank. Curious, she asked, "Why salt with coffee?" He explained, "When I was a little boy, I lived near the sea. I liked playing on the sea. I could feel it salty, like salty coffee. Now every time I drink it, I think of my childhood and my hometown. I miss it and my parents, who are still there."

    She was deeply moved. A man who can admit that he's homesick must love his home and care about his family. He must be responsible. She talked too, about her far away hometown, her childhood, her family. That was the start to their love story.

They continued to date. She found that he met all her requirements. He was kind, warm and careful. She thought she would have missed the catch if not for the salty coffee! So they married and lived happily together. And every time she made coffee for him, she put in some salt, the way he liked it.

    After 40 years, he passed away and left her a letter which said:

    My dearest, please forgive me my life-long lie. Remember the first time we dated? I was so nervous that I asked for salt instead of sugar. Sweetheart, I don't exactly like salty coffee. But as it means so much to you, I've learned to enjoy it. Having you with me was my greatest happiness. If I could live a second time, I hope we can be together again, even if it means that I have to drink salty coffee for the rest of my life.

    The world's richest man might seem to have it all, but Bill Gates has one regret. The self-made billionaire said he felt stupid for not knowing any foreign languages.

    Speaking in his third Ask Me Anything question-and-answer session for online forum Reddit (红迪网), the Microsoft founder said that he wished he spoke French, Arabic or Chinese.

    He said: "I took Latin and Greek in high school and got A's and I guess it helps my vocabulary. I keep hoping to get time to study one of these—probably French because it is the easiest. I did Duolingo for a while but didn't keep it up."

    Gates, who is worth $79.3 billion, praised Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg for surprising an audience in Beijing when he spoke fluent Chinese. "Mark Zuckerberg amazingly learned Chinese and did a Q&A with Chinese students—unbelievable, isn't it?" he said

    This isn't the first time for Gates to admit his regret over language. He also showed his habits at home and personal insights.

    Last February, Gates said he likes to do the dishes himself—to his own special standards every night and also told the interviewer that his wife, Melinda, would likely want Samuel L. Jackson to play her husband in a biopic (传记片).

    He also admitted that he would pick up a $100 bill if he found it on the street.

    As he took the top spot on Forbes (福布斯) 28th Annual Billionaires list last year for the fourth time, he said he is pretty basic when it comes to spending on clothes and food, but that he enjoys investing in shoes andracquets (球拍) when he plays tennis.

    When asked a life lesson he had to learn the hard way, the billionaire said staying up too late is a habit he is still trying to break. "Don't stay up too late even if the book is really exciting. You will regret it in the morning. Pam still working on this problem." he said.

    Recently a friend of mine asked me whether I'd seen the TV series Cook' Table. Of course, I hadn't because I'm not that into food. But I do get hungry for adventures sometimes, so I decided to watch the show. This is when I was introduced to the cook Francis Mallmann.

    He makes choices; he doesn't plan. When he was young, he looked for mentors (导师) and experiences, not books or paths. He honored his roots but embraced the world and sought things and places he didn't know. He isn't content with just one lifestyle and he doesn't bend to expectations. This made me puzzled because I grew up thinking I had to have a plan and have long-term stability in front of me.

    When I saw Mallmann doing what makes him happy, everything changed. I thought to myself, "That's how we're supposed to live." I felt as if I'd stood up from a comfortable fireplace and the blanket of my life just fell to the ground. I submitted my leave of absence application to my employer less than a month later. I'm now full of excitement. I'm leaving my job and a good salary, and I'm going to do things that feed my soul.

    Michael Kernis and Brian Goldman, psychologists at Clayton State University in Georgia, studied the benefits of authenticity (真实性) and being true to yourself. Some of the benefits of following your inner voice include enjoying a strong sense of purpose in life, greater confidence, healthier relationships and strong skills.

    I might soon be hungrier and poorer than I was before but at least I'll be staying true to who I am and I'll get the true freedom.