When I was young, I had an old neighbor named Dr. Gibbs. He didn't look like any doctor I'd ever known. He never shouted at us for playing in his yard. I remembered him as a neighbor who was nicer than anyone else in the neighborhood. When Dr. Gibbs was happy, he was planting trees. And his life's goal was to make it a forest.

    Dr. Gibbs had some interesting theories about planting. He talked about trees that weren't watered would grow deep roots in search of water. So he never watered his trees. He planted an oak (橡树) and, instead of watering it every morning, he beat it with the rolled-up newspaper. I asked him why he did that, and he said it was to get the tree's attention.

    Dr. Gibbs died a couple of years. Every now and then, I walk by his house and look at the trees that he planted twenty-five years ago. They're very strong now.

    I planted a couple of trees a few years later. I watered them regularly and took good care of them. Whenever a cold wind blows, they shake their leaves and branches.

    The funny thing about those trees of Dr. Gibbs was that difficulty seemed to help them in ways comfort and ease never could.

    Still wonder where to stay? We have a lot to offer.

GUEST ROOMS

    Spacious, stylish guest rooms include all the necessities for an unforgettable stay. All guest rooms feature workstations with Internet access, two telephones with voice mail, and in-room safes (保险柜).

SUITES

    Hilton Toronto offers a variety of one-bedroom and Junior Suites. Spoil yourself in the ultimate elegance, and capture the spirit of Canada in one of our four Signature suites.

EXECUTIVE ROOMS

    You can enjoy Wi-Fi and access to the private Executive Lounge (贵宾室) for breakfast, all-day coffee service and so on. The modern executive rooms offer views of downtown Toronto and come with robes, slippers, 47-inch flat-screen plasma TVs, over-sized chairs, large work desks and coffeemakers.

    The Executive Lounge is open 6:30am to 10:00pm Monday through Thursday, 6:30am to 11:00am Friday, and closed on Saturday and Sunday.

ACCESSIBLE ROOMS

    Our accessible rooms have features designed for our disabled Guests. Partially accessible rooms have safety bars, raised vanities and toilets. Transfer benches are available (可获得的) upon request.

BEST PRICE GUARANTEE

    Get the best price when you book directly with us. If you find a lower publicly available price anywhere else, we will match that price and give you an additional(额外的) US $50 back.

REACH US

145 RICHMOND STREET WEST, TORONTO, ONTARIO, M5H 212, CANADA

TEL: +1- 416-869-3456

FAX: +1-416-869-3187

    I have many new teachers in high school, but Lori Runkle, my English Language and Composition teacher, is my favorite teacher.

    Ms. Runkle enjoys getting to know more about students, so I have many chances to talk with her after class. I have always wanted to become a journalist (新闻记者). Since Ms. Runkle used to be a journalist back in the United States, she has introduced many helpful journalistic writing skills to me.

    Although she is my teacher, Ms. Runkle and I are more like friends. She often invites my classmates and me to take part in different activities outside of school. For example, I went to listen to a journalist's speech, which helped me better understand current events (时事).

    Not only does Ms. Runkle talk with me outside of school, she is also a great teacher in the classroom. English Language and Composition is a really hard subject for a second language learner. We felt worried in the beginning, but Ms. Runkle really makes an effort to help us out. In class, Ms. Runkle always encourages students to question everything to keep us active. One part of class I love the most is when groups of students are required to give speeches on events that are happening in the world. It requires a lot of deep thinking and I really learn quite a lot from it.

I love Ms. Runkle very much. She not only helps me to get good scores, but also acts as a good friend and always gives me advice on life.

    We hope you've finally made your peace with Pluto being downgraded from a planet to an ice dwarf (冰矮星)，because we have some more jarring news for you : It seems your teachers may have been wrong about the number of continents on the earth, too.

    Earlier this year, scientists published a report in the journal of the Geological Society of America detailing an eighth continent called Zealandia, roughly the size of India and almost completely hid itself under the Pacific Ocean east of Australia. Covering all of New Zealand as well as several nearby islands, Zealandia likely spent the best of its above-water days as part of the supercontinent Gondwana before fragmenting off Australia and Antarctica some 80 million years ago. This lost, underwater continent is just beginning to reveal its secrets, making for one of the most promising scientific discoveries this year.

    While researchers have been aware of the 1. 9 million-square-mile mass for two decades, Zealandia has only recently become the object of serious study since the Geological Society paper argued that it fits all the criteria for a proper continent, including a continental crust (地壳)that's distinctly separate from the seabed in terms of elevation, thickness, and geology. A team of 32 scientists from 12 countries just completed their first visit to six dig sites around Zealandia, where they drilled up more than 8,000 feet of sediment cores (沉积物岩心)that will help explain the lost continent's 80-million-year history.

    Because there is no official body that formally recognizes continents, whether or not Zealandia ends up in future geography textbooks will come down to its acceptance by the scientific community at large, possibly with a little help from travelers like you.

    Dyeing eggs has long been an Easter tradition, but it's the dyeing of baby chicks that is upsetting in some states.

    The dye, which is often ordinary food coloring, is either injected into eggs being hatched or sprayed onto newly hatched chicks. Although hatchery owners say the practice is harmless, critics argue that spraying the birds with color is stressful and that dyeing the animals transforms them into something attractive that can be thrown away when their colorful feathers disappear.

    “These are living creature and dyeing them sends out a message saying that they are more of a new and unusual object than a living animal,” said Dr. Marc Copper, senior scientific manager for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Dyed chicks — and sometimes rabbits — have been a traditional part of the Easter holiday in some parts of the world, but the practice has gone largely underground in the U.S. because many people view it as cruel.

    Today, about half of U.S. states ban the dyeing of animals, but last month the Florida Legislature passed a bill to remove the state's 45-year-old ban. The drive to end the law wasn't related to Easter chicks; it was done at the request of a dog groomer(美容师) who wanted to enter pet beauty contests.

    Florida governor Rick Scott must agree to remove the ban, which would be lifted July 1, but the Animal Rights Foundation of Florida(ARFF) has asked him not to remove the ban. In addition to allowing animals dyeing, the law would also lift a ban on selling baby animals as pets, and the organization fears that next year the state could see hundreds of dyed baby chicks on the market.

As long as the dye is not poisonous, experts say the birds' health isn't affected, and there are scientific reasons to dye animals. Wildlife researchers often inject eggs with dye to track birds in the wild, and teachers have dyed chicks for educational purposes. However, animal advocates are quick to point out that dyeing baby chicks for Easter isn't educational — it's done simply to earn profits.

Poetry is never far away from our daily lives. Many of us grew up {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(recite) classic poems, learning to enjoy this beautiful art to convey such rich meanings.

The Chinese Shijing, which {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (date) back to the Western Zhou Dynasty, has a {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (long) history than the Homeric Epics. Even today, classic poems {#blank#}4{#/blank#} ( appreciate ) by a lot of people. To recognize the unique ability of poetry and capture its creative spirit, World Poetry Day {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (hold) annually to support linguistic diversity through poetic {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (express).

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And even TV series {#blank#}12{#/blank#} (involve) poetry are very successful. For example, in The Story of Ming Lan , one of the drama's most moving songs is adapted from a poem {#blank#}13{#/blank#} (write) by Li Qingzhao. Besides, there {#blank#}14{#/blank#} (be) many poets and poems in Serenade of Peaceful Joy, a TV drama about Emperor Renzong of the Song Dynasty, {#blank#}15{#/blank#} is also very popular with the audience.