It was one of those terribly hot days in Baltimore. Needless to say, it was too hot to do anything outside. But it was also scorching in our apartment. This was 1962, and I would not live in a place with an air conditioner for another ten years. So my brother and I decided to leave the apartment to find someplace indoors. He suggested we could see a movie. It was a brilliant plan.

    Movie theaters were one of the few places you could sit all day and—most important —sit in air conditioning. In those days, you could buy one ticket and sit through two movies. Then, the theater would show the same two movies again. If you wanted to, you could sit through them twice. Most people did not do that, but the manager at our theater. Mr. Bellow did not mind if you did.

    That particular day, my brother and I sat through both movies twice, trying to escape the heat. We bought three bags of popcorn and three sodas each. Then, we sat and watched The Music Man followed by The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. We'd already seen the second movie once before. It had been at the theater since January, because Mr. Bellow loved anything with John Wayne in it.

    We left the theater around 8, just before the evening shows began. But we returned the next day and saw the same two movies again, twice more. And we did it the next day too. Finally, on the fourth day, the heat wave broke.

    Still, to this day I can sing half the songs in The Music Man and recite half of John Wayne and Jimmy Stewart's dialogue from The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance! Those memories are some of the few I have of the heat wave of 1962. They're really memories of the screen, not memories of my life.

The least-visited countries in the world

    It's every traveler's dream — a corner of the planet still undisturbed by tourists. And obviously, such places do exist. The United Nations World Tourism Organization lately reported the four least-visited countries globally.

    Liechtenstein (69,000)

    The sixth smallest country in the world is also one of the most undiscovered.

    Lying between Austria and Switzerland, Liechtenstein is an outdoor enthusiast's playground. It's the only country in the world to be totally in the Alps and a summer destination for hiking and cycling and snow-covered skiing perfection in winter, for those who can afford it.

    French Guiana (199,000)

    French Guiana is the least-visited country in South America, with some of the world's most diverse plant and animal life.

    While there is much to attract tourists to the area, not least its miles of jungle, the construction is in need of some attention.

    Montserrat (9,000)

    Once a popular holiday spot, this Lesser Antilles island has never quite recovered from a series of natural disasters. Hurricane Hugo in 1989 hit 90 per cent of the island and in 1995 the Soufriere Hills volcano erupted.

    These days, its volcano is now actually one of Montserra's main attractions, together with its beautiful beaches. Visitors can also go diving in its clear waters.

    Comoros (24,000)

    This collection of islands in the Indian Ocean near Madagascar serves as the perfect destination for those who want to get away from everyday city life.

Comoros offers beautiful volcanic scenery, fruitful forests, and remote sleepy towns. There are even some of the best undiscovered reefs(礁) just waiting to be explored by divers.

    In the U.S., speaking more than one language fluently is not very common — except in Los Angeles, California. The city has one of the largest populations in the U.S. of young people between the ages of 18 and 34. More than half of them in Los Angeles are bilingual (会说两种语言的).

    Maria Elena Burgos, a mother of two American-born daughters, is cooking a Mexican breakfast. She says making Mexican food is just one of the many traditions in her home. Another is speaking Spanish to her children. “We want to keep Spanish somewhere in their learning too, not only at home.” Ms. Burgos thinks being bilingual will give them more opportunities in the competitive world. Knowing Spanish also means the children can talk with their relatives in Mexico.

     Ms. Burgos' daughters both want to know their family's culture. “We are doing this in order to go back to our roots because that's part of who we are,” they say.

    The U.S. Census Bureau (人口普查局) says more than half the adults in the Los Angeles area between 18 and 34 years old speak a language other than English at home. For the whole country, the number of bilingual adults is only 25 percent. The number of bilingual speakers has gone up since the 1990s.

    University of California Los Angeles professor Raul Hinojosa says that in the past, the children and grandchildren of immigrants (移民) did not continue to speak the parents' native language. But now the opposite is true.

    In the last ten years, more immigrant parents say they want their children to keep speaking their native language. Mr. Hinojosa calls their choice the “path of pride”. The decision to keep a native language is clear in Los Angeles now. And, as the number of minorities in the U.S. continues to grow, he thinks bilingualism will spread to the rest of the country.

    There were smiling children all the way. Clearly they knew at what time the train passed their homes and they made it their business to stand along the railway, wave to complete strangers and cheer them up as they rushed towards Penang. Often whole families stood outside their homes and waved and smiled as if those on the trains were their favorite relatives. This is the simple village people of Malaysia. I was moved.

    I had always traveled to Malaysia by plane or car, so this was the first time I was on a train. I did not particularly relish the long train journey and had brought along a dozen magazines to read and reread. I looked about the train. There was not one familiar face. I sighed and sat down to read my Economics.

    It was not long before the train was across the Causeway and in Malaysia. Johore Baru was just another city like Singapore, so I was tired of looking at the crowds of people as they hurried past. As we went beyond the city, I watched the straight rows of rubber trees and miles and miles of green. Then the first village came into sight. Immediately I came alive; I decided to wave back.

    From then on my journey became interesting. I threw my magazines into the waste basket and decided to join in Malaysian life. Then everything came alive. The mountains seemed to speak to me. Even the trees were smiling. I stared at everything as if I was looking at it for the first time.

    The day passed fast and I even forgot to have my lunch until I felt hungry. I looked at my watch and was surprised that it was 3:00 pm. Soon the train pulled up at Butterworth. I looked at the people all around me. They all looked beautiful. When my uncle arrived with a smile, I threw my arms around him to give him a warm hug (拥抱). I had never done this before. He seemed surprised and then his weather-beaten face warmed up with a huge smile. We walked arm in arm to his car.

    I looked forward to the return journey.

    Travelling can be a fun way to gain life experiences, especially during a week-long school vacation. But what if you're a student and don't have enough money for a trip? Don't worry.

Here are some useful tips.

    Save: This probably is the most important preparation for travelling. Cut expenses to fatten your wallet so you'll have more choices about where to go and how to get there.

    Plan ahead: Don't wait until the last minute to plan your trip. Tickets may cost more when bought on short notice. Giving yourself several months to get ready can mean security(安全)and savings.

    Do your homework: No matter where you go, research the places you will visit. Decide what to see. Travel books will provide information on the cheapest hotels and restaurants.

    Plan sensibly(明智地): Write down how much you expect to spend for food and hotels. Stick to your plan or you may not have enough money to cover everything.

    Travel in groups: Find someone who is interested in visiting the same places. By travelling with others you can share costs and experiences.

    Work as you go: Need more money to support your trip? Look for work in the places you visit.

    Go off the beaten path: Tourist cities may be expensive. You may want to rethink your trip and go to a lesser-known area. Smaller towns can have many interesting activities and sights.

    Pack necessary things: The most important things to take are not always clothes. Remember medicine in case you get sick and snacks in case you can't find a cheap restaurant.

    Use the Internet: The Net can help to save money. Some useful websites include www. Iravelocity.com, www.bargains-lowest fare.com and www.Economy travel.com.

    By planning sensibly, even students can enjoy the travel. Your travel experiences will be remembered for a lifetime.

A short period of sleep taken during the day is known as a nap. Naps don't just have benefits for adults at work, though. They could also help pupils to make the most of their school day. Studies have shown that a 20 to 30-minute "beauty sleep" makes people more alert and focused. This improves people's ability to remember new information, which would help school children concentrate during lessons. Experts say that napping also improves brain functions, such as memory and the ability to complete difficult tasks.

The school day starts early, which means that pupils don't always get enough sleep because there's no chance to have a lie-in（睡懒觉. Adding naptime during the school day would help exhausted pupils to make up for any sleep they've lost from getting up so early.

There are long-term benefits to taking a short nap, too. According to a recent study from University College London, the brains of people who have regular naps are bigger than those who don't. People's brains naturally shrink (萎缩）when they grow old, and the results showed that little sleeps can help people's brains to age more slowly.

Although a nap can seem like a good idea, going to sleep for too long can actually make you feel worse. It's not very pleasant to wake up from a daytime nap feeling confused and sleepy. Napping during the day can also have a negative impact on how well you sleep at night. This can create a cycle of not being able to sleep well at night, leaving you feeling even more tired in the daytime. Sleep expert Dr Clete Kushida said, "It's generally recommended to maximize(最大化） sleep at night."

Another consideration is that there really isn't time in the school day for pupils to go to sleep. Some parents and teachers are concerned that it would cause children to miss too much lesson time. Pupils might take advantage of the system and use their need for a nap as an excuse to get out of lessons.

So, what do you think? Should school allow kids to have naps, or should you wait until the evening to catch up on your sleep?