Brilliant Spring Breaks

The bees are buzzing and flowers are blooming. Take a look at these destinations and grab a relaxing getaway while making the most of the UK countryside.

Trefeddian Hotel

At the Trefeddian Hotel you can expect a warm welcome whether you are booking a family holiday, or romantic escape. Our beautifully located coastal hotel in Mid-Wales has something for everyone to enjoy: all-around sea views, miles of golden sandy beaches and a heated indoor pool.

St Moritz Hotel & Garden Villas

Escape to our Miami inspired luxury hotel or coastal villas on the north Cornish coast. With our Shorecrest restaurant serving seasonal dishes with ingredients sourced from Cornwall’s markets; Cowshed spa; indoor and outdoor pools; a bunch of local attractions and surrounded by the sea, St Moritz Hotel is the place for relaxation and adventure.

Greenwood Grange

Welcome to a collection of 17 luxury, stone built, self-catering holiday cottages in Dorset. There’s so much to offer, whether it’s relaxing in your own private cottage (some have hot baths), swimming in the indoor pool, or playing the volleyball on the seashore, we’ve got it all—you can even pick your own fruit or vegetables from our kitchen garden. Contact us for more information.

Skye Shepherd Huts

Looking for a holiday offering peace and quiet? Choose Skye Shepherd Huts, with amazing wildlife, donkeys and hens for company. Set in a lovely traditional village by the sea, ideal for walkers, boating nearby and eagle-spotting. Pet friendly. Comfortable with beautiful views, but electricity and hot water are not ready for use.

B

Researchers in Japan have developed chopsticks that artificially create the taste of salt, as part of efforts to reduce sodium(钠) levels in some of the country’s most popular dishes.

The chopsticks work by using electrical stimulation and a mini-computer worn on the eater’s wristband. The device conveys sodium ions (离子) from food, through the chopsticks, to the mouth where they create a sense of saltiness, according to Homei Miyashita, a professor at Meiji University in Tokyo, whose laboratory collaborated with the food and drink manufacturer Kirin to develop the device.

“The chopsticks use very weak electricity — not enough to affect the human body — to adjust the function of ions to change the perception of taste by making food seem to taste stronger or weaker,” said Kirin.

The chopsticks could find a receptive audience in Japan, where the traditional diet tends to be high in salt due to the use of ingredients such as miso and soy sauce. The average Japanese adult consumes about 10 grams of salt a day, double the amount recommended by the World Health Organization.

Miyashita and Kirin said clinical tests on people who followed a low-sodium diet had confirmed that the device enhanced the salty taste of low-sodium food by about 1.5 times. They said participants given reduced-salt miso soup had commented on the improved “richness, sweetness and overall tastiness” of the dish.

High salt intake can contribute to high blood pressure, which is the single biggest cause of heart attacks and strokes. “To prevent these diseases, we need to reduce the amount of salt we take,” said Kirin researcher Ai Sato. “If we try to avoid taking less salt in a conventional way, we would need to bear the pain of cutting our favorite food from our diet.”

The team said they would continue to improve the electric chopsticks and hoped to make them available to consumers next year. Miyashita’s lab also is exploring other ways in which technology can be used to engage the senses — it has also invented a lickable (可以舔的) TV screen that imitates the flavor of various foods.

C

Even when communing with nature we depend on technology for help—but then, so did Thoreau（梭罗）at Walden Pond（瓦尔登湖）.

Walking in the same woods yesterday, I let myself wander at random, communing with nature.

I took in beautiful scenery near and far thanks to my progressive-lens eyeglasses. Occasionally I'd pull out my smartphone to take pictures on anything interesting. I recorded an inner monologue with a background of all sounds of the forest. At times, I consulted my smart watch to check on my heartbeat, mileage and calorie burn. Eventually I realized I was quite lost. Not a problem of course. Online maps came to my rescue.

But something bothered me. In what I'd intended as a nature experience, here I was using very high technology to help myself out. This insight triggered a reconsideration of everything that happened during my "nature walk," which had been technologically enhanced every step of the way. I'd been functioning as a man-machine combination: a cyborg.

What would the true naturalist Thoreau think of that? My first thought was that he'd be shocked. But later I did some research. Thoreau enjoyed what his spyglass discovered, like this eagle from his journal:

Lying on the ground with my glass, I could watch him very easily... till I almost lost him in the clouds... I think I have got the worth of my glass now that it has revealed to me the white-headed eagle.

Famously, Thoreau always set out equipped with a walking stick, which he used not only for support but also to take measurements of water and snow levels. His hat was also a tool, which he called his "botany-box." And he was prepared even with needles and thread, so when coming out of the woods, he was "the best dressed." Clearly, Thoreau was a bit of a cyborg himself.

Thinking more deeply, I realized we've come a long way from our hunter-gatherer ancestors, who walked from necessity and relied on nature's gift. Cyborgs are us.

The age range between about 13 and 19 is an important time in an individual's life.(12)______ While you are a teenager, many exciting opportunities for success are given to you. Taking on the right amount of responsibility and independence can push you towards becoming a successful teenager.

First, participate in extra-curricular activities. Schools give students opportunities for staying active. Pick an activity that appeals to you such as athletics, academic clubs, or special-interest clubs. Extra-curricular activities build character through team work, time-management, and competition. Don't be too worried if you aren't very good at what you like, for the important thing is passion.(13)______.

Besides, volunteer.(14)______ Meanwhile, volunteering can teach you job-related skills such as responsibility or time-management. Some schools also reward the learning aspect of volunteer work with credit hours. If you are interested in college, volunteering makes you much more appealing during the application process.

Third, use your summer for academic programs. Getting a head start at college could mean sacrificing your summer vacation. Various universities offer programs for future college students based on interests such as journalism, photography, art, sports, etc.(15)______. Research different programs and then figure out which one is the best choice for you. Check the requirements and deadlines. Avoid getting into trouble because of a simple mistake, and you will have a great time.

Finally, know when to ask for help and advice. Being responsible and independent does not mean being alone.(16)______. So, seek advice from parents, older siblings, advisors at work, teachers, or someone whom you trust. Opening up channels of communication at a young age is a great habit for success.

On April 6, 1909, six men claimed their place as the first explorers to reach the North Pole.

Many had tried to reach the pole, but Peary’s team ___17___ them through clever planning. He also gave ___18___ to Henson, an African American explorer with ___19___ skills. “The team needed his knowledge of the Inuit, and Henson was fluent in their language. Also, he has shared all the physical hardships of my Arctic work,” Peary said.

___20___ winds blew. “Freezing of the face is a(n) ___21___ occurrence,” Henson wrote. “We could even lose fingers or toes. If anyone’s foot began to freeze, another man held the bare foot ___22___ his stomach to warm it up. There was no other way to ___23___ the foot.”

After four journeys to the Arctic, Peary learned how to ___24___ better for the trip. This time, he had other teams go ahead and leave ___25___ along the way to provide for their final dash. They drove long hours every day. “Forced ____26____ all the time,” Peary explained.

They were ____27____ because they came across no open water to ____28____ the team. They spent 30 hours at the pole before they began their ____29____. They couldn’t stay longer as spring was coming and the ice was about to melt. Henson set such a fast pace that Peary warned him not to work the dogs to death. “I know,” Henson replied. “ ____30____ we have to hurry.”

They did it. They reached safety in 16 days and ____31____ their place in history.

Traveling gets a person out of their comfort zone and it forces them to be more ____32____ (adventure), to live life to the fullest, to make the most of this precious gift and use the time they have ____33____ (discover) new things, and meet new people. This is similar to ____34____ people experience when reading a fictional story. They get to become whoever they are reading about, just like when traveling, they get to become the citizens of the country they ____35____ (visit), even if it is only for a short time.

To conclude, traveling is the perfect ____36____ (entertain) for a person of any age. On the one hand, it helps people to form a better understanding of ____37____ (they), their beliefs, and their lives. On the other hand, it also provides people with a better understanding of the world in ____38____ they live. Moreover, it may even help a person to feel ____39____ (connect) to many people living in the world.

There ____40____ (be) no hesitations. Go and explore the world. In the meantime, just place an order and get ready for the trip without _____41_____ second thought.

阅读下面短文，根据所给情节进行续写，使之构成一个完整的故事。

I am a proud mother of three children, my last little one being delivered in the middle of this difficult period caused by COVID-19. She was born in August and her name is Ada.

Shortly after having Ada, my mother-in-law Ann showed me something she learned in an art class she attended weekly. She showed me how to knit（编织）a scarf. She patiently taught me how to use the stitches（针）and gave me her half done project.

I spent a lot of time attending to my sweet little girl, but I still had some extra time to do something with my hands throughout the day. I enjoyed making the scarf so I purchased tons of yarn（线）since it was winter. I wanted to make scarves for my three children as Christmas gifts.

There was a new family that moved in down the street. The only daughter of the family was Jane, a shy girl, aged 14, the same age of my oldest son David. It seemed that she came from a financially disadvantaged family, for she always wore old clothes. Worse still, in such freezing days, she had no more clothes to wear and trembled with cold.

Due to the disease, the society was thrown into crisis mode.Schools were closed, food supplies and deliveries were called off and children were stuck at home. In such discouraging times, however, they became good companions, talking and playing at home or around the houses happily.

It was dreadfully cold this winter. Every time David came back from outside, with red face, he always cried, "Mum, it is freezing outside!" Then, he came over to see whether I had finished the scarf. I could tell how impatient he was to wear my scarf sooner! I had to speed the project to satisfy his expectation. But David comforted me saying he could wait for a few days. What a kind and considerate boy he was! Then my great art project was finally accomplished on the morning ahead of Christmas.