“The Arctic(北极) is dying.” Scientists returning from the Arctic have warned. The temperature in the Arctic is 18 degrees higher than it was 125 years ago. They predict that if we keep going as we are, the Arctic will have no ice during the summer many years later. The global warming and the melting(融化) of sea ice are having a huge influence on Arctic life. For example, polar bears depend on sea ice to hunt food. But when the sea ice melts, they are forced onto land, where there’s no enough food for them. Polar bears are not the only animals that are influenced. Animals like walruses(海象) and seals(海豹) also depend on the ice to live. Losing ice means they are losing their home.

Since there’s now more rain, grass is covered by ice instead of snow. Many reindeer(驯鹿) die of hunger because they can’t get their food under the hard ice. According to the World Wildlife Fund(WWF), the number of reindeer has dropped by 56 percent in the last 20 years. Melting sea ice is also opening the door for more human activities, such as shipping, traveling and fishing. This will damage the area’s environment and the Arctic would never be the same again.

Facts about the Arctic

● The ocean makes up two-thirds of the Arctic, while one-third is made up of land.

● It’s home to more than 21, 000 species(物种).

● It’s home to about 4 million people.

●The sun never rises in the Arctic from December to March. The sun never goes down during the summer.

As the ice melts...

● Sea levels will rise.

●Some cities may go underwater.

●There will be more extreme(极端) weather.

Stanford is a world famous university on the west coast of the U.S. It was built by Stanford and his wife in memory of their only son who died of a strange disease.

Tourists are often surprised at the beauty of Stanford. Among the green trees, buildings with yellow walls and red tops make up a beautiful picture. Many tourists wonder why yellow and red were chosen. That’s because they were the favorites of Mrs. Stanford.

The big church is the most important building in Stanford. It stands at the centre. It was built by Mrs. Stanford to remember her husband who devoted (贡献) himself to the university. There, students and teachers can communicate with God and hold great activities, such as concerts and celebrations.

The tallest building in Stanford is Hoover Tower, which is the land mark of the university. A man named Hoover had done a lot for the university. The things he once used can be seen on the first floor. On the top of the tower, tourists can have a good look at the whole campus(校园).

As one of the world top universities, Stanford has many subjects that stand among the top ones in the world. And computer science has been the first for many years. If you want to study computer in a university abroad, maybe it is your best choice.

The Qingming Festival is an important festival in China. It falls in early April every year. The Qingming Festival is a traditional day to visit the cemeteries (墓地), so people also call it the Tomb-Sweeping Day. Chinese people have it to remember their ancestors (祖先).

The Qingming Festival came from the Hanshi Festival during the Spring and Autumn Period. It was for Jie Zitui, a loyal minister of Jin. The festival later became a more general day to remember ancestors in the Tang Dynasty. It became a public holiday in 2008. People have one day off for that day.

Of course, the main activity of the Qingming Festival is tomb sweeping. Generally, people visit their family cemeteries and offer food, flowers and favorite things of the dead. Chinese people also like to fly kites during the Qingming Festival. That’s because people believe that the kite can send their greetings to their ancestors and it can also bring them good luck. Nowadays, many young people do tomb sweeping online, because of their busy work and being far from their hometowns.