When it comes to historical and cultural heritage, France is a global heavy weight. Here are four of the top UNESCO sites to visit on your next trip to France.

Located just an hour outside Paris by train or car, the Palace of Versailles is a lasting symbol of French royal power. The main palace holds 2,300 rooms, and the site’s gardens, designed by Le Notre are a masterpiece in their own right. The best time to visit is late spring or summer, when the gardens are in full bloom.

The attractive city of Avignon in Provence is best famous today for its wonderful battlements (城), well-preserved ancient city center, and lively summer theater festival. Explore the city center to take in the 13th and 14th century buildings, and the 12th-century Avignon Bridge, which crose gracefully over the Rhone River.

Built between the late 12th century and early 13th century, Chartres is praised for its balanced design and notably well-preserved original characteristics. Located only an hour from Paris by train, Chartres makes an easy and essential day trip from the capital. Come to admire its stylish flying buttresses (扶壁), detailed colored glass and jaw-dropping rose window.

This impressive aqueduct (渡槽) bridge in Southern France is one of the best-preserved architectural works from the Gallo-Roman period, and dates back to the 1st century A.D. Crossing the river Gardon in close reach of the town of Vers-Pont-du-Gard, it’s part of the Nimes aqueduct that covers some 3l miles. Visit the nearby Pont du Gard museum to learn more about the site and Gallo-Roman France.

Solo travel, or traveling alone, wasn’t considered safe, ideal or fashionable for Indian women 25 years ago. But that didn’t stop Dr. Sudha Mahalingam. When she followed her husband on his work trips abroad, she used the opportunities to make her adventurous trips.

Two decades ago, Mahalingam quit her job in mainstream print journalism and switched careers to take up energy research. Soon after, she started receiving invitations to speak at international conferences in oil producing countries and the world of travel opened up to her. Today, at 70, she has visited 66 countries across six continents, which she shares on her blog Footloose Indian as well as in her book The Travel Gods Must Be Crazy.

Owing to a busy schedule of managing work and family, Mahalingam often had no time to organize her travel, so most of her early trips were sudden and unplanned. She landed in the Czech Republic without a valid (有效的) visa, faced the challenge of finding vegetarian food in China, got accidentally locked in a museum in Iran and was caught without proof of a yellow fever vaccination (疫苗接种) at the airport in Nairobi, Kenya.

Though Mahalingam sometimes travels with friends, most of her journeys are solo. Her most recent international adventure that stands out was her trip to Borneo in Southeast Asia. “There were crawlies (爬虫) everywhere and fallen leaves as high as one meter. You put your foot and won’t know if a snake would stick itself around your leg or whether a poisonous insect would bite you. It was pouring all the time. I have been to the Amazon rainforest as well but it was a cakewalk compared to Borneo,” she says.

Mahalingam has been addicted to different adventure sports too, including diving and hang-gliding. She also made a difficult journey to Everest base camp and, at the age of 66, went skydiving in Uluru, Australia.

Well, let’s continue from where we stopped last time. I’m sure you’re well aware of the dangers lurking (潜伏) on the World Wide Web. And whether it’s for schoolwork, entertainment, or just socializing with friends. the Internet will surely be a major part of your child’s life. So, it’s important to secure their online stays.

It’s not an easy task, but maintaining open communication is key. Let them know they can share their online activities with you. Discuss what interests them online and learn about popular websites and apps from them. This will help you understand and identify potential risks.

Next, monitor without spying. Most kids learn to understand boundaries, like respecting others’ personal space, or not opening the cookie jar without asking. Internet use is no different. It’s helpful to set clear rules for them. like which websites they can visit, which apps they can use, and what they can share online. Remind them that if they feel uneasy with anything that occurs online, they need to alert (使警觉) an adult immediately.

How you handle your kids’ internet usage will depend in large part on their age. There are websites and browsing tools designed for younger children, such as YouTube Kids, which aims to provide a safe online experience for children. Older kids may be allowed more freedom since they want to socialize and need to use the internet for information-gathering. But you can set boundaries that feel right for you. Just limit their access appropriately.

Allowing your children to make good decisions online teaches them responsibility, shows that you trust them. and reminds them that rules may be tightened if they disobey them. Stay tuned.

A recent global study, which surveyed 10,000 young people from 10 countries, showed that nearly 60 percent of them were extremely worried about the future state of the planet. The report also showed that nearly half of the respondents (受访者) said that such distress affected them daily, and three-quarters agreed with the statement that “the future is frightening.” This, and many other studies, show clearly that climate change is not just a threat to the environment. It also poses a very real threat to our mental health.

Psychologists have classified these feelings of sadness, distress, and worry about the current climate emergency as eco-anxiety. According to the Climate Psychology Alliance, eco-anxiety is defined as the “intense physical and mental discomfort in response to dangerous changes in the climate system.”

Eco-anxiety doesn’t just affect young people. It also affects researchers who work in climate and ecological science, burdened by the reality discovered in their findings, and it affects the poor people across the globe, who hopelessly bear the harmful impacts of climate breakdown.

In recent years, we’ve seen wildfires tear through Canada and Greece, and summer floods destroy regions in Pakistan that are home to nearly 33 million people. Studies have shown that those impacted by air pollution and rising temperatures are more likely to experience mental distress.

The cause of this mental distress is absolutely external. According to Caroline Hickman, a researcher on eco-anxiety from the University of Bath, anyone experiencing these emotions is displaying entirely natural and rational reactions to the climate crisis. Her suggestion? Take eco-anxiety as a tool for good-as an emotion that can urge people to act in protection of our planet.

This is why, in 2024, we will also see more people around the world join the fight for climate justice and apply for jobs that seek sustainable development. Eco-anxiety is not something we will defeat with therapy—we will solve it by taking action.

The power of communication is the backbone of any successful relationship. 【小题1】 A long-lasting and fulfilling relationship is built on a solid foundation of communication. As family members, we can adopt these practical ways to be more effective communicators and make our relationship stronger.

Express personal needs and feelings. Family members who communicate effectively must express themselves. The first step is to identify your feelings and what you need from your family. It is important to use “I” statements when you’ re expressing yourself and stay away from “you” statements. 【小题2】

Show empathy (共情) and compassion for each other. 【小题3】 Empathy is the ability to see things from another person’ s perspective and understand their feelings. Compassion is the desire to help someone who is experiencing pain or suffering. Family members can provide support and comfort when showing empathy and compassion for one another during difficult times.

【小题4】 It means understanding and accepting that each person has their limits regarding what one can tolerate. Without respect for each other’s principles, it can be easy to overstep (逾越) the line and cause conflict. By clearly communicating needs and expectations, family members can ensure that they are all on the same page and avoid misunderstandings.

Support each other through tough times. No relationship is perfect, and family members will unavoidably face challenges and difficulties at some point in their work and life. 【小题5】 Then they communicate effectively and help each other get through hard times, which in turn strengthens the bonds between family members.

“Would you say you are more of a scientist or an artist?” I frequently ______ this question as I was preparing my doctoral program, often after I told my classmates that I ______ writing poetry. I learned to respond, “A scientist”, because I sensed it would win me more ______. As an undergraduate, poetry had helped release my pressure. But I wanted to be seen as being ______ to my work as those around me, who appeared completely ______ by nonscientific activities. So, I left poetry by the wayside.

However, as my thesis became all-consuming, I was nearly ______. I turned back to poetry but still ______ about appearing less than fully dedicated to my science. So, when a senior graduate whispered, “I hear you write poetry!” I felt ______. Was my cover blown? She went on to invite me to perform at our department’s art party. After spending several days ______, I decided to write a poem and prepare for the performance.

The night of the party, I was ______ at the talent on display, including breathtaking musicianship and visual art. Chatting with other performers, many of whom were also graduate students, I realized many shared my ______ that peers might interpret a passion for art as a (n) ______. But over the course of the evening, I found myself ______ the two halves of my identity. I had nothing to hide.

Since then, I have continued to ______ all of myself. While completing my Ph. D., I constantly wrote poems. Now if someone asks me whether I’m more of a scientist or an artist, I would ______ say, “Both.”