Next, cover the hole with the plastic sheet, securing the edges of the plastic with dirt and weighting the sheet’s center down with a rock. The plastic should now form a cone(圆锥体) with 45-degree-angled sides. The low point of the sheet must be centered directly over, and no more than three inches above, the cup.

If youˈre traveling with kids in London, many London hotels have special services and features to help the family holiday, offering services to kids as well as games, bike hire and free ice cream!

Athenaeum

The five-star Athenaeum is a fantastic family hotel，particularly with the addition of its kidsˈ services. Even before you arrive, theyˈll be in touch to make sure your kids have their favorite DVDs, treats and anything else to keep them happy. And they can arrange your perfect family activities, from bike hire to theater tickets.

Novotel

Novotelˈs family rooms are designed to accommodate two adults and two children. Accommodation and breakfast are free for under-16s(up to two staying in their parentsˈ room)．You can also enjoy a late check-out at 5 p. m. on a Sunday, and while you lie in, the kids can entertain themselves with the Cartoon Network.

Chessington Safari Hotel

At Chessington Safari Hotel, kids will love staying in an African adventure-themed room, having breakfast, overlooking the animals of the Wanyama Reserve, watching family-friendly movies and getting into the theme park before it opens.

The Ritz

Kids at The Ritz are treated just as well as their parents, if not better! Children can enjoy computer games and DVDs, free ice cream and their own bathrobes and slippers. Under-16s can stay for free in their parentsˈ bedroom, depending on the room type.

Marlin Apartments

Marlin Apartments operate more than 700 serviced apartments in London. Apartments are all within five minutesˈ walk of the Tube(Good for tired little legs！) with flat screen TVs, fully equipped kitchens and free Wi-Fi. One or two bedroom family apartments have extra room for folding beds in the living area.

Did you know that a turtle (乌龟) can lay 12 eggs in one minute? A large sea turtle lays around 150 eggs at a time. She lays all these eggs in just a few minutes.

Large sea turtles live in the warm seas of the world. Except for when they lay their eggs, they spend their whole lives in the water. When it is time to lay their eggs, the females swim to land ...

They usually return to the place where they themselves were born. How they find their way back there is unknown. When they reach shore, the big, heavy turtles crawl slowly up to the high water mark. Using their flippers (脚蹼), they pull themselves along the sand. They must struggle like mountain climbers. When they finally reach dry sand, they rest before beginning the difficult task of laying eggs.

My Year Abroad                                                           

This month in Travelers Corner there are three teenagers’ experiences in year-abroad programmes.

Mariko Okada – Tokyo

My year abroad in the United States was a fantastic experience. I’m not a shy person, and I was very comfortable speaking to everyone. So I got lots of speaking practice. I also learned lots of interesting things about American culture. When I got home, my friends all said that I had improved so much! I hope to go back again in the future.

Carla Fonseca – Rio de Janeiro

I spent last year studying English in London. I’m from a small town, and London is a very big city. Sometimes I felt it was too big. There were so many people to talk to, but I always felt bad about my English. I missed my family, and I really missed my two cats. My roommate was always using our telephone, so I hardly had the chance for a nice long talk with my parents. I think it was a good experience for me, but I’m glad to be home!

Alvin Chen – Hong Kong

Studying in New Zealand was an interesting experience for me, but it was also lots of hard work! I had English classes six hours a day, five days a week——with lots of homework. I also kept a diary of my experience. I like to write, and I wrote two or three pages in my diary every day. On Saturdays, my home stay family took me to lots of interesting places and showed me so many wonderful things about the culture. I’m really glad I went!

How many things can you see in the night sky? A lot! On a clear night you might see the Moon, some planets, and thousands of stars.

But scientists believe there are some things in the sky that we will never see. We won’t see them with the biggest telescope in the world, on the clearest night of the year. That’s because they are invisible. They’re the mysterious dead stars called black holes.

 You might find it hard to imagine that stars die. After all, our Sun is a star. Year after year we see it up in the sky, burning brightly, giving us heat and light. The Sun certainly doesn’t seem to be getting old or weak. But stars do burn out and die after billions of years.

 As a star gases burn, they give off light and heat. But when the gases run out, the star stops burning and begins to die. 

As the star cools, the outer layers of the star pull in towards the center. The star squashes(挤压) into a smaller and smaller ball. If the star was very small, the stars ends up as a cold, dark ball. If the star was very big, it keeps squashing inward until it’s packed together tighter than anything in the universe.  

Imagine if the Earth were crushed(挤压) until it was the size of a tiny marble. That’s how tightly this dead star, a black hole, is packed. What pulls the star in toward its center with such power? It’s the same force that pulls you down when you jump--- the force called gravity. A black hole is so tightly packed that its gravity sucks(卷入) in everything---even light. The light from a black hole can never come back to your eyes. That’s why you see nothing but blackness.  

So the next time you stare up at the night sky, remember: there’s more in the sky than meets the eye! Scattered(散落) in the silent darkness are black holes--- the great mystery of space.

Summer is the most popular season to visit Texas since there is so much to see and to do. While visiting the Lone Star State this summer, don’t miss visiting some of these attractions and taking part in some of Texas, best summer vacation activities.

Visit SeaWorld

There are sea life shows, adventure camps，thrilling rides and a water park. A great many activities are waiting for you at SeaWorld.

Windsurf (风帆冲浪) at South Padre

With miles of shallow (浅的)，calm water in the Lower Laguna Madre and strong winds conning off the Gulf of Mexico, South Padre Island is a windsurfer’s dream.

Swim at Barton Springs

Barton Springs is in the famous Zilker Park. It was formed when Barton Creek was built. Since its opening, Barton Springs has become one of the most popular swimming pools in the state.

Take part in an outdoor adventure

In the scenic Texas Hill Country, Lake Buchanan Adventures offers different kinds of activities, including boating, hiking, camping and more.

Camp and hike in Big Bend Park

Big Bend offers a great number of outdoor activities in an old way. Backpacking, mountain biking, fishing, boating, hiking, nature watching and camping — you name it. If it can be done outdoors, it can be done in Big Bend.

Enjoy saltwater fishing

Saltwater fishing in Texas is as good as anywhere else in the USA. More and more fishermen have been discovering this in recent years and packing their bags and rods (鱼竿）to make good use of Texas’ world-class saltwater fishery.

How to have fun in Chicago without spending a lot of money?

Sightseeing

★The Art In stitute of Chicago has a fine collection of photos and paintings. The ticket is $10. 00. But on Tuesdays you’ll get in free.

★The Sears Tower is the world’s third tallest building. By going to the 103rd floor, you can get a great view of the who le city! All for only $8. 50.

Free show

★There are free concerts in Grant Park in summer. They are held from Wednesday to Saturday at 7: 00 pm.

★Attend the taping of a TV show for free. The Oprah Winfrey Show and the Jenny Jones Show both offer tourists free tickets. For the Oprah Winfrey Show you’ll have to book tickets at least a month before.

Places to stay

★You can get a hotel for $100 to $300 a day. However, you can get a room in the dormitory at Roosevelt University for $215 for a whole week! But you have to stay for 30 days to get this great rate(价格).

What would it be like to walk on Mars? If you could build the highest building in the world，what would it look like? Do you dream of being the next J. K. Rowling? This summer, you can experience all of these things, and more. All you need is an Internet connection and your imagination.

A recent study by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that kids spend an average of 1 hour and 29 minutes online each day. Many kids like to use that time to chat with friends, play games or check e­mails. But the next time you get on the Web, try exploring the world instead. “With the Internet，you can go back 11,000 years in time，or go 11,000 kilometers across the planet.” said Russell, Web search expert of Google. “The whole scope of history and the world is open to you.”

There is a wealth of information to be found online. For example, if your family is going on vacation somewhere, do a quick online search on the area before you even get in the car. “What's the background of the place; what's the history？” says Russell. “I like to tell my kids, ‘Whenever you have a question, whenever you have a doubt, search it out.’”

Ready to launch a virtual journey of your own? Here are a few starting points to get you thinking and to help you on your way. You can invite your parents along for the ride, too. Always ask for permission before downloading programs and software onto your computer. And check with a parent or an adult before visiting any new Web site.

Navigate the world in 3­D with Google Earth. Begin in outer space and zoom (快速移动) into the streets of any city, from Hong Kong to San Francisco. Or visit ancient monuments, watch the changing rainforests over time, and dive underwater to explore tropical reef.

With the Moon in Google Earth tool, you can walk in Neil Armstrong's famous footsteps. Take a guided tour of the moon's surface with Armstrong's fellow shuttle mate astronaut Buzz Aldrin.

When you're exploring that part of the solar system, hop on over to the Red Planet with Google Mars. There, you can move very quickly around the surface and see images from the Mars Rovers.