选择知识点

Volunteering Is Fun

   One afternoon I was sitting at home feeling so bored．Instead of feeling sorry for myself，I wanted to meet people and have new experiences so I decided to start volunteering．I searched on my computer and found a website where I could volunteer on a farm in France．

   My time working on a farm was a new experience for me．It was basically a free holiday as food and accommodation were provided．However，it was not your typical holiday as I had to look after fifteen horses and sleep at the top of a tower in a castle! I was an awful farmer but it did not matter because I made some great friends．

   However，you do not need to go abroad to volunteer．I have had plenty of adventures at home as volunteering can become a hobby．For example，I love singing so I had a good laugh waving my arms in an attempt to conduct my local choir．I did slowly improve and it felt great to conduct the choir in a concert．At university，I organised a concert for charity with my friends．It was really fun finding bands and raising money for a cause we believe in． 

   It is true that you feel good volunteering but there are also other advantages．I once volunteered as a server at a charity sports event where the organizers gave me cupcakes to thank me for my services. I also volunteered in a charity shop so I found loads of nice cheap clothes to update my wardrobe（衣柜）．

   While this is all fun，my favourite aspect of volunteering is creating and sharing stories．My terrible attempts at farming have given me hilarious stories to tell! Talking to volunteers from different countries and backgrounds has also helped me learn more about the world．I feel thankful to have had so much fun with many nice people thanks to volunteering．

Cities usually have a good reason for being where they are, like a nearby port or river. People settle in these places because they are easy to get to and naturally suited to communications and trade. New York City, for example, is near a large harbour at the mouth of the Hudson River. Over 300 years its population grew gradually from 800 people to 8 million. But not all cities develop slowly over a long period of time. Boom towns grow from nothing almost overnight. In 1896, Dawson, Canada, was unmapped wilderness(荒野). But gold was discovered there in 1897, and two years later, it was one of the largest cities in the West, with a population of 30,000.

Dawson did not have any of the natural conveniences of cities like London or Paris. People went there for gold. They travelled over snow-covered mountains and sailed hundreds of miles up icy rivers. The path to Dawson was covered with thirty feet of wet snow that could fall without warming. An avalanche(雪崩) once closed the path, killing 63 people. For many who made it to Dawson, however, the rewards were worth the difficult trip. Of the first 20,000 people who dug for gold, 4,000 got rich. About 100 of these stayed rich men for the rest of their lives.

But no matter how rich they were, Dawson was never comfortable. Necessities like food and wood were very expensive. But soon, the gold that Dawson depended on had all been found. The city was crowded with disappointed people with no interest in settling down, and when they heard there were new gold discoveries in Alaska, they left Dawson City as quickly as they had come. Today, people still come and go — to see where the Canadian gold rush happened. Tourism is now the chief industry of Dawson City — its present population is 762.

Do you have a dream, something you always see yourself doing? Perhaps you see yourself as a teacher, a lawyer, or even a scientist. Whatever it is, don’t let it die.

    A dream is a wonderful thing. It can give you hope for your future and encourage you to try when all odds are against you.

    However, there are dream killers that want to kill your dream. They may tell you that it is impossible for you, that you are not smart enough or that it’s never been done before. However, many times the biggest dream killer is yourself.

    Don’t let fear, doubt or lack of finances prevent you from fulfilling your dream. Talk back to these killers, “I can and will fulfill my dream.” You may have to do this every day. The more you instill(逐渐灌输) within your heart that you can do it, the more safely your dream will be held within you.

    It is very important to take steps towards fulfilling your dream. For me, in order to fulfill my dream of owning my own magazine, I needed to go back to school and finish my college degree. For you, it may be something different. You know deep inside what the voice of your dream calls for. Don’t be afraid and just do it. Try not to let too much time go by. Time is another one of those dream killers.

    Think about the words of a song by Yolanda Adams, “Keep the dream alive. Don’t let it die. If something deep inside keeps inspiring you to try, don’t stop. And never give up. Don’t ever give up on you. Sometimes, life can place a stumbling block in your way. But you have to keep the faith.”

When you dream, dream big and never give up. Your dream is just yours. Never let anyone tell you that your dream can’t happen—it can! Keep seeing yourself do what’s never been done before. As you continue to feed your dream and protect it, not only will you keep it alive, but it will come true.

Volunteering Is Fun

   One afternoon I was sitting at home feeling so bored．Instead of feeling sorry for myself，I wanted to meet people and have new experiences so I decided to start volunteering．I searched on my computer and found a website where I could volunteer on a farm in France．

   My time working on a farm was a new experience for me．It was basically a free holiday as food and accommodation were provided．However，it was not your typical holiday as I had to look after fifteen horses and sleep at the top of a tower in a castle! I was an awful farmer but it did not matter because I made some great friends．

   However，you do not need to go abroad to volunteer．I have had plenty of adventures at home as volunteering can become a hobby．For example，I love singing so I had a good laugh waving my arms in an attempt to conduct my local choir．I did slowly improve and it felt great to conduct the choir in a concert．At university，I organised a concert for charity with my friends．It was really fun finding bands and raising money for a cause we believe in． 

   It is true that you feel good volunteering but there are also other advantages．I once volunteered as a server at a charity sports event where the organizers gave me cupcakes to thank me for my services. I also volunteered in a charity shop so I found loads of nice cheap clothes to update my wardrobe（衣柜）．

   While this is all fun，my favourite aspect of volunteering is creating and sharing stories．My terrible attempts at farming have given me hilarious stories to tell! Talking to volunteers from different countries and backgrounds has also helped me learn more about the world．I feel thankful to have had so much fun with many nice people thanks to volunteering．

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.

Next morning, there was no wind and we were half a mile from the eastern coast of the island．Although the sun shone bright and hot, I hated the thought of Treasure Island, afraid of what would happen there．

Guns were given to all the honest men．Hunter, Joyce, and Redruth were told what was happening, and were less sur-prised than we expected them to be．Then the captain went on deck to talk to the crew．

They all became happier at once．I think they thought they would find the treasure lying around on the beach! After some talk, six men stayed on board, and the others, with Silver, got into the small boats．

I then had the first of the mad ideas that helped to save our lives．If six men were left, we could not take control of the ship; and because only six were left, the captain’s men did not need my help．So I quickly went over the ship’s side and into the nearest boat．

No one took much notice of me, only one man saying, “Is that you, Jim?” But Silver called from the other boat, wanting to know if it was me．Then I began to worry if I had done the right thing．

The crews rowed to the beach and our boat arrived first．I ran towards the trees．Silver and the rest were a hundred me-tres behind, and I heard him shouting, “Jim, Jim!” But I took no notice, pushing through trees and bushes, and ran until I could run no longer．

I was pleased to lose Long John and began to enjoy looking around this strange island．I crossed wet ground and came to a long, open piece of sand, then went on to a place where the trees had branches that were thick and close to the sand．

Just then I heard distant voices, Silver’s among them, and hid behind a tree．Through the leaves, I saw Long John Silver and another of the crew talking together．

“I’m warning you because I’ m your friend, Tom,” Silver was saying．

“Silver,” said Tom．“You’re old and you’re honest, or so men say; and you’ve money, too, which lots of poor seamen haven’t．And you’re brave．Why let yourself be led away with that kind of scoundrel? I’d rather die than—”

Suddenly, there was a noise of distant shouting, then a long horrible scream．I had found one honest man here, and that ter-rible, distant scream told me of another．

“John!” said Tom．“What was that?”

“That?” replied Silver．His eyes shone like pieces of broken glass in the sun．“That’ll be Alan．”

“Alan!” cried poor Tom．“An honest and true seaman! John Silver, you’ve been a friend of mine, but for no longer．You’ve killed Alan, have you? Then kill me, too，if you can!”

The brave man turned his back on Silver and began to walk back to the beach．With a shout, Silver threw his crutch through the air．It hit poor Tom between the shoulders, and he fell to the ground with a cry．

A

TEACH DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN IN QUITO IN ECUAD OR

Teach in nice and beautiful Ecuador（厄瓜多尔）! The government school we work with has about 200 pupils aged from 5 to 14 years old. The children come from many different economic backgrounds and family situations. Some of the children are supported by the upper-class employers of their parents; others cannot attend school every day as they sell something in the streets for parts of the week.

This school really needs volunteers and you’ll be greatly appreciated. You’ll work with disadvantaged children who will benefit greatly from your help! You will be able to teach English and many other subjects—IT, sports, music, art, drama, anything you have a good knowledge in! Please let us know if you have a special interest and we will do our best to tailor-make (定制) your project!

SUMMARY FACTFILE

Price:From￡775, excluding flights

Duration:From 2 weeks to 6 months subject to visa requirements

Start Dates:All year round—you choose your start and finish dates

Requirements:At least aged 17, no qualifications necessary, but you’ll have to be enthusiastic. You’ll need to know a little Spanish to do this project, but if you have no knowledge of Spanish at all, you can combine your project with 1-week intensive (强化的) Spanish course in Quito before starting your project.

WHAT YOU’LL GAIN FROM DOING THIS PROJECT:

• An exciting, never-to-be-forgotten adventure in the fascinating culture of Ecuador

• The great satisfaction of helping disadvantaged children and adults and knowing that you made a difference to them

• New skills, more confidence, a greater understanding of a different culture, invaluable personal and professional development

• An entry on your CV that makes you stand head and shoulders above others in the job market

• And best of all...an unforgettable experience!