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　　Tutankhamun was a king who governed Egypt around 1361 BC．He was very young when he died and governed Egypt for only nine years．Although he was unimportant compared to many of the great governors of Egypt, Tutankhamun is now one of the most famous names in ancient Egyptian history．

　　More than 100 years ago, archaeologists(考古学家)were uncovering surprising finds in a dusty valley near the River Nile called The Valley of the Kings．By the 1900s, many people felt that all the hidden treasure in the valley had been found．However, one British archaeologist, Howard Carter, was sure that the tomb of Tutankhamun was still lying undiscovered in the valley．With the support of his rich patron(资助人), Lord Carnarvon, he searched for eight long years．

　　Finally, in November 1922, one of Carter’s workmen discovered some stone steps leading down under the ground．Could this be the tomb they had been looking for?

　　Carter and his workers dug down, uncovering more and more steps．Finally they came to a door．On the door was the name they had been hoping to find－Tutankhamun．Carter and Carnarvon were excited, but they knew that they could still be disappointed．Almost all of the tombs discovered in the valley so far had been broken into by thieves, and much of the priceless treasure stolen．The archaeologists broke through the door and continued down a long corridor to another door．Carter carefully made a small hole and pushed a candle through．As the light shone into the room inside, he could hardly believe his eyes．He saw a gold throne covered with jewels, gold chariots, and many beautiful vases and statues．

　　During further searching over the next few months they discovered another three rooms, all full of treasure．One held the most incredible find of all：the golden coffin containing the mummy(木乃伊), or preserved body, of the young king．Carter had discovered the most complete and valuable collection of ancient Egyptian treasure ever found．His long search was over．

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　　Treasures of Titanic as well as the captain’s logbook(日志)may reappear to the public．RMS Titanic Company declared recently that it was ready to search the interior(内部)part of the wreckage(残骸)for the first time．

　　Since 1985 when the wreckage of the luxury boat was found, the RMS has made five attempts to search it．But all the actions were limited to the exterior(＝outer part)of the cabin(客舱)．This time, divers will use a controlled diving machine and enter the boat to make a careful search．

　　The boat is gradually eroded(腐蚀)．This will be the last chance to seek all the treasures(worth about ＄300 million)．Michel Navratil, the last male survivor of the Titanic disaster, has died at the age of 92．

　　Navratil, who became a famous philosopher(哲学家), was nearly four in 1912 when his father left his mother and took him aboard the Titanic．

　　After the ship struck the iceberg, his father put the boy into a life boat and went down with the ship．

　　Navratil said that the Titanic disaster had heavily influenced his career as a philosopher．

　　He recalled the last words of his father as he kissed goodbye to the boy：“tell your mother that I loved her dearly and still do．”

　　After the death of Mr Navratil, two British and two American women, all in their nineties, are the last survivors of the disaster．

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　　Don’t go to Kauai．Go to any of the other Hawaiian Islands－Maui, Lanai－but leave Kauai for us．The weather on Kauai is so unpredictable(不可预测的)that sometimes it rains all day－in fact, it’s the second wettest spot on the earth．Yes, there are giant double rainbows all the time, and the sunlight through the clouds is magical．But if you are not interested in these, go somewhere else．You just can’t control the nature on Kauai, and who wants to surrender(屈服)to the nature when you could be in a fine hotel, lying in a comfortable chair next to a swimming pool, with food served upon request?

　　So what if Kauai produces surf champions the way Texas produces cowboys？Most of its 300 white-sand beaches are unmarked．Unless you connect with the local people, the hidden spots are hard to find．While Hanaleiis is the most beautiful town you’ve ever dreamed of, you can forget about discos and clubs．Worse, it doesn’t have one single four-star restaurant．What it does have is the original drive-through places where you pass by a rambutan tree(红毛丹树), and pick fruit．

　　Shopping in Kauai? Forget it－unless you are interested in shell necklaces and beautifully carved wood bowls．Kauai is not about pampering．It’s about going natural and finding the nature within you．It’s a do-it-yourself place that offers walking along the coast, diving and swimming in the Pacific Ocean, and lying on the beach．

　　Don’t go to Kauai unless you have a lot of time, because there’s only one road, which can be slightly dull．It winds through the beautiful scenery of waterfalls, rivers flowing into the ocean, and taro(芋头)fields．You have no choice but to look at everything, because the speed limit is 35 mph．

　　If you’re not interested in color, don’t bother yourself with Kauai, because that’s what you get－red roads, blue oceans, and a hundred different shades of green．It’s like diving on land．Many people on Kauai believe that this is Lemuria－a lost island in the Atlantic．Can you imagine? Those Hawaiians, surfers, New Agers, and people who love nature and beauty and want a different quality of life－what do they know, anyway? Forget about it－you’re not going to like it．Go somewhere else．Leave Kauai for us．

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　　When you are in Britain, you should know the rules for eye contact．In dealing with strangers the rule for British society is that you must not stare at them but at the same time you cannot take no notice of them．Passing strangers in the street, you may look at the strangers until they are about eight feet away, then your glances must turn away as they pass．Generally speaking strangers feel comfortable looking at one another at a distance．The closer they are, the greater the tendency to avoid eye contact．This can be observed in a crowded lift where strangers’ glances fly from one spot to another．

　　However, British practice needs eye contact when they are communicating with each other．There is a saying in English, “Don’t trust anyone who won’t look at you in the eye．”Not looking at the person could mean a number of things, including fear, contempt, uneasiness, guilt or indifference．Even for a lecturer speaking to his audience there is plenty of eye contact．To bury one’s nose in one’s writing is not welcome．This is not to say that people talking to one another will look directly into one another’s eyes all the time．British people normally look at the other person’s eyes much longer when they are listening than when speaking．When they are about to stop speaking and start listening they look at the other person’s eyes to signal that they are about to change role．

　　Staring at people is considered rude in Britain and young children will be scolded by their parents if they look too long at another person．Many English people traveling to some countries find being looked at very uncomfortable．

　　So, dear friends, when you are in England, you should know when you should look at others and when you shouldn’t．

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　　Vancouver is a young city, even by North American standards．It was not yet a town when British Columbia became part of the Canadian confederation(联盟)in 1871．The city’s history, such as it is, remains visible to the naked eye：Periods of history are formed in a neat pile from east to west along the waterfront, from cobblestone late-Victorian Gastown to shiny postmodern glass cathedrals(大教堂)of commerce．

　　The Chinese, among the first to recognize the possibilities of Vancouver’s setting, came to British Columbia during the 1850s seeking the gold that inspired them to name the province Gum-shan, or Gold Mountain．As laborers, they built the Canadian Pacific Railway, giving Vancouver a purpose－one beyond natural scenery that Royal Navy captain George Vancouver admired during his lunchtime cruise(巡游)around its harbor on June 13, 1792．The Canadian transcontinental railway, along with the city’s Great White Fleet of ships, gave Vancouver a full week’s edge over the California ports in shipping tea and silk to New York at the end of the 19th century．

　　For its original people, the Coast Salish people, Vancouver was the sacred spot where the mythical(神话)Thunderbird and Killer Whale threw wind and rain all about the heavens during their brave battles．How else to explain the coast’s changeable weather? Devotees of a later religious(宗教)tradition might worship in the bushes of Stanley Park or Christ Church Cathedral, the city’s oldest church．

　　Vancouver, with a large population of about 2 million, is developing．The mild climate, beautiful natural scenery, and relaxed outdoor lifestyle is attracting many people to settle in British Columbia’s business center, and the number of visitors is increasing for the same reasons．Many people get their first sight of Vancouver when catching an Alaskan cruise, and many return at some point to spend more time there．

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　　Exciting places to go and fun things to do

　　Want an exciting holiday but don’t know what you can do or where you can go? Don’t worry．Here are the top five adventure destinations selected by ?Vogue? magazine this year．

　　Diving

　　Wherever there’s a coral reef(珊瑚礁), the chances are there are divers nearby．Diving is one of the fastest-growing water sports in the world．Among the world’s favourite diving spots are the northern edge of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef(大堡礁)and the Maldive Islands(马尔代夫群岛)in the Indian Ocean．There is enough underwater activity to satisfy the most demanding diver．

　　Skiing

　　People have been skiing since 3000 BC, but the birth of modern skiing－for pleasure rather than necessity－only began in the late 19th century．Since then, winter’s top sport has become an industry．European countries, especially those along the Alps(阿尔卑斯山), are famous for their skiing spots．Norway, France and Switzerland are good choices．There you can enjoy plenty of exercise among the mountainous forests while breathing the fresh air．Within a couple of lessons, you will be gliding(滑行)through the trees in style．

　　Many beautiful mountain paths are now linked by steel cables(钢索)and ladders．You can work your way up the kind of rocks that would otherwise be only fit for birds．Besides the proper equipment, you often need a strong will．Europe’s highest mountain, Mont Blanc(勃朗峰)at 4807 metres, is a common goal for climbers worldwide．

　　White water

　　At first it all seems rather easy as you drift(漂流)along with the gentle current(水流)－the water only occasionally reaching over the sides of your raft．And then suddenly, you realize why they call it white-water rafting．

　　First comes the dull, distant roar of rapids(水流的咆哮声), then a wash of white water and finally the roller-coaster(过山车)ride that turns you at top speed down the river．The Bio-Bio River in Chile(智利)and the Colorado River in the US are among the finest white-water destinations．

　　Safari

　　In a zoo without bars, safaris(游猎)are adventure in the purest form．Out on safari, it is the animals who rule the land．From jeeps, you can see the struggles of life and death in a wide variety of wildlife, such as elephants, lions, birds and snakes．

　　The national parks in Africa are the perfect places for safaris．

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　　Recently my wife and I, along with a travel companion, were in the tiny town of Battambang in central Cambodia．We hired a guide to take us up the river to our next destination at Siem Reap．This was to be a six-hour trip followed by crossing Lake Sap, the largest lake in central Asia．Battambang is an extremely poor area, and our mode of transportation was a very small, old boat which was not much larger than three of us．With six bags tied to the front part of the boat, four travelers, and the boatman, I figured we were overloaded by at least a ton．We frequently had seen four or five people on a single motorbike, so no one but us was concerned about our weight．We had been on the water only a few minutes when our pilot made for shore and jumped from our boat to another．Our guide said not to worry．He added, “We need to pick up live chickens for their legs．” My wife and I exchanged glances．We are pretty open-minded, especially when traveling in a third-world country．It was obvious there was little room in our tiny vessel for chickens．If we had to take them along, we were willing to hold them on our legs－there was no place else to put them．After all, our guide had said we needed them for their legs．We continued to make many jokes about live chickens drawing us to shore if the boat turned over and we were about eating them if we were left on a wild island．Meanwhile our guide just gave us a puzzled look．Finally my wife turned to him and asked, “How many chickens are we taking?” At first he seemed totally surprised, and then a large smile spread over his face．He bent over and began to laugh uncontrollably．My wife turned to me and said, “I’m glad he finds the thought of us holding chickens on our legs for six hours so funny．”When he finished laughing, he looked at us and pronounced every word clearly and loudly, “No live chickens!I said, ‘We need life jackets for the lake!’” It took a moment for this to sink in, and then we all had a good laugh．In fact, for the next six hours he kept asking us if our “chickens” fit all right and then laughed wildly．

　　“Americans, so funny!” he kept saying．

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　　Not all memories are sweet．Some people spend all their lives trying to forget bad experiences．Violence and traffic accidents can leave people with terrible physical and emotional scars．Often they relive(重新体验)these experiences in nightmares．

　　Now American researchers think they are close to developing a pill, which will help people forget bad memories．The pill is designed to be taken immediately after a frightening experience．They hope it might reduce, or possibly erase(抹去)the effect of painful memories．

　　In November, experts tested a drug on people in the US and France．The drug stops the body releasing chemicals that fix memories in the brain．So far the research has suggested that only the emotional effects of memories may be reduced, not that the memories are erased．

　　The research has caused a great deal of argument．Some think it is a bad idea, while others support it．Supporters say it could lead to pills that prevent or treat soldiers’ troubling memories after war．

　　They say that there are many people who suffer from terrible memories．“Some memories can ruin people’s life．They come back to you when you don’t want to have them in a daydream or nightmare．They usually come with very painful emotions, ” said Roger Pitman, a professor of psychiatry(精神病学)at Harvard Medical School．“This could relieve a lot of that suffering．”

　　But those who are against the research say that changing memories is very dangerous because memories give us our identity(特质)．They also help us all avoid the mistakes of the past．“All of us can think of bad events in our lives that were horrible at the time but make us who we are．I’m not sure we’d want to wipe those memories out, ”said Rebecca Dresser, a medical ethicist(伦理学家)．

　　Some people fear that although the drug would first be used in only very serious cases, it would become more and more common．“People always have the ability to misuse science, ”said Joseph LeDoux, a New York University memory researcher．“All we want to do is to help people have better control of memories．”

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　　We have two daughters：Kristen is seven years old and Kelly is four．Last Sunday evening, we invited some people home for dinner．I dressed them nicely for the party, and told them that their job was to join Mommy in answering the door when the bell rang．Mommy would introduce them to the guests, and then they would take the guests’ coats upstairs and put them on the bed in the second bedroom．

　　The guests arrived．I introduced my two daughters to each of them．The adults were nice and kind and said how lucky we were to have such good kids．

　　Each of the guests made a particular fuss over Kelly, the younger one, admiring her dress, her hair and her smile．They said she was a remarkable girl to be carrying coats upstairs at her age．

　　I thought to myself that we adults usually make a big “to do” over the younger one because she’s the one who seems more easily to be hurt．We do it with the best of intentions．

　　But we seldom think of how it might affect the other child．I was a little worried that Kristen would feel she was being out shined．I was about to serve dinner when I realized that she had been missing for twenty minutes．I ran upstairs and found her in the bedroom, crying．

　　I said, “What are you doing, my dear?”

　　She turned to me with a sad expression and said, “Mommy, why don’t people like me the way they like my sister? Is it because I’m not pretty? Is that why they don’t say nice things about me as much?”

　　I tried to explain to her, kissing and hugging her to make her feel better．

　　Now, whenever I visit a friend’s home, I make it a point to speak to the elder child first．

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　　Yellow fever is a disease in warm lands that is found mainly along the shores of the Atlantic Ocean．It was first noticed in America, but may have come from Africa and reached the New World soon after Columbus．Yellow fever was one of the most feared diseases in the United States, where many died in repeated outbreaks．An outbreak, which was to lead to surprising development, was one that happened in Cuba during the Spanish-American War．

　　An army group under Walter Reed was sent there in June 1900 with orders to give special attention to questions about the cause and prevention of yellow fever．In many experiments, he proved the truth of an idea advanced in 1881 by a Cuban doctor that the city type of mosquitoes passed on the disease．They are born in pools of quiet and warm water, within a short distance of people’s homes．

　　So a general came to Havana with orders from the United States government to dry up these pools．He carried out the task so well that the mosquitoes disappeared．Yellow fever never returned to Havana．A few years later the same general successfully repeated this operation in Panama and in this way made the building of the Panama Canal possible．It all seemed so simple．End the mosquitoes, end the disease．Man even began to dream of getting rid of yellow fever from the world．