【推荐3】With so many NYC museums to choose from, it’s hard to begin. The good news is, you’re in the right place. Below is a highly selective list of museums in New York City.

Metropolitan Museum of Art

Occupying two million square feet, with a permanent collection of over two million works of art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art (founded in 1870) is one the largest galleries in the world. This famous fine arts museum in NYC possesses works from classical antiquity (古物), ancient Egypt, Asia, Byzantium, and Europe, with nearly all of the European masters represented.

American Museum of Natural History

Originally founded in 1869, the American Museum of Natural History is one of the largest museums in the world. Located in park-like grounds across the street from Central Park, the museum complex consists of 28 interconnected buildings housing 45 permanent exhibition halls. As a popular family-friendly NYC attraction, the American Museum of Natural History is as fun as it is educational.

Solomon R.Guggenheim Museum

One of the mid-twentieth century’s most important architectural landmarks, the iconic Solomon R.Museum was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Wright spent 15 years designing the building and gave up 700 sketches and six sets of working drawings in the process. He died six months before the doors were opened.

New York City Fire Museum

The New York City Fire Museum (set up in 1934) is a charming alternative to the more expensive museums of New York. Here you will find art and artifacts that celebrate the history of firefighting and the New York City Fire Department, including modern-day firefighting equipment and real New York fire equipment from 1790.

【推荐1】Soaps are television serial (连续的) dramas of a highly dramatic and sentimental (情感的) nature. They are called soaps because many of them were originally funded by soap companies. They were appealing to an audience primarily made up of house wives. Soaps tell us a lot about the viewers they are produced for. These long-running serials, with potentially endless episodes (集), are concerned with everyday life. They are generally aimed at the lower classes in a country.

In the US, the most popular soaps usually feature the lives of the rich, the charming and the beautiful. Their houses are always beautiful, big and well decorated. The characters lead exciting lives. Most of these characters are very ambitious. One of the most popular soaps is The bold and the Beautiful. The name says it all really! It is set in Los Angeles and centred on the attractive and wealthy Forrester family and their impossibly gorgeous fashion house business. It is probably the most watched soap in the world.

The British prefer to see ordinary characters rather than the gorgeous high-flyers of the US soaps. They prefer to view on TV what they have experienced personally and what they actually see around them. They believe that one should accept one’s station in life and not attempt to be more than one actually is.

Coronation Street, first shown in 1960, is the longest-running British TV soap opera. It is watched by about one-third of the British population, more often by women, by older people, and especially by people from lower socio-economic groups. EastEnders is another popular British show, though it appeals to a younger generation. Again the characters tend to be working class. In addition to women, young people and men are also given strong roles in order to reach a wider audience.

Thus the soaps can teach us a lot about the audience that they are intended for. The characters, settings and even the story lines can show us what appeals to British and American people.

【推荐1】Shakespeare’s Birthplace and Exhibition of Shakespeare’s World

Welcome to the world-famous house where William Shakespeare was born in l564 and where he grew up. The property(房产) remained in the ownership of Shakespeare’s family until 1806. The House has welcomed visitors traveling from all over the world for over 250 years.

◆Enter through the Visitors’ Centre and see the highly-praised exhibition Shakespeare’s World, a lively and full introduction to the life and work of Shakespeare.

◆Stand in the rooms where Shakespeare grew up.

◆Discover examples of furniture and needlework from Shakespeare’s period.

◆Enjoy the traditional(传统的) English garden, planted with trees and flower mentioned in the poet’s works.

The Birthplace is within easy walking distance of all the car parks shown on the map；nearest is Windsor Street(3 minutes’ Walk).

The House may present difficulties but the Visitors’ Centre, its exhibition Hall and the garden are accessible(可进入的) to wheelchair users.

The Shakespeare Coffee House (opposite the Birthplace)

【推荐2】It’s the 3rd Annual Family Fun Fair!

• Games     • Crafts (工艺品)     • Apple pie contest

• Food     • Face painting     • Door prizes (门票对号奖)

... and more!

What: A chance to celebrate spring, support our community (社区), and have fun!

When: Saturday, February 8th from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., rain or shine!

Where: The big field next to Hopedale Elementary School

For more information: Contact Peter Halm at 555-0191

Don’t miss the 3rd annual Family Fun Fair!

This fair promises to be even better than last year’s fair — no kidding!

Last year the game booths (摊位) were a big hit. (Who could forget Principal Snyder winning a toy dog that was so big it took four students to carry it to her truck?) This year we have two new game booths. So get ready to take part in the games.

Visit our craft tables. They will be better than ever! You can buy items such as clothing, backpacks, and gift baskets.

Children aged 5 and under can have their faces painted for FREE by Mr. Garcia’s third-grade art class.

No fair would be complete without food. We will be selling hot dogs, ice cream, roasted nuts, and cotton candy at our booths. For those of you who love to bake, why not enter our new apple pie contest? Just bring your pie to the pie table on the morning of the fair. At 1 p.m., our judges, Coach Carter and math teacher, Mrs. Adams, will choose a winner.

Won’t you please support our school by coming to the fair? Tickets are only $2 each. Door prizes will be given. You could win sports equipment, a new camera, or dinner for four at Merino’s Restaurant!

【推荐3】Japan is starting to experiment with self-driving buses in rural (乡村的) communities, such as the town of Nishikata, where the elderly are living a hard life because of fewer bus and taxi services as the population ages and becomes smaller.

The advance of the self-driving technology is making cities such as Paris and Singapore experiment with such services, which could prove important in Japan, where populations are not only graying, but becoming smaller, in rural areas.

Japan could start the self-driving services for communities that are far from cities by 2020, if the experiments begun this month prove successful.

The government plans to turn highway rest stops into centers from which to drive the elderly to medical and banking services.

“Smaller towns in Japan are graying even faster than cities, and there are just not enough workers to drive buses and taxis,” said Hiroshi Nakajima of mobile gaming software maker DeNA Co.

In the initial (最初的) experiments, the elderly of Nishikata were sent from a service area to some organizations providing healthcare services.

“I worry about not being able to go out when I’m no longer able to drive,” said one test rider, Shizu Yuzawa, adding that she would be open to using such services.

The test also checked the vehicle’s safety in road conditions, and if those crossing its path would react to the warning it gives.

The ride, at a speed of about 10 kilometers per hour, felt comfortable and safe, said test taker Mieko Shimazaki, 71, but her 72-year-old husband, Susumu, said, “Self-driving cars could be useful in the future, but I’d like to see them go faster, at least at 40 kilometers per hour.”

【推荐1】People have grown taller over the last century,with South Korean women shooting up by more than 20 cm on average, and Iranian men gaining 16.5 cm. A global study looked at the average height of 18-year-olds in 200 countries between 1914 and 2014. The results show that while Swedes were the tallest people in the world in 1914.

Dutch men have risen from 12th place to the top spot with an average height of 182.5 cm. Latvian women, meanwhile, rose from 28th place in 1914 to become the tallest in the world a century later,with an average height of 169.8 cm.

A little extra height brings a number of advantages says Elio Riboli of Imperial College."Being taller is associated with longer life expectancy,"he said."This is largely due to a lower risk of dying of cardiovascular(心血管的)disease among taller people."

But while height has increased around the world, the trend in many African countries causes concern, says Riboli.While height increased in Uganda and Niger during the early 20th century, the trend has reversed(反转) in recent years, with height decreasing among 18-year-olds.

“One reason for these decreases in height is the economic situation in the 1980s,” said Alexander Moradi of the University of Sussex. The nutritional and health crises led to many children and teenagers failing to reach their potential height.

James Bentham, a co-author of the research from Imperial College, believes the global trend of increasing height is of great importance. “How tall we are now is strongly influenced by the environment we grew up in," he said. "If we give children the best possible start in life now, they will be healthier and more productive for decades to come.”

【推荐2】Top Vacation Destinations（目的地）for Sports Fans

Being a fan of a sport is pleasant for more than one reason. Take a look at some unforgettable trips a sports fan can take around the world.

Los Angeles

Basketball fans will love cities like Los Angeles and New York, home to the Lakers and Knicks. They will also be interested in visiting the hall of fame in Springfield, Massachusetts. There are plenty of fun cities to visit around the world for a basketball lover.

Florida

Travel to Florida and stay at Acqualina Resort &. Spa for a relaxing experience. You may be a person who never takes part in a team sport, but prefers personal activities like kayaking（皮划艇）.An experienced guide will lead the way as the water takes guests to Sandspur Island at last. Swim, or relax in the sand when you get to the island.

Boston & Chicago

Fenway Park is a must for baseball fans looking to tour one of the most unique ballparks in the United States. Chicago and Boston are two baseball cities with a long history. A visit to the two cities will excite baseball fans while they gain knowledge of the game that they love.

Wisconsin

Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin is one of the most unique experiences in professional（职业的）sports. It has hosted several events over its history. Other college stadiums to consider are The Bighouse in Michigan and Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana.

Tokyo

A trip around the world for a sporting fan isn't complete without a stop to Tokyo. The city is energetic, and the 32nd Summer Olympic Games are coming in July 2020 there.

【推荐3】Popular music in America is what every student likes. Students carry small radios with earphones and listen to music before class, after class, and at lunch. Students with cars buy large speakers and play the music loudly as they drive on the street. Adult drivers listen to music on the car radio as they drive to work. They also listen to the news about sports, the weather, and the life of American people. Most of the radio programmes are music.

Pop or popular music singers make much money. They make a CD or tape which radio stations use in many places. Once the popular singer is heard all over the country, young people buy his or her tape. Some of the money from these tapes goes to the singer. Wherever the singer goes, all the young people want to meet him or her. Now the singer has become a national star.

There are other kinds of music that are important to Americans. One is called folk (民间) music. It tells stories about the common life of Americans. Another is called western or country music. This was started by cowboys (牛仔) who would sing at night to the cows they were watching. Today, any music about country life and the love between a country boy and his girl is called western or country music.