【推荐1】All the Beauty in the World, Patrick Bringley’s memoir (回忆录) about his 10 years working as a guard at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met), brings new meaning to the term “art appreciation”.

Bringley is not the only Met staffer to write about the institution. But Bringley’s “guard’s-eye view” is unique, and he presents his personal story with sincerity. After his brother Tom’s death in 2008, Bringley gave up his job as a journalist for a job in which “I was happy to be going nowhere”. He explains, “I had lost someone. I did not wish to move on from that. In a sense, I didn’t wish to move at all.”

All the Beauty in the World offers well-chosen facts about the museum to support Bringley’s personal tale. The Met opened in 1880 and has since expanded to more than 2.5 million square feet — “the size of about 3,000 average New York apartments”. The “salmon run (鲑鱼回游) of visitors” that goes up the Grand Staircase every morning when the museum opens adds up to a crowd of nearly 7 million visitors a year.

As interesting as these facts are, it’s Bringley’s reflections on dozens of individual paintings, photographs, sculptures and ancient artifacts that turn this book into a tribute (致敬) to the power of art. I think that “sometimes we need permission to stop and adore things, and a work of art gives us that”. In a Vermeer portrait (肖像) of a dozing maidservant, he is moved to see that the artist captured “that feeling we sometimes have that a private setting possesses a holiness (神圣) of its own. It was my constant feeling in Tom’s hospital room.”

As rich in moving insights as the Met is in treasures, All the Beauty in the World reminds us of the importance of learning not “about art, but from it” and finding peace into art. This is art appreciation at a deep level.

1. What sets All the Beauty in the World apart from other books written by Met staffers?

A．The author’s unique writing perspective.	B．The author’s opinions on artworks.
C．Its focus on historical facts and truth.	D．Its detailed introduction to the paintings.

2. What caused Bringley to change his job according to his words?

A．His hobby from childhood.	B．His failure as a journalist.
C．Loss of his beloved brother.	D．His ambition of being great.

3. How does Bringley present information about the Met in his memoir?

A．By interviewing retired staff members.

B．By relating museum facts to his personal life.

C．By recording the number of daily visitors yearly.

D．By researching the background of each masterpiece.

4. What can be the best title of this passage?

A．Finding Peace in Art	B．Reflecting on Life with Art
C．Little-known Facts about the Met	D．Inner Worlds of the Famous Artists

【推荐3】The Calgary Public Library has some great resources to beat boredom and keep your children busy over the summer, whether at home or on the road.

During the school year children are busy with homework and required reading, so summer is a great time for them to relax and read what they choose. Not only is reading a pleasurable way to pass the time, it will also help children keep their skills up over the summer, so they are prepared to go back to school in the fall.

If you are taking a tip this summer, why not let the kids help out with the planning? Borrow a children’s atlas to choose your way together and check out some books about your destination before departure. The All about Provinces and Territories series is fill of interesting facts about each Canadian Province.

Going camping? How about taking along some scary, or not so scary, stories to tell around the campfire? Alvin Schwarz’s collections of Scary Tales to Tell in the Dark are sure to make your spine tingle and your teeth chatter. For something a little less horrible, try Velcome: a Very Scary Book, by Kevin O’Malley, which includes such horrors as a plate of mixed vegetables!

For long car rides, check out Car Games: 100 Games to Avoid “Are we there Yet?” It’s full of fun games and activities like cow football and Dude, where’s my orange car? —games that are sure to keep youngsters occupied on long journeys.

Remember to lead by example and pack a book in your own beach bag. If children see you reading, they will understand that books are an important and valuable part of summer and they will begin to copy your habits!

The staff at the Calgary Public Library are always happy to help find that perfect summer read, so stop by your nearest branch, call us at 260-2600, or visit our website at calgarypubliclibrary.com today.

Summer Reading Booklist Flotsam                                                     David Wiesner Beach                                                     Elisha Cooper Terror at Turtle Mountain                           Penny Draper Car Games                                               Jo Pink Scary Tales to tell in the dark                           Alvin Schwartz Central Rockies Wildflowers                           Mike Potter

1. What can we infer from the second paragraph of the passage?

A．Sumner is the only time for children to relax themselves.

B．Children have little time to read at school what they choose.

C．Children usually get bored of reading during the school year.

D．Required reading prepares children to go back to school in the fall.

2. The underlined part “make your spine tingle and your teeth chatter” (in Paragraph 4) most probably means ________.

A．interest you and impress you	B．excite you and frighten you
C．embarrass you and annoy you	D．discourage you and disgust you

3. What would be the best title for this passage?

A．Children’s Reading Habits at home

B．Children’s Summer Camp in the country

C．Children’s Summer Reading Booklist at school

D．Children’s Summer Reading from the Library

【推荐2】Guided Walking Week April 2016

Dates: April 30^th-May 7^th 2016

Location: Abdet, Costa Blanca

A week of guided walking in the mountains around Abdet. Highlights include the climbing of Valencia’s highest summit (Sierra de Aitana), traveling completely around the impressive Puig Campana, and several explorations in the Sierra de Aitana. Ancient trails lead through spectacular canyons (峡谷) to abandoned settlements situated high in the mountains. You will discover the snow trader routes which lead from the incredible snow holes high in the mountains down to the villages and towns on the coast. These years, golden eagles have made a return to this area, and you may also see other animals—wild goats, foxes, wild pigs and red squirrels.

As part of the week you are invited to help clear some local walking paths. This involves clearing collapsed (坍塌的) walls and rocks, cutting back fallen trees. This is of course optional and is just for half a day, it’s actually great fun!

Price:$499
Includes:
·Accommodation in the beautiful mountain village of Abdet
·All food-good home cooking
·Beer, wine, soft drinks
·Snacks and post walk treats
·Packed lunches & drinks (except café/bar visits)
·Expert guiding
·Photos/Videos of your days in the mountains
·Airport pick-up/return $25 each way (fly to Alicante)
·Single room supplement $75

To book or get further information, please contact info@abdet.com.

1. What will you find during the guided walking?

A．Climbing Sierra de Aitana is the most exciting.

B．Ancient trails have changed into highways.

C．The environment in Abdet is getting better.

D．Traders live in incredible snow holes.

2. What may you enjoy if you pay $499?

A．Packed lunches including bar visits.

B．Good home cooking breakfast only.

C．Bus stop pick-up/return each way.

D．Pictures and professional guiding.

3. What do the details presented in the ad suggest?

A．Clearing walking paths is a must.

B．People can book the walking online.

C．Accommodation conditions are tough.

D．The walking ends on April 30th 2016.

【推荐3】Coco

Douban rating: 9.1

IMDb rating: 8.4

This Disney-Pixar production offers a heart-warming comedy featuring fantasy, music, family values and charming Mexican culture. Miguel, a little boy from a family of shoemakers, dreams of becoming an accomplished musician like his idol, Ernesto dela Cruz. Desperate to prove his talent, Miguel finds himself in the astonishing and colorful Land of the Dead following a mysterious chain of events. Along the way, he meets trickster Hector, and together, they set off on an extraordinary journey to unlock the real story behind Miguel's family history.

First screened in 2018, Coco brought home two Oscars, including Best Animated Feature Film, one Golden Globe and one BAFTA Award.

The Pursuit of Happiness

Douban rating: 9.1

IMDb rating: 8.0

This film is based on a true story about a man named Christopher Gardner. Gardner has invested heavily in a device known as a "bone density scanner”. However, the devices do not sell well as they are narrowly better than x-ray at a much higher price. As Gardner works to make ends meet, his wife leaves him and he loses his apartment. Forced to live out on the streets with his son, Gardner takes on an unpaid internship (实习)as a stockbroker, with slim chances for advancement to a paid position. Before he can receive pay, he needs to outshine the competition through six months of training, and to sell his devices.

Ne Zha

Douban rating:   8.5

IMDb rating: 7.5

The Primus extracts(提取)a Mixed Yuan Bead into a spirit bead and a demon bead (魔丸). The spirit bead can be reincarnated (转世)in a human to help King Zhou establish a new dynasty, the demon bead will create a devil and harm humans. Ne Zha is the one who should be the spirit bead hero but he becomes a devil incarnate, because the spirit bead and the demon bead are switched.

Ne Zha is the top-grossing animated film ever made by China and No. 2 on the box office chart for all films ever screened on the Chinese mainland. The box office hit has reached more than 700 million dollars worldwide.

1. What can we know about Miguel?

A．His idol is Hector.	B．He is good at making shoes.
C．He unlocks his family real story.	D．He lives in the Land of the Dead.

2. Which of the following is right about Christopher Gardner?

A．He is a success as an investor.	B．He has a job with a little pay.
C．He invents “bone density scanner”.	D．He suffers from a series of life trouble.

3. What does the three movies have in common?

A．They are Oscar-winning films.	B．They are thought highly of.
C．They are based on real stories.	D．They are animated feature movies.