【推荐1】Harvard University Online Courses

★CS50’s Introduction to Game Development

Learn about the development of 2D and 3D interactive games in this hands-on course, as you explore the design of games such as Super Mario Bros., Angry Birds and more. By class’s end, you’ll have programmed several of your own games and gained a thorough understanding of the basics of game design and development.

· Duration:12 weeks long

· Time commitment: 6 — 9 hours per week

· Subject: Programming

· Instructor: David J. Malan

★Ancient Egyptian Art and Archaeology

Explore the history and art surrounding the famous Egyptian Pyramids at Giza. Join us on this online journey to ancient Egypt’s most famous site as we uncover the history and significance of Giza, and use new digital techniques to unlock secrets of its ancient temples.

· Duration: 8 weeks long

· Time commitment: 2 — 4 hours per week

· Subject: Art & Design

· Instructor: Peter Der Manuelian

★Backyard Meteorology: The Science of Weather

This course will explore the science behind weather systems by teaching the observational skills needed to make a forecast without using instruments or computer models. We’ll discuss the physical processes driving weather and the global forces that shape global climate systems.

· Duration: 6 weeks long

· Time commitment: 5 hours per week

· Subject: Science

· Instructor: John Huth

★The Health Effects of Climate Change

Learn how global warming impacts human health, and the ways we can lessen those impacts. This course is not an elegy (挽歌) for the planet, but a call to action. Register now to learn what you can do to reduce the harm caused by global warming.

· Duration: 7 weeks long

· Time commitment: 3 — 5 hours per week

· Subject: Health

· Instructor: Aaron Bernstein

【推荐3】The Common Young Writers Program (TCYWP) welcomes high school students passionate about creative writing to join our virtual classes for two inspiring weeks dedicated to fiction writing. Students will learn and experiment with the key building blocks of fiction and be guided through the process of writing and revising their own short stories. At the end of the program, students will emerge more confident in their skills and more connected to a supportive writing community.

Taught by the editors and editorial assistants of Amherst College’s literary magazine, the summer course run Monday-Friday and are open to all high school students.

Our fiction class guides students through the process of writing a short story. No previous writing experience is necessary. Through daily writing assignments and class meetings, students will learn about the key building blocks of fiction and will each complete their own short story by the end of the course. In addition to submitting daily assignments, students will meet as a group with our instructors online. Students will also meet individually with an instructor to discuss their own short stories, and will not only receive written feedback on their first drafts and final stories, but on all daily assignments.

Students should expect to spend around 3-4 hours each day on their assignments, including meeting times. Class size will be small, and we’ll break into small groups for discussions during each session.

The cost of the TCYWP two-week program is $725. We hope that no student will let financial difficulty prevent them from applying. Tuition waivers (学费减免) will be awarded to students with strong applications who cannot attend the program without financial assistance. In the application, students will have the opportunity to briefly describe their financial circumstances and state the amount they could afford to pay, if any, if accepted into the program. No documentation is required. Contact us at info@thecommononline.com, if there is any question.

【推荐1】Vatican Museums

Founded in the early 16th century, the Vatican Museums within the Vatican City display works that have been collected by the Catholic church over the centuries. The museums contain roughly 70, 000 works, of which 20, 000 are on display mainly in over 54 galleries. You will find classical sculptures, tapestries, and paintings by Renaissance greats such as Raphael, Caravaggio, Michelangelo, Bernini, and Lconardo da Vinci. They also have a collection of Modern Religious Art with works of artists like Carlo Carrà, Van Gogh, Gauguin, Salvador Dali, and Pablo Picasso.

With the intention of using art as a vehicle to spread culture, the Vatican Museums have been designed to be “a place of beauty and welcome”. It is a space that is not only open to new forms of art but also to people from all walks of life.

Where Are the Vatican Museums Located?

The Vatican Museums are located within the Vatican City, which is also home to the famous Vatican Gardens. Located in the direction of the Tiber River, just a stone’s throw away from the Castel Sant’ Angelo, the Vatican is one of the richest areas of Rome in terms of culture and history.

Nearest Metro Station: Ottaviano

Opening Hours

Monday to Thursday: 8:30 AM-6:30 PM (Final entry 4:30 PM)

Friday to Saturday: 8:30 AM-10:30 PM (Final entry 8:30 PM)

Visitors are required to leave the halls 30 minutes before museum closing time.

Days closed: 1 November, 8 December, and 25 December

【推荐1】Mexico is an ideal destination for you to broaden horizons. Its diverse culture and impressive Maya heritage sites will offer you a unique vacation. Taking a private guided Mexico tour is an excellent way to enjoy some amazing places.

Day 1

After breakfast, our guide will take you to Teotihuacan to visit the world famous Pyramid (金字塔) of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon. You can also climb the Pyramid of the Sun to see the entire ancient city of Teotihuacan. Later, return to Mexico City and head to Plaza de la Constitución, a landmark in the center of the old city. Also, we will visit the capital’s cathedral (大教堂) and the National Palace there.

Day 2

Today, we will drive to Puebla, a famous ancient city in central Mexico. It was listed on the World Heritage List by UNESCO in 1987 as a cultural heritage site. Full of colorful houses, it is a typical Spanish style city. Here we will visit the oldest library in America—the Biblioteca Palafoxiana, and the church—Capilla del Rosario.

Day 3

After breakfast, we will depart from Puebla to the beautiful Oaxaca City. Upon arrival, we plan to go first to Square of Zocalo to start today’s Mexico vacation packages, then to the beautiful Templo de Santo Domingo, a 16th-century Baroque church. The two 35-metre-high bell towers next to the church are some of Oaxaca’s most beautiful buildings. The local cuisine is also well worth a try, and our guide will be happy to recommend some must-have snacks for you.

Day 4

On the 4th day of Mexico vacation packages, we are going to Chichen Itza, one of the new Seven Wonders of the World. This world-famous Mayan ruins have long been a sacred place for the Mayans. The most famous must-see is the Great Pyramid of Kukulkan.

【推荐2】Best Overall: LectroFan EVO Sound Machine

This compact, stylish, and affordable white noise machine is very easy to use. With a timer, a headphone connector, and a large range of sounds, you’ll be able to find the right set up for you. That’s where it comes in to mask all that unwanted environmental noise—or lack of—so you can get more rest.

The device isn’t battery-operated, so it’ll need to stay plugged into a power source.

It does everything you need it to, and then some, for a very reasonable price. It plays non-repeating digital noise in a range of colors: It has 10 fan sounds, 10 environmental noise sounds—including pink and brown noise, and two ocean soundscapes.

The device is super simple to use, and once you’ve picked your favorite type of noise, it will be saved in the settings, and the machine will auto play that sound each time you turn it on. The speaker produces a clear and crisp sound, and there’s a wide volume range. It also comes with an optional timer you can set between one to eight hours, or play continuously, plus a 3.5mm connector for headphones if your partner isn’t quite as keen on white noise as you are.

It’s compact enough to travel everywhere with you, and as white noise machines go, it looks pretty good, too. It certainly won’t look out of place on your bedside table. You can power the LectroFan EVO via USB or the included A/C adaptor, but it doesn’t have an internal battery, so it does need to be plugged in.