【推荐1】Birthday Parties at Youth Science and Technology Center

Every weekend, Youth Science and Technology Center hosts birthday parties for kids of all ages. The celebration includes a private party room with decorations (装饰)and hands-on activities that match your party themes. Our staff will satisfy your guests with a super science show or an interactive activity.

■Party themes

Choose one of the following themes for your science-themed birthday party.

Astronomy             Bugs & Butterflies            Dinosaurs           Earth               Space Science

■Time

Birthday parties are held on Saturdays and Sundays. We offer three time periods for birthday parties:

9:30 am-11:30 am

12:30 pm-2:30 pm

3:00 pm-5:00 pm

Please note: Parties must be scheduled at least two weeks before your desired date. All dates and time are booked on a first-come, first-served basis.

■Charges

Member     Non-member

Up to 20 guests       $300             $400

Up to 30 guests       $380             $550

All party packages are non-refundable (不能退款的), but you can call to request a change in the date. It is advised to call at least one week before the original date. A re-booking fee of $ 100 will be applied for change requests that fall within three business days of the original booked party.

■Balloons

Because of the sensitive nature of our fire alarm system, balloons are not permitted inside the center. We also do not allow candy.

■Alcohol, drinks and food

Alcohol of any kind is not allowed inside Youth Science and Technology Center. You are welcome to bring in other outside drinks or food or have them delivered. We do not offer birthday cakes, but you are welcome to provide your own.

1. What is special about the birthday parties at Youth Science and Technology Center?

A．Children and parents can take part in them.	B．Children can have a public party room.
C．They offer beautiful decorations for free.	D．There is a science theme to go with the parties.

2. How much would 25 people with a membership pay for?

A．$ 300.

B．$ 380.

C．$400.

D．$550.

3. What can be brought to the party?

A．Balloons.

B．Alcohol.

C．Cakes.

D．Candy.

【推荐3】Outdoor Observations: K-5th Grade Student Competition

CALLING ALL OUTDOOR EXPLORERS! The Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) wants you to go outside and observe the world around you! You are asked to find something in the outdoors that you think is interesting and discover more about it! Take the chance to win one of our outdoor explorer bundles(包)! Four prizes will be awarded to two winners per grade band —— two for K-2nd grade and two for 3rd-5th.

A completed project should include:

·A photo or drawing of the interesting thing you observed outdoors.

·A question that you have about the interesting thing.

·What you think the answer to your question is.

·An investigation into whether your answer is correct or not.

Please note:

·You must be a student in a U.S. school.

·If your submission is a link, make sure the privacy and sharing settings allow reviewers to access it. If it is not accessible, it may not be scored.

·Do not include your last name on your presentation——just first name and state. You can put your personal information on the submission form, but for your privacy when we upload, we

will need your presentation without personal identification.

·Make sure you include your parent’s contact information so we can get their permission to post your file on our website.

·The contest opens on May 1, 2024. The deadline for submissions is 11:59 pm. EST on May 31, 2024.

·Winners will be announced in late June.

If you have any questions, please contact STEMEd@orau.org.

1. What is the purpose of ORISE’s competition?

A．To test students’ observation ability.

B．To promote outdoor explorer bundles.

C．To encourage students to explore the outdoors.

D．To compare outdoor education in U.S. schools.

2. What should be included in a completed project?

A．The links you have referenced.

B．The reason you choose the thing.

C．The facts you know about the thing.

D．The picture of the thing you choose.

3. What is required of the contestants?

A．Including a parent’s contact information.

B．Making submissions before May 1, 2024.

C．Emailing projects to STEMEd@orau.org.

D．Writing their full name on the presentation.

【推荐1】Children who grow up at homes filled with books tend to have less cognitive (认知的) decrease when they reach old age, even when taking factors such as wealth and education into consideration.

Previous studies have found that children with large home libraries are more likely to do well at school and in their later careers. Ella Cohn-Schwartz at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel and her workmates wondered whether the benefits of early book exposure extend into old age.

They analyzed data from over 8000 men and women aged 65 and older without Alzheimer’s disease in 16 European countries, who had taken memory tests in 2011 and 2013. The tests included trying to memorize lists of words and naming as many animals as possible in one minute. Participants were asked to recall how many books their family homes contained when they were children: no books, one shelf (about 25 books), one bookcase (about 100 books), two bookcases or more.

Those who grew up with larger book collections performed better in all memory tests. They also showed slower cognitive decrease, with a smaller drop in their test scores between 2011 and 2013. This may be because their early book exposure encouraged them to read more, which in turn improved their “cognitive reserve”, says Cohn-Schwartz.

The findings remained the same when the researchers made adjustments for the participants’ wealth, education, physical health and other factors. This suggests that large home libraries are not just a sign of having more money, they can also protect the brain in various ways, says Cohn-Schwartz.

Moreover, children who grow up at homes filled with books are probably also encouraged to take up other wholesome activities, doing sports, for example, which could also improve their cognitive reserve according to Ralph Martins at Edith Cow an University in Perth, Australia.

1. Why did Ella and her workmates perform the study?

A．To explain the benefits of early book exposure.

B．To prove books make a difference only in our old age.

C．To show whether people should read books in old age.

D．To test if book exposure in childhood benefits old people.

2. What can we know about the participants in the study?

A．They reported their early book exposure.

B．They grew up at homes filled with books.

C．They showed a sign of Alzheimer’s disease.

D．They were asked to memorize as many animal names as possible.

3. What can we know from the findings of the study?

A．Setting up a home library needs a lot of money.

B．People with early book exposure tended to read more books.

C．The findings were affected by participants’ wealth, education and physical health.

D．The test scores of people who grew up with larger book collections increased between 2011 and 2013.

4. What’s the main idea of the text?

A．Doing sports could improve cognitive reserve.

B．People are encouraged to read more books in their childhood.

C．Children who grow up at homes filled with books have a better memory.

D．Old people with early book exposure tend to have less cognitive decrease.

【推荐2】Four books here offer a good way to gain a deeper understanding of how science informs our world and makes it a better place.

The Book of Eels

In the book, Swedish journalist Patrik Svensson weaves a masterful narrative that contains part memoir(回忆录)and part scientific detective stories. The stories mostly focus on the author and his father, who took him to fish for European eels(鳗鱼)along the stream near his boyhood home. In between tales of family adventure, Svensson traces notable figures efforts to understand and explain the eel.

All We Can Save

Editors Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, an ocean biologist, and Katharine K. Wilkinson, the editor in chief of Project Drawdown—a nonprofit working to slow the increase in greenhouse gases—collected appealing pieces on climate change crafted by 60 women. The collection, All We Can Save, shows a diverse range of experts, all working to handle climate issues. The book led to a new project that provides support and community for women climate leaders Clean In his book Clean, author and physician James Hamblin explores the history behind the human's being crazy about cleanliness. To get to the truth about cleanliness, Hamblin consults a cast of characters-including skin care doctors, microbiologists, allergists, etc. The deeply-researched read leaves us wondering: is the future of skin care heading toward developing a healthy microbiome(微生物群)instead of destroying it?

Why Fish Don't

Exist In her book. NPR Radiolab co-host Lulu Miller describes the tale of fish researcher David Starr Jordan. During the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, Jordan's carefully-labeled fish collection in the Stanford Zoology building came crashing to the ground. Instead of throwing his hands in the air, Jordan picked up hundreds of samples and slowly began re-assigning their labels. This aroused Miller's interest, and she set off on a personal search of revealing Jordan's motives and discovered why he seemed so calm in the face of difficulty.

1. What information can we get from The Book of Eels?

A．It is about the breathtaking scenery in Sweden.

B．It is a collection of pieces about eels.

C．It is partly based on the author's personal life.

D．It is mainly about how to fish European eels.

2. What made Lulu Miller decide to write the book?

A．Her strong curiosity about fish.	B．A fish researcher's sincere request.
C．The damage caused by an earthquake.	D．Jordan's calm reaction to difficulty.

3. What is the similarity of the four books?

A．They are based on research.	B．They are related to science.
C．They are about life lessons.	D．They are written by females.

【推荐1】Four Self-Portraits (自画像) by Famous Artists

Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino)—“Self-Portrait”, 1506

One of the beautiful self-portraits by famous artist Raphael was drawn at the age of 23. It measures around 45cm×33cm and is located at the world-famous Uffizi Gallery. The Italian painter used oil on board to draw his self-portrait, which was the clearest and the most recognizable self-portraits of Raphael himself.

Leonardo da Vinci—“Portrait of a Man in Red Chalk”, 1512

“Portrait of a Man in Red Chalk”is a self-portrait of da Vinci at the age of 60 and measures around 33.3cm×21.6cm, which is on display in Biblioteca Reale, Turin, Italy. It is drawn with red chalk on paper and represents the head of an elderly man in a three-quarter view. In the portrait, the length of the hair is uncommon in Renaissance (文艺复兴) portraits.

Rembrandt van Rijn—“Self-Portrait with Beret and Turned-up Collar”, 1659

Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rijn painted his self-portrait in 1659 when he was 53 years old. It shows his worried expression that clearly portrays the troubled condition of his mind at that point of his life since the year 1659 was a year of anxiety for him. This self-portrait found its place among the Benjamin Altman Collection, which has been exhibited in the Metropolitan Museum of Art since 1913.

Edgar Degas—“Degas Au Porte-Fusain’”, l855

Edgar Degas made this self-portrait only when he was twenty-one years old. It was one of the most remarkable of his fifteen self-portraits. Degas was seated as seemingly without fear and anxiety. The pose in the painting was formal and academic. The painting is located in the musée d’Orsay, Paris, France.

1. Where should visitors go if they want to admire Raphael’s self-portrait in 1506?

A．Uffizi Gallery.	B．Biblioteca Reale.
C．The musée d’Orsay.	D．The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

2. Which aspect of Portrait of a Man in Red Chalk was special during the Renaissance?

A．The red clothing.	B．The formal pose.
C．The long hair.	D．The worried expression.

3. Which painter was the youngest when painting the above-mentioned self-portraits?

A．Raphael.	B．Edgar Degas.
C．Leonardo da Vinci.	D．Rembrandt van Rijn.