【推荐1】Best Things to Do on Maui Maui

Hawaii is a dream destination for visitors, home to wonderful sandy beaches, a choice of activities and a relaxed lifestyle. Whether you are looking for adventures or water sports, there is plenty to choose from.

Awapubi Adventures

Adventure tours suit single travelers, couples, and families, and are run by professional tour guides who will take care of your every need. Tours include trips to West Maui, hiking tours, snorkeling (浮潜) adventures, as well as tours to E Komo and Hana.

Phone: 808-269-6031

Hui No’eau Visual Arts Center

Visitors can enjoy the inspiring surrounding gardens, take self-guided tours of the grounds, and visit the historic sugar mill, professional artist studios, and wonderful exhibitions. The Hui Gallery Shop has a variety of art-based things such as glass, paintings, drawings, and photography.

Phone: 808-572-6560

Hawaiian Paddle Sports

Explore the beauty of the ocean and its marine life (海洋生物) on guided boat tours that are organized by professional guides. These tours are for single travelers, couples, and groups.

Phone: 808-442-6436

Maui Arts Cultural Center

The center hosts a variety of performances that show the finest of Hawaiian and local artists, and it also offers a range of educational and cultural programming, workshops, and free events for creative artists. The center is home to the Schaefer International Gallery, an exhibition space for visual (视觉的) arts that has a number of exhibits throughout the year. The center partners with the government to host free events.

Phone: 808-242-7469

1. What do Awapuhi Adventures and Hawaiian Paddle Sports have in common?

A．They are intended only for families.	B．They provide water adventure activities.
C．They serve delicious seafood.	D．They offer professional guides.

2. Which number can you dial if you want to buy artworks?

A．808-269-6031.	B．808-572-6560.
C．808-442-6436.	D．808-242-7469.

3. What can visitors do at Maui Arts Cultural Center?

A．Watch performances.	B．Enjoy marine life.
C．Visit gardens.	D．Take hiking tours.

【推荐2】Do you know that all sorts of adventures can happen in educational settings after sundown? Here’s a round-up of sites where the fun continues as night falls.

Ripley’s Aquarium

TORONTO, CANADA

Ever wondered how sweet your dreams would be while sleeping in an aquarium’s shark tunnel that holds around 2.9 million litres of water? You can find out during an Overnight Reef Adventure. Green sawfish, sand tiger sharks, Queensland groupers, and green sea turtles will be your companions for the night.

California Academy of Sciences

SAN FRANCISCO, US

This awe-inspiring museum in Golden Gate Park hosts regular Penguins + Pajamas Sleepovers. As the name suggests, pack your pajamas, grab a sleeping bag, and spend a night under the same roof as a colony of African penguins. You can explore a rainforest full of free-flying birds and foreign reptiles (爬行动物) before lights-out. There’s also a planetarium (天文馆) that’s truly out of this world.

Kennedy Space Center

FLORIDA, US

In the Kennedy Space Center, youth groups and visitors making private bookings can have after-hours opportunity to enjoy hands-on challenges, watch a 3D movie in an IMAX theatre, and go on a Q&A session with a former NASA astronaut who’s travelled into space. What’s more, you get to sleep either underneath a 110 m-long Saturn V moon rocket or beside the space shuttle Atlantis.

1. At Ripley’s Aquarium, what will visitors encounter?

A．Foreign reptiles.	B．African penguins.
C．Free-flying birds.	D．Sand tiger sharks.

2. Who will prefer visiting California Academy of Sciences?

A．Travelers seeking sea adventures.	B．Locals eager for outdoor activities.
C．Teenagers attracted by hands-on challenges.	D．Visitors interested in space and animals.

3. What do the three locations have in common?

A．They are all located in the US.	B．They only open after sundown.
C．They all offer overnight experiences.	D．They all feature interactive sections.

【推荐3】4 Traditional French Christmas markets you need to know about

More affordable and closer than Germany and Austria, French Christmas markets make a perfect destination for a festive trip. These are the four traditional French Christmas markets you need to know about this Christmas.

Toulouse

Dates: November 25, 2023—December 25, 2023

Opening times: Sunday to Thursday: 10.30 am—8.30 pm, Friday and Saturday: 10.30 am—10 pm

The market is located in the heart of Toulouse. It’s surrounded by beautiful buildings, including the Capitole itself and the Jacobins church. The city is well-known for its terracotta architecture which serves as an fairytale exterior to their Christmas market.

Colmar

Dates: November 24, 2023—December 30, 2023

Opening times: Monday to Thursday: 2 pm—7 pm, Friday, Saturday and Sunday: 10 am—7 pm

The town’s Christmas market is an ensemble (整体) of six distinct mini markets. The area is home to a number of wineries and speciality (特产) wine-makers, alongside its seven speciality Alsatian wines, which can be tried at their speciality Christmas food market.

Arras

Dates: November 24, 2023—December 30, 2023

Opening times:Monday to Friday: midday—7.30 pm, Saturday: 10 am—9 pm, Sunday: 10 am—7.30 pm

The market transforms the city’s Grand Place into a wonderland taking over three squares with over 100 stalls in front of the Baroque style architecture. Crown your market visit with a night ride on the beacon (灯塔) of the market—the Ferris wheel, which offers a gentle ride and views of the own and surrounding countryside below.

Bordeaux

Dates: November 24, 2023—December 27, 2023

Opening times: Every day: 11 am—9 pm

The market is open from late November to December and features over 200 stalls selling a variety of locally-made and crafted gifts. There is one food in particular linked to the city, and that is chocolate made from high quality local ingredients, to take home with you.

1. What do Toulouse and Arras have in common?

A．Both are popular with little kids.

B．Both offer free gifts to the customers.

C．Both have distinctive architecture styles.

D．Both are closed on Sundays and Mondays.

2. What is a key characteristic of Bordeaux ?

A．A wide range of crafted gifts.	B．Its local culture and history.
C．Its traditional building style.	D．The views of beautiful coast.

3. Which market may attract wine lovers most?

A．Toulouse

B．Colmar

C．Arras

D．Bordeaux

【推荐1】Ready to show off your art to the world? Check out our guide to some of the best art contests to enter this year.

Watermedia Showcase

Prize: $2,500 first prize, $1,250 second prize.

Entry Fee: $35.

Requirements: Open to international artists 18 years of age and older.

The Watermedia Showcase awards original art created primarily with water-based media. Judged by the editors of Watercolor Artist, all winners will have their work featured in the magazine.

The Lumen Prize for Digital Art

Prize: $4,000 first prize, with a $13,500 total prize fund.

Entry Fee: $40.

Requirements: Open to artists worldwide.

This digital art competition is organized by Lumen Art Projects Ltd, which provides new opportunities for digital artists around the world. Categories include Still, Moving Image, XR, 3D/Interactive and Artificial Intelligence.

World Illustration Awards

Prize: A cash prize of $2,540 and more publicity opportunities.

Entry Fee: $37.

Requirements: Open to artists worldwide.

Illustrators are invited to submit works to 8 different categories. Winners will win not only a cash prize, but also a feature in a major exhibition in central London, and an invitation to the Awards Evening in October.

Strokes of Genius: The Best of Drawing

Prize: $2,000 first prize, $1,000 second prize.

Entry Fee: $45.

Requirements: Open to artists in the United States.

The Strokes of Genius Competition celebrates original work made in drawing mediums, including pencil, charcoal and even some wet paint mediums. Winning entries (参赛作品) will be published in a special edition publication, The Best of Drawing.

1. Which competition is related to technology?

A．Watermedia Showcase.	B．The Lumen Prize for Digital Art.
C．World Illustration Awards.	D．Strokes of Genius: The Best of Drawing.

2. What chance can winners of World Illustration Awards have?

A．To host the Awards Evening.	B．To hold art exhibitions globally.
C．To sell their entries at high prices.	D．To become known to the public.

3. How is the Strokes of Genius Competition different from the others?

A．It is free of charge.	B．It awards the largest prize in amount.
C．It is a national competition.	D．It has an age limit for participants.

【推荐2】An Introduction to Four Famous Paintings

Mona Lisa

Artist: Leonardo da Vinci

Estimated date: 1503 to 1519

Where to see it: Louvre Museum(Paris)

It should come as no surprise that a mysterious woman with a mysterious smile. Before the 20th century, Mona Lisa was little known outside art circles. But in 1911, an ex-Louvre employee stole the painting and hid it for two years. That helped strengthen the painting’s place in popular culture ever since.

Las Meninas

Artist: Diego Velázquez

Date: 1656

Where to see it: Museo del Prado(Madrid, Spain)

The complexity of the work has attracted art critics and the public for centuries. The painting serves as a group portrait(画像)of Spanish royalty, but it is also a self-portrait of Velázquez himself at work. Las Meninas was appointed by King Philip IV of Spain, who ruled from 1621 to 1665.

Girl with a Pearl Earring

Artist: Johannes Vermeer

Estimated date: 1665

Where to see it: Mauritshuis(The Hague, Netherlands)

The girl wearing a blue and gold turban(头巾)and an oversized pearl(珍珠)earring is the entire focus with only a dark backdrop behind her. It has gone on tour in the United States, Italy and Japan. It drew huge crowds, further supporting its status as one of the world’s most famous works of art.

The Starry Night

Artist: Vincent van Gogh

Date: 1889

Where to see it: Museum of Modern Art(New York City)

The painting’s striking blues and yellows and the dreamy atmosphere have attracted art lovers for decades. Van Gogh was being treated for mental illness in a hospital in Saint-Remy, France, when he painted The Starry Night. He was inspired by the view from the window of his room.

1. Which painting is the artist’s self-description?

A．Mona Lisa.	B．Las Meninas.
C．Girl with a Pearl Earring.	D．The Starry Night.

2. Where can you see Johannes Vermeer’s work?

A．Louvre Museum.	B．Museo del Prado.
C．Mauritshuis.	D．Museum of Modern Art.

3. What was The Starry Night based on?

A．Sights from the sickroom.	B．A woman’ act of stealing.
C．The life of a royal family.	D．The experience of being ill.

【推荐3】More than two million culture-hungry visitors are expected to gather at the Edinburgh International Festival. With a couple of million more mouths to feed, Edinburgh’s restaurants will be crowded all the time. If you can’t find a table, try these places.

Eleanore

Named after Roberta’s boat, Eleanore is comfortable with high-level seating and decorated in white and blue. Dishes range from small to big plates. It’s a great place to go for a drink, even when the kitchen is closed.

Kora

Named after the Greek God of Spring, Kora, the latest addition, is informal and relaxed. Like its natural and simple decoration, the menu follows a nature-to-plate rule, offering simply presented foods that are inspired by the seasons.

Bertie’s

Bertie’s is one of the city’s top fish-and-chips spots. Its style is grown up yet fun, delivering a relaxed dining experience. Its private area is the perfect place to celebrate parties and special group events for quiet dinners. The large space can serve groups of up to 30 guests.

Williams & Johnson

“Wille Jay’s”, as it is known to locals, specializes in single-origin coffees to celebrate their individual characters. They pride themselves on their seasonally picked coffees and their selection changes through the year as they continue to source new fresh crop beans. Each coffee is carefully designed to make the bean’s best smell and served in the airy cafe.

1. Where does the name of Eleanore come from?

A．Its high-level seating.	B．Roberta’s boat.
C．Its special decoration.	D．The Greek God of Spring.

2. Which place is the best choice for a company to hold a dinner party?

A．Eleanore.

B．Kora.

C．Bertie’s.

D．Williams & Johnson.

3. What’s special about Williams & Johnson?

A．The relaxed atmosphere.	B．The best smell of coffee.
C．The offering of various coffees.	D．The careful selection of coffee beans.