【推荐2】Four Art Exhibitions to View in N. Y. C.

“Arts of China” at the Brooklyn Museum (ongoing)

These exhibitions successfully combine attractive pieces by contemporary Chinese artists with the institution’s century-old collection, drawing 5,000 years of art into a single thrilling conversation. Look out for the 14th-century wine jar decorated with unusual paintings of a whitefish, a mackerel, a freshwater perch and a carp.

(Will Heinrich) 718-638-5000, brooklynmaseum. org

“In Pursuit of Fashion: The Sandy Schreier Collection” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (through May 17)

Featuring about 80 pieces of clothing, this exhibition is, more than anything else, the reflection of one woman’s love affair with fashion. Schreier’s collection contains all the major names, but what defines it more than anything else is her own appreciation of pretty things.

(Vanessa Friedman) 212-535-77l0, metmnseum. org

“Edith Halpert Alepert and one Rise of American Art” at the Jewish Museum (through Feb. 9)

This rare show covers the life of an influential art gallery, founded in 1926 by Halpert. Skilled at both business and publicity, she represented excellent pre-war American artists like Stuart Davis and Jacob Lawrence and promoted folk art.

(Roberta Smith) 2l2-423-3200, thejewishmuseum. org

“Nature—Cooper Hewitt Design Triennial” at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum (through Jan. 20)

Plastics transformed the material world after World War II. Today, they pollute our oceans. A better future will be made with... algae. “Nature” provides us with a post-consumption future.

(James S. Russell) 212-849-2950, cooperhewitt. org

【推荐3】As a volunteer, you will discover the unique opportunity of visiting the real world beyond the tourist window and become immersed in the cultures you visit. For many travelers, this time spent working on meaningful projects and getting to know the local area and its people is often regarded as their most memorable, enjoyable and fulfilling experience.

Kaya volunteers are 18-80 years old people with an adventurous spirit. Whether you have time for a 2-week trip or a 6-month break, traveling on your own, with a group or with your family, or you are a student, taking a break from your study or have even retired, they will find a project that can use your help.

Kaya’s project advisers work with you to decide which project is best for you and what type of work you like to do. You can work in the following fields:

*Environmental preservation — From the Ecuadorian rainforest to the jungle of Thailand, repair the damage done to some of the most beautiful and diverse places on earth.

*Work with children — They have over 40 projects working with children across the world in orphanages, schools and shelters for the abused, and disabled.

*Sports — Through sports their projects can provide opportunities for health education and the development of life skills such as teamwork, communication, discipline and self-confidence.

*Education-From English teaching to education programs for special needs and minority groups, give greater opportunity to the disadvantaged through education.

All projects include airport pick-ups and drop-offs, accommodation, orientation and 24-hour support. Many of their placements also include all meals and some language classes so that you can get even more involved.

【推荐1】Do you like to bury your head in a good book? Getting absorbed in a good story is a great way to relax. It improves your literacy, and, according to some experts, it’s good for your health as well.     1     But despite these benefits, does the way we consume a story make any difference?

For the purist, the only way to digest a good story is with a paperback or hardback book. Being in print, it’s possible to feel and even smell the book. And of course it’s very portable.     2     An “electronic” book enables you to store hundreds of virtual books in one place and allows you to download books directly.

The e-book has become popular in schools, too, and according to one school in London, it’s encouraged more children to read.     3    

The recent lockdowns due to the coronavirus pandemic have certainly given us all time to read more, and in the UK at least, sales of physical books have risen strongly.     4     The publishing industry hopes this trend will continue now that people have got into the habit of reading more.

    5     There are hugely ambitious productions using ensemble (整体；全体) casts, specially created soundscapes and technological advances. No matter what your reading preference is, there’s no doubt we are spoilt for choice in how we access a good story.

【推荐3】How important is fish farming? Very. Although it's an ancient business, the rise of aquaculture has been one of the biggest revolutions in food supply over the past half century.

Aquaculture has made fish more affordable for consumers around the world, popularizing the consumption of what used to be expensive, and easing the pressure on hard-pressed wild stocks. Aquaculture also has many clear environmental benefits: compared with other ways of growing animal protein, it uses little or no land, and has low greenhouse emissions. And while the world has traditionally had a bad record of regulating wild fishing, fish farming generally occurs within the boundaries of governments, meaning it should, in theory, be much easier to ensure that good practices are upheld.

Crowding large numbers of fish into limited spaces means that waste products, including waste, uneaten food and dead fish, are poured into the surrounding waters, polluting them. Besides, the pesticides and drugs used to treat conditions that upset fish in concentrated numbers can also affect local wildlife. Many farmed fish are fed on other fish, so the industry also puts pressure on wild stocks：about a fifth of all caught fish, some 18 million tonnes, is used for fish oil and fishmeal production. There is also the problem of fish escaping, with potentially dangerous effects on surrounding ecosystems.

In 2018 the Scottish Parliament’s environment committee published a report into the fish farming industry’s environmental effects, stating that key problems simply hadn’t been tackled, and that the Scottish government’s plan to double salmon output by 2030 could cause“irrecoverable damage”to ecosystems. Since then, protections have been toughened. There is now more pressure from regulators to situate farms in remote, deep-water locations. Meanwhile, though, catches of Scottish wild salmon have fallen to their lowest level since records began in 1952. “There are good reasons for fish farming and real dangers to it as well. ”concludes an official. “The question is how to make it work. ”

【推荐1】The great thing about libraries is that they house all types of books — from mysteries to biographies to dramas — all in one location. The bad thing about libraries is that they house all types of books in one location, and if it’s a location you can’t get to, you’re out of luck. Now, mobile library solutions are appearing quickly around the country to bring books to people who need them.

A few years ago, when the Little Free Libraries Movement launched, more people of all ages could have access to books. Now, more than 15,000 free book stands can be found around the world, bringing books to unexpected places. But many folks simply can’t get to the places where the books are. Bookmobile buses are a good solution, but they can be expensive to fund and to operate.

Books on bikes programs are popping up (出现) in areas where there is a strong bike culture, such as Seattle, or a strong need to bring books to the masses, such as in San Francisco.

The Seattle Public Library’s Books on Bikes program is made up of three bike/trailer combos (复合) that librarians bring to community events. The trailers are even Wi-Fi enabled so that visitors can sign up for a library card and browse (浏览) the library’s card catalog on the spot.

“Seattle has a really strong bike culture so we want to tap into that and provide full service library programs but do it in a way that is quick and smart.” librarian Jared Mills said in an interview.

San Francisco’s program, called Bibliobicicleta, was launched in 2013 by librarian Alicia Tapia. Her trailer can hold about 100 books and attracts readers of all ages and income levels.   It’s an independent, donation — based library — ike a Little Free Library, but on wheels.

When asked why she would launch a free library on a bike, Tapia answers, “Why not? Bikes are cool, and can go anywhere.”

【推荐2】How important is fish farming? Very. Although it’s an ancient business, the rise of aquaculture (水产养殖) has been one of the biggest revolutions in food supply over the past half century.

Aquaculture has made fish more affordable for consumers around the world, popularizing the consumption of what used to be expensive, and easing the pressure on hard- pressed wild stocks (库存). Aquaculture also has many clear environmental benefits: compared with other ways of growing animal protein, it uses little or no land, and has low greenhouse emissions. And while the world has traditionally had a bad record of regulating wild fishing, fish farming generally occurs within the boundaries of governments, meaning it should, in theory, be much easier to ensure that good practices are upheld.

Crowding large numbers of fish into limited spaces means that waste products, including waste, uneaten food and dead fish, are poured into the surrounding waters, polluting them. Besides, the pesticides and drugs used to treat conditions that upset fish in concentrated numbers can also affect local wildlife. Many farmed fish are fed on other fish, so the industry also puts pressure on wild stocks: about a fifth of all caught fish, some 18 million tonnes, is used for fish oil and fish meal production. There is also the problem of fish escaping, with potentially dangerous effects on surrounding ecosystems.

In 2018 the Scottish Parliament’s environment committee published a report into the fish farming industry’s environmental effects, stating that key problems simply hadn’t been tackled, and that the Scottish government’s plan to double salmon output by 2030could cause “irrecoverable damage” to ecosystems. Since then, protections have been toughened. There is now more pressure from regulators to situate farms in remote, deep-water locations. Meanwhile, though, catches of Scottish wild salmon have fallen to their lowest level since records began in 1952. “There are good reasons for fish farming and real dangers to it as well.” concludes an official. “The question is how to make it work.”

【推荐3】In the sciences and arts, those praised as geniuses were most often white men, of European origin. Perhaps this is not a surprise. It's said that history is written by the victors, and those victors set the standards for admission to the genius club. When contributions were made by geniuses outside the club—women, or people of a different color or belief—they were unacknowledged and rejected by others.

A study recently published by Science found that as young as age six, girls are less likely than boys to say that members of their gender(性别)are “really, really smart.” Even worse, the study found that girls act on that belief: Around age six they start to avoid activities said to be for children who are “really, really smart.” Can our planet afford to have any great thinkers become discouraged and give up? It doesn't take a genius to know the answer: absolutely not.