【推荐1】If you have come to Britain, there are some beautiful places you can’t miss. Below are four that you can enjoy during your trip to Britain.

Cotswolds

The Cotswolds are a range of hills measuring about 2,000 square kilometers, designated as an area of outstanding beauty and shared by countries of Somerset, Wiltshire, Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire. Sometimes known as “The Heart of England”, the hills are small but perfectly formed and dotted with pleasant towns and well-preserved old villages inhabited mainly by well-preserved old English folk.

Bath

Bath is a historic Roman and Georgian spa city. It is a World Heritage(遗产) site, situated in 100 miles west of London and 15 miles southeast of the nearest big city, Bristol. A unique city, Bath is famous for its hot springs, Roman period baths, medieval heritage and stately Georgain architecture. The famous English writer Jane Austen spent some time there, and her novel is a satire of the social life of the city at the time. Many of the sites she mentioned are still able to be visited in the city today.

Much Wenlock

The Shropshire town of Much Wenlock is a characteristically English town, off the beaten track, but well worth a visit. Not only is Much Wenlock a stunning beautiful medieval town, but it also played a part in the birth of the modern Olympic Games. Much Wenlock is the birthplace of William Penny Brookes, the inspiration for the modern Olympic Movement and founder of the Wenlock Olympian society. In recognition of its sporting heritage, the 2012 London Olympic Games named one of their mascots Wenlock.

Castle Combe

Nestled in a wooded Cotswold valley, with the ambling Bybrook River flowing through its heart, Castle Combe is a truly delightful example of the traditional English village. Architecturally, little has changed since the 15^th century. There are no street lights or TV aerials and you enjoy the peaceful atmosphere, and you will understand why it has won the “Prettiest Village in England” award so many times. Castle Combe is also a favored location for Hollywood film and television companies.

【推荐1】I used to be bad at playing basketball. Gym class in middle school was the worst. I was always the last kid to be picked. The only reason why I was even picked at all was that I was good friends with the best player in the class.

In the eighth grade, I finally decided I was sick and tired of being a nonentity. I dedicated (奉献) that entire summer to getting better. I spent every day playing basketball, practising for hours in the gym. I remember playing pick-up games with one group of kids until they all eventually got tired and left. Then a whole different group of kids would come in and I’d play with them too.

After months of this devoted routine, something amazing started to happen. People began passing me the ball. They trusted me to take the shot. They even started picking me first to be on their team! The last game of organized basketball I ever played was the culmination (高潮) of all my hard work. Against a team far more talented than mine. I scored 27 points. We still lost, but I walked away from that game feeling like a total champion.

What I learned from those years of rejection and waiting to be picked was that life really isn’t any different. Most of us spend our lives waiting for opportunities to land in our laps. What’s worse, sometimes we feel entitled (使有权) to them. And when things don’t go our way — when no one picks us — we find something or someone to blame.

I could have complained when no one wanted me on their team. I could have convinced myself that I deserved to be picked. But I didn’t. Instead I took matters into my own hands and put in the work to become better.

Should we have our fate controlled by a few people who in most cases don’t even know us? I certainly don’t think so. We have a choice. We can choose to create something meaningful, and so move forward with our ideas.

【推荐3】Enter Our Short Story Competition 2024

Welcome to our Short Story Competition 2024 to show the world your storytelling talents! Note that there are some changes to last year’s competition rules. If you have any questions or concerns, ask us before submitting your story.

Please ensure that your submissions are completely new and not previously published. Your story must have uplifting elements and be limited between 250 and 300 words in length.

Please include your name, preferred email address or postal address for possible awards in the body of the email with the story attached. Don’t put your personal information anywhere in your story.

There are three categories—one for adults and two categories for schools: one for children aged 12-18 and one for children under 12.

In the adults category, the winner will receive £1, 000 and the runner-up will receive £250.

In the children aged 12-18 category, the winner will receive a £200 book voucher (代金券) or a branded tablet and a £100 book voucher, and the runner-up will receive a £100 book voucher.

In the children under 12 category, the winner will receive a £100 of book voucher or a branded tablet and a £100 book voucher, and the runner-up will receive a £50 book voucher.

Please submit your stories by June 31, 2024 either online or by posting offline.

The judge team consisting of our editors and some professional writers will pick a shortlist (入围名单) of entries, and the three best stories in each category will be posted online at on our website on August 1, 2024.

You can vote for your favourite, and the one with the most votes will win the top prize. Voting will close on November 30, 2024 and the winning entries will be published on December 31, 2024.

Our International Exchange Department requires one part-time bilingual secretary for our office. He/She must be native Mandarin with excellent English competence （better with Japanese）. We ask for 8 hours a week （from Monday to Saturday）, and working schedule is negotiable. However, English corners are arranged on Thursdays, and therefore we need you to be on site from 3pm to 5pm. Attractive salary and good benefits package. including chances to exchange to foreign countries, are offered to junior and senior year students with excellent secretarial skills, the ability to communicate, an outgoing personality and a strong sense of responsibility.

Please hand in applications with photo, and email to uniied@gmail.com, or call 400-800-100 during office hours to get further information.

International Exchange Department

The Mathematics Department is looking for two Advanced Math teaching assistants. The job is mainly to help freshmen students to deal with math assignments and projects, as well as prepare them for final exams in Week 16.

We hope those applying for the position could meet the following requirements. First, it's necessary for the applicants to be skilled at math. Second, he/she should have at least 2 As in math-related courses with GPA no less than 4.0. Third, the job asks for excellence in both professional skills and patience.

For those who are interested in the position, please send your resume to unimd@gmail.com before September 15th.

Dr. Jessica Smith

Mathematics Department

Technology Support Department lacks several assistants to work at its help desk.

Contents: A customer service job—answering questions, helping people solve their computer problems, providing basic teaching to new users, elc.

Requirement: The Advanced Computer Test certificate; good interpersonal skills; enthusiasm. Work hours:

from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m.

early mornings (6 a.m-9 am.): 2 persons; mornings (9 a.m.- 12 a.m.): 1 person afternoons (12 p.m.- 6 pm): (full)

evenings (6 p.m. - 11 p.m.): (full)

late nights: (11 p.m.-2 a.m.): 2 persons; weekends: 3 persons

If you are interested, please come to Luking Library 2F (East Side) Room 213 and fill in the forms. An interview will be arranged afterwards. New position for the next semester will be released in December.

Mr. Luke Johnson

Technology Support Department