Where can you find the first successful airplane, one of the world’s biggest bugs (虫子) and Kermit the Frog? They’re all at the Smithsonian Institution, Americans’ storehouse of the coolest things ever, in Washington，D.C.More than 138 million objects have been collected by their 19 museums, with more coming in every day.
The Smithsonian was founded in 1846 and named after James Smithson, an English businessman. Smithson never visited America, but he left his entire fortune to the United States to build an institution “for the increase of knowledge”.
Here are just a few of the amazing things in the Smithsonian collection.
Big bugs
The Smithsonian has 35 million bugs. The largest insect in the collection is a beetle (甲虫) from South America called the titan beetle. Titan beetles can grow to more than 6 inches long.
Flying machines
The first powered plane to fly, the 1903 Wright Flyer, is displayed in the National Air and Space Museum. The Smithsonian has the first supersonic (超声速的) airliner, the Concorde, which could cross the Atlantic Ocean in fewer than four hours.
The longest beard
The Smithsonian is home to the longest beard ever recorded. Norwegian immigrant Hans Langseth had grown his facial hair to 18 feet 6 inches by the time he died in 1927. The Smithsonian has 17 feet 6 inches of it because, even though Langseth’s final wish was to have his entire beard preserved, his family decided it wouldn’t be right to bury him cleanshaven.
Time and admission：
Smithsonian museums are open every day of the year except December 25 unless otherwise noted. Most museums are open daily from 10 a. m. to 5：30 p. m. The American Art Museum and Portrait Gallery are open 11：30 a. m. to 7 p. m.
Admission is free for all Smithsonian museums and the zoo in Washington，D.C., and the American Indian Museum’s George Gustav Heye Center in New York. A fee is required at the CooperHewitt, National Design Museum in New York (Members and children under 12 are admitted free).
1. According to the text, the Smithsonian Institution .| A．was founded in honor of an American |
| B．has all its museums in Washington, D. C. |
| C．is most famous for its fine collection of art |
| D．was funded by money from James Smithson |
| A．the words in his last will |
| B．the rejection of his family |
| C．the tradition of Norwegians |
| D．the bad condition of the beard |
| A．They were from South Africa. |
| B．They are in the same museum. |
| C．They are recordbreaking items. |
| D．They were from the 19th century. |
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【推荐1】Personal safety is most important when you travel abroad. Here are some top safest countries before your next international trip.
● Iceland
The third lowest incidence (发生率) of killing in the world, this country obviously leaves its visitors in wonder. A few other reasons to visit Iceland include:
From the middle of May through the end of July, there is always sunlight.
Keep yourself in the waters of geothermal (地热的) energy.
● Norway
Because people have strong religious (宗教的) rules, there is very little crime (犯罪) in Norway. A few other reasons that make the country a must-see include:
Perhaps it’s easiest to make the country’s people satisfied in the world.
Some places in the country enjoy 24 hours of sunlight.
● Switzerland
Most people are law-abiding (守法的) and hold guns in public. The pro-gun policy seems to stop criminals. Other reasons to visit include:
Nothing comes close to Swiss cooking
See the Matterhorn, and the Alps in person.
And again, 16 plus hours of non-stop sunlight.
● Finland
Not only is it an excellent choice to visit because of its breathtaking landscapes (风景), but there is almost no crime in the country a few other reasons to visit Finland include:
The beauty of The Northern Lights.
Helsinki and Russian churches.
Visit Santa throughout the year at his home office in Rovaniemi.
1. What do we know about Iceland and Norway?| A．they both have longtime sunshine. |
| B．Their people are pleased very easily. |
| C．They have underground heat energy. |
| D．They have strong religious rules. |
| A．Cooking. | B．Guns. |
| C．Mountains. | D．Sunlight. |
| A．In Iceland. | B．In Norway. |
| C．In Switzerland. | D．In Finland. |
【推荐2】Can you imagine the bad guy Megatron (威震天) chatting non-stop about small household affairs with a human being? Well imagine no longer as Universal Studios Beijing’s newest “employee,” Megatron himself, has earned social media fame on Chinese platforms such as Sina Weibo and Douyin for doing just this.
Searches for videos featuring the giant Transformer have increased. as Chinese netizens enjoy seeing him joke and amuse visitors at Universal Studios Beijing. “It must be a comedian who was from some stand-up comedy club and took a part-time job at Universal Studios,” one Sina Weibo user commented, representing the voices of many others.
Visitors who have had the chance to enter the park have recorded many videos of their experience and recommending interesting sights to netizens, who have been eagerly waiting to try out the park for themselves.
“Why are you alone here? Where is your boyfriend? Why did he stand so far away? Does he refuse to tell others about your relationship?” Megatron says in one video clip as he talks with a young woman standing in front of him to take pictures.
The Megatron suit is actually quite complicated. The performer wears the mechanical armor(盔甲)and interacts with the outside world via a remote control with a voice-changing microphone, according to 36kr.com.
The popularity of Megatron online has made many people more interested in visiting the park. “When I visited the Universal Studios during the weekend, there was a huge line of visitors waiting to take photos and talk with Megatron in the Transformers section,” a Beijing father of a 3-year-old boy said.
Many people who are still waiting to get into the park have said that the robot will be their first stop. “He is so different from the bad guy image in the movie. He’s cute.” a university student who has been won over by Megatron’s charm noted.
1. What do we know about the Megatron in Universal Studio Beijing from the passage?| A．Tourists are scared of its bad guy image. |
| B．It is a part-time comedian from a stand-up comedy club. |
| C．People who didn’t visit the park don’t know about Megatron. |
| D．Its personalities are different from those in the movie Transformers. |
| A．It likes talking with young women. |
| B．The Movie Transformers is of great popularity. |
| C．It is very entertaining and approachable to the visitors. |
| D．Its armor and voice are cool with full sense of technology. |
| A．Humorous. | B．Enthusiastic. | C．Appreciative. | D．Delightful. |
| A．A science fiction. | B．A travelling column. | C．A movie magazine. | D．A TV interview. |
【推荐3】Sagrada Familia ( 2,056,448 visits/year)
Opening hours: 09:00-18:00 (October-March) 09:00-20:00 (April-September).
Admission: $11, or $10 with the Barcelona Card.
Disabled access: Yes.
The temple has been under construction since 1882 and they’ve still got another 30 to 80 years to go before it will be finished. The project’s vast scale (规模) and its special design have made it one of Barcelona’s top tourist attractions for many years.
La Pedrera (1,133,220 visits/year)
Opening hours: 09:00-18:30 (November-February) 09:00-20:00 (March-October)
Admission: $9.50. Save 20% with the Barcelona Card.
Disabled access: No.
This building used to be called Casa Mila, but nowadays it’s more commonly known as La Pedrera. It was made of bricks and had colorful tiles (瓷砖).
Barcelona FC Museum (1,032,763 visits/year)
Opening hours: 6th April-4th October: (Monday to Saturday) 10:00-20:00; the rest of the year: 10:00 to 18:30.
Admission: $8.50 for entry to museum and an extra $17 for a guided tour.
Disabled access: Yes.
It is now generally considered as the best football museum in the world. You can see so many trophies (奖杯), pictures and statues of great football players. I’m not a football fan but I still enjoyed walking round this museum.
Miró Museum (518,869 visits/year)
Opening hours: Check website for details as they vary depending on the time of the year.
Admission: $8. Save 20% with the Barcelona Card.
Disabled access: Yes.
This museum has a wide range of Miró’s works dating back as far as 1914. This artwork collection includes not only his paintings but also a good selection of sculptures.
1. What can we know about the four tourist attractions?| A．Sagrada Familia is the largest building in Barcelona. |
| B．La Pedrera is well known for its colors. |
| C．Barcelona FC Museum will attract football fans. |
| D．Miró Museum was built in as early as the year of 1914. |
| A．$8.5 | B．$25.5 | C．$17 | D．$25 |
| A．They are famous for their architectural styles. | B．They are all accessible for the disabled people. |
| C．Their opening hours are changeable in different times. | D．Tourists can get a discount of 20% with the Barcelona Card. |
【推荐1】It can be hard to keep kids busy sometimes, especially when school is out. Whether your kid is in pre-school or high school, there are fun, educational, and even some free apps on this list for them.
ABCmouse. com
ABCmouse.com is available both as an app and a website. It uses fun storyline-based videos, quizzes, and activities—there’s even a virtual map outlining your child’s learning path to keep kids engaged.
Ages:4-8
Cost:One-month free trial, then $ 10/month subscription (订阅).
EPIC!
Epic! is an app for kids with an e-book library that contains over 35,000 children’s books. This app is a perfect way to take reading wherever your device goes, and it’s great for families with kids of various ages.
Ages: 2-12
Cost: one—month free trial, then $ 8/month.
QUIDK MATH
Kids know that math can be boring, but this app transforms numbers into something more creative and interactive (互动的). Quick Math Jr. is an app for kids with 12 different math games that feature fundamental math skills and concepts.
Ages: 4-8
Cost: free
BrainPOP Jr. Movie of the Week
For 20 years, BrainPOP has been providing kids all over the world with in-depth, yet easy to understand educational videos on everything ranging from Mozart to food allergies. BrainPOP Jr. Movie of the Week is an app that helps younger kids get these videos, plus short quizzes on them.
Ages :6-9
Cost: free, optional subscription(订阅)is $6.99/month
1. How much is it if you want to use EPIC! for the first year?| A．$ 120 | B．$96 | C．$110 | D．$ 88 |
| A．QUICK Math | B．EPIC! | C．ABCmouse. com | D．BrainPOP Jr. Movie of the Week |
| A．They are interactive. | B．They are educational. |
| C．Players have quizzes. | D．They are free of charge. |
【推荐2】Products Every Student May Want
Maglite Flashlight
Price: $ 48. 40
How many dead flashlights do you have laying around? The Maglite flashlight will run anywhere from 13 to 48 hours on a fresh set of batteries. Now when the power goes out in the dorms the night before your chemistry final, you don’t need to admit defeat. Designed for the best light output, these mid-sized flashlights beam(光线传播)up to 307 meters.
LifeStraw
Price: $ 17, 47
Imagine a world where you can drink out of a muddy hole and have the water come out clean LifeStraw filters that muddy water through hollow fibers, making it totally safe to drink cold water after a tiring hike up the Appalachian Trail. Remember that nightmare when you come home from a camping trip with a river parasite(寄生虫)?Not to worry-the valuable LifeStraw filters 99, 9 percent of parasites, bacteria and more.
Amaeon Kcho Dot
Price: $ S9, 99
Alexa is your personal voice assistant. She listens to every word you say until you ask her to do something. And then she does it. You could ask her why carrots grow in the ground, and she would spit out an answer right now. Ask her to play your favorite song from across the room, or to look up the definition of Kim Kardashian.
Rocketbook Everlast Smart Notebook
Price: $21. 10
The amount of notebooks everyone buys throughout college kills too many trees. Imagine reducing your carbon footprint greatly. With a reusable notebook, write as much as you want on the pages and then erase it all after your final exams. What could be better than opening a new notebook to a fresh clean page at the start of the semester? Oh, I know. saving the planet in the process.
1. How long can a Maglite flashlipht with fresh batteries run at most?| A．For 13 hours. | B．For 48 hours. | C．For 35 hours. | D．For 61 hours. |
| A．To purify water. | B．To save water’ | C．To heat water. | D．To make water. |
| A．Maglite Flashlight. |
| B．LifeStraw. |
| C．Amazon Echo Dot. |
| D．Rocketbook Everlast Smart Notebook. |
【推荐3】Malaysia, in Southeast Asia, is a great combination of history and modernization, and is a great tourist spot. The place is a cultural mixing bowl of Malay, Chinese, Indian and indigenous customs and heritage, and while for most people, the name Malaysia only brings pictures of Kuala Lumpur, there is a lot more to it. Let us take a look at some best places to visit in Malaysia.
Kuala Lumpur
The capital of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, is a common favourite. Unlike most of the cities in the world, it is more than where the visitor lands and then goes off to other places, because Kuala Lumpur itself offers a lot. The beautiful skyline, adorned by Menara KL Tower and Petronas Tower, is a must-see. The Perdana Lake Gardens is another great sight. Excellent transport system is ready to help explore the city sights. The cuisine is a must-try, what with the mix of Malay, Chinese and Indian influence.
Penang
Penang is one of the best places to visit in Malaysia. This big island on the west coast of Malaysia is one that the country is proud of, and for valid reasons. For one, its historic capital city, George Town, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, what with its landmark homes, fort, temples and museums. Penang offers an excellent spread, including some incredible street food. Some of the best treats and tastes are available at the food joints lining the waterfront esplanade named Gurney Drive.
Selangor
Selangor defines the most developed and populated states of Malaysia, closely following the urban sprawl of Kuala Lumpur. It has the National Zoo of Malaysia and a Formula One racetrack. There are theme parks including indoor snow parks frequented by hordes of travelers. It is a hot shopping zone, and the country's gambling capital, Gentling Highlands. Contrarily, there are the Batu Caves with Hindu shrines. Along the river in Kuala Selangor, one can see the exotic abundance of fireflies.
Malaysian Borneo
In contrast to the bright lights and concrete of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian Borneo offers an abundance of green rain-forests and wildlife. It is the third largest island in the world and definitely one of the best places to visit in Malaysia. It often goes forgotten by those who stay fascinated by the mainland. But one must not miss Borneo's repertoire of natural wonders. Only a short, cheap flight away lies the options of scuba diving in Sabah, caving in Sarawak, and the many other adventures.
1. What will most people think of when hearing the word Malaysia?| A．Pictures about Malaysia capital | B．Cultural combination |
| C．Various customs and heritages | D．History plus modernization |
| A．Visitors might stay longer there. |
| B．Visitors might go away after a brief stay. |
| C．It has much more to offer to its visitors. |
| D．It is commonly favored by visitors. |
| A．Malaysian Borneo | B．Selangor | C．Penang | D．Malaysia |
