【推荐2】Whether you are a fine art lover or history fan, there are a handful of museums that aresure to take your breath away and that you should visit in your lifetime.

THE STATE HERMITAGE MUSEUM, ST PETERSBURG, RUSSIA

The State Hermitage Museum was founded in 1764. The collections occupy a largecomplex of six historic buildings along Palace Embankment, including the Winter Palace, a former residence of Russian emperors.

Highlights: golden masterpieces from Eurasia and the Orient

THE BRITISH MUSEUM, LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM

The British Museum was the first national museum to cover all fields of human knowledge. No other museum is responsible for collections of the same depth and significance.Its eightmillion objects allow us to explore the extraordinary diversity of human cultures.

Highlights: the world’s second finest collection of Egyptian antiquities(古物)outside Egypt.

THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART, NEW YORK, USA

“The Met” is the largest art museum in the United States. Presenting over 5,000 years ofart from around the world for everyone to experience and enjoy, the Met is always eager to bemore than a treasury of rare and beautiful objects.

Highlights: is European sculptures and American paintings

SHANGHAI MUSEUM, SHANGHAI, CHINA

Enjoying a high reputation at home and abroad, Shanghai Museum is a large gallery of more than 100,000 cultural treasures. Most significantly, the Ancient Coin Room of Silk Roadis presented with more 7000 distinctive coins to reveal the history of economic exchange be-tween China and foreign countries.

Highlights: silh paintings, ancient copper coins, pottery, jades(翡翠)

【推荐1】Here’s a list of the new picture books and novels for children and teens this month.

The Fruits and the Vegetables are long-standing enemies until secret friends Grape and Mushroom set off on a pilgrimage (朝圣) to the Wise d Cheese. Can they find a way bring peace to Fruit Bowl and Veg Drawer alike? A diversity of verbal and visual puns (双关语) makes for a funny picture-book treat.

Farook’s latest animal adventure features a boy Numan who is convinced that his parents favour his perfect brother Krish and is determined to prove his worth. After he takes over Krish’s book delivery job, he forms an unexpected bond with a frightening bear and sets out to return the stolen Key of Nissanka to the King’s City. This lively, exciting picture book for 8+ will attract existing fans and newcomers alike.

Danny thinks the fairy door he got for his birthday is a rubbish present. Worse still, Stink, the world’s worst fairy, flies out of it. Stink does nothing but ride on rats, eat insects and cause trouble. The only way she can get back to Fairyland is by doing a good deed. Can Danny help his hopeless fairy be good for once? This wildly comic, highly illustrated book is perfect for 6 and up.

This powerful picture book for 5+ readers describes four children’s fears and worries — climate disaster, lack of support, feeling lost and alone — and then shows how they find ways to fight back, “because the world can be a hopeful place” too.

【推荐2】CHINA'S FOUR GREAT NOVELS

China's Four Great Novels came out in the 14th to 18th centuries during the Ming（1368﹣1644）and Qing（1644﹣1911）Dynasties， concurrent with the European Renaissance ﹣ which popularized the use of everyday language in Chinese literature. Professor Andrew Plaks， in his book Four Masterworks of the Ming and Qing Novel， observes that these fictional works used popular storytelling styles to increase societal norms and juxtaposed （把…并列）them against a set of flawed characters in order to raise serious questions about heroism， selfhood， and love.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms

Luo Guanzhong （1330﹣1400）

Chinese literature's first chapter﹣based novel which draws from the historic power struggle between the Three Kingdoms of Wei， Shu， and Wu （220﹣280）.

Sample line： "The long divided must unite， the long united must divide； thus it has ever been."

Western similarity： Game of Thrones

Journey to the West

Wu Cheng'en （1500﹣1582）

Most widely told story of the four， it is a fictionalized account of the real pilgrimage（朝圣）to India of the Buddhist monk Xuanzang （602﹣664）.

Sample line： "Heaven and earth were once a chaotic whole， borderless and shapeless， without any beings whatsoever."

Western similarity： The Lord of the Rings and Don Quixote （《唐•吉诃德》）

Water Margin

Shi Nai'an （1296﹣1370）

A work of controversial authorship based on the true story of the bandit Song Jiang and his 36 rebels in the late years of North Song Dynasty（960﹣1127）.

Sample line："It's easier to draw a tiger than to sketch its bones；it's easier to know someone's look than the contents of his heart."

Western similarity： Robin Hood

Dream of the Red Chamber

Cao Xueqin （1715﹣1763）

Semi﹣biographical work，on the basis of author's personal experience，with over 600 named characters，about the decline of Qing Dynasty society. Sold over 100 million copies.

Sample line： Pages full of idle words； penned with hot and bitter tears； all men call the author fool；none his secret message hears.

Western similarity： Shakespeare with a dose of Jane Austen.