【推荐1】Are you open to exploring Canada for a few weeks, meeting new friends, learning French and participating in unforgettable worthy adventures? Or are you looking for something longer-term where you can dive deep into another language and culture? The Explore or Odyssey Programs may be right for you!

EXPLORE PROGRAMS

Offered during the spring and summer for people with any skill level in French, Explore Programs are language programs which allow you to discover another region of Canada while learning French. There is a three-week Explore Program (ages 13 to 15) and an Explore Program if you’re a student 16 years old or older.

FUNDING

The three-week Explore Program: $2, 000 (taxable income).

The Explore Program for 16+ year olds: $2, 800 (taxable income).

The funding covers the major expenses for participating in the program: fees, teaching materials, workshops, food, accommodation, and most of your activities. Apart from personal spending money you will need to cover registration fees and travel expenses.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA(资格标准)

In order to qualify for the Explore Programs funding, you must:

—be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident (those studying in Canada on a student visa are not eligible);

—be 13, 14 or 15 years old by the time your Explore (ages 13 to 15) course begins; and have been a full-time student for at least one term.

There is no age limit for participation in Odyssey, but you do need to meet all the other eligibility requirements.There are no French-language-skill requirements to apply for the Odyssey program.A driver’s licence is not a requirement for selection. However, in some regions, having a licence is preferable.

【推荐2】The Workshops Rail Museum

Summer 2018-2019 Events

Steam Train Sunday

Sunday 2 December 2018

10:15 am

Travel back in time on a historic steam train.

1-hour trip starts and returns to Roma Street station.

Book early as these trips will set out.

Book now at theworkshops.qm.qld.gov.au.

Adults $29; concession(优惠) $26; children $16.

Christmas Express

Saturday 8 December 2018

10 am

Catch the Christmas spirit with a festival return steam train journey to historic Grandchester station. This 2.5-hour trip starts and returns to the Workshops Rail Museum.

Add museum entry and make it a full day out.

Book early as this trip will sell out.

Book now at theworkshops.qm.qld.gov.au.

Adults $55; concession $49; children $40.

Museum Twilight Markets

Friday 14 December 2018

5 pm-9 pm

Combining southeast Queensland’s best handmade markets, food trucks, and live music, this is an event not to be missed.

Entry $2; children under 15 years are free and must be accompanied by an adult.

Museum Torchlight Tours $ 10; children under 15 years must be accompanied by an adult.

Buy tickets at the door.

Mephisto On Display Now

See Mephisto, the only surviving German Sturmpanzerwagen A7V tank in the world. Recently returned from the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, see this beloved war tank while protection work is being done.

Included in museum entry.

Contact us

North Street, North Ipswich

Phone: (07)34325100

Opening hours

9:30 am to 4 pm daily

Closed Good Friday, Anzac Day, Christmas Day and Boxing Day

Entry                                Annual pass(年票)

2 adults and                       2 adults and up to

4 children                           2 children

【推荐3】In the Night Garden

In a magical forest, colourful characters have adventures. A mysterious tide of water appears suddenly next to Igglepiggle. He discovers that he can control it by moving his feet. Excited, he takes it to Makka Pakka who finds it very useful indeed.

Children Under 5

Today on BBC2 from 11:05am to 11:35am

Last of the Summer Wine

To relax, Howard tries a simple trick to change his appearance enough to fool even Pearl. But he soon discovers that taking over someone else’s identity can be equally dangerous.

Comedy Sitcoms

Today on G.O.L.D. from 12:40pm to 1: 20pm

The Secret Circle

Cassie is an orphaned teenager who discovers that not only is she a witch but that she is also the key that will unlock a centuries-old battle between good and evil. When Cassie accepts a cute boy’s invitation to the school dance, Adam struggles to control his anger.

Today on Sky Living from 10:00pm to 11:00pm

The Kid’s Speech

Eleven-year-olds, Reggie and William, and 14-year-old Bethan, are determined to improve their speech. Along with their parents, they start a unique course at the Michael Palin Centre for Stammering children. Over two weeks, they open up about their fears and frustrations.

Documentary

Today on BBC1 London from 10:35pm to 11:25pm

【推荐1】Not long ago, Linda Khan was sitting by a hospital bed in Houston, feeling ill at ease. Beside her lay her father who needed a heart surgery. The two of them had engaged in nothing but depressing small talks. Then, her eye fell on a pile of books. She picked up one, and started to read it out loud. "Right away, it changed the mood and atmosphere, “she says. Reading gave the daughter a way to connect with her father. Listening allowed the father travel on the sound of his daughter's voice into a place where he felt himself again. "From then on, Khan says, “I always read to him.”

In a 2010 survey in the United Kingdom, elderly adults who joined weekly read-aloud groups reported better concentration, less anxiety, and an improved ability to socialize. The survey authors owed these improvements in large part to the “rich, varied diet of serious literature” that group members consumed, with fiction encouraging feelings of relaxation and calm, poetry fostering focused concentration, and narratives giving rise to cognitive (认知的)thoughts, feelings, and memories. In truth, almost any kind of reading to another person can be beneficial.

Readers get rewards too. For Neil Bush, the late-life hospitalizations of his famous parents, George H. W. and Barbara Bush, became opportunities to repay a debt of gratitude. "When I was a kid, they would read to me, “he said. With his parents in and out of care, “We’ve been reading books about Dad’s foreign policy and, more recently, Mom’s autobiography.” Bush went on, his voice thick with emotion, "And reading their amazing life to them has been a remarkable blessing to me, personally, as their son.”

To many people, reading to parents may seem so far outside the normal range of regular activities, and it may even feel odd(奇怪的)and improper. However, there are still a lot many who brave the momentary strangeness of reading to elderly adults and both readers and listeners are, to borrow a phrase from Wordsworth, surprised by the joy of it.

【推荐2】My challenge for you is this: to read a book for 15 minutes every single day for a month.

Let me explain a bit, by telling you where the challenge came from. I have many things in common with my dad, like music taste and the sense of humor, but sadly reading isn’t one of them. I can happily spend a whole day with a book, but my dad can’t read a book for longer than about 5 minutes. He reads emails, websites and papers for work, but not books. He's busy, so I think sitting down to read for just 15 minutes a day is a good way to relax and to introduce him to reading.

My dad is not the only person who avoids books. I know lots of people would rather relax on their computers or in front of the TV. Everyone is different and has their own interests, but I think there are lots of benefits of reading, which screen-based activities don’t have.

Firstly, it's better for your eyes. Looking at screens can be very stressful for your eye muscles, and clearly you should avoid looking at screens for an hour before bed, to get a good night’s sleep.

One reason why I personally love reading is that I’m being transported to another world — I would often forget the time or things around me! Reading is a great way to switch off before you go to bed, because you think more about the world of the book, rather than the real world, so you can truly relax. I know you can be transported to a different world in a film or a TV show, but I think books do it better.

I also enjoy hearing what people are doing and finding out what they think. Reading gives me the chance to get to know hundreds of new people! It also teaches you to see things from other people’s point of view, and understand other people’s decisions or opinions. With a book, you can hear everything a character is thinking or feeling — you really can be inside someone else's head!

So give it a go! Take 15 minutes when you are waking up, going to bed, eating lunch, or having a coffee. If you read a lot, why not try 15 minutes of an English book, or pass the challenge on to someone else? Good luck, and happy reading!