【推荐1】Four Best Places to Travel for the Summer of 2019

If you're still deciding where to take your summer vacation, 2019 brings major anniversaries, new flight routes, buzzy museum openings and more. In no particular order, check out our picks for where to travel this summer:

Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia

The Salar de Uyuni, or Uyuni Salt Flat, is a vast expanse near the Bolivian Andes that resembles ice. The surreal landscape is actually leftover salt from ancient lakes. A large lounge dome offers a public space with tables, floor cushions and hanging lanterns. Food is provided by Gustu in La Paz, considered one of Latin America's top restaurants. Beyond simply enjoying the food and scenery, guests can hike to the crater of Tunupa Volcano, mountain bike across the Salar or visit the village of Jirira. Come nightfall, on-site telescopes take full advantage of the star-flooded sky.

Las Vegas

There's the Park Theater, where up to 5,200 people can enjoy A-list artist residencies: Lady Gaga is currently in residence until November, with Janet Jackson and Cher starting this summer. For good measure, Bruno Mars will also be performing some dates in September. Daniel Humm and Will Guidara, perhaps best known for NYC's Eleven Madison Park restaurant, are behind the NoMad Restaurant and NoMad Bar. And foodies will no doubt want to experience Roy Choi's Best Friend, the first brick-and-mortar restaurant following his hugely successful Korean BBQ truck.

Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia often gets overlooked for popular provinces like British Columbia and Quebec, but its quiet charms are worth exploring. Cape Breton Island takes a bit of work to reach, but it's here that you'll find challenging hiking trails, a scenic driving route minus the traffic and real-deal Celtic culture. The Halifax Jazz Festival, held in the province's capital, is considered Nova Scotia's largest music festival, and goes down from July 9-14 on the waterfront.

Grand Canyon

It's the Grand Canyon's 100th anniversary as a national park, and there are multiple ways to celebrate this notable occasion. From June 22-29, stargazers can join amateur astronomers for free at the park's North and South Rims for the Star Party. Telescopes will be on hand to find planets (Jupiter and Saturn among them), star clusters and nebulae. There will also be slide show programs with a different focus each night, from protecting dark skies to learning how planets form. Constellation talks and night sky photography workshops are among the free offerings, just allow yourself enough time since you won't be the only one with this idea.

1. Which place will you choose if you want to have a great barbeque?

A．Salar de Uyuni

B．Las Vegas

C．Nova Scotia

D．Grand Canyon

2. Which country is Nova Scotia probably in?

A．Canada

B．America

C．Britain

D．South Africa

3. If you are an Astronomy fans, which two places will be the best choice?

A．Salar de Uyuni and Las Vegas	B．Salar de Uyuni and Grand Canyon
C．Las Vegas and Nova Scotia	D．Las Vegas and Grand Canyon

【推荐2】We are delighted to announce that from Monday 17th August, Holker Gardens will once again be open!

Available on our website, tickets are timed (计时) on arrival to ensure everyone can enjoy the wonders of our gardens while maintaining proper self-distancing measures. The time item tells you when to enter the gardens. Please book them in advance.

The gardens will present themselves in a most unusual and unique condition due to a number of factors including the hot weather over recent months and the focus by our team to preserve and protect our national treasures.

Alongside our gardens there will be a simple take-away service available from our cafe offering hot & cold drinks, our famous home-made scones, a selection of tray bakes and freshly made sandwiches. Everything will be served in bio-degradable (可降解的) disposables so you can enjoy what we offer right across the grounds.

We are taking every precaution (预防措施) to ensure both the safety of you and of our staff.

Before we open the gates we will have:

• Deep cleaned each open area

• Clearly placed distancing markers around where needed

• Fixed hand washing and/or hand sanitizer stations (洗手液台) around the site

• Provided our staff members with the appropriate PPE (个人防护装备)

• Timed tickets on our website

• Moved to contactless/card payments only

In return, we need some support from you:

• Please stick to the 2 metre social distancing guidance throughout your visit

• Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds after using the facilities (设备)

• Make use of the hand wash and hand sanitizer stations across the site

1. What do we know about the tickets to Holker Gardens?

A．They must be purchased on the spot.

B．They show the exact time to enter the gardens.

C．They are presented in a unique and unusual condition.

D．They are heavily discounted on the opening day.

2. Which one can’t be put into the same category according to the passage?

A．Home-made scones.	B．Tray bakes.
C．Freshly made sandwiches.	D．Bio-degradable disposables.

3. What are visitors to Holker Gardens expected to do during visits?

A．Make all your payments by cash.

B．Wear the appropriate PPE all the time.

C．Stay one meter away from each other.

D．Clean hands for a while after using the facilities.

【推荐3】Welcome to AMDA

Your future in the performing arts doesn’t have to be a dream. For over 50 years, AMDA has launched some of the most successful careers in theatre, film and television. AMDA creates industry professionals who don’t just wait for life to happen—they stage their own career path. Now it’s your turn.

Program description

At AMDA, we believe a performer must perform. From the first day, you’ll find many performance opportunities in the three core areas of acting, musical theatre and dance, both in and out of the classroom, plus individual voice lessons. Over the course of your four semesters (学期), you’ll also improve your performance technique through an intensive curriculum that focuses on both foundational and advanced concepts in acting, musical theatre and dance. Finally, through courses in career preparation, you’ll learn how to apply all of this training to a successful career on stage and screen.

Philosophy and mission

AMDA is committed to providing a splendid performing arts education to a diverse community of creative artists. AMDA serves as both school and stage, where students are given the support and opportunity to identify their own personal objectives and to develop and improve their own distinctive artistic voices. AMDA tries to create an environment for students to develop the skills, confidence, imagination, and power to contribute to their community as artists, businesspeople, lifelong learners, and hard-working citizens of the world Above all, AMDA wants to teach students that commitment and passion are the marks of a successful and joyous career.

Registration

6305 Yucca Street Los Angeles

800-367-7908

https: //www.amda.edu

1. What is the curriculum of AMDA about?

A．Drawing.

B．Philosophy.

C．Performing

D．Photography.

2. How long does the course last?

A．One semester.

B．Two years.

C．Three semesters.

D．Four years.

3. What can students learn in AMDA?

A．How to sing beautifully.

B．How to train a performer.

C．The way to build a stage.

D．The way to be a director.

【推荐1】History Fair Competition

Understanding history is vital to understanding ourselves as a people and as a nation. History is much more than the study of dusty old objects and events long past. It is an essential part of who we are today and who we will become. Thornton Middle School History Fair Competition makes understanding history exciting, engaging, and fun!

This Year’s Theme

All participants must address how communication or transportation technology has promoted the quality of life for Americans throughout history. To many people, technology means computers, hand-held devices, or vehicles that travel to distant planets. However, technology is also the application of scientific knowledge to solve a problem, touching lives in countless ways.

Individuals or groups may enter one of the following categories:

· Performance

· Documentary

· Essay Writing

Category Requirements

Performance: A dramatic presentation of the topic no more than 10 minutes long. If special clothes are used, they should truly represent a given period.

Documentary: A visual presentation (such as a video, slide show, or computer project) no more than 10 minutes long. A desktop computer, screen, projector, and loudspeakers will be available. Students must provide their presentations on CDs before Friday, March 23.

Essay Writing: An academic paper of 2, 000 to 2, 500 words. No illustrations (图解) are allowed. Please do not include covers. A list of references must be included.

Important Dates

January 5Submit a topic proposal to your history teacher. The teacher may require a second proposal if the first is off-topic or unclear.

February 5       Submit a first draft of your essay, performance script, or documentary highlights.

February 19       A committee of teachers will evaluate materials and give opinions. Students then have an opportunity to improve their products.

March 9     Submit a final draft of your essay.

March 15        Performance and documentary committee preview

March 24            Thornton Middle School History Fair Competition

7:00A. M-9:00A. M       Participants signing in at the gym

10:00A. M. -6:00PM.       Competition and judges’ review

7:00P.M.            Awards ceremony and picnic

1. According to Paragragh 1, what is the major goal of understanding history?

A．To preserve national traditions.	B．To prepare for a history competition.
C．To better know the present and future.	D．To further explore historical mysteries.

2. What is the theme of this year’s competition?

A．How has technology developed in America.	B．How has science interacted with technology.
C．How has science made the study of history easy.	D．How has technology improved the life of Americans.

3. What would a participant have to do with an essay of 1,500 words to meet the category requirement?

A．Include more information in the essay.	B．Remove the references.
C．Provide a cover for the essay.	D．Explain the details with illustrations.

4. What will the committee of teachers do on February 19?

A．Preview performances and documentaries.	B．Make comments on the materials.
C．Improve the participant’s first draft.	D．Collect a second proposal from the participant.

【推荐3】Coming into the town of Santa Catarina Palopó, in the highlands of Lake Atitlan in Guatemala, the first thing you notice is the bright colors. Most of the buildings along the main street are eye-catching, deep blues and greens, dotted with red and yellow to form diverse patterns and designs.

Santa Catarina Palopó was once a sleepy town of 5, 000 people, most of them dependent on agricultural work. But as agriculture began to dry up here, poverty came. To deal with poverty and promote econ on growth through tourism, a small but creative group of laborers, artisans, domestic workers and stay-at-home moms created the Pintando Santa Catarina Palopó project.

The project aimed to paint all 850 homes and buildings in bright colors to change the hillside town into a work of art. “We wanted to paint the houses with colors and figures that represent the community” says the project’s executive director Stephany Blanco. “Families can choose designs for their house that are representative of the family.”

One of the most representative characteristics of the region is the blue huipil, a traditional blouse which has been worn commonly by local women since the 16th century. That deep sky blue was chosen the primary color-for the Pintando project, with secondary colors found in the sunsets and the nearby lake to make the design more attractive. Inspiration was also found in local culture, symbols such as volcanoes, flowers, and the national bird of Guatemala.

Each week, local artists, community members and tourists pick up paintbrushes to make buildings colorful. “At first, the idea of the project was uncertain, but now you can see a considerable difference in the town,” Melissa Whitbeck said. “The color of the buildings is believed to improve the quality-of life of the people. It uplifts the people’s mood and encourages them to be proud of their hometown.”

1. Why was the Pintando Santa Catarina project started?

A．Because of a workforce shortage.	B．Due to the poor economic conditions.
C．Thanks to the increase in population.	D．For the old-fashioned farming ways.

2. What is the project about?

A．Building family art galleries in Guatemala.	B．Creating job opportunities for local artists.
C．Developing local tourism by selling artworks.	D．Changing the town into a cultural destination.

3. What is the inspiration of the primary color for the project?

A．The surrounding volcanoes.	B．Mayan-styled butterflies.
C．A type of traditional clothing.	D．The national bird of Guatemala.

4. What is Melissa’s attitude towards the project?

A．Positive.

B．Reserved.

C．Concerned.

D．Negative.

【推荐1】A designer is recently creating floral installations (花篮) on the streets of Manhattan, New York, that are meant to brighten the days of healthcare and other important workers.

Lewis Miller’s most recent creation is an arrangement popping out of a rubbish can at the corner of West 58th Street and 10th Avenue. “They were very simple. It was just cherry branches. ” Miller said. “ We didn’t disclose the location(位置) so nobody could necessarily go and find them. But plenty of people did find them and then they found his Inslagram information. A post with pictures of the “flower flash” as Miller calls them has gotten more than 16,000 likes in less than a day. “Listen, I’m kind of bored. I’m a creative person. I did something new and it took off,’’ Miller said. It still surprises me reading the comments from yesterday like really how much it feeds peopled souls.

Miller has been dotting Manhattan with floral sunrises for a few years with his arrangements popping out of those New York City hot dog carts (推车) and even construction equipment.

“ And the combination of which is so hard aggressive, compared with flowers which are the exact opposite of that,” Miller said.

Vogue magazine once wrote about him but it’s the reaction from the public many of whom have been restricted inside for weeks that he values most.

“If you can just stop, pause and just have one second of joy - that’s amazing because that’s one of the things that’s so lacking and it’s hard,” Miller said.

As one person on Instagram put it, New York City rubbish has never looked so pretty.

1. Who are the floral installations mainly intended for?

A．Medical workers.	B．Busy pedestrians.
C．Cleaning staff.	D．Very important persons.

2. What do the citizens think of Miller’s idea of the floral installations?

A．Boring.	B．Hopeful.
C．Valuable.	D．Admirable.

3. The design is creative because        .

A．it is simple	B．it is made of rubbish
C．it pops out of a rubbish can	D．it is the symbol of New York City

4. Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?

A．Street Art	B．A Big Surprise
C．Lewis Miller’s Creation Is Amazing	D．Flower Flash Brightens Streets

【推荐2】In modern society there is a great deal of argument about competition. Some value it highly, believing that it is responsible for social progress and prosperity（繁荣）. Others say that competition is bad; that it sets one person against another; that it leads to unfriendly relationship between people.

I have taught many children who held the belief that their self-worth relied on how well they performed at tennis and other skills. For them, playing well and winning are often life-and-death affairs. In their single-minded pursuit of success, the development of many other human qualities is sadly forgotten.

However, while some seem to be lost in the desire to succeed, others take an opposite attitude. In a culture which values only the winner and pays no attention to the ordinary players, they strongly blame competition. Among the most vocal are youngsters who have suffered under competitive pressures from their parents or society. Teaching these young people, I often observe in them a desire to fail. They seem to seek failure by not trying to win or achieve success. By not trying, they always have an excuse: “I may have lost, but it doesn’t matter because I really didn’t try.”What is not usually admitted by themselves is the belief that if they had really tried and lost, that would mean a lot. Such a loss would be a measure of their worth. Clearly, this belief is the same as that of the true competitors who try to prove themselves. Both are based on the mistaken belief that one’s self-respect relies on how well one performs in comparison with others. Both are afraid of not being valued. Only as this basic and often troublesome fear begins to dissolve（缓解）can we discover a new meaning in competition.

1. Why are some people in favor of competition?

A．Because they think competition pushes society forward.

B．Because they think competition improves social abilities.

C．Because they think competition builds up a sense of pride.

D．Because they think competition develops people’s relationship.

2. What does the underlined phrase “the most vocal” in Paragraph 3 refer to?

A．People who try their best to win.	B．People who highly value competition.
C．People who are strongly against competition.	D．People who mostly rely on others for success.

3. Which viewpoint does the author agree to?

A．Self-worth relies on winning.

B．Winning should be a life-and-death matter.

C．Competition leads to unfriendly relationship.

D．Fear of failure should be removed in competition.

4. What does the passage mainly talk about?

A．Competition helps to set up self-respect.

B．People hold different opinions about competition.

C．Failures are necessary experience in competition.

D．Competition is harmful to personal quality development.

【推荐3】The brain, rather than our eyes, may be more important for sight, researchers studying fruit flies have discovered. The discovery could change the way we think about vision.

Researchers in the University of Virginia have found that the very simple eyes of fruit fly larva (幼虫), with only 24 total photoreceptors (感光细胞) (the human eye contains more than 125 million), provide just enough light input to allow the animal’s large brain to make that input into images. Their discovery shows that vision may be less important to “seeing” than previously thought—and in fact it is the brain’s ability to process points of light into complex images that is key.

“It blows open how we think about vision.” said Barry Condron. “This tells us that visual input may not be as important to sight as the brain working behind it.”

Condron’s graduate students, Elizabeth Daubert, Nick Macedonia and Catherine Hamilton, conducted a series of experiments to test the vision of fruit fly larvae. They found that when a larva was tied to the bottom of a dish, other larvae were attracted to it as it attempted to free itself. After several further experiments to understand how they sensed the motion, the researchers learned that the nearly blind animals likely were seeing the action.

“The answer must be in the brain of these animals.” Condron said. “They are able to take just a couple dozen points of light and then process that into recognizable images; something like when an astronomer with a small telescope is able to use techniques to improve a limited image into useful information about a star.” Condron believes the animals are able to assemble useful images by rapidly scanning their heads and, in doing so, gather up enough light points to allow the brain to compose an image clear enough to “see”.

The researchers tested this by presenting larva with a video (therefore no sound and no smell) and found that the larvae still sensed and sought out the struggling larva on the video. This provides us with a good model for trying to understand the role that the brain plays in helping organisms, including humans, to process images, such as recognizing faces.

1. The writer mainly wants to tell us that __________.

A．the brain may be more important for sight than people thought

B．people should depend on brain rather than eyes for sight

C．using the fruit fly larva to test the eyes is the best way

D．some methods can keep our eyesight accurate and normal

2. The researchers chose the fruit fly larva because it __________.

A．doesn’t move very quickly	B．has a very wise brain
C．only has a few photoreceptors	D．doesn’t have large limbs

3. Condron used the example of “an astronomer with a small telescope” in Para. 5 to show __________.

A．how the larvae gather up enough light points

B．why the larvae moved their heads side-to-side

C．the brain helps process the light points into images

D．how we can get useful information about a star with a small telescope

4. The underlined word “assemble” in the fifth paragraph may mean “__________”.

A．observe enough actions	B．receive useful information
C．choose proper equipment	D．put together separate parts