2 . In August, Jason M. Allen’s piece “Theatre D’opéra Spatial” — which he created with Al image generator Midjourney — won first place in the emerging artist division’s “digital arts photography” category at the Colorado State Fair Fine Arts Competition. The definition for the category states that digital art refers to works that use “digital technology as part of the creative process”.

Allen’s award-winning image has led to debates about what, exactly, it means to be an artist and whether AI can truly make art. “It felt bad for the exact same reason we don’t let robots participate in the Olympics,” one Twitter user wrote. “This is the literal definition of ‘pressed a few buttons to make a digital art piece’,” another tweeted.

Yet while Allen didn’t use a paintbrush, there was plenty of work involved, he said. First, he played around with phrasing that led Midjourney to generate images of women in elegant dresses and space helmets, in an attempt to mix Victorian-style costuming with space themes. Over time, with many slight changes to his written prompt (提示符), he created 900 different versions of what led to his final image. Then he improved its resolution through Gigapixel AI and finally had the images printed.

Allen is glad the debate over whether AI can be used to make art is attracting so much attention. “Rather than hating on the technology, we need to recognize that it’s a powerful tool and use it for good so we can all move forward,” Allen said.

Cal Duran, one of the judges for the competition, said that while Allen’s piece included a mention of AI, he didn’t realize that when judging it. Still, he sticks by his decision to award it first place. “I think the AI technology may give more opportunities to people who may not find themselves artists in the conventional way,” he said.

3 . Some years ago, I was stuck on a crosstown bus during rush hour. The bus was filled with cold, tired people________ with one another. Two men________ at each other for an unintentional push. An elderly woman got on, and nobody offered her a________. Anger was in the air; no________ could be found here.

As the bus approached Seventh Avenue, the driver’s words came from the speaker. “Folks,”   he said. “I know you’ve had a(n)________ day and that you are depressed, but I will________. When each of you walks by before getting off, drop your________ into my palm (手掌). My route goes right by the Hudson River, into which I’ll________ them.”

It seemed as if a spell had lifted. Everyone burst out laughing, their faces shining with________. The passengers who had been________each other’s existence were suddenly grinning (咧嘴笑) at each other — is this guy serious?

At the next stop, just as________, the driver held out his hand, palm up, and waited. All the________passengers performed the gesture of dropping something into his palm. The driver________the same action at every stop that followed.

Occasionally we may sink into a grey world, but someone can ________it like a ray of light, showing us hope. What if we are the light?________, anyone possesses the power to shine on others’ dark days.

5 . I was driving on the freeway when I saw the sign. It _______ drivers that chains would be required to cross the mountain. It took me quite sometime to get the chains on.When I got to a spot where it was no longer snowing, I took the chains off so I could drive at a(n) _______ speed.

Suddenly, I _______ another snowy, icy patch of road. My car spun out into a snowdrift. I thought of _______ some tree branches and placing them under my tires, but it was so cold outside that my hands weren’t working _______ . I got inside the car and called American Automobile Association (AAA).

A Russian man came up to my window and said hello. Before I could say too much, he and his three sons were already _______ to push my car. I got out of my car and _______ them.

It was past midnight and they easily could have decided that AAA would _______ the situation after our initial _______ failed. Yet, they stayed with us for nearly 45 minutes as we kept trying ________ things to get the car out of the snow, insistent that they wouldn’t leave until I was ________ .

At first, I was a little ________ about being stuck in the freezing weather at such a late hour, but their cheerful attitude changed the whole ________ of the situation and lifted my spirits.

After nearly 45 minutes of hard work when my car was finally free, they didn’t even ________ around long enough for me to get their names. They just ran toward their truck, ________ a bit on the ice, and yelled back “Drive Slowly”, like true smile heroes!

6 . This is the story of Moyo, a rescued elephant in Zimbabwe Elephant Nursery, a local non-governmental organization called Wild Is Life. She is probably one of the ________ elephant cubs ever to be rescued. She came to the nursery when she was about three to four ________ old. Sheweighed 56 kilos, and ________ a just-born African elephant cub weighs about 90 kilos. So she was a special iconic little elephant. Under good care of the staff there, she managed to ________.

Every year, hundreds of young elephants are orphaned across the African continent and rarely have a chance of ________ in the wild and are more often than not, left to die. “We rescue babies, and we provide ________ for them. We make sure they are in good ________ here, and help them regain their ________ needed in the wild. We are trying to create a culture where people ________,” said Roxy Danckwerts, the founder of Wild Is Life.

Moyo is about four and a half years old now. She is healthy, playful, and has become some kind of ambassador to the nursery. Therefore, she’s having to take on a lot of ________ for such a young animal, almost becoming a leader at the very young age. She is gentle, calm, very very ________ to the other elephants that come into the nursery. She is also very good with people.

But unfortunately, they’re not much more than objects of money in the eyes of ivory(象牙) dealers. Zimbabwe has a ________ elephant-hunting problem. Some regions are ________ as much as 75 percent of the elephant population over the past 10 years. That is why Danckwerts feels excited at China’s decision to ________ illegal ivory sales, which he believes has become a major turning point and a signal to the world that China has made a ________.

7 . Each year, as many as one billion birds are killed in the US from collisions (相撞) with glass windows and buildings every year. Birds that crashed into Philadelphia buildings began to be collected in the 1890s. Nearly 100 species of birds are known to have died out from crashes with buildings and other structures in Philadelphia. Many other species are probably affected in the city.

Called Lights Out Philly, the voluntary program in Philadelphia encourages buildings to turn out or dim unnecessary external and internal lights between midnight and six o’clock early in the morning to protect birds as they pass through during migration seasons.

Bird migration seasons are from April l to May 31 in spring and from August 15 to November 15 in fall. Each year, millions of birds pass through Philadelphia along a migration route known as the Atlantic Flyway. Bird-glass crashes are very common for migrating birds, most of which travel at night. Glass is difficult for them to recognize as hard surfaces, and artificial light can fool them into crashing with buildings and outdoor structures. Turning off lights between midnight and sunrise helps minimize the effect of artificial light when most birds are migrating.

On Oct. 2, 2020, a stormy and foggy day, Philadelphia had its largest mass collision event in more than 70 years with an estimated 1,000 birds crashing with buildings in one 3.5-square block area in just one day. Paired with a terrible storm of weather and fog conditions, the bright city and building lights attracted and confused the migrating birds, causing them to crash with buildings and outdoor structures.

Even if you don’t play a part in managing the lights of a big building, you can help birds avoid crashes by making the glass opaque to reduce the amount and intensity of artificial light at night, changing the color of lighting to blue or green, shortening the duration lights are on, directing the lighting downward or screening lighting.

8 . Dallas is known as a cultural center of Texas, with some of the state’s most popular attractions. While these attractions are temporarily closed, you can still wander the halls of top museums, take in the city skyline, learn a little history or check on your animal friends.

Perot Museum of Nature and Science

Check out the “Amaze Your Brain at Home” series to watch your favorite concepts from the Museum come to life. Explore nature and science at home and in your backyard, all while using the most common household objects and supplies. Take a 360 virtual tour of the “Origins： Fossils from the Cradle of Humankind”.

Reunion Tower GeO-Deck

You can still experience Reunion Tower from the comfort of your own home. Color the Dallas skyline, download a game sheet and get video-call ready with Zoom backgrounds. See the 360-degree panoramic (全景的) views with the Reunion Tower virtual reality app or get a live view of Dallas from EarthCam. Find all the fun on the “Visit Me Virtually” page.

The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza

A historic Dallas landmark, The Sixth Floor Museum is located within the former Texas School Book Depository building and keeps records of the life, death and legacy of President John F. Kennedy. You can explore the online collection to see things like an interactive motorcade map, home movies and photo galleries.

Dallas Zoo

Dallas Zoo is using this time to continue to engage, educate, inspire — and ultimately, bring a smile to your face. Chat with staff, see what the animals are up to, and find activity ideas from the Zoo’s education and conservation teams. Keep up on Facebook and the Zoo’s “Bring the Zoo to You” page.

9 . You jerk(猛然一动)awake in the middle of the night in confusion. Is there a figure standing in the corner of the room? Your brain begs your legs to move, but nothing happens. The anxiety increases. Your eyes scan the room. Just as you’re about to hit peak panic, you sit up and the figure disappears.

You’ve just experienced sleep paralysis(瘫痪), which is the name experts give to all sorts of weird things that occur during sleep. It happens when the brain temporarily disables the body to prevent it from acting out the vivid dreams occurring during REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. It often comes with a feeling of immobility, and a sense of choking. The good news is, it’s absolutely normal, even if it’s terrifying.

But when sleep paralysis happens outside of deep sleep—when a person is just dozing off—it can be “disruptive of the architecture of sleep,” said Baland Jalal, a researcher who investigates the phenomenon. That could lead to more sleep paralysis.

While not everyone who has sleep paralysis experiences hallucinations(幻觉), seeing a person or a ghost in the room is the most common vision, said Jalal. The mechanisms behind sleep paralysis remain unclear, but research indicates that certain risk factors may increase the likelihood of experiencing a jerk, including extreme exercise before sleep, inadequate sleep, emotional stress and worry, and excessive stimulant consumption (like caffeine and nicotine), especially later in the day.

“For most people, it is not indicative of any kind of disease. If you are really worried about it, regular sleep and other simple relaxation techniques, like meditation, deep breathing and yoga, may help,” said Dr. Nathaniel Watson, president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. While the experience feels frightening, the episodes last only a few seconds or minutes at most. Most people slip out of it as quickly as they fell into it, he said.

10 . Top Sunny Christmas Destinations

You’re imagining what your dream Christmas will be like, walking on a perfect beach with your toes sinking into the warm, soft sand instead of wearing layers of winter clothes. If you prefer summer, now is the time to visit NH Hotels web and plan your ideal warm holiday for Christmas. Here, we’ve selected a list of some of the most attractive sunny Christmas destinations around the world.

Buenos Aires, Argentina — Sizzling Summer Celebrations

At the heart of Argentina’s summer season, Buenos Aires comes alive with Christmas festivities. As the city sizzles under the South American sun, you’ll find locals celebrating with all the passion and their talents that define their culture. Christmas Eve, known as “Nochebuena,” is the highlight, and Argentines gather with friends and family for a grand feast that often includes asado (barbecue) and traditional holiday desserts. One of the most unique aspects of a Buenos Aires Christmas is the lively street celebrations, with fireworks lighting the night sky and tango dancers rushing to the streets.

Sydney, Australia — Beachfront Bliss

Down under, Christmas falls in the middle of summer, making Sydney an ideal destination for sun-seekers. The city is famous for its dazzling Christmas lights displays, including the iconic lighting of the Christmas tree in Martin Place. Bondi Beach is a popular spot for beachgoers, where you can spend Christmas Day enjoying the sun, surf, and a picnic on the sand.

Bali, Indonesia — Tropical Paradise

Bali, with its lush landscapes, pristine beaches, and rich cultural heritage, offers a unique tropical Christmas experience. While Christmas isn’t a traditional Balinese holiday, many resorts and restaurants embrace the festive season with special events, dinners, and decorations. You can enjoy a beachfront Christmas dinner, explore ancient temples, or simply relax under the sun.

Cancún, Mexico — Mexican Christmas Magic

Cancún, on the eastern coast of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, is a hotspot for those seeking a festive Christmas. The holiday season here is marked by exciting Mexican traditions. Cancún’s amazing beaches and crystal-clear waters provide the perfect backdrop for a tropical Christmas celebration.