1 . Discover Our Winter Camps This Season
Spaces EduAges 13-17 Years
Are you looking for an exciting and creative way to develop computer skills? Spaces Edu is the perfect course for students who want to bring their imaginations to life by coding(编码)their own VR projects. In this course, students will learn how to create 3D objects and will also learn how to collect information quickly, as well as how to share their creations online and experience them with VR headsets(头戴式耳机). This is an advanced course so some coding experience is necessary.
Necessary Life SkillsAges 12-13 Years
This course will offer important real-life skills for students which will prepare them for their university. Students will learn how to create their own detailed résumés(简历)as well as how to prepare for interviews so they are prepared and filled with confidence as they take the next steps in life.
French through Art & CultureAges 8-11 Years
Join us this spring as we travel in time through the richness of French music, people and colors. Each day, students will build their understanding of the language through a different way. As students become interested in French art and culture they will develop their reading, writing, speaking and listening skills.
First StepsAges 7-12 Years
In this introductory course for beginners, students will learn the basics of computer in Python. The course will focus on learning Python programming and then using the knowledge and skills to create computer programs. Using an online learning platform(平台), students will be guided through their learning of Python basics. Students should bring their own computers.
1. Which camp is suitable for students who prepare for college life?| A．French through Art & Culture. | B．Necessary Life Skills. |
| C．Spaces Edu. | D．First Steps. |
| A．Improve their French. | B．Travel in France. |
| C．Organize an art show. | D．Create a 3D painting. |
| A．They are perfect for beginners. | B．They are open to students aged 7. |
| C．Computers will be used. | D．Free headsets will be provided. |
2 . Researchers at the University of Arizona have been studying the effects of green light therapy on those suffering from migraine (偏头痛). In September, they completed their first clinical study and the results are very encouraging. They found that green light therapy is extremely beneficial to those who suffer from headaches. It not only reduces the intensity of the pain, but it also decreases its frequency by 60 percent, significantly improving patients’ quality of life.
According to the Migraine Research Foundation, migraine is the third most common illness in the world, affecting one billion worldwide, including men, women, and children. Additionally, it is the sixth most disabling illness in the world and more than 90 percent of the sufferers are unable to carry on with their normal activities during their sufferings. And when it is actually treated, medication overuse can lead to episodic (偶尔发生的) migraine turning chronic (慢性的).
According to Science Daily, the recent clinical study included 29 patients who suffer from episodic or chronic migraine. They have tried but failed in several traditional therapies including Botox injections and oral medications. In the study, participants spent two hours at home each day staring at a green-light LED. They did this for ten weeks, reporting the number and intensity of headaches they had.
Dr. Patwardhan, co-author of the study, said that the green light discharged by the LED greatly helps those who do not want to take medicine as well as those who do not respond to medications. “The beauty of this approach is the lack of associated side effects,” Patwardhan explained. But that’s not all. The participants also reported significant improvements in sleep quality and in the ability to perform everyday normal activities such as exercise and work. And none of them reported any side effects.
As the study reveals, green light treatment might be an unprecedented (前所未有的) alternative for migraine sufferers.
1. What can we learn from the research?| A．Migraine sufferers unable to live a normal life makes up about 60%. |
| B．Episodic migraine can be treated more easily than chronic migraine. |
| C．Headaches can be relieved by green light. |
| D．Migraine most frequently happens to adults. |
| A．Take some traditional medicine daily for ten weeks. |
| B．Use a green-light LED the whole night at home for ten days. |
| C．Receive an injection each day for two months. |
| D．Look at the green light for two hours per day for 70 days. |
| A．lit up | B．put out | C．taken in | D．sent out |
| A．He thought it had side effects. |
| B．He agreed it was of great benefit. |
| C．He worried it might affect sleep. |
| D．He wondered if it hurt eyes. |
3 . General Art Contests
THE SUNNY ART PRIZE
Prize A total cash fund of £6,000 plus an individual exhibition in London.
Entry Fee £25 for one artwork, up to £45 for four artworks.
Requirements Open to artists worldwide aged 18 and over.
Closing Date June 30, 2024
One of the most diverse art competitions in the UK, the Sunny Art Prize offers unique exposure for both emerging and established artists.
BEAUTIFUL BIZARRE ART PRIZE
Prize Over $50,000 in cash and prizes to be won. Plus, global exposure through Beautiful Bizarre Magazine. Winners will also participate in Beautiful Bizarre Magazine’s group exhibition at Haven Gallery in New York later this year.
Entry Fee $40 per entry
Requirements Open to artists worldwide working in the representational visual arts.
Closing Date July 17, 2024
The Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize, now in its 5th year, is an annual international art prize that celebrates diversity and excellence in the representational visual arts.
MADE IN CALIFORNIA COMPETITION
Prize $750 first prize, $500 second prize.
Entry Fee $20 per entry
Requirements Open to artists based in California.
Closing Date February 16, 2024
Hosted by the Brea Gallery, the Made in California Competition provides a promotional opportunity for all artists based in the state of California.
ARTISTS MAGAZINE ANNUAL ART COMPETITION
Prize Over $29,000 in cash prizes and publication in Artists Magazine.
Entry Fee $40 ($35 if submitted before April 3)
Requirements Open to artists over 18 worldwide working in a traditional medium.
Closing Date May 30, 2024
Artists Magazine’s Annual Art Competition celebrates traditional 2D artistic mediums such as painting, digital art, and much more. All winners’ works will be featured in the January/February 2025 issue of Artists Magazine.
1. Which art contest offers the opportunity for a group exhibition?| A．THE SUNNY ART PRIZE. |
| B．BEAUTIFUL BIZARRE ART PRIZE. |
| C．MADE IN CALIFORNIA COMPETITION. |
| D．ARTISTS MAGAZINE ANNUAL ART COMPETITION. |
| A．$20. | B．$25. | C．$35. | D．$40. |
| A．They are held every year. | B．They are open to emerging artists only. |
| C．They provide winners with added bonus. | D．They celebrate excellence in traditional arts. |
4 . Cultural Websites
Ancient GreeceThis is a guide with rich information and pictures to Ancient Greece, covering art, architecture, politics, Olympics, geography, history and other topics. The photo gallery with bird’s-eye images of Greek art is of note. Contents include maps, biographies and related links, though little in the way of engaging multimedia. The website last updated in 2008, and some links are broken.
GettyGetty, an online museum, focuses on the visual arts and serves both general audiences and specialized professionals. Its Research Library is accessible to both on-site and far-away users. The Explore Art part permits you to look through many of the works of art on show. You can also view present or past exhibitions. There are also topics for discussion on many sides of art and art history.
Library of CongressThe website contains main source materials connecting to the history and culture of the United States. It offers more than 7 million digital artworks from more than 100 historical collections. You can select collections to search and explore teaching and learning ideas with American memory.
Internet History Sourcebooks ProjectThe website is wonderful collections of public area and copy-permitted historical texts for educational use. With pages designed specifically to help teachers and students, it contains hundreds of well-organized sources and also includes links to visual and hearing materials, as art and archeology play an important role in the study of ancient history.
1. How is Ancient Greece different from other websites?| A．It covers art. | B．Its renewal is suspended. |
| C．Its topics include history. | D．It contains historical culture. |
| A．View artworks on display. | B．Purchase art pieces online. |
| C．Serve the Research Library. | D．Join the scientific discussion. |
| A．They focus on ancient science. | B．They provide teaching materials. |
| C．They deal with American issues. | D．They have several hundred pages. |
5 . A man came home from work late to find his 5-year-old son waiting for him at the door.
“Daddy, may I ask you a question?”
“Yeah sure, what is it?” replied the man.
“Daddy, how much do you make an hour?”
“If you must know, I make $20 an hour.”
Looking up, the little boy asked, “Daddy, may I please borrow $10?”
The father was angry, “If the only reason why you asked that is that you can borrow some money to buy a silly toy or some other nonsense, then you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed. Think about why you are being so selfish. I work hard every day for such this childish behavior?”
The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door. The man sat down and started to get even angrier about the little boy’s questions. “How dare he ask such questions only to get some money?”
After about an hour or so, the man had calmed down and started to think: “Maybe there was something he really needed to buy with that $10 because he really didn’t ask for money very often.”
The man went to the door of the little boy’s room and opened the door. “Are you asleep, son?” He asked. “No daddy, I’m awake,” replied the boy.
“I’ve been thinking, maybe I was too strict with you earlier,” said the man. “It’s been a long day and I took out my bad feelings on you. Here’s the $10 you asked for.” The little boy sat straight up, smiling, “Oh, thank you, daddy!” Then, reaching under his pillow he pulled out some crumpled(褶皱的)bills.
The man, seeing that the boy already had money, started to get angry again. The little boy slowly counted out his money, then looked up at his father. “Why do you want more money if you already have some?” the father complained. “Because I didn’t have enough, but now I do,” the little boy replied. “Daddy, I have $20 now. Can I buy an hour of your time? Please come home early tomorrow. I would like to have dinner with you.”
1. Why was the father angry at first?| A．Because he misunderstood his son. | B．Because he worked too late that day. |
| C．Because his son wanted to buy a silly toy. | D．Because his son asked for too much money. |
| A．To offer his son more money. | B．To check if his son was asleep. |
| C．To make an apology for his strictness. | D．To take out his bad feelings on his son. |
| A．That his son owed him money. | B．That his son had owned money. |
| C．That his son had told a lie to him. | D．That his son refused to talk to him. |
| A．Inspired. | B．Panicked. | C．Regretful. | D．Doubtful. |
6 . With mental health awareness more important than ever, here are the best mental wellness apps that take minority groups into consideration.
Reju
Reju is another meditation and self-care app, launched to respond to the rapid growth in mental health challenges in African American communities. Reju offers a wealth of motivational content to reduce stress, improve mental health, and lead users towards better living. Best of all is the welcoming Reju community for free, where you can connect with peers and get support with issues they’re also facing.
Spoke
Spoke is a meditation (冥想) app designed to deliver mental health support for music lovers. Created by a group of musical artists working with scientific advisers in London, it cleverly combines mental health tools like mindfulness, CBT, and positive psychology with binaural and hip-hop beats, nature sounds, ambient music, and guided lyricism.
Liberate.cx
Liberate.cx is a daily meditation app specifically for the BIPOC community (黑人社区), with mindfulness resources that address topics such as race, microaggressions, anxiety, and self-worth. It draws on expert teachers from diverse cultures to offer wisdom everyone can benefit from.
Headspace
Renowned mental health app, which is only for women. Headspace has launched the Headspace Women’s Collection to provide welcome meditation resources for women. These cover a wide range of issues, including sex and relationships, self-worth, and solidarity. A series of body-supportive sessions are aimed at helping women healing after a miscarriage or struggling with fertility.
1. If a music fan has mental health, which app is appropriate for him?| A．Reju. | B．Spoke. | C．Liberate.cx. | D．Headspace. |
| A．It is merely for female users. | B．It’s a free mental health app. |
| C．It provides meditation resources. | D．It appeals to a wider customer base. |
| A．To advertise these apps to attract more users. |
| B．To arouse more and more attention of the society. |
| C．To offer wisdom to everyone from diverse cultures. |
| D．To recommend mental wellness apps for minority groups. |
7 . About twenty years ago, a new yoga teacher with related qualifications (资格) began her day practicing yoga on the beach. Over time, a few local beach lovers joined in and before she knew it, she was leading classes every morning and evening. After the word spread, local teachers offered to assist and the unique yoga classes were born. After that, the teacher moved to India, but her legacy (遗留) lives on. We aim to ensure people can come into contact with and afford yoga 365 days a year. Classes are all donation based. Our teachers offer yoga from the heart and do not get paid.
Our Approach
People around the world have practiced yoga for thousands of years, and millions of people currently enjoy its health benefits. Being outside can enhance the yoga experience in many ways, since nature inspires all the things — focusing awareness, breathing deeply, practicing stillness. We attach great importance to outdoor practice, through which you can feel the union with nature. Through every practice, we help some people who want to change.
Our Classes
We provide you with mostly two kinds of classes. Private beach classes include yoga, stretching, and partner yoga. We tailor the class to your requirements. If you are planning a corporate event or yoga classes, we can help make it fun, motivating and exciting.
What to Bring?
•An open mind, an open heart and a sense of fun
•A large towel or blanket — mats tend to get very sandy
•Sunglasses and sunscreen — in the morning there is shade
•Water-hydrate (水合物)
•Layered clothing in the winter — mornings can be cool
Get in Touch
You are invited and welcomed in our community! To know more information, you can click the link we provide. You can also email us for further questions or to request a private class.
1. What is the purpose of the unique yoga classes?| A．To call on people to protect the beach. |
| B．To help yoga lovers gain qualifications. |
| C．To raise the awareness of keeping healthy. |
| D．To make yoga accessible and affordable to people. |
| A．It lowers the risks of diseases. | B．It is more beneficial to the old. |
| C．It can make people keep active. | D．It can expose people to nature. |
| A．Business. | B．Opinion. | C．Health. | D．Travelling. |
8 . From going to work to traveling, here are some backpacks you can use in several different situations.
SZLX backpack
This backpack is described as “designed for travel” and you can see why—as unzipped and open, it looks a bit like a carry-on bag. It has two zip pockets and an inside compartment (隔层). With a shoe compartment and a bag for wet clothes, it is a great choice for traveling and regular use.
Della Gao backpack
This backpack will have you feeling safe, with lockable zips (拉链). It has three main compartments and at 17 inches, has a large overall space for keeping important items. It’s a wise choice for business travel, university or if you’re going on holiday with high-value items.
Lekesky backpack
Looking like a cross between a lunch bag and a backpack, the Lekesky bag is actually a bit of both, with two pockets alongside a main compartment. The bag also has a separate lunch compartment, able to store food for nine hours with an ice bag. The bag comes in black/white as well as green/white.
Maxtop backpack
If what you’re after in a backpack is a lot of space, then this bag will be the one for you. It comes with metal zippers and a USB port, plus it can be folded up when not in use. It also has a D-ring for you to hang a key or other items if desired.
1. Which backpack best suits a person carrying expensive items?| A．Della Gao backpack | B．Lekesky backpack |
| C．SZLX backpack | D．Maxtop backpack |
| A．It comes in four different colors. |
| B．It is great for keeping food. |
| C．It can be folded up when not in use. |
| D．It has a bag for wet clothes. |
| A．Sports. | B．Health. | C．Lifestyle. | D．Culture. |
9 . To help you plan a memorable 2024 winter vacation trip with the best travel experiences, we specifically designed Featured China Winter Tours including winter-featured destinations suitable for in-depth exploration. Travel with us!
Xishuamgbanna
Nicknamed “Litle Thailand”, Xishuangbanna owns awe-inspiring scenery, unique Dai minority culture and an all-year-round pleasant climate.
What to do:
●Enjoy tropical botanical landscape, and experience an exciting walk on the “air corridor” hanging 100 meters above the original rainforest.
●Visit local markets and step into some best-preserved Dai villages and royal gardens.
Chengdu
Whether you want to enjoy a short break in Chengdu, or extend to the impressive sites in its west, you are spoiled with many choices.
What to do:
●Get to Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda to see over 100 giant pandas.
●Travel a little further to Huanglong National Park. During the winter season, it’s less visited and full of poetic atmosphere with all previous colors turning into silver. To relieve altitude (海拔) sickness, you need sleep well and keep a calm mood.
Harbin
Having the most bitterly cold winters among major Chinese cities with average daytime temperatures as low as —13°C, Harbin is referred to as “Ice City”.
What to do:
●Visit Ice and Snow World to appreciate ice snow sculptures, enjoy the featured architecture capped with snow, or take part in some activities on the ice.
●Add two days to China Snow Town, where you can immerse (沉浸) yourselves in the fairytale world and enjoy various snow activities. Since the shuttle bus to Snow Town is subject to change in winter, please check out the link for real-time schedules.
1. What can you do in Xishuangbanna?| A．Get inspiration from scenery. | B．Admire the beauty of local plants. |
| C．Walk in the rainforest directly. | D．Volunteer to preserve Dai culture. |
| A．High altitude landscape. | B．Mild winter temperature. |
| C．Plentiful historical sites. | D．Multiple selected attractions. |
| A．A website. | B．A fairytale. | C．A yearbook. | D．A newspaper. |
10 . Volunteering is a great way for teenagers to make a difference and meet new people. There are many different types of volunteer opportunities for teens available. Here are a few volunteer opportunities that you could encourage your teen to take up.
Help at a local food bank
Food banks always welcome donations and new volunteers. They provide perfect volunteering opportunities for those who are interested in helping the homeless. Your teen would be involved in anything, from preparing meals to working behind the scenes to repackage donated food items, serving food, and carrying boxes.
Help at a soup kitchen
A soup kitchen is one of the places where the hungry can get free or affordable meals (usually soup and bread). Most soup kitchens run primarily on donations and the generosity of people. As a soup kitchen volunteer, your child may be made to clean the tables and utensils (用具), help distribute food, cook food and more.
Volunteer for Meals on Wheels
By volunteering for Meals on Wheels, your teen will deliver nutritious meals to the elderly or the disabled. It’s perfect for teens who have just received their driving license and love to get behind the wheel for any reason! They can make a massive impact in a short amount of time. Alternatively, your teen can also volunteer in their kitchen and prepare meals for delivery. With a simple gesture, your teen can bring millions of smiles to people’s lives.
Work with Habitat for Humanity
Habitat for Humanity’s mission is to build or improve a place that someone could call home. Besides helping the community, your teen will learn valuable skills such as repairing fund-raising, painting, and building. You can sign them up for long-term projects or one-time program.
1. What do a food bank and a soup kitchen have in common?| A．The food available. | B．The source of food. |
| C．The prices of food. | D．The location of stores. |
| A．Lucy, who likes cooking. | B．Linda, who likes drawing. |
| C．Jack, who can drive a car. | D．Peter, who can play football. |
| A．A local food bank. | B．A soup kitchen. |
| C．Meals on Wheels. | D．Habitat for Humanity. |
