1 . The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) continues to bleed red ink. It reported a net loss of $5.6 billion for fiscal 2016, the 10th straight year its expenses have exceeded revenue. Meanwhile, it has more than $120 billion in unfunded liabilities, mostly for employee health and retirement costs. There are many bankruptcies. Fundamentally, the USPS is in a historic squeeze between technological change that has permanently decreased demand for its bread-and-butter product, first-class mail, and a regulatory structure that denies management in the flexibility to adjust its operations to the new reality.

And interest groups ranging from postal unions to greeting-card makers exert self-interested pressure on the USPS’s ultimate overseer-Congress-insisting that whatever else happens to the Postal Service, aspects of the status quo they depend on get protected. This is why repeated attempts at reform legislation have failed in recent years, leaving the Postal Service unable to pay its bills except by deferring vital modernization.

Now comes word that everyone involved—Democrats, Republicans, the Postal Service, the unions and the system’s heaviest users—has finally agreed on a plan to fix the system. Legislation is moving through the House that would save USPS an estimated $28.6 billion over five years, which could help pay for new vehicles, among other survival measures. Most of the money would come from a penny-per-letter permanent rate increase and from shifting postal retirees into Medicare. The latter step would largely offset the financial burden of annually pre-funding retiree health care, thus addressing a long-standing complaint by the USPS and its union.

If it clears the House, this measure would still have to get through the Senate—where someone is bound to point out that it amounts to the bare, bare minimum necessary to keep the Postal Service afloat, not comprehensive reform. There’s no change to collective bargaining at the USPS, a major omission considering that personnel accounts for 80 percent of the agency’s costs. Also missing is any discussion of eliminating Saturday letter delivery. That common-sense change enjoys wide public support and would save the USPS $2 billion per year. But postal special-interest groups seem to have killed it, at least in the House. The emerging consensus around the bill is a sign that legislators are getting frightened about a politically embarrassing short-term collapse at the USPS. It is not, however, a sign that they’re getting serious about transforming the postal system for the 21st century.

2 . The New York Aquarium offers diverse sea animals and nice viewing experience to all our guests. Whether you're observing penguins, swimming underwater to look at coral reefs(珊瑚礁), or cheering for California sea lions at the theater, you'll find plenty to see and do during your visit. Your underwater adventure is waiting for you! This summer, go to Coney Island to learn about the underwater world at the New York Aquarium.

Just off Coney Island in Brooklyn, the New York Aquarium features more than 300 marine (海生的) species, such as dolphins and seals. Meet some of our mammals and fish, and learn something useful about them.

Total Experience Ticket

Adult $18.00

Child (Aged 3-12) $14.00

Senior (65+) $15.00

Group (at least ten visitors) $8.00 per person

*Include admission to our 4D Theater plus general admission.

*Children under 3 are free!

*To enjoy the group rate, you must make a reservation at least two weeks in advance of your group's visit. Please call 718-741-1818.

A Special on Friday Afternoon

Admission on Fridays beginning at 3: 00 pm isby donation. The suggested donation is $ 13 for adults, $9 for children, and $ 10 for seniors. Every dollar you give supports our work in caring for animals at the aquarium.

Aquarium Parking

Car $13.00

Bus $13.00

Please note:

*Due to rising costs, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) reserves the right to change all fees without notice.

* All buildings and exhibitions in this aquarium are accessible in a wheelchair.

*For further information, please call718-265-3454.

4 . The China International Search and Rescue Team(CISAR) was formed in 2001 and is now made up of several hundred rescue workers and about 20 police dogs. The team brings help and hope to those whose lives are changed by a storm, flood, earthquake, or any other natural disasters.

After long and careful training, the team went on its first international rescue tasks in 2003. That year, the Chinese team helped save lives after earthquakes in Algeria and Iran. It was the first time that a Chinese team had worked outside China whose members won high praise for bravery and skill.

Since then, the CISAR has completed many tasks. The list of people to whom help has been given is long. The team treated more than 3,000 people who were wounded in the 2006 earthquake in Indonesia, helped 2,500 wounded people after the earthquake that hit Haiti in 2010, and spent several months giving aid to over 25,000 people suffering from the 2010 floods in Pakistan. On April 26, 2015, a group of 62 people from CISAR went to Nepal after the 8.1 magnitude earthquake that happened there.

Rescue workers are trained to find people, treat wounds, and hand out food, water, and other supplies. They have to be able to do work that is difficult under conditions which can be very dangerous. After a disaster, there is usually no electricity or water, and there may be diseases and other dangers. Rescue workers get to save lives, but they must also bury the dead. That means they have to be strong in both body and mind.

Rescue workers must have big hearts, too. It takes a lot of love and courage to risk one’s own life to save someone else’s. The members of the CISAR have plenty of both and are always ready to go wherever help is needed.

5 . The nine women of Bella Mondo win over yet another audience. The group is one of just a handful of all-women ensembles (乐队) in Ivory Coast.

It all started in 2007, Prisca Allou was a music student. A music producer came to see her. He said he wanted to make an all-female ensemble to keep a promise to his late mother.

Allou got on board and was charged with recruiting (招募) other members. “It wasn’t easy at first. Some parents were against it. You know, in Africa, the place of women is often seen as being either in an office or at home. That was the fixed image.” Allou spread the word and took out ads in local papers. Most of the girls she found were not professional players. “I just played some tamtam. I learned to play drums when I joined Bella Mondo.” The girls spent the next four years learning to play their instruments. Many gave up along the way, but eight of them soldiered on with Allou, and Bella Mondo was founded.

The band plays original songs and covers. Their music spans a wide range of styles: funk, reggae, pop music. They released their first album in 2013... and have performed in Paris, Dakar, Cotonou and, of course, here at home in Abidjan.

You can see them nearly every Thursday at this bar, the same place that gave the band its start years ago. “Oh yes, I was surprised at first. A woman singing, you see that every day, but an entire band, playing all the instruments and everything? It was extraordinary. I was dumbstruck. Bella Mondo is a great band.” The women are now working on their second album.

According to Xinhua News Agency, the Palace Museum and Huawei signed a strategic cooperation agreement on March 15. The two sides will set an example     1     5G application.

The Palace Museum received more than 17 million visitors in 2018,     2    (make) it the most visited museum in the world. In the past 20 years, an office information network covering the whole museum     3     (build) gradually. The museum has developed an App that provides an in-depth     4    (explain) of cultural relic information and cultural services. Also, the museum has research on the application of VR, AR, Al and other     5    (technique) in museums.

    6     signing of the agreement marks a new chapter in the strategic cooperation between the Palace Museum and Huawei Technologies Co. So, Huawei will make efforts     7    (accelerate) the intelligent construction of the Palace Museum.

“The 600-year-old Palace Museum has never been so close to science and technology.” Shan Jixiang said     8     (proud), director of the Palace Museum.

Shan shared many ideas about the 5G Palace Museum. With the help of advanced technology,    9     is expected that in the future, audiences around the world will be able to experience and visit the Palace Museum, whether it is a field trip or a virtual tour. Also, the use of Al technology provides a     10    (broad) platform and stronger knowledge support for cultural relics among young people.

The Students’ Union

Nations worldwide,     1    (suffer) from the end World War I, decided to change the course of history and committed to the goal of global peace. For this reason, the United Nations(UN)     2    (found) in San Francisco, US, on Oct 24, 1945.

Over the past 75 years, the UN     3    (witness) its members grow from 51 to 193. It aims to “save succeeding generations from the scourge of war     4     reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights     5     to promote social progress and better standards of life,” according to its website.

In order to achieve the goal, the UN has gone through     6    (reform) in various aspects with the     7    (change) global situation. Without the measures adopted by the General Assembly in 1997, we     8    (improve) the efficiency of UN activities in the areas of development, humanitarian relief, human rights and peacekeeping.

    9     that, some challenges are yet to be overcome, for example, threats from poverty, disease and climate change. But     10    (lucky), the vast majority of the UN members are committed to facing these challenges and have continued to fund the UN’s humanitarian efforts around the world. Together, the UN’s 193 member states are making huge strides toward bettering the world for future generations.