1 . With such a strong artistic heritage, it’s no surprise that England knocks it out of the park when it comes to world-class art galleries. These are the galleries you need to add to your must-visit list.
Royal Academy of Arts (RA), London
Not your standard gallery, the Royal Academy of Arts is led by artists to promote not just the appreciation of art, but its practice. It is world-famous for hosting some exhibitions that get everyone talking. Besides, what sets the RA apart is its engagement with the public through participatory experiences, allowing visitors to not only view art but become part of it in innovative ways.
Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, Norwich
Sitting on the edge of the University of East Anglia’s campus, the Sainsbury Centre holds a collection of remarkable works of art spanning over 2,000 years. Inside the seminal Norman Foster building, you’ll find artworks from around the world, including some stunning pieces of European modern art by Degas, Francis Bacon, and Alberto Giacometti.
Yorkshire Sculpture Park, West Yorkshire
Tearing up the rulebook when it comes to how we traditionally view art, the Yorkshire Sculpture Park strives to break down barriers by showing works from British and international artists in the open air. Set in hundreds of acres of West Yorkshire parkland, you’ll see sculptures by some of the leading artists of the 20th century.
Whitworth, Manchester
After a sky-high £15 million development, the Whitworth is becoming one of the premier galleries in the north of England. Making full use of its picturesque park setting, the gallery has a beautiful art garden and a sculpture terrace (露台), all waiting to be explored. Inside the gallery, you can view an exciting programme of ever-changing exhibitions.
1. What is special about the Royal Academy of Arts?A.It offers interactive experiences. |
B.It displays works by senior artists. |
C.It occupies a vast space in the museum. |
D.It stages exhibitions in a traditional way. |
A.They are small in scale. | B.They offer outdoor settings. |
C.They feature long-standing works. | D.They host exhibitions on an annual basis. |
A.An art textbook. | B.An art student’s paper. |
C.A personal travel blog. | D.A travel guidebook. |
2 . Books That Celebrate Diverse Holidays and Traditions
It’s important to remember there are a diverse set of holidays available to explore. Below are a few books that help introduce children to different holiday cultures and traditions.
Too Many Tamales by Gary Soto, illustrated by Ed Martinez
While helping her mother with Christmas celebration, Maria is tempted to try on her mother’s diamond ring. After getting caught up in the joy of the holiday and playing with her cousins, Maria realizes the ring is missing! That’s when she and her cousins come up with a plan to eat all of the tamales, in hopes of finding the ring.
Together for Kwanzaa by Juwanda G. Ford, illustrated by Shelly Hehenberger
This is a story about a little girl named Kayla who wants to see her older brother Khari come home so they can celebrate Kwanzaa together as a family. Khari is stuck at college when a snowstorm hits and his car breaks down. Will he make it home in time for Kwanzaa?
A Child’s Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas, illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman
This book is a funny, nostalgic tale of Christmas Eve afternoon through Christmas night in Wales, and is full of unique imagery and poetic prose. It will arouse a sense of familiarity for some young readers while introducing them to different aspects of Christmas traditions.
We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga by Traci Sorell, illustrated by Frane Lessac
The word otsaliheliga is used by members of the Cherokee Nation to express gratitude. This is an amazing story that describes a journey through the seasons with a modern-day Cherokee family. Cherokee history and traditions are also woven into the story in a very kid-friendly way.
1. What makes it difficult for Khari to return home in time for Kwanzaa?A.A car crash. | B.Delayed flights. | C.Extreme weather. | D.Academic pressure. |
A.Traci Sorell. | B.Ed Martinez. | C.Dylan Thomas. | D.Trina Schart Hyman. |
A.how to find hidden treasures at home | B.how to strengthen bonds with friends |
C.the lifestyles of different ethnic groups | D.different holiday celebrations and customs |
3 . Traveling on foot in Thailand is an amazing experience. While you get ready for a thrilling experience of a lifetime, take a look at some of the best places for your adventure.
Chiang Mai
The trails in Chiang Mai are perfect for amateur hikers. Hiking here is a superb choice as there are beautiful forests, valleys and rivers as well as various tribal (部落的) villages with ethnic minorities that you can explore.
Tips: Pick up a hiking option from an experienced operator that has in-depth knowledge of the area because it is a fairly large one.
Doi Inthanon
Doi Inthanon is the highest mountain in Thailand. It is also one of the most beautiful places with three impressive waterfalls that flow down quickly. As you travel along the 47-kilometre road to the top, you will pass a few small villages of the Karen Hill Tribes and rice fields.
Tips: Make sure to have an experienced guide.
Hua Hin
One of the most incredible things to do is hiking in Hua Hin. The area features its elephant camps. You can care for the elephants, like feeding and bathing them. It must be a special experience to ride on the back of a tall elephant while exploring this beautiful region.
Tips: Make sure to pack extra clothes if you plan to bathe the elephants.
Kamphaeng Phet
As a historically significant part of Thailand, Kamphaeng Phet is a quiet and charming province with many cultural and natural attractions. You can explore the ancient ruins that are scattered throughout the province.
Tips: Be respectful of the statues and other religious monuments.
1. What do Chiang Mai and Doi Inthanon have in common?A.They are suitable for professional hikers. |
B.They have 3, 000-meter waterfalls. |
C.They are located in the urban areas. |
D.They have some tribal villages. |
A.Look after the elephants. | B.Set up the animal camps. |
C.Design minority clothing. | D.Visit religious monuments. |
A.Chiang Mai. | B.Doi Inthanon. |
C.Hua Hin. | D.Kamphaeng Phet. |
4 . Four best Broadway shows
HAMILTONThe show tells the story of the Founding Fathers of the USA, specifically Alexander Hamilton, the first Secretary of the Treasury. It’s a completely fresh take on history, with a hip-hop flavor. Sung and rapped (说唱), the wordplay is super impressive. Hamilton has become one of the most popular Broadway musicals, with eight awards, including a Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
Location: Richard Rodgers Theatre Price:$176+THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA
The Phantom of the Opera is the longest-running show in Broadway history. If you love drama, romance, and musical theater, it won’t disappoint you. It has won seven Tony Awards and seven Dram a Desk Awards. While the show is one of the best things for a couple to enjoy in New York City, it’s also suitable for kids 10 and up.
Location: Majestic Theatre Price:$74+COME FROM AWAY
Come From Away is one of the most touching Broadway plays, based on a true story. The show is about a group of 7,000 air passengers stranded (被困) in a small town in Newfoundland due to the 9/11 attacks. It focuses on how the locals sprang into action, preparing to house, feed, and comfort the passengers. The play has won nine theater awards and got a Grammy nomination (提名) for Best Musical Theater Album.
Location: Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre Price: $100+BEETLEJUICE
Remember the 1988 movie Beetlejuice starring Alec Baldwin and Michael Keaton? It’s now onstage at the Marquis Theatre in New York. This fantasy-horror musical is one of the newest theater shows in NYC, but it maintains the appeal of the original film. With its memorable characters, humor, and hopeful messages, Beetlejuice is one of the best Broadway shows for families.
Location: Marquis Theatre Price: $132+1. What is the feature of HAMILTON?
A.Suiting audiences with kids. |
B.Telling history in musical ways. |
C.Winning recognition across the world. |
D.Targeting people interested in romance. |
A.Consequences of 9/11 attacks. | B.Importance of daily necessities. |
C.Human kindness in dark times. | D.Customs of Newfoundland people. |
A. HAMILTON. | B.COME FROM AWAY. |
C. BEETLEJUICE. | D. THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. |
5 . Citizen science gives curious people the opportunity to become extra sets of hands, eyes and ears in real scientific research. Bringing many people together to document endangered species, monitor water quality or watch the stars makes it possible to do science on large scales and tackle bigger research questions. Here are just five of the hundreds of citizen science projects that you can participate in.
Nature’s NotebookVolunteers in this project “take the pulse of the planet” by documenting changes in plants, animals and insects to help scientists understand how ecosystems are being affected by climate change. You can join a regional campaign like Mayfly Watch or Pesky Plant Trackers, or choose from over 1, 400 species to watch in North America. Then, log your observations on the Nature’s Notebook mobile app.
Crowd the TapVolunteers test the water and pipes in their homes so researchers can map the pipe infrastructure in the United States and identify polluted water supplies. All you need is a penny and a magnet (to determine whether pipes are made of steel, copper, plastic or lead, which is not always obvious visually) . You can also share observations about your tap water like color, smell and taste. If you live near a participating library or school, you can check out a kit to test your water chemistry.
GLOBE ObserverThe NASA-sponsored GLOBE project seeks to understand our changing environment and climate through crowd-sourced observations. The project is app-based, and users can upload observations about clouds, mosquito habitat, trees or land cover to give researchers a global picture of how our planet is changing over time.
The Happiness ProjectHelp psychology researchers understand the relationship between happiness and decision-making by playing games. All you need to participate is the project’s smartphone app to access games that subtly investigate how players approach risky decisions, while periodically asking them to rate their happiness level. Game and happiness scores become data that researchers use to figure out how expectations contribute to happiness.
Exoplanet WatchExperiment time on big telescopes like Hubble is precious, so NASA needs backyard astronomers to help researchers narrow down when and where to turn their sights to find planets outside of our solar system. Every day, the project posts new exoplanet targets for volunteers to keep an eye on. If you don’t have a telescope, you can still aid the search by analyzing data from others’ observations.
1. What is the primary purpose of citizen science projects, as described in the article?A.To provide volunteers with opportunities to learn about scientific research. |
B.To allow scientists to rely on volunteers for data analysis. |
C.To engage curious individuals in scientific research. |
D.To highlight the importance of citizens’ contribution to science. |
A.Monitor the heart rates of endangered species. |
B.Record changes in ecosystems to assess the impact of climate change. |
C.Observe the behavior of insects and animals. |
D.Launch a campaign to raise awareness about climate change. |
A.Crowd the Tap aims to raise people’s awareness about water-related diseases. |
B.Exoplanet Watch relies only on professional astronomers to search for exoplanets. |
C.The Happiness Project investigates the relationship between happiness and games. |
D.GLOBE Observer collects observations about our changing environment through an app-based platform. |
6 . 2024 National Cherry Blossom Festival Student Art Competition
To celebrate the 2024 National Cherry Blossom Festival, National Mall and Memorial Parks is hosting a youth art competition. We need your artistic help to inspire visitors to become Cherry Blossom Protectors! The blooming of the cherry trees around the Tidal Basin has come to symbolize the natural beauty of our nation’s capital city. Thousands of people come every year to see the cherry trees and enjoy the festival.
ParticipantsThe contest is open to all Washington, D.C. students, K-6. One submission per student please.
ThemeArtworks should focus on the theme “Cherry Blossom Protector.” Draw or paint a picture that shows what you appreciate about the cherry blossoms, how we can take care of them, and why we should. Submissions must include the words “Cherry Blossom Protector”.
DeadlineArtworks will be accepted starting December 13, 2023. All submissions must be postmarked by February 25, 2024.
Submission requirementsA valid submission will contain the following information:
1. An original copy of the artwork. Each piece must be original, authentic (真实的), unpublished, the sole property of the entrant (参赛者), and not previously submitted in any other contest.
2. Your personal information, printed on either the back of your artwork or on a separate sheet attached to your physical artwork or provided with the e-mail for your digital entry: First and last name, grade/age.
3. A completed and signed entry form. Print out the entry form and send it to us when you send your artwork. Entries cannot be accepted without a signed entry form by a parent or guardian.
Delivery addressMailed submissions must be sent to:
National Mall and Memorial Parks
c/o 2024 National Cherry Blossom Festival Student Art Competition
1100 Ohio Drive, SWWashington, DC 20242
1. Why do National Mall and Memorial Parks host the art competition?A.To honor the national heroes. | B.To improve students’ art skills. |
C.To protect the cherry blossom. | D.To attract more visitors to the parks. |
A.Volunteer as a cherry blossom protector. | B.Choose your own theme for the contest. |
C.Email all your artworks to your school. | D.Summit artworks before February 25, 2024. |
A.Personal information. | B.A previous submitted copy. |
C.A guardian’s recommendation. | D.An electronic application form. |
7 . Dublin is one of Europe’s smaller capital cities, but it has an outsized number of places to see. Here’s a decent sampling of the great attractions that await when you come to Dublin to play.
National Gallery of Ireland
Ireland is a country known for its literary contributions, but don’t overlook its contributions to the artistic world. It houses a number of works by Rembrandt, Goya and Monet. The collection’s 15,000 Irish and European works date from the 13th to mid-20th centuries and include paintings, prints and national portraits (肖像). Particularly prized is the Yeats Collection, consisting of works and other materials related to Irish painter Jack B. Yeats, brother of poet and playwright W. B. Yeats.
Ha’penny Bridge
This modest cast-iron bridge over the River Liffey has become the symbol of Dublin, with its wonderful design and old-fashioned lampposts. Before it became a tourist attraction,
Ha’Penny Bridge was a welcome addition for local people. Before its construction, most of them had to ferry (摆渡) across the river. When it was built in 1816, Ha’penny Bridge was the first iron bridge across the Liffey.
Dublin Castle
You’re in Europe. It’s hard to resist a good castle. And you have one right in the heart of Dublin. And like all good castles, it has a storied history—from its start in the 1200s on the site of a Viking settlement to 1922, when it was handed over to the new Irish government after independence from the United Kingdom. A fire in 1684 damaged a good bit of the castle, and in reconstruction, parts of it took on the look of a Georgian palace, making for an interesting mix of styles today.
St. Stephen’s Green
As a treasured part of the city for centuries, the park, which is in the heart of Dublin, has important sculptures of major figures in Irish history and well-maintained Victorian grounds in the center. A variety of trees line the perimeter (周边) to help block city noise, and it’s a haven for birds as well as people.
1. What can visitors see in National Gallery of Ireland?A.W. B. Yeats’ collection of poems. |
B.Works about painter Jack B. Yeats. |
C.Over 15,000 European literary works. |
D.Irish paintings dating from the 11th century. |
A.Attracting foreign visitors. | B.Offering shelter to ferrymen. |
C.Replacing a cast-iron bridge. | D.Helping people cross a river. |
A.They feature a variety of rare birds. |
B.They are not well-maintained at present. |
C.They are located in the center of Dublin. |
D.They take on the look of a Georgian palace. |
8 . The Best Art Competitions to Enter in 2024
Watermedia Showcase
Watermedia Showcase is back for its 15th year! Showcase your best watercolor art in this exciting competition. All winners and honorable mentions will have their works featured in the magazine. First prize winners will receive an additional $2,500 cash prize and a free Artists Network Membership. Entry fee is $45 ($30 before February 6, 2024).
Closing Date: April 11, 2024.
Jackson’s Painting Prize
Jackson’s Painting Prize was created to reward original art created with oil paints. A $7,500 total cash prize will be equally divided between the first three winning artists. There are also awards for emerging artists and best oil paintings. Winners will be given an opportunity to have their works shown in an exhibition. Entry fee is $35 per entry.
Closing Date: March 1, 2024.
The Strokes of Genius Contest
Open to artists in the United States and Canada, this contest celebrates original drawings made in pencil, charcoal, pen and ink, colored pencil and so on. Top prize is $3,500. Winning entries will be published in a special edition of The Best of Drawing. Entry fee is $45.
Closing Date: April 29, 2024.
The Sunny Art Prize
Contestants can submit works made in a diverse range of media, including drawing, sculpture, printmaking, video art, and photography. Top prize winner receives $6,000 and a silver medal. Open to artists worldwide aged 18 and over. Entry fee is $40 for one artwork.
Closing Date: June 30, 2024.
1. What is the final deadline for the submission of watercolor works?A.April 11. | B.March 1. | C.February 6. | D.April 29. |
A.A silver medal. | B.A free membership. |
C.A chance to exhibit his entry. | D.A qualification to publish his work. |
A.It charges the least for each artwork. | B.It is most popular with emerging artists. |
C.It is open to artists based in North America. | D.It accepts entries in multiple types of media. |
9 . Magazines make great reading materials for kids. Libraries often have a large selection of periodicals (期刊) for every age group and reading level, and for many areas of interest. And some magazines may even have issues going back years and even decades! Below is a list of some of them!
Military Kids LifeIt is about finding the bright side of life as a military kid! Inside each quarterly issue, your child will encounter inspiring stories, articles, and photographs! (8 to 16 years)
FacesWith articles, folk tales, and hands-on projects, Faces magazine takes young readers around the world for an honest and objective view of how children in other regions live. (9 to 14 years)
MakeMake magazine publishes tested projects, skill-building tutorials, in-depth reviews and inspirational stories, accessible by all ages and skill ranges. (9 to 18 years)
BrioBrio magazine for teen girls has a fresh new look that includes more pages filled with inspiring profiles, cultural insights, health & beauty tips, faith-filled features and added fun! (13 to 18 years)
Please note: Though all the magazines on this list are written for children, some issues may contain content that you may feel inappropriate for your child. As always, please review all reading materials before giving them to your child to read.
1. Which magazine can help develop kids’ international awareness?A.Faces. | B.Make. |
C.Brio. | D.Military Kids Life. |
A.All the magazines are proper for children. |
B.Magazines are usually published for children. |
C.Some magazines have back issues in libraries. |
D.Only magazines for kids are accessible in libraries. |
A.To argue. | B.To inform. |
C.To entertain. | D.To persuade. |
10 . Alaska has much to offer travelers in the winter months. Even better, hotel rates can run half what they do in summer, making Alaska an affordable vacation destination.
Northern Lights Viewing
Witness one of the most spectacular lights shows around when you make time for Alaska in the winter months. Book a photography workshop or snowmobile tour in Fairbanks for excellent aurora (极光) viewing. Alternatively, head to Denali National Park for a stay at the five-room boutique hotel. Sheldon Chalet. Enjoy heli-skiing and snowshoeing by day followed by entrancing aurora viewing by night.
Alaska Railroad
In winter, book a trip on the Aurora Winter Train for a bucket list-worthy adventure into Alaska’s snow-covered backcountry, Ride the train all the way from Anchorage to Fairbanks. Or, get off the train along the way in Talkeetna for cross-country skiing and a berry delicious pie-making class at Talkeetna Roadhouse.
Wintry Zoo Animals
The Alaska Zoo in Anchorage is a true delight in winter. That’s when you can see the state’s native animals, like bears, moose and wolves, in their natural winter habitat. Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, the Alaska Zoo boasts up-close views and interactions with more than 100 animals, Say hello to the zoo’s newest resident, Cranbeary, a 17-year-old polar bear that relocated from Denver last year.
Snowshoe Tours
Trekking through knee-deep fluffy snow in snowshoes can be loads of fun. Try your skills on a guided snowshoe tour in Fairbanks with Leaf Out Nature Guides. Led by expert biologists, the outfitter runs two-hour snowshoe tours. Guests venture into the boreal forest of Alaska’s interior. keeping a keen eye open to spot wildlife, like snowshoe hares, caribou and flying squirrels. Snowshoers are treated to expert knowledge on animal tracks. how animals survive in the harsh winter and how local plants are used.
1. Where can you learn the berry-pie making?A.In Sheldon Chalet. | B.In the Alaska Zoo. |
C.In Denali National Park. | D.In Talkeetna Roadhouse. |
A.A polar bear. | B.An Alaska train. |
C.A five-room hotel. | D.An expert biologist. |
A.To entertain. | B.To instruct. | C.To describe. | D.To advertise. |