3 . Have you heard of shikumen houses (石库门) in Shanghai？ It is a type of architecture that combines Western culture and traditional Chinese residential characteristics. It uses stone as door frames (门框) and solid wood in black lacquer (漆) as door leaves (门扇)．Over the past 100 years，many significant historical events have been seen in shikumen houses, such as the first National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 1921.

Unfortunately, many Shangbai locals don’t even know about shikumen houses, and they are disappearing due to the development of the city. To make a difference, a group of students from Shanghai International Studies University has established a studio called “Meeting Shikumen”. “We probably can’t stop them from disappearing,” said Mei Zi, 18, the leader of the group. “But we want to let more people know that shikumen houses exist.”

Starting in 2022, the students opened accounts on WeChat and Instagram to share information about shikumen houses, such as the significance of their architectural design and how they reflect Shanghai culture. To draw more young people’s attention to shikumen houses, they also created original IP figures called “Kuku” and “Tiantian”. The students even created a series of WeChat stickers of Kuku and Tiantian, which now have been used by more than 10,000 people.

“This project has become a tradition of our university and will be carried on by students,” Mei said. “In the future, we want to interact with international students in Shanghai, by taking them on theme tours of shikumen houses, to share shikumen with people from various cultures.”

5 . Everyone has their favourite Bond songs with the 007 movies offering so many different musical outings over the years from classic rock and pop to soul and even dance. Let us know in the comments.

Golden Eye sees a cat-like Turner wandering about throughout its sound stage, flashing her claws where necessary. Its sweeping arrangement and sentimental brass (感伤的铜管乐) contribute to a powerful vocal performance. The strings are mixed with horns that sound like a passing train. This is effortless singing from Turner and her amazing control is a joy to hear.

This rock/pop little number has always felt rather clear to the listeners. It is a bit Bond-aping (邦德式模仿) rather than creating something new all by itself, which is what it should ideally be aiming for. Crow gives it her all with her soft voice.

Right from the brilliantly exciting intro, the whole track just sounds so strong, as if it was chiseled (镌刻) out of the very finest stone. A lot of this is down to Chris Cornell’s powerful and deeply rich voice. One of the greatest singers of his generation, he absolutely nails this track.

The title theme that most people can’t actually remember. By all accounts, Sam Smith’s Writing’s On The Wall was written very quickly, and frankly, it shows. Far from being a terrible song, it just lacks basically everything that a Bond theme needs. Sure, it certainly feels empty.

7 . I don’t usually keep houseplants. They get either overwatered or underwatered. But after I got a terminal (晚期) brain cancer and needed a major operation, I ________ the idea of having something green around.

My friend gave me a lucky bamboo plant, which I told my wife I wanted to ________myself.

Caring for the plant gave me a sense of ________ when I felt useless. The disease ________my ability to walk. As a doctor, I was used to being the one who offered ________, not the one who received it. ________ the plant, as small an act as it was, connected me to a main part of my old identity.

Over the next few months, I recovered from my ________ and returned to work. And the plant had doubled in height and its leaves were ________ and healthy. Both the tree and I were thriving (旺盛). Then, ________, whatever I did, the leaves kept browning and dropping. I grew more and more ________.

“If my lucky bamboo dies, I might die too.” I couldn’t shake the feeling that the plant had become a(n) ________ of my health until I realized I had ________ connected my good care for the plant with my own survival. When my cancer unavoidably ________, I no longer thought it was any failure on my part. And as my anxiety ________, I began to learn how to better care for my plant. I put it to a larger pot (花盆), giving it ________ to grow. Gradually,we both began to thrive again.

8 . Researchers in Australia and the US are starting a multi-million dollar project to bring the Tasmanian tiger, nicknamed thylacine(袋狼), back from extinction. The last known one died in 1939.

The team say it can be recreated using stem cells(干细胞)and gene-editing(基因编辑)technology, and the first thylacine could be reintroduced to the wild in 10 years’ time. They plan to take stem cells from a living species with similar DNA, and then use gene-editing technology to ”bring back“ the extinct species - or an extremely close one of it.

It would be a great achievement for the researchers attempting it, and require a number of scientific breakthroughs.

The population of Tasmanian tigers dropped when humans arrived in Australia tens of thousands of years ago, and again when dingoes - a species of wild dog - appeared.Eventually, the species only lived free on the island of Tasmania, and was finally hunted to extinction.

If scientists were to succeed, it would mark the first “de-extinction“ event in history, but many outside experts doubt it, and believe that the project is more about media attention for the scientists and less about doing serious science.

The idea of bringing back the extinct has been around for more than 20 years. In 1999, the Australian Museum started to pursue a project to clone the Tasmanian tiger, and various attempts have been made ever since to get or rebuild DNA from samples. The US firm made headlines last year with its plans to use similar gene editing technology to bring the woolly mammoth back to life - a technological achievement yet to be made.

9 . Years ago, as a business reporter, I interviewed an advertising manager. I was there to ask about the latest campaign. But when I sat down, he wanted to talk about writing novels.

He spent hours meeting with clients(客户), but he dreamed of being a novelist instead. I remember thinking: Sure, everybody dreams to be a novelist. Who doesn’t?

A decade later, however, I was surprised to see the same person on TV, holding up his new book. James Patterson had developed into a best-selling author. He has since published more than 100 New York Times best sellers.

“I never thought of myself as an advertising person,” he told me when I asked how he’d done it. “I always planned to be a writer.” Mr. Patterson’s ability to sec himself as a writer shows a term(术语) “possible selves.” It describes how people envision their futures: what they may become, or want to become, etc.

The term, created in 1986 by the social psychologists Hazel Markus and Paula Nurius,grew out of research on self-concept and self-perception(自我知觉).While self-concepts, like “I am a kind person” or “I am a good parent”, are based on the present, the researchers found that people are also influenced by possible selves - what they might become in the future and how they might change.

These possible selves,both positive and negative,are closely related to motivation (动机).In a small study, when young adults were made to envision themselves as either regular exercisers (hoped-for selves) or inactive (feared selves),both groups exercised more in the weeks afterward. But researchers have found that imagining positive possible selves can improve health and reduce depression by holding out the hope for a better future.

A possible self can help you realize daydreams, which seem to be unrealistic, “if you build a bridge from your ‘now’ self to the possible self,” Dr. Markus said. But how do we build that bridge?

10 . Philip Guston Now

March 2 - August 27, 2023

East Building, Concourse, National Gallery of Art, Washington DC

Philip Guston Now records the 50-year career of one of America’s most powerful modern artists through more than 150 paintings and drawings. Famous in his time and in ours, Guston’s work continues to remind, attract, and arouse, raising important questions about the relationship of art to beauty and cruelty, freedom and doubt, politics and the imagination.

Organization

The exhibition is organized by the National Gallery of Art, Washington; the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Tate Modern, London; and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

Other venues(会场)

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, May 1 - September 11, 2022

Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, October 23, 2022 - January 15, 2023

Tate Modern, London, October 5, 2023 - February 25, 2024

Exhibition Support

Major support for the international tour of the exhibition is provided by the Terra

Foundation for American Art. The Director’s Circle of the National Gallery of Art and the Edwin L. Cox Exhibition Fund provided additional funding. The exhibition is supported by an indemnity(保障)from the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities.

Passes

Sign up at the exhibition entrance. Sometimes, you may have to join a virtual line upon arrival. While waiting, you can explore other parts of the museum. Groups are limited to six people.