2 . The first hibernation (冬眠) studies with human subjects could be workable within a decade, a European Space Agency (ESA) researcher thinks. Such experiments would make it possible for a science-fiction-like approach to long-time space missions that would see astronauts placed into protective sleep for weeks or months on their way to faraway destinations.

Experiments have shown that it’s possible to cause hibernation in otherwise non-hibernating animals, such as rats, and bring them safely back to life a few days later. “The rats receive a drug, a neurotransmitter substance (神经递质), and are brought into a dark space with reduced temperature,” Jurgen Bereiter-Hahn, a member of ESA’s hibernation research group said. “It works very nicely, but the problem is that you have to apply the drug repeatedly to maintain the state, which could have damaging effects over the longer term.”

The hibernating astronaut would not only save the agency cost for water, food and oxygen. Astronauts would, most likely, wake up rather fit, without suffering many of the negative side effects of long-term bed rest or living in microgravity. In fact, studies show that the slowed down cells of a hibernating body don’t get damaged by radiation (辐射). Besides, research in animals suggests that bodies of hibernating astronauts might lose much less bone and muscle mass than the bodies of those awake in microgravity. Upon arrival, these hibernators would thus be fit and ready to start challenging exploration almost straight away after regaining awareness.

These protective qualities make hibernation a possibility not just for spaceflight, but also for medicine. Just like astronauts in microgravity, patients in long-term bed rest waste away quickly. Slowing life processes to a minimum would provide what scientists call a “bridge”, a period of time that would allow physicians to look for solutions without racing against the clock. Although most current hibernation research is funded by space agencies, scientists think that the first human to be put into this state of hibernation will most likely be an ICU patient. Once the first human survives and benefits from hibernation, things will likely start moving forward much faster.

Each country has its own unique culture, often represented by symbols, such as foods, arts, and music. When you think of America, what symbols come to your mind first?

Perhaps one of     1     most famous symbols of the US is fast food. Fast-food restaurants became popular when people began driving cars around the country. Many of the earliest fast-food restaurants were drive-ins (免下车餐馆) where people ate     2     their cars while they were parked. However, now drive-throughs have become popular. You can just drive up to a window, pick up the food,    3    then drive away. Americans spend about 10% of     4    (they) income on fast food. No wonder America     5    (call) the “Fast-food Nation”!

Jazz is often considered “America’s music”. It is a music style created in the United States by African American musicians. Jazz music    6    (definite) broke through the color barriers, and has become a key part of American culture. One of the early jazz    7    (performer), Louis Armstrong, helped jazz beyond the United States to the world. Jazz musicians freely make up their own music    8    (express) their own feelings, even while    9    (play) in a group.

There are many other symbols of America, such as the Statue of Liberty, Hollywood, and Broadway. These are but a few symbols     10    show something of American culture.

5 . To involve viewers completely, an entirely new art form is developing. It surrounds visitors with images and sounds. Sometimes unnoticeable smells are added to draw people in through yet another sense. These immersive (沉浸式的) exhibits are projected and can even change with interaction.

Monet’s Garden: The Immersive Experience

A massive, immersive exhibition celebrating French artist Claude Monet will be shown in downtown New York in November, promising visitors a multisensory experience. Visitors will be greeted by pleasant smells of water lilies floating in the air and learn much about Monet, who developed from a gifted but slightly traditional landscape painter into a master of the Impressionism.

TheBlu

TheBlu, which started as a home application, is presented at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles. Museum lovers virtually observe a big blue whale and a whale fall where a dead whale’s bones have become an undersea ecosystem. “We aim for the right level of awe (敬畏). No cheap scares. No shark jumps out at you,” says Rowell, one of the app developers, “Exploration is the heart of what ‘theBlu’ is.”

Particle (微粒) Mirror

The Museum of Science, Boston has used the latest tech to excite visitors and inspire life-long learning. Opened this year, “Particle Mirror” inspires an interest in physics. Visitors are led through nine scenes interacting with a changing variety of spots, all following the laws of physics. For example, in the “snow” scene, visitors can collect the falling particles or sweep them off the floor. Particles set off different musical sounds when pushed.

Vitality in Running

This immersive art exhibition is an interactive multi-media one focusing on the culture of the Yongding River, known as the “Mother River of Beijing”. This exhibition is made up of various sections including “Flowing”, “Dawn”, “Legend”, “Coexistence”, “Fire and Dreams’, and “Four Seasons”. The exhibition feeds its visitors’ souls by presenting the beauty of art through interaction with visitors by means of the latest technologies.

6 . Pedicab(三轮车)operator Sarah Grant and street violinist Anna Roznowska live in the same community. When they realized in March that their livelihoods and lifestyles were _________ by New Orleans’s stay-at-home order to_________ the spread of COVID-19,they were at a loss at first. Then they decided to take their_________ on the road.

The two have named their_________ the Mobile Music Box. Grant rides the pedicab that carries Roznowska as she_________,and the performance winds its way through New Orleans neighbourhoods.

Strict limits on gatherings have_________ concerts, parades and the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, which would have brought hundreds of thousands of people_________ late April.

Now Roznowska’s freestyle melodies(旋律)on her_________ run through the New Orleans streets.

“It’s_________ and uplifting. Live__________ is what we miss most right now, and it brings everyone out and makes everyone feel like it’s a__________ day,”said resident Elsa Kern, who stopped to__________ as the women rolled past.

Based on their performances so far, it certainly puts smiles on the faces of the residents they pass.“Fantastic, it is something to__________ the neighbourhood,” said resident Willie Anderson.

Roznowska and Grant don’t have a regular schedule or route(路线).“We don’t make money. It is something that was definitely born out of__________ and probably has a bit of a life of its own,”Grant said. “So there’s no real__________ except just to keep doing it.”

7 . We always put into children’s minds that learning to read is extremely important to their future success. But we don’t put that same urgency(迫切性) on adults, even though a large percentage of American adults have a low reading or writing ability.

Learning those skills requires many levels of support. Take, for example, the three hours every day in a Louisville community center.

Ardo Ahmed and Yurilia Manzanares are among the people sitting in classrooms and listening to teachers. These three hours are about learning English. Yurilia came to the United States from Mexico, and Ardo from Somalia. “Everyone is coming here to learn English, to have the same kind of support as their children,” their teacher Meagan Lamb said.

Literacy(读写能力) among adults, specifically among moms, is a concern that reaches far beyond Louisville, far beyond immigrant communities. A Barbara Bush Foundation study found fewer than half of American adults can read beyond a 6th-grade level. A study supported by the National Institutes of Health stated “a mother’s reading skill is the greatest determinant of her children’s future academic(学业的) success.”

“There’s a stigma(耻辱) there,” said Felicia Cumings Smith, the new head of the National Center for Families Learning. “There’s quite a bit of funding that goes into literacy for K-12, but if students are not successful during those schooling years, that all comes to an end.”

These three hours, every day, make a difference. But they’re only possible because the community center where they take place provides childcare while the parents learn English.

The children are learning English, which creates even more stimulus for the parents to learn as well.

“The kids are speaking English in school every day,” Meagan said. “And then they go back home, and little by little Spanish doesn’t feel like their native language.” It’s why, in the last of these three hours, Yurilia and Ardo attend “Parent Time”. It’s where they practice not just the language but how to apply it.

9 . Earlier this month, TikTok announced that it will be introducing screen time limits for the accounts of users aged under 18. Children under 13 will require a parent or guardian to type in a password to continue scrolling (滚屏) through their feed, and those aged 13-17 will be asked to set their own passwords when the viewing time goes beyond the limit.

Studies suggest that 30 minutes may be the sweet spot for social media use, where users are able to stay connected with friends and family and view entertainment. However, many other studies show that overly-heavy social media use can lead to a lot of problems, such as physical issues and depression.

By suggesting 100 minutes as a hard line where a password is required to be created by the user, TikTok is gradually making the standards clear as to what may be regarded as problematic social media habit in young people. Although these passwords for older teenagers can obviously be bypassed, they are a step in the right direction in encouraging children to use social media responsibly.

Also, parents who own their own TikTok accounts will be able to link with their children’s accounts, gaining additional, such as muting notifications (消息免打扰) and customizing time limits for different days in the week.

Algorithms (算法) that could tell parents if the child has been viewing dangerous material could soon be put into use. However, the difficulty in this is the amount of content available on the internet.

Ultimately, apps such as TikTok and Instagram will need to continue introducing more measures to improve online safety for children.

Lawmakers around the world are paying close attention to the effect social media has on the young, meaning that the development of new tools to improve its use will no doubt take place soon if big tech wishes to avoid additional legal issues.