2 . Being a teenager can be challenging, but it can also be exciting. You’re becoming more independent and making decision s for yourself. You are also learning to take risks and solve problems better. And changes are happening throughout your body, even in your brain.

The changes in your brain are influencing how you develop into an adult. Imagine the structure of your brain is like a big road map. Lots of roads lead to different destinations. When you were a child, as you learnt new things, your brain created more and more roads to different destinations. By the time you become a teenager, many different roads lead to the most important places on the map. Now your brain’s job is to make that map more efficient.

As a result, your experiences as a teenager actually influence the way that your brain develops. If you spend hours playing video games, what skills do you use? You learn to see something with your eyes and respond to it with your hands. As you develop those skills, your brain is making sure that the roads leading to them are especially fast and efficient. So, your video-game playing could be preparing you for a career such as a pilot.

This is a great time for you to practice new skills and discover what you’re good at and try what you love doing. Go out and try different activities, and stick to them if you think they are useful. Remember that with everything you do, you’re shaping your brain for the future.

3 . Summer Art Classes

Students will explore storytelling through artworks and will highlight moments of their lives through their own artistic creations. Taught by artist Fernando Isai Garcia. Indoors, June 12-16.

Explore the fantastic world of plants! Let’s look at how artists have “used” plants, and been inspired by their colors and shapes. Combine art and science to learn about plants. Taught by artist Beatriz Jaramillo.

We’ll view, discuss, and sketch artworks to learn about different aspects of visual storytelling, and then, in the studio, we’ll continue to learn about storytelling while making our own comics. We know you’ve got a story to tell! Taught by artist Shannon Green. Indoors, July17-21.

Children will make art with a focus on the process as much as the results. We’ll explore bubble prints (泡泡印画) and blow painting. Come ready for an experience that will blow your artistic mind! Taught by artist Katie Lipsitt. Indoors, July 31-August 4.

4 . There are purple clothes, purple handbags, purple bicycles, purple furniture, even purple computers! So purple is one of the most ______ colors today. But in the past, purple was a very expensive and unusual color. Let’s take a look at the rich ______ of the color purple.

Some scientists believe that the first plants to appear on Earth over 500 million years ago _____ looked purple, not green. Plants today are green because ______ use green chlorophyll (叶绿素) to produce energy. ______ these early plants probably used something called retinal, which is a dark purple color.

During the time of the Roman Empire (37 BC-476 AD), it was very ______ to make purple dye (染料). The dye came from sea snails (海螺). But 10,000 dead sea snails ______ you just one gram of purple dye... as well as a very bad smell! This ______ purple dye was called Tyrian purple, and it was the preferred ______ of emperors.

In 16th century England, purple was ______ for the kings family members. Queen Elizabeth I’s clothes were purple, but ordinary people were not allowed to ______ the color.

In 1856, William Perkin, an 18-year-old ______ student, noticed something strange while doing an experiment. The chemicals he used to clean his instruments ______ with the chemicals he used in his experiment and produced a bright purple color. This ______ led Perkin to start a company using this chemical mixture to make purple dye. The dye was much ______ than sea snail dye. Thanks to Perkin, now anyone can afford to wear purple clothes.

5 . Recently, a research on how a new virtual reality (VR 虚拟的现实) experience educated children about the fire disasters was done. It was developed by the University of South Australia, aiming to educate children to learn how to be safe in a fire. It presents a situation for children aged 10-12. In the situation, They are tasked to look after a friend’s dog just before a fire event begins. They participate in a series of problem-solving activities to help save and protect themselves and the dog.

The findings showed that more than 80% of children reported that they felt more confident to tell the advantages and disadvantages of different choices. They also learnt to make wise decisions to protect themselves from a fire. Children thought it is especially important and meaningful, because 91% of them didn’t have any knowledge of fires at the beginning, and that 67% had said that they were too young to make safety decisions in a fire.

The researchers believed such VR experiences made it possible to attract and educate the young. “As children born in digital times, they are interested in such technology and they can experience events realistically yet within the safe environment.” said Delene Weber, one of the researchers. “Well-designed VR can provide a chance for children with surprisingly valuable learning tools.” Meanwhile, because children have fewer life experiences, aren’t as physically strong, and are less likely to have learned much about fire safety, they’re often most at risk. However, the ability for children to contribute to fire safety at their homes should not be underestimated (低估). “Children do not need to be always waiting for help in disasters and with those virtual reality experiences, we can help children understand the risks and realize they can help,” said Weber.

8 . In October, I said to my students, “Why not do some _________ to make some money? Then we’ll buy food for someone in need.”

Then early in that week, they came with their hard-earned money at their homes, _________ to go shopping. We soon picked what we needed. As we headed toward the checkout, someone shouted, “Flowers!” The group rushed to the flowers. However, considering practicality, I said, “You can’t send flowers.” “But please, Mrs. Sherlock,” someone begged, “we want flowers.” Defeated (被打败了), I _________ them to buy some carnations (康乃馨).

An organization had given us the information of a _________ grandmother living alone for many years. After a long drive, we _________ arrived at a small, shabby (破旧的) house. An old lady came out to _________ us. Each box was _________ quickly. But when the woman noticed the carnations, she seemed _________. “She’s wishing it were a bag of rice,” I thought. “Do you like living here?” Michael asked. Hearing this, the woman _________,“ Of course. I’m quite fond of living here.” She told the children about the birds flying to the bread she __________. “Maybe that’s why I could get the food from you,” she said.

10 . The World’s Most Amazing Caves

Humans have been drawn to caves for thousands of years. Here are four of   the world’s biggest caves.

Son Doong Cave in the remote (偏远的) forests of Vietnam holds the title of the largest cave in the world. Son Doong is a spreading network of tunnels and caves, the largest of which could contain an entire New York City block with 40-story buildings. Parts of the cave’s top have fallen down, creating vast skylights that allow life to grow to a height of hundreds of feet beneath the forest floor.

Mammoth Cave in Kentucky is the longest cave system in the world, with 426 miles explored and scientists guess another 600 miles have yet to be discovered based on measurements of air movement within the caves. Mammoth Cave has drawn visitors since the 1800s and 10 miles of underground passages are accessible to tourists today.

The longest underwater cave system in the world, Sac Actun winds (蜿蜒) more than 215 miles under Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. Adventurers can take a drop in the Sac Actun system through more than. 248 cenotes (天然井) — the natural swimming pools that form when sinkholes connect the surface to the underwater caves.

Veryovkina Cave is the deepest cave in the world, spreading 1.4 miles beneath the surface. It takes professionals a week to make a round journey to Veryovkina Cave. They have to brave waterfalls, tight presses and sharp drops. But the payoff is excellent — Veryovkina Cave’s end is a beautiful blue lake about 50 feet long and 25 feet wide surrounded by black rocks.