1 . Welcome to Holker Hall & Gardens
Visitor InformationHow to Get to Holker
By Car: Follow brown signs an A590 from JB6, M6. Approximate travel times: Windermere-20 minutes, Kendal-25 minutes, Lancaster-45 minutes, Manchester-1 hour 30 minutes.
By Rail: The nearest station is Cark-in-Cartmel with trains to Carnforth, Lancaster Preston for connections to major cities & airports.
Opening TimesSunday-Friday (closed on Saturday)11:00 am-4:00pm,30 March-2nd November.
Admission Charges| Hall & Gardens | Gardens | |
| Adults: | £12.00 | £8.00 |
| Groups | £9 | £5.5 |
Producers: Market 13th April
Join us to taste a variety of fresh local food and drinks. Meet the producers and get some excellent recipe ideas.
Holker Garden Festival 30th May
The event celebrate its 22nd anniversary with a great show of the very best of gardening, making it one of the most popular events in gardening.
National Garden Day 28th August
Holker once again opens is gardens in aid of the disadvantaged. For just a small donation you can take a tour with our garden guide.
Winter Market 8th November
This is an event for all the family. Wander among a variety of shops selling gifs while enjoying a live music show and nice street entertainment.
1. How long does it probably take a tourist to drive to Holker from Manchester?| A．20 minutes. | B．25 minutes. |
| C．45 minutes. | D．90 minutes. |
| A．£12.00. | B．£9.00. |
| C．£8.0 | D．£5.50 |
| A．Producers’ Market. | B．Holker Garden Festival. |
| C．National Garden Day. | D．Winter Market. |
2 . Science competitions your students can enter
Clean Tech Competition
Age: 15-18
Opens: Now
Closes: 29 May, 2023
The Clean Tech Competition research and design challenge asks students to find a problem with our natural world and resource use that they want to change, work out a solution and hand in a research paper to the judges. This year there is no topic restriction.
Top of the Bench
Age: 14-16
Opens: October 2023
Closes: lanuary 2024
Top of the Bench (TOTB) is a yearly practical chemistry competition and a great chance for students to put their teamwork and practical skills to the test. Regional heats (预赛) will be held between October 2023 and January 2024, with the wining team from each heat progressing to the national final held later in March, 2024.
Quantum on the Clock (时间量子)
Age: 16-18
Closes: 30 June, 2023
Quantum on the Clock competition is open to all A-level students in the UK and Ireland. Students are asked to create a three-minute video about any aspect of quantum science or technology. Entries can be individual or from teams of up to four students. Cash prizes are on offer for the winners and runners tip (亚军). The best individual and best team winners will receive an invitation to a prize giving ceremony at the Photon 2023 conference dinner.
Big Bang Young Scientists and Engineers Competition
Age: 11-19
Closes: 4 July,2023
The Big Bang Competition recognizes young people’s achievements in STEM and builds their confidence in project-based work, focusing on investigation, discovery and use of scientific methods. Students can submit their project as a written or video report — on any topic in the field of STEM. Students can be in with the chance of winning a range of awards and prizes.
1. Which competition mentions presenting prizes to the winners at a conference dinner?| A．Top of the Bench. |
| B．Quantum on the Clock. |
| C．Clean Tech Competition. |
| D．Big Bang Young Scientists and Engineers Competition. |
| A．Biology. | B．Physics. | C．Chemistry. | D．Maths. |
| A．It involves how to save earth resources. |
| B．There are some regional heats for students. |
| C．Only high school students can take part in it. |
| D．Students can hand in their project as a written or video report. |
3 . A young woman sits alone in a café sipping tea and reading a book. She pauses briefly to write in a nearby notepad before showing her words to a passing café waiter: "Where are the toilets please?"This is a familiar scene in Tokyo’s so-called "silent cafés", where customers are not allowed to speak, and only communicate by writing in notepads.
The concept rises by a desire to be alone among young Japanese, a situation brought by economic uncertainty, a shift in traditional family support structures and the growing social isolation. The phenomenon is not limited to coffee shops but covers everything from silent discos, where participants dance alone wearing wireless headphones connected to the DJ, to products such as small desk tents designed for conversation-free privacy in the office. One Kyoto company even offers single women the opportunity to have a "one woman wedding"—a full bridal affair, complete with white dress and ceremony, and the only thing missing is the groom. The trend has its own media expression-“botchi-zoku”, referring to individuals who consciously choose to do things completely on their own.
One recent weekday afternoon, Chihiro Higashikokubaru, a 23-year-old nurse, travelled 90 minutes from her home, to Tokyo on her day off in order to enjoy some solo time. Speaking quietly at the entrance of the cafe, Miss Higashikokubaru said: “I heard about this place via Twitter and I like the idea of coming here. I work as a nurse and it's always very busy. There are very few quiet places in Tokyo, and it's a big busy city. I just want to come and sit somewhere quietly on my own. I’m going to drink a cup of tea and maybe do some drawings. I like the idea of a quiet, calm atmosphere.”
The desire to be isolated is not a new concept in Japan, home to an estimated 3.6 million "hikikomori" - a more extreme example of social recluses(隐士) who withdraw completely from society.
1. What is special about the “silent cafes”?| A．It provides various tea and books. |
| B．It has attracted many popular young people. |
| C．It offers service by writing not by speaking |
| D．People are not allowed to communicate. |
| A．Unstable economic situation |
| B．A change in traditional family support pattern |
| C．The rising demand for privacy |
| D．The increasing social isolation |
| A．She doesn’t like to be a nurse. | B．She doesn’t like the life in big cities. |
| C．She travelled to Tokyo on her work days. | D．She enjoys her solo time in a quiet place. |
| A．Lonely Japanese | B．One woman wedding |
| C．Social recluses in Japan | D．Silent cafes |
