1 . Traveling is a great way to experience new cultures and landscapes, learn about different ways of life, and simply have an adventure. It can also help you open your mind to new ideas and perspectives.     1     They provide insight, tips, and inspiration for people looking to explore the world around them. From detailed guides to personal stories, these books offer readers a way to experience the world without ever leaving their homes.

One book that perfectly captures (描述) the spirit of travel is The Distance Between Us by Reyna Grande.     2     Through her moving writing style, Grande paints a vivid picture of the struggles and joys of crossing a physical and cultural border.

Her book has a great impact on readers.     3     By sharing her own experiences, Grande offers hope and inspiration to anyone looking to take the leap and explore the world around them.

One of the greatest benefits of traveling to places inspired by books for students is the opportunity to explore and learn about many different cultures. Immersing (使沉浸) yourself in unfamiliar surroundings can help open your eyes to different ways of life.     4    

Being able to communicate effectively with those from different backgrounds is essential for any student, especially in today’s international society.     5     It can further improve conversation and fluency (流畅).

Lastly, by traveling to places inspired by books, students will gain a deeper understanding of the works that inspired them to take the journey in the first place.

2 . More than 170,000 people in California are unhoused. Even as the state has poured resources into fighting against the problem, the number of people without homes has ticked upward in recent years. On the surface, the state has one key advantage for people without a reliable roof over their heads: relatively consistent and livable weather. So one of my first thoughts when I heard news of a horricane attacking Los Angeles was just “What will happen to the city’s homeless population?”

City agencies quickly took action. As it became clear that the Los Angeles region could experience an extreme downpour and subsequent flooding, outreach teams fanned out across the river bank and dam areas across the city that have become home to a significant unhoused population, offering support to move them into shelters and motels (汽车旅馆).

Despite that, it’s obvious that the effects of climate change will hit the most vulnerable (脆弱的) hardest. We see this globally as extreme weather events hit countries that have contributed the least to the problem.

The most notable connection between climate change and the US housing crisis is the threat extreme weather poses to unhoused people. More unhoused people are affected as climate change drives increasingly unpredictable weather. People without homes know how to respond to expected seasonal events. But events like a near-hurricane in Los Angeles or a wildfire in ‘Maui can catch populations with limited access to information off guard.

Another link worth considering is the way in which climate change creates more homelessness and further stresses on housing systems. Hurricane Katrina, for example, displaced 800, 000 people. Four years later, 12,000 people remained without shelter.

Housing has been — and will continue to be — a key issue in Maui too as it recovers from the wildfire that killed more than 100 people. Maui has already had a housing crisis, the result of a high cost of living driven in large part by the tourism industry. And, now, many more are left looking for places to stay. Ashley Kelly, the chief operating officer at Hawaii’s Family Life Center, said: “Finding housing for any new clients is just not possible right now.”

3 . Science fiction has long entertained the idea of artificial intelligence becoming conscious (有意识的). Many researchers say that AI systems aren’t yet at the point of consciousness, but the pace of AI evolution (发展) has got them considering: how would we know if they were?

To answer this, a group of 19 neuroscientists (神经系统科学家), philosophers and computer scientists have come up with a checklist of standards that, if met, would indicate whether a system has a high chance of being conscious. The authors made the effort because “it seemed like there was a real lack of detailed, thoughtful discussion of AI consciousness,” says co-author Robert Long, a philosopher at the Center for AI Safety.

The team says that a failure to identify whether an AI system has become conscious has important moral implications. If something has been labelled “conscious”, according to co-author Megan Peters, a neuroscientist at the University of California, “that changes a lot about how we as human beings feel that entity (独立存在的个体) should be treated”. Long adds that, as far as he can tell, not enough effort has been made by the companies building advanced AI systems to evaluate the models for consciousness and make plans for what to do if that happens.

One of the challenges in studying consciousness in AI is defining what it means to be conscious. Peters says that for the report, the researchers focused on “phenomenal consciousness”.

Many neuroscience-based theories describe the biological basis of consciousness. But there is no agreement on which is the right one. To create their framework, the authors therefore used a range of these theories. The idea is that if an AI system functions in a way that matches aspects of many of these theories, then there is a greater likelihood that it is conscious.

They argue that this is a better approach to assessing consciousness than simply putting a system through a behavioural test — say, asking ChatGPT whether it is conscious, or challenging it and seeing how it responds. That’s because AI systems have become remarkably good at mimicking (模仿) humans.

4 . London Theatre Shows

Each ticket to the show includes free entry to Kew Gardens., Alice in Wonderland is playing at the Kew Gardens from 22 July to 28 August 2023.

Running time: 1 hour 10 minutes with no interval (幕间休息)

Performance days

Matinees (日场): Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday

Important information: Children under 2 years old go free.

It is based on the iconic Back ta the Future films. Back to the Future: The Musical tickets at the Adelphi Theatre, London are available to book for performances up to 11 February 2024.

Age restrictions: Suitable for general audience aged 6+. Children under 3 will not be admitted.

Running time: 2 hours 40 minutes (including interval)

Performance days

Evenings; Monday, Wednesday. Thursday. Friday, Saturday, Sunday

Matinees: Thursday, Saturday, Sunday.

This show sees Blippi in the ultimate curiosity adventure. Dance, sing, and learn with Blippi as he discovers what makes different cities unique and special. Blippi: The Wonderful World Tour runs at Rose Theatre, Kingston from 29 August to 9 September 2023.

Age restrictions: Recommended for ages 2+.

Running time: 1 hour (no interval)

Performance days

Matinees: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday

Join our brave explorers across unchartered territories to discover a pre-historic world of remarkably life-like dinosaurs. Dinosaur World Live runs from 11 August to 3 September 2023 at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, London.

Age restrictions: 3+

Running time: 50 mins + a 15-minute post show

Performance days

Matinees: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday

7 . According to Americans for the Arts, more than two-thirds of U.S. adults say that the arts “lift me up beyond everyday experiences.” Still, only 30 percent attended a concert of any type in 2017; 23 percent visited an art museum; six percent attended a literary event. Fewer than half actively created art of any kind.

What has caused this phenomenon is that we do not have time for art — we are weighed down by our day-to-day responsibilities. Maybe you like to play a little background music while you work but most of us rarely, if ever, went to see a live performance, let alone visited a gallery. And reading poetry? Perhaps not since high school.

Too often, we let the realities of life get in the way of the arts, which can feel insignificant by comparison. But this is a mistake. The arts might be the single most in-depth experience you will ever be given to explore the nature and meaning of life. And if you make time to consume and produce art, you will find your life become fuller and happier.

Some philosophers address the problem of life consumed by work and material pursuits. They argue that art provides relief from this routine, expanding our perspective and bringing us closer to true reality.   

Think of a time when you heard a piece of music and wanted to cry. Or recall your fast heartbeats as you stared at a delicate lifelike sculpture. Chances are that it probably stimulated (刺激) a sudden awakening, much like the shock from a lungful of pure oxygen after breathing in smoggy air.

If you are among those who feel that art is “pure pleasure to experience and participate in,” you might see it the same way you see eating out, or skydiving: as a luxury (奢侈品) item in your limited budgets of time and money. As such, it probably gets the same sort of treatment as any minor hobby. Don’t make this error. Treat art more like exercise or sleep: a necessity for a life full of deep satisfaction.

8 . Harland “Colonel” Sanders was born in 1890. He was left to be the only ________ of the house at a young age when his father died, leaving him with a mother and two younger sisters.

By the age of 7, he had started ________ and soon after, he was working several odd jobs.

At the age of 40, he had ________ the perfect fried chicken recipe and had even opened a restaurant to ________ the high demand for his food. As he was perfecting his chicken, he was ________ by a pressure cooker (压力锅) salesman who ________ Sanders to invest in his product to help speed along his cooking process. Sanders ________ buying 12 pressure cookers, and then he was ready to sell a lot of chicken.

At the age of 60, Colonel Sanders decided to ________, but because he was not content with ________ of his $105 social security checks, he decided to franchise (给予特许经销权) his chicken.

He started traveling to different restaurants, cooking his fried chicken at the spot for restaurant owners. If the owners liked the chicken, they would be sold the ________. However, Colonel Sanders got ________ 1,009 times before he made his first sale.

________, Colonel Sanders had 600 franchises selling his ________ trademark chicken. In 1976, the Colonel was ________ as the world’s second most ________ celebrity.

9 . Welcome to American United Travel Company. We’ll help you spend a perfect holiday. For over 6 years, we have been organizing value for money summer holidays, whether it’s a late holiday deal or your main summer holiday. Whether you’re looking for a romantic getaway, a luxury 5-star holiday, or you just want to relax and soak up the sun, we’ve got access to the very best flight and hotel deals throughout the world. We are proud to offer you various services unlike other tour companies where we offer one-stop shop for complete tourism.

Our Services Include

Tours. Meet & Assist Services. Airport Transfer. MICE (Meeting, Incentive, Conferences, Exhibitions) private Jets. Ground handling (24 hours) VIP services on arrival & departure. Adventure Tour.

Means of Transportation Reservations

We operate for all means of transportation available in the country, starting with buses for groups to car rental to individuals.

Guidance

We have the most qualified guides who speak French, English, German, Italian, and Spanish. We bank on their communication skills as well as their knowledge in various fields.

Fancy Dinners

We prepare outdoor dinners in particular places such as castles, beaches, old and traditional houses, etc. Usually, these dinners are arranged according to the clients’ choices.

Luggage Concierge

Don’t worry about luggage size and weight when travelling. Give your bags to Luggage Concierge in advance and they will be waiting for you at your destination when you arrive.

Call one of our experienced travel consultants on 18884700610 to secure one of these fantastic deals.