New look on the Museum
Museums have changed. They are no longer places for the privileged few or for bored vacationers to visit on rainy days.
At a science museum in Ontario, Canada you can feel your hair stand on end as harmless electricity passes through your body. At the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, you can look at 17 century instruments while listening to their music. At the Modern Museum in Sweden, you can put on costumes provided by the Stockholm Opera. As these examples show, museums are reaching out to new audiences, particularly the young, the poor and the less educated members of the population. As a result, attendance is interesting.
Many museums have changed in appearance. Some old, gray museums have been rebuilt, and the newer ones are open and modern in their architecture. Inside, there is modern lighting, color, and sound. Instead of displaying everything they own, museum directors show fewer objects and leave open spaces where visitor can gather and sit down. They also bring together in one display a group of objects drawn drawn from various parts of the museum to represent the whole lifestyle of region or a historical period. In one room, for instance, you may find materials, clothing, tools, cooking pots, furniture, and art works of a particular place and time.
More and more museum directors are realizing that people learn best when they can somehow become part of what they are seeing. In many science museums, for example, there are no guided tours. The visitor is encouraged to touch, listen, operate, and experiment so as to discover scientific principles for himself. The purpose is not only to provide fun but also to help people feel at home in the world of science. The theory is that people who do not understand science will probably fear it, and those who fear science will not use it to the best advantage.
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2 . Credit cards
However you view credit card, it’s hard to live in the modern world without one. And if you have one, you owe it to yourself to use it properly.
Although credit cards are becoming a more acceptable part of the financial scene, they are still regarded with suspicion by many as being a major part of the “live now pay later” syndrome(综合症).
Advertising campaigns have, however, promoted a growing realization of the advantages of these small pieces f plastics. They avoid the need to carry large amounts of cash and are always useful in emergencies. All the credit card organizations charge interest on a monthly basis.
Using a credit card wisely takes discipline and a little self-control. Once you realize your debt is someone else’s profit margin, your approach to your plastic will change. With a bit of discipline and some practical knowledge, you can make your cards work for you, rather than the other way round.
A.The cardholder must pay a defined minimum position of the amount owed by a due date, or may choose to pay a higher amount. |
B.It is worthwhile shopping around before deciding on a particular credit card. |
C.They provide encouragement to spend more money. |
D.In other words, they combine payment services with extensions of credit. |
E.As a matter of fact, a credit card can cost noting or at least help you through a period of financial difficulty. |
F.Yet wise purchasing using a card can mean you obtain up to seven weeks’ interest-free credit. |
We had several monkeys on board, but Jack was the prince of them all. As he grew tame, he got more liberty, till he got the whole range of the ship, except the captain’s and the passengers’ cabins. I
He sometimes burned his fingers by these tricks, and this kept him quiet for a few days. But no sooner had the pain been gone, to no one’s surprise,
Besides Jack, we had on board three little monkeys with red skins and blue faces. Once, Jack attracted
Jack was afraid to come down, and only after three days passed
4 . Are extra curriculums really extra?
Former Harvard President Drew Faust recently wrote of students overlooking the benefit of following their interest in art or linguistics. The trend towards employable subjects like math and science is reflected in decisions of college students as well as primary and secondary schools.
Take music as an example. A study shows that musical training, particularly instrumental training, produces long lasting changes in motor abilities and brain structure. The earlier a child starts instrumental training, the stronger the connection between the right and left hemispheres (半球) of the brain. These changes thus affect the ability to listen and communicate as an adult. What is found in musicians is also common among world-class athletes and top-level managers. Is it a coincidence that Roger Federer, Elon Musk and Steve Jobs, all studied music for years as children?
How about physical education? New research also reveals children who get aerobic exercise transform their brains due to a protein that is increased during exercise.
Concentration, evolved communication skills, and being a good team player are just a few of the benefits research shows extra curriculums have on a developing mind. To me, that list reads as one I might put together for a model employee.
A.The same is true for foreign language. |
B.However, there are sound reasons for the concern. |
C.Foreign language learning should be given top priority to. |
D.Exercise matters deeply for cognitive development for kids. |
E.There is no doubt that instrumental training should be on the to-do list. |
F.Perhaps, but they all owe current success, in part, to the training in that aspect. |
A “ Robert” in Your Pocket
The final bell rings at a high school in downtown Los Angeles, and nearly every student walking our of the school gate studies a screen, with head bowed. Over the past decade, such scenes have become the norm — at least in the United States. Research reveals that American millennial (千禧一代的人) look at their phones 150 times a day on average.
In the meantime, the number of American teenagers reporting feelings of depression has grown significantly. Some people blame the increase on the Great Economic Depression following 2008 and other social changes. However, a big new study suggests a different explanation — the rise of social media.
Jean Twenge, a psychology professor at San Diego State University, led the study. With data collected from more than 500,000 American teenagers, she found that those who spent lots of time on social media were more likely to agree with remarks such as "The future often seems hopeless. Those who used screen less, spending time playing sport or socializing with friends in person, were less likely to report feelings of depression.
This, in fact, is not the first time that scientists have found that social media can rob people of their happiness. One study published in 2016 asked a randomly selected group of adults to quit Facebook for a week. It turned out that they reported feeling less depressed at the end of the week than those who continued using it.
Some research, however, suggests that social-networking sites can promote happiness if used to engage directly with other users, rather than just to feel jealous of happy moments someone shares online. This provides a reminder that it is user's attitudes that shape their experiences on social media. "I often remind myself that it's all filtered," reflects Sarah, a junior at the high school in Los Angeles. "People only post what they want you to see, so it can seems that their life is better than yours." But when asked if she has ever considered deleting her social media accounts, Sarah looks confused. "No. I would feel lost."
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6 . The biggest house of cards, the longest tongue, and of course, the tallest man: these are among the thousands of records logged in the famous Guinness Book of Records. Created in 1955 after a debate concerning Europe's fastest game bird, what began as a marketing tool sold to pub landlords to promote Guinness, an Irish drink, became the bestselling copyright title of all time (a category that excludes books such as the Bible and the Koran). In time, the book would sell 120 million copies in over 100 countries— quite a leap from its humble beginnings.
In its early years, the book set its sights on satisfying man's inborn curiosity about the natural world around him. Its two principal fact finders, twins Norris and Ross McWhirter, moved wildly around the globe to collect facts. It was their task to find and document aspects of life that can be sensed or observed, things that can be quantified or measured. But not just any things. They were only interested in superlatives: the biggest and the best. It was during this period that some of the remarkable Guinness Records were documented, answering such questions as "What is the brightest star?" and "What is the biggest spider?"
Once aware of the public's thirst for such knowledge, the book's authors began to branch out to cover increasingly doubtful, little-known facts. They started documenting human achievements as well. A forerunner for reality television, the Guinness Book gave people a chance to become famous for accomplishing odd, often pointless tasks. Records were set in 1955 for consuming 24 raw eggs in 14 minutes and in 1981 for the fastest solving of a Rubik's Cube (which took a mere 38 seconds). In 1979 a man yodeled non-stop for ten and a quarter hours.
In its latest appearance, the book has found a new home on the internet. No longer restricted to the limits of physical paper, the Guinness World Records website contains seemingly innumerable facts concerning such topics as the most powerful combustion engine, or the world's longest train. What is striking, however, is that such facts are found sharing a page with the record of the heaviest train to be pulled with a beard. While there is no denying that each of these facts has its own, individual temptation, the latter represents a significant deviation from the education-oriented facts of earlier editions. Perhaps there is useful knowledge to be obtained regarding the tensile strength of a bread, but this seems to cater to an audience more interested in seeking entertainment than education.
Originating as a simple bar book, the Guinness Book of Records has evolved over decades to provide insight into the full range of modern life. And although one may be more likely now to learn about the widest human mouth than the highest number of casualties in a single battle of the Civil War, the Guinness World Records website offers a telling glimpse into the future of fact-finding and record-recording.
1. As used in paragraph 2, which is the best definition for empirical?A.able to catch attention | B.derived from experience |
C.recorded for nature | D.easy to gain |
A.a departure from book sales a promotion tool to the local bars |
B.an end to the use of facts as a means to promote Guinness |
C.a shift in focus from educational to entertaining material |
D.a move from fact-finding to the recording of achievements |
A.Sympathetic | B.idiotic |
C.invaluable | D.shallow |
A.The encyclopedia of the extremes reflects the changing interests of modern society. |
B.A book of simple origins makes it to the top as sales total a staggering 120 million copies. |
C.The Guinness World Records website proves itself a valuable resource for insight into the full spectrum of modern life. |
D.Where other books fall short, the index of superlative sciences never ceases to amaze. |
A. diverse B. dominance C. cracks D. core E. schedule F. application G. landmark H. promote I. alternative J. echoes K. connectivity |
China's BeiDou System Prepared for Serving Whole World
China launched the last satellite of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) on June 23, marking the completion of the country's homegrown orbital navigation network in a(n)
The BeiDou network, a major infrastructure domestically constructed and operated, can better meet the demands of China's national security, economic as well as social development. It can also provide more stable and reliable services, as well as a(n)
Given the national security concerns due to GPS's
After 26 years of difficult work, the BDS has now earned a global reputation for its high-accuracy service and various service capabilities. According to the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, the services provided by BeiDou are already helping to
Indeed, the BDS-based solutions have already been successfully adopted in
Thousands of years ago, the Chinese invented the compass, which had made long-range voyages on rough and vast seas possible, helping to give directions in the Age of Discovery.
Today, the BDS network is prepared to promote an even stronger global
How to Sell Books in 2020: Put Them Near the Toilet Paper
If you want to sell books during a pandemic, it turns out that one of the best places to do it is within easy reach of eggs, milk and diapers.
When the coronavirus forced the United States into lockdown this spring, stores like Walmart and Target, which
Warehouse stores do not generally reveal how much they sell of particular products, but people across the publishing industry say that sales
Some grocery chains and pharmacies saw an increase, too, even
Stores like Target,
“Covid-19 and the government stimulus check have increased the demand
The question for publishers is
A. sign B. expands C. sustainability D. investigate E. flexible F. admitted G. costly H. passed I. extends J. submit K. revelations |
The Japan that can’t keep up
The spotlight has cost losses of Kobe Steel, Japan’s largest steelmaker, whose customers include Ford Motor and Boeing. Its market of $ 2.7 billion is about $ 1.7 billion less than before it admitted to the fake data. As the criticism over Kobe’s behavior
Japanese manufactures were once held in awe (敬畏) for their mastery of
The latest
Unfortunately for Japan Inc.’s reputation as a trusted supplier, such
Two major factors seem to be pushing the nation’s manufactures to cross the line. First, Japanese companies face enormous pressure from upstart Chinese rivals. Secondly, a whistle blower protection law
10 . A team is a group of people who have been chosen to work together to do a particular job. Team members have a (an)
To ensure a team work effectively, team communication is
Also team communication can make the team more productive and thus make the team operations flawless,
So what can be done to make team communication
Also make member of your team
Communicate with the members of your team regularly, and keep on telling them about the latest changes and the most recent
Meet your team members on a regular basis, and make the meeting interactive by giving every team member a
A.ordinary | B.common | C.usual | D.average |
A.obtained | B.required | C.ordered | D.respond |
A.brings out | B.breaks out | C.brings in | D.breaks in |
A.changing | B.developing | C.forming | D.improving |
A.slow | B.smooth | C.secure | D.stable |
A.enjoyable | B.reliable | C.sensitive | D.effective |
A.served | B.reflected | C.satisfied | D.respected |
A.clear | B.curious | C.cautious | D.crazy |
A.goal | B.plan | C.design | D.process |
A.settlement | B.development | C.statement | D.achievement |
A.conflict | B.disability | C.problem | D.dilemma |
A.thoroughly | B.roughly | C.actually | D.apparently |
A.business | B.affairs | C.commands | D.information |
A.reason | B.chance | C.possibility | D.excuse |
A.happiness | B.surprise | C.appreciation | D.comprehensive |