4 . Cimabue, the greatest painter of a Middle Ages in Italy, was surprised one day after his lunch break to discover that a fly had seated itself under the nose of a character that he had been working on. He swatted (重拍) at the fly, but it did not move. He reached out to touch the insect, only to find it was only wet paint. Turning around, he saw that his apprentice (学徒), Giotto, was laughing. Giotto had painted the fly when Cimabue was away, and it looked so real that Cimabue had been completely fooled.

Giotto di Bondone was born into a poor family in a village. Legend has it that one day, when Cimabue was wandering around the countryside, he spotted a young shepherd boy drawing pictures of his sheep, which were so vivid that Cimabue immediately asked him to come to Florence and learn how to paint. That was how Giotto’s story began in Florence, where the young student flourished under Cimabue’s instruction and soon surpassed his master in skill.

At that time, people in paintings didn’t look real, and the symbolism of art was difficult for viewers to connect with it. Innovation (创新) was not stressed, so art had remained the same for hundreds of years.

However, Giotto thought art should be something more connected with people in a more realistic way. His masterpieces included the forty major frescoes (壁画) for the Arena Chapel. Adopting many techniques that were uncommon then, he painted people the way he saw them, instead of the overly tall and boxy people that other artists painted. He created three-dimensional space by using perspective, something that had not been done since Roman times.

In addition to painting, Giotto wrote poetry and drew architectural plans. When Giotto was in his sixties, he painted the Ognissanti Madonna, another famous work of art. He continued working until the age of seventy. The ideas Giotto brought to painting throughout his life revolutionized the art world and made him one of the greatest painters ever.

5 . Watching a movie can be a magical experience, but do you know that the music in the films we watch has always been an important part of creating that magical experience?    1    

The first commercial film with sound came out in 1927.     2    Even back in the early days of silent films，most movie theatres hired a musician or a group of musicians to provide music, mostly to drown out the sound of the film projectors (放映机) and people talking.

As sound-on-film technology developed, composers were hired to create original music for films. Like music written for an opera，film music serves to advance the story and the action.     3     In the same way, a film composer needs to support the screenplay’s storyline. The music also needs to reflect the screenplay’s mood, which includes everything from the action on the screen to sound effects to dialogue.

Music has a language of its own. The right piece of music can improve and sometimes even change a viewer’s ideas of what is taking place onscreen. Most of the time, music is used to stress the action onscreen, improve the mood of a scene, foreshadow action that is about to take place or even show the emotion of a character.     4     But in many instances the emotional power of the visuals would not be as great were it not for the music.

    5     Ask yourself, “How would this scene feel if the music were different? Is the composer trying to tell me how I should feel? Or are they merely pushing me in an emotional direction?”

6 . Nine-year-old Olivia of Oklahoma has wanted to take the stage to perform in the ballet, “The Nutcracker《胡桃夹子》” since she could remember. However, her Friedreich ataxia (脊柱畸形) seems to move that dream out of ________. The disease that mainly affects the nervous system and causes ________ problems makes it hard to live a normal life and she is dependent on a wheelchair.

Hoping to ________ her daughter’s spirits and ________ her that in life anything is possible, Olivia’s mother encouraged her to ________ for the Nutcracker this year in the Oklahoma City Ballet. Not knowing if there was any way they’d consider ________ her, Olivia didn’t ________ much. However, having learned about Olivia’s ________, the Ballet School director Rachael didn’t ________ at all. He created a role ________ for Olivia, who could appear on stage in a wheelchair. When she ________ a part in the Nutcracker, Olivia ________ tears of joy. She found a family in the players, who were ________ of her and glad to help fulfill her dream.

When it’s Olivia’s ________ to dance, everyone had their eyes on her on stage. It was ________ and eye-opening for all the audience. When Olivia came off stage, the audience were all on their ________ in wild applause.

Having Olivia in this ballet has been a ________ for everyone involved! ________ is at the heart of every crew. We ________ this company having Olivia in their show, and hope they keep the role ________ for other children who dream of fairies and mice kings!

7 . Qatar, a tiny Middle East country, almost entirely surrounded by the turquoise warm waters, offers plenty of beaches to enjoy a refreshing dip. From family-friendly sands to an emerging kitesurfing destination, get ready to dive in.

Katara Beach

If you want to swim in the ocean but don’t want to adventure beyond the capital of Doha, Katara Beach is the place to go. It is a pleasant sandy stretch with lounge chairs, shaded areas ideal for sheltering kids from the hot sun, water sports ground and a wide children’s play area. With food vans and restaurants just steps from the sand, you don’t need to go far to find lunch.

Fuwairit Beach

The soft white sands of Fuwairit Beach on Qatar’s northeast coast, about an hour’s drive north of Doha, are surrounded by shallow, crystal-blue waters appropriate for diving. The kitesurfing season runs from January to June, and with a kitesurfing resort due to open in late 2022 on this undeveloped beach, it’ll be easier than ever to arrange relevant lessons and transport.

AI Shamal Beach

For constant views of the sun setting over the ocean, head to Qatar’s north coast. The super shallow and rocky beaches up here aren’t the best for swimming, but when the sun goes down, AI Shamal Beach is a fine spot to take in the scenery. You’ll find public bathrooms and seats along the Corniche. Several simple dining options can be found in the neighboring villages.

Simaisma Beach

North of Doha, Simaisma Beach is Qatar’s most developed public beach after Katara Beach, with plenty of family-friendly facilities. With calm, shallow waters and mangroves to explore at the northern end of the beach, it’s great for kids, but the soft, muddy sand may be imperfect for building sandcastles.

10 . Near-death accidents and summit failures have not slowed down mountaineer Saray N’ kusi Khumalo. The Zambia-born mother of two holds a corporate job, hosts a podcast, has climbed some of the tallest mountains around the world, and still has the time to run a non- profit organization that focuses on education in Africa.

“My grandfather always used to say, ‘if you don’t live a life of service, that’s a life wasted, ” she said. In 2013, she founded Summits With A Purpose in South Africa. With every climb, she raises funds to help build schools and libraries. Khumalo is not going to just climb and take a selfie. She is going to climb and then make a difference.

Not long after her first-ever summit, she turned her eyes toward the world’s tallest peak: Mt. Qomolangma, located in the Himalayas. The first three attempts were tough and heart-breaking for Khumalo: She experienced everything from natural disasters to losing consciousness in the “death zone”, Qomolangma’s top stretch over 8, 000 meters above sea level, where oxygen is dangerously low.

On May 16, 2019 —her fourth bid —she succeeded, becoming the first Black African woman to reach the summit. In total, only eight of the 4,000 people who’ve ever summited Qomolangma are Black.

Khumalo is humbled by what she’s achieved so far, but she notes, “I don’t think that I’ve broken those stereotypes yet; there’s still a lot more work to be done,” adding that representation should extend beyond the mountain tops, too.

“It’s not just about Qomolangma; it is a gift that we need to leave for the next generation wherever we are,” she says, calling on her peers to step outside their comfort zone to show that Black people belong in all spaces.