2 . My Favourite Books

Jo Usmar is a writer for Cosmopolitan and co-author of the This Book Will series(系列) of lifestyle books. Here she picks her top reads.

I once wrote a paper on the influence of fairy tales on Roald Dahl’s writing and it gave me a new appreciation for his strange and delightful words. Matilda’s battles with her cruel parents and the bossy headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, are equally funny and frightening, but they’re also aspirational.

It’s about two sisters—Eri, a model who either won’t or can’t stop sleeping, and Mari, a young student. In trying to connect to her sister, Mari starts changing her life and discovers a world of diverse “night people” who are hiding secrets.

There was a bit of me that didn’t want to love this when everyone else on the planet did, but the horror story is brilliant. There’s tension and anxiety from the beginning as Nick and Amy battle for your trust. It’s a real whodunit and the frustration when you realise what’s going on is horribly enjoyable.

This is an excellent fantasy novel from one of the best storytellers around. After a serious flu outbreak wipes out 99.4% of the world’s population, a battle unfolds between good and evil among those left. Randall Flagg is one of the scariest characters ever.

3 . For people, who are interested in sound, the field of sound technology is definitely making noise. In the past, sound engineers worked in the back rooms of recording studios, but many of today’s sound professionals are sharing their knowledge and experience with professionals in other fields to create new products based on the phenomenon we call sound.

Sound can be used as a weapon. Imagine that a police officer is chasing a thief. The thief tries to escape. And the officer can’t let him get away. He pulls out a special device, points it at the suspect, and switches it on. The thief drops to the ground. This new weapon is called a Long Range Acoustic Device(LRAD, 远程定向声波发射器). It produces a deafening sound so painful that it temporarily disables a person. The noise from the LRAD is directed like a ray of light and travels only into the ears of that person, but it is not deadly.

For those who hunger for some peace and quiet, sound can now create silence. Let’s say you are at the airport, and the little boy on the seat next to you is humming(哼唱) a short commercial song. He hums it over and over again, and you are about to go crazy. Thanks to the Silence Machine, a British invention, you can get rid of the sound without upsetting the boy or his parents. One may wonder how the Silence Machine works. Well, it functions by analyzing the waves of the incoming sound and creating a second set of outgoing waves. The two sets of waves cancel each other out. Simply turn the machine or point it at the target, and your peace and quiet comes back.

Directed sound is a new technology that allows companies to use sound in much the same way spotlights(聚光灯) are used in the theater. A spotlight lights up only one section of a stage; similarly, “spotsound” creates a circle of sound in on targeted area. This can be useful for businesses such as restaurants and stores because it offers a new way to attract customers. Restaurants can offer a choice of music along with the various food choices on the menu, allowing customers more control over the atmosphere in which they are dining. Directed sound is also beginning to appear in shopping centers and even at homes.

4 . In the coming months, we are bringing together artists from all over the globe, to enjoy speaking Shakespeare’s plays in their language, in our Globe, within the architecture Shakespeare wrote for. Please come and join us.

National Theatre Of China   Beijing｜Chinese

This great occasion(盛会) will be the National Theatre of China’s first visit to the UK. The company’s productions show the new face of 21st century Chinese theatre. This production of Shakespeare’s Richard III will be directed by the National’s Associate Director, Wang Xiaoying.

Date & Time: Saturday 28 April, 2.30 pm & Sunday 29 April, 1.30 pm & 6.30 pm

Marjanishvili Theatre   Tbilisi｜Georgian

One of the most famous theatres in Georgia, the Marjanishvili, founded in 1928, appears regularly at theatre festivals all over the world. This new production of As You Like It is helmed(指导) by the company’s Artistic Director Levan Tsuladze.

Date & Time: Friday 18 May, 2.30 pm & Saturday 19 May, 7.30 pm

Deafinitely Theatre   London｜British Sign Language(BSL)

By translating the rich and humourous text of Love’s Labour’s Lost into the physical language of BSL, Deafinitely Theatre creates a new interpretation of Shakespeare’s comedy and aims to build a bridge between deaf and hearing worlds by performing to both groups as one audience.

Date & Time: Tuesday 22 May, 2.30 pm & Wednesday 23 May, 7.30 pm

Habima National Theatre   Tel Aviv｜Hebrew

The Habima is the centre of Hebrew-language theatre worldwide. Founded in Moscow after the 1905 revolution, the company eventually settled in Tel Aviv in the late 1920s. Since 1958, they have been recognized as the national theatre of Israel. This production of Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice marks their first visit to the UK.

Date & Time: Monday 28 May, 7.30 & Tuesday 29 May, 7.30 pm

5 . The Homeless Hero

For many, finding an unattended wallet filled with £400 in cash would be a source（来源）of temptation（诱惑）. But the ________ would no doubt be greater if you were living on the streets with little food and money. All of this makes the actions of the homeless Tom Smith __________ more remarkable.

After spotting a ________ on the front seat inside a parked car with its window down, he stood guard in the rain for about two hours waiting for the __________ to return.

After hours in the cold and wet, he __________   inside and pulled the wallet out hoping to find some ID so he could contact（联系）the driver, only to __________ it contained £400 in notes, with another £50 in spare change beside it.

He then took the wallet to a nearby police station after __________ a note behind to let the owner know it was safe. When the car’s owner John Anderson and his colleague Carol Lawrence returned to the car—which was itself worth £35, 000—in Glasgow city centre, they were __________ to find two policemen standing next to it. The policemen told them what Mr. Smith did and that the wallet was __________.

The pair were later able to thank Mr. Smith for his __________.

Mr. Anderson said：＂I couldn’t believe that the guy never took a penny. To think he is sleeping on the streets tonight __________ he could have stolen the money and paid for a place to stay in. This guy has nothing and

__________ he didn’t take the wallet for himself；he thought about others __________. It’s unbelievable. It just proves there are ________ guys out there.＂

Mr. Smith’s act __________ much of the public’s attention. He also won praise from social media users after Mr. Anderson __________ about the act of kindness on Facebook.

Now Mr. Anderson has set up an online campaign to __________ money for Mr. Smith and other homeless people in the area, which by yesterday had received ￡8,000. ＂I think the faith that everyone has shown __________ him has touched him. People have been approaching him in the street; he’s had job __________ and all sorts,＂ Mr. Anderson commented.

For Mr. Smith, this is a possible life-changing __________. The story once again tells us that one good turn deserves another.

Today I was glad to participate in an activity, which theme is Chinese weaving art, making me to have a taste of traditional Chinese culture deeply.

This activity held in my school library where I appreciated numerous art works, ranging from chairs to decoration. In addition, I was lucky enough to get a opportunity to learn what to weave Chinese knotting on the spot. During that time I was very enjoyable that I fell in love with the magical work immediate.

As far as I am concerned, not only do such activity make me further feel the beauty of the weaving art, but also it is beneficial to arise people’s aware of carrying forward traditional Chinese culture.

7 . Choose Your One-Day-Tours!

Tour A - Bath &Stonehenge including entrance fees to the ancient Roman bathrooms and Stonehenge -￡37 until 26 March and ￡39 thereafter. Visit the city with over 2,000 years of history and Bath Abbey, the Royal Crescent and the Costume Museum, Stonehenge is one of the world’s most famous prehistoric monuments dating back over 5,000 years.

Tour B - Oxford & Stratford including entrance fees to the University St Mary’s Church Tower and Anne Hathaway’s -￡32 until 12 March and ￡36 thereafter. Oxford: Includes a guided tour of England’s oldest university city and colleges. Look over the “city of dreaming spires(尖顶）” from St Mary‘s Church Tower. Stratford: Includes a guided tour exploring much of the Shakespeare wonder.

Tour C - Windsor Castle &Hampton Court: including entrance fees to Hampton Court Palace -￡34 until 11 March and ￡37 thereafter. Includes a guided tour of Windsor and Hampton Court, Henry VILL’s favorite palace. Free time to visit Windsor Castle(entrance fees not included).With 500 years of history, Hampton Court was once the home of four Kings and one Queen. Now this former royal palace is open to the public as a major tourist attraction. Visit the palace and its various historic gardens, which include the famous maze(迷宫) where it is easy to get lost!

Tour D –Cambridge including entrance fees to the Tower of Saint Mary the Great -￡33 until 18 March and ￡37 thereafter. Includes a guided tour of Cambridge, the famous university town, and the gardens of the 18th century.

8 . Monthly Talks at London Canal Museum

Our monthly talks start at 19:30 on the first Thursday of each month except August. Admission is at normal charges and you don’t need to book. They end around 21:00.

November 7th

The Canal Pioneers, by Chris Lewis. James Brindley is recognized as one of the leading early canal engineers. He was also a major player in training others in the art of canal planning and building. Chris Lewis will explain how Brindley made such a positive contribution to the education of that group of early “civil engineers”.

December 5th

Ice for the Metropolis, by Malcolm Tucker. Well before the arrival of freezers, there was a demand for ice for food preservation and catering, Malcolm will explain the history of importing natural ice and the technology of building ice wells, and how London’s ice trade grew.

February 6th

An Update on the Cotsword Canals, by Liz Payne. The Stroudwater Canal is moving towards reopening. The Thames and Severn Canal will take a little longer. We will have a report on the present state of play.

March 6th

Eyots and Aits-Thames Islands, by Miranda Vickers. The Thames had many islands. Miranda has undertaken a review of all of them. She will tell us about those of greatest interest.

Online bookings:www.canalmuseum.org.uk/book

More into:www.canalmuseum.org.uk/whatson

London Canal Museum

12-13 New Wharf Road, London NI 9RT

www.canalmuseum.org.uk   www.canalmuseum.mobi

Tel:020 77130836

9 . "Mum, can I invite my classmate Brett over to stay tomorrow night, please? It's Friday, and we don't have any _______.   Can I, please?" Mum was sitting at the kitchen table.   Dad was _______next to her, resting his head on his arms.   Mum could _______that James wanted so badly to have his friend over.

"I'm so sorry, James," she said.

"I'm never allowed to have friends come to the house? Why, Mum?" James asked sadly, almost in _______.

"I know it's _______for you," Mum said softly.   "But I'm just worried other people might think we're a little. . .   strange.   And then they would make fun of you. "

"No, they wouldn't, Mum," James protested.   "We're not _______at all.   We're just ordinary people. "

Mum sighed heavily.   "To tell you the truth, James, my neck has been so painful that it's given me a heavy _______.   And your poor father — he doesn't feel _______.   He really needs a rest. "

"I can help, Mum!" James said.   " _______I can make you and Dad feel better, can Brett come over? Please?"

"Well. . . " Mum began.

"Great! Thanks, Mum!" James almost shouted.   "Just sit there, don't move. " He rushed over to the kitchen drawer and ________what he needed — two spanners(扳手).   "Hang on, Mum," he said.   "This won't take a second. " After some ________, James was finished.   With a smile of ________on his face he said, "There! How does that feel?" "Oh, James," Mum said.   "That's much better! How did you do it?"

"Easy," James said ________.   "Dad had tightened your neck bolts(螺栓) too much! I just________them slightly! I learned that in robotic science at school. "

"What about your father? Can you ________him?" asked Mum.

"I'll try," James replied.   He ________up Dad's hair at the back of his neck, and plugged the electric wire into Dad's head.   Then he turned the ________on.   Dad opened his eyes and ________immediately.   "He just let his ________run too low, that's all," James said.   "Shall I tell Brett to come over straight after school tomorrow?"

"I guess so," replied Mum.   "Your friends will just have to ________that we are a very unusual family.   Thanks, son!"

2.只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。

One day, little Tony went to a shopping center with his parent. It was very crowded. Tony saw a toy on a shop window. He liked it so very much that he quickly walked into the shop. After looks at the toy for some time, he turned around and found where his parents were missing. Tony was scared and begun to cry. A woman saw him crying and telling him to wait outside a shop. Five minutes later, Tony saw parents. Mom said, “How nice to see you again! Dad and I were terrible worried.” Tony promised her that this would never happen again.