1 . Our reading club is devoted to bringing readers free online events, including access to talks on culture & travel, art & therapy, geography & science and travel & writing completely for free! The topic of this month’s event is making art through the seasons.
Event description
Our focus is bringing light into these dark days and will include breathing techniques, art making and sharing. Rather than developing technical art skills, this course will support you to connect to yourself and the seasons. Our session will be focusing on the wisdom and healing power of nature. You can use whatever art materials you already have and a quiet space will help.
Duration: 50 minutes
Online Zoom event: Join from your computer, phone or tablet (no replay available unless you register with a Mirthy account)
Meet the Host, Sarah
Sarah is an art therapist and artist living in the North York Moors. She has a passion for nature, comforting activities and finding ways to feel connected. She reconnected with art-making 20 years ago after becoming ill and found that art-making and comforting activities made a huge difference to her emotional and physical health. This led her to train as an art therapist, graduating her MA in 2011. Bringing a sense of comforting and feeling connected has remained her primary focus in her work and life.
Preparing for the Event
You’ll need to have Zoom downloaded onto your computer and register a Mirthy account in advance. Please ensure you’re connected to broadband/wifi rather than using your mobile phone connection (4G). We also recommend that pets are either calmly sitting on your lap or in another room, and any refreshments you may require are within your reach!
1. What does the main topic of this month’s talk belong to?| A．Culture & travel. | B．Art & therapy. |
| C．Geography & science. | D．Travel & writing. |
| A．She is rather sensitive to emotional and physical health. |
| B．She is an expert in teaching how to draw wonderful pictures. |
| C．She has lived in the North York Moors for more than twenty years. |
| D．She does well in connecting others to nature through comforting activities. |
| A．Register an account to have access to replay. | B．Encage their pets to have quiet surroundings. |
| C．Connect their computers to a phone signal. | D．Buy a new computer to get the best experience. |
2 . A California high school student recently took top honours at a worldwide science competition. Jeffrey Chen won the Breakthrough Junior Challenge prize in science earlier this month. The prize comes with $250,000 that Chen can use for college. The aim of the Breakthrough Junior Challenge is to influence young people so they will think creatively in science and mathematics. Students aged 13 — 18 produce short videos which explain a complex science or math subject in an interesting way.
The 17-year-old Chen was chosen over 14 other finalists from the United States, Canada and India. The judges included several well-known scientists and educators. Branko Malaverojvodic, 18, of Peru, won the challenge’s “Popular Vote” contest. He received more than 16,000 likes, shares and positive reactions for his video on cryptography (密码学). You can watch it and the other videos on the Breakthrough Facebook page.
In his prize-winning video, on YouTube, Jeffrey Chen talks about neutrinos (中微子). “This is a neutrino. You can’t see or feel them, but every second each of us are bombarded with trillions of them.”Chen explains neutrinos are particles that are smaller than an atom. He talks about how they can be used in astronomy.
The competition was open to students from around the world. More than 11,000 students competed in the 2021 competition. Sal Khan, the founder of Khan Academy, praised Chen’s science video. “Jeffery is a natural science communicator,” Khan said. A California newspaper, The Daily Journal, said the competition combined Chen’s two great interests — astronomy and film-making and he artfully explains a complex top and makes it easier to understand. Chen said he hopes to continue combining his interests as he studies environmental technology in college. He wants to work on climate change.
1. How do the students participate in the competition?| A．By making short videos. | B．By designing a website. |
| C．By telling funny stories. | D．By face-to-face debate. |
| A．Hit against. | B．Knocked down. | C．Laughed at. | D．Puzzled by. |
| A．Interesting and shocking. | B．Funny and instructive. |
| C．Scientific and artistic. | D．Vividly and specific. |
| A．A Teen Takes Top Science Prize |
| B．The Breakthrough Junior Challenge |
| C．Methods of Making Short Videos |
| D．Students Participate in the Competition Actively |
3 . Do you know a promising sea biologist? The Junior Biologist series of programmes at the Aquarium will encourage a love of science in your seven to twelve-year-old child.
Each 2 hour class includes theme-related activities, a guided gallery tour, interaction with our animal care staff behind the scene, and a journal.
Sharks:
Sharks are amazing predators with remarkable adaptation. Separate the facts from the myths about this unbelievable animal. During this 2-hour programme your seven to twelve-year-old child will:
·Touch animals in touch pools in our private classroom
·Feed animals with our animal care staff
·Take a guided tour of the art gallery to observe local shark species
·Record observations in a journal
Other activities may include:
·Discover how sharks’ senses like smell work and how they help sharks to track down their prey
·Learn the key characteristics that make a shark a shark
·See how large different species of sharks can grow
·Explore your own sense of smell
The Aquarium reserves the right to change the animal interaction without notice due to animal safety, exhibit maintenance, or animal health reasons.
EVENT INFORMATION | |
| TIME | SATURDAY, JAN. 9. 2016|9:30 A. M.-11:30 A. M. SATURDAY, JUL. 16, 2016|9:30 A. M.-11:30 A. M. |
| COST | $29.00 per child $ 25.00 group buying Aquarium admission is not included. |
| TICKETS | Purchase your tickets for Junior Biologist here. Please select the correct date from the calendar to book the correct programme. For group buying, please call to purchase your discounted tickets. Please all to RSVP(请回复). |
| AGES | 7~12 years old |
| RSVP | (562) 951-1630. Preregistration and prepayment are required unless noted. Cancellations made 72 hours before a programme will receive a full refund.Cancellations made less than 72 hours before a programme will still be charged the full programme price. |
| CATEGORY | PROGRAMMES FOR CHILDREN AGES 7~12 JUNIOR BIOLOGIST |
| A．be given a chance to feed sharks alone |
| B．be invited to draw sharks in a gallery |
| C．be allowed to feel sharks in special pools |
| D．be asked to record shark species in computers |
| A．Each shark has its own unique characteristics. |
| B．Some species of sharks will grow into big sizes. |
| C．The smell of sharks is better than that of other animals. |
| D．The sense of sharks can work well. |
| A．You have to pay for the class in advance. |
| B．You don’t need to register the programme. |
| C．You aren’t charged when giving up the class. |
| D．You should make a call to get cheaper tickets. |
4 . The domestic film market hard-hit from the pandemic for almost three years is handing in an impressive report card. Here are some top films at the box office in 2022.
The Battle at Lake ChangjinⅡ
Release date: Feb l
Box office: $607.20 million
Retelling a lesser-known yet extremely brutal mission that almost changed history during the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea(1950—1953), the sequel acted by Wujing, Yiyangqianxi and soon recounts how Chinese People’s Volunteer Soldiers sacrificed to destroy the bridge near the Funchilin Pass to cut US force’s withdrawal to the 38th Parallel.
Moon Man
Release date: July 29
Box office: $463.28 million
Dugu Yue, a spacecraft maintenance man, is unintentionally left on the moon after the evacuation of the crew of Lunar Shield. Witnessing the catastrophic hit from the moon, Dugu believes the Earth is completely destroyed and he’s the last human in the universe. However, what he doesn’t know is that the surviving people are all watching his every move from the Earth.
Too Cool To Kill
Release date: Feb l
Box office: $392.66 million
Wei Cheng gong, a nameless extra actor, believes it’s finally his turn to shine when he was “given the opportunity to play the role” of the male protagonist (主角), Carl the killer. Little does he know that he has become a killer in real life accidentally. What will he encounter in the course of his “performance”?
Lighting Up The Stars
Release date: June 24
Box office: $255.30 million
Funeral home worker Mo Sanmei meets orphan Wu Xiaowen at a funeral shortly after his release from prison. The appearance of Xiaowen unexpectedly changes Mo Sanmei’s attitude toward his career and life.
1. Which film seems to be a science fiction?| A．Too Cool to Kill. | B．Lighting Up The Stars. |
| C．The Balt leat Lake Chang jinⅡ. | D．Moon Man. |
| A．Too Cool To Kill &.The Battle at Lake ChangjinⅡ. |
| B．Moon Man &.Lighting Up The Stars. |
| C．Lighting Up The Stars &.Too Cool To Kill. |
| D．The Battle at Lake ChangjinⅡ&.MoonMan. |
| A．They maybe all related to a certain mission. |
| B．Their themes are all about romantic love. |
| C．They are all box office successes. |
| D．All of them are tragedies. |
5 . When imagining libraries, a quiet, well-lighted, and clean surroundings will automatically pop out in your head. However, the list of libraries you’re about to see are absolutely out of this mold. Some of them might not be ideal places to read, but I would definitely enjoy visiting them.
The Biblioburro: Delivering Books Via Donkey — Columbia
Biblioburro (the name of the library) is being operated by Luis Soriano, a primary school teacher during his spare time. Witnessing kids wearing a genuine smile each time he visits their villages in rural Colombia would surely warm anybody’s heart. Using two donkeys, Alfa and Beto to carry loads of books, Soriano spends four hours on each trip just to reach those remote places.
Biblioteca Sandro Penna — Perugia, Italy
Nope, that’s not an alien ship you are staring at. It’s not a pink bubblegum candy designed by hello kitty, either! That’s a power house of books providing library services for the people of Perugia, Italy. It features rose colored glass walls designed to let sunlight in during daytime and at night it creates a rare glow. The Architect who designed it, Italo Rota, made the three-story disc to exude (显现) an appearance of an alien flying saucer.
The Kenyan Camel Library: Serving Nomadic Populations — Kenya
The camels carry books and some camping gear. Traveling librarians need a place to rest after a long journey across the desert. The caravan (露营车) caters to nomadic communities which are mostly illiterate due to lack of access to books. The Kenya National Library Service unleashed the program in 1985.
Epos Book Boat: Floating Books In The Fjords
In the Fjords, a book boat known as Epos travels to more than 250 small communities on islands every year between September and April. On board the vessel are some 6, 000 volumes, a couple of librarians, a cook and a captain. During summertime, the boat/library turns into a leisure cruise ferry. It all started in 1959, and is funded by the libraries of the three counties it serves.
1. What do The Biblioburro and The Kenyan Camel Library have in common?| A．They are mobile libraries. | B．They are intended for children. |
| C．They are set up by individuals. | D．They are animal-themed. |
| A．It draws inspiration from an alien. |
| B．It employs natural sunlight. |
| C．It is designed by a powerful architect. |
| D．It is made of colorful glass. |
| A．The Biblioburro. | B．Biblioteca Sandro Penna. |
| C．The Kenyan Camel Library. | D．Epos Book Boat. |
6 . The Olympic Museum’s educational programs are now free!
As of 1 January 2023, our educational programs are free! Teachers can tailor their visits to their own needs and interests, choosing between self- guided tours, guided tours and workshops, with online educational resources also available.
Here is all the practical information you need to organize your visit. In order to make a reservation, please fill in the pre-reservation form. This form is a must for all types of visits. There are four ways to visit the Museum with your class:
●Guided tour: Visit the permanent exhibition accompanied by one of our activity leaders.
Duration: 90 minutes
●Workshop + guided tour: Themed tour of the exhibition (permanent or temporary depending on the topic) and workshop in the Gym or Studio, all accompanied by an activity lender.
Duration: 2×45 minutes
●Workshop + independent visit (optional): Accompanied by an activity leader, make the most of a themed workshop and extend your Olympic experience by visiting the exhibitions independently.
Duration: 45 minutes for the workshop, unlimited for an independent visit
●Independent visit: Access to all exhibition areas except educational areas.
Duration: unlimited
Practical Information
Self-guided visitors in groups with a reservation will be given priority at the entrance. If the exhibitions are too crowded, we may not be able to give you the privilege.
Safety distances between adults and students/ children must be respected.
Rates
All our educational programs are free of charge for those under the age of 16.
●Children up to the age of 15: free
●Students aged 16 and over & adults: $ 14
●Accompanying adult (1 for 1-10 students, 2 for 11-20 students, etc.): free
1. What can a teacher do when planning a visit to the museum for the students?| A．Tailor a guided tour for unlimited lime. |
| B．Make a reservation without filling out a form. |
| C．Choose an independent tour in educational areas. |
| D．Design a self-guided tour with a 45-minute workshop. |
| A．the exhibitions are too jammed |
| B．they are in a guided tour group |
| C．safely distances between people are respected |
| D．reservations are made for their self-guided groups |
| A．$14. | B．$28. | C．$42. | D．$56. |
7 . Sharing China 2023 Contest
The contest is calling for entries from all over the world. Regardless of whether you are a professional or an amateur, who you are or where you are from, you are welcome to send us photos of memorable moments about China.
The Rules
●All entries must be real and not photo edited. The tone and color of the image may be slightly adjusted. Composition and cutting are allowed.
●Entries should be in JPG or JPEG format, no less than 2 MB for each, Photos could be compressed (压缩), but please keep the original file. If the winning photos are published on the page, the original file will be required.
●Entries can be single photos or a series of photos. A series of photos counts as one entry and each series may contain four to ten photos.
●Entries should have titles and a short photo description, such as time, place and people in the photo.
Awards and Prizes
The contest will select 50 photos.
★5 for first prize: 2,000 RMB
★15 for second prize: 1,000 RMB
★30 for third prize: 600 RMB
The organizer will pay the tax on behalf of the winners.
When
Submission: from Dec 20,2022 to Feb 12,2023
Selection and ranking: from Feb 13, 2023 to May 15,2023
Result announcement: June 30,2023
For information about short film contest please visit: Chinadaily.com.cn
1. Who are the activities intended for?| A．Anyone who takes photos about China. |
| B．Those who have lived in China for a long time. |
| C．People who are aware of China very well. |
| D．Foreigners who come to China for the first time. |
| A．All entries are forbidden to be cut. |
| B．All entries must be a series of photos. |
| C．All original photos are of no more than 2 MB. |
| D．All entries should include photo introductions. |
| A．On Feb 13,2023. | B．On May 15,2023. |
| C．On June 30,2023. | D．On Feb 12,2023. |
8 . Chicago has all the offerings you would expect from a major city. If you plan to spend a wonderful time here, just see the followings:
Museum of Science and Industry
5700 S. Lake Shore Drive
Price: $21 for adults; $12 for kids 3-17
Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry shows more than 35,000 artifacts and a variety of hands-on exhibits. Displays here cater to all types of curious minds: feel the physics of a tornado in “Science Storms” and see baby chicks at the Genetics, etc.
Art Institute of Chicago
111 S. Michigan Ave
Price: $25 for adults; $19 for kids 3-17
Home to one of the country's most impressive collections of impressionist art, the Art Institute of Chicago features nearly 300,000 works from all over the world in its collection. Highlights include pieces from famous artists like Van Gogh and Monet.
Skydeck Chicago at the Willis Tower
233 S. Wacker Drive
Price: $30 for adults; $22 for kids 3-17
On the 103rd floor of the 110-story Willis Tower, the third-tallest building in North America, Skydeck Chicago is famous for breathtaking views of the city. Visit on a sunny day and you may be able to see 4 states.
Navy Pier
600 E. Grand Ave
Price: Free
Navy Pier offers a family-friendly entertainment. Kids enjoy their rides on a drop tower while grown-ups catch a show at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater or grab a drink at the Navy Pier Beer Garden. Beautiful fireworks displays light up the skies on Wednesday and Saturday nights.
1. Where can impressionist art fans go to appreciate works?| A．5700 S. Lake Shore Drive. | B．111 S. Michigan Ave. |
| C．233 S. Wacker Drive. | D．600 E. Grand Ave. |
| A．$60. | B．$64. | C．$69. | D．$82. |
| A．Enjoy a beer. | B．Make fireworks. |
| C．Observe baby chicks. | D．Discover secrets of tornadoes. |
9 .
| Singing Competition 2022 Come and enjoy the music! Place: City Town Hall December 25th, 2022 191 Zhongshan Road Time:1:30 p.m. -5:30 p.m. Website: www. singing 2022.com Competition Rules: ◆ All singers must be between 13 and 25 years of age ◆All singers should bring their own CDs, prepare 2 songs. ◆All singers must arrive at least 30 minutes before the start of the competition. ◆Late comers mustn’t take part in the competition. ◆Singers aged 16 or younger need the permission of their parents to take part Prizes ◆lst Prize -¥100 (one person only) ◆2nd Prize -¥600 (two persons) ◆3rd Prize -¥300 (five persons) |
| A．Four hours. | B．Three hours. | C．Two hours. | D．An hour. |
| A．One. | B．Two. | C．Five. | D．Eight. |
| A．a letter | B．a story | C．a poster | D．a report |
10 . Explorers Camp
•Full day camp for kids aged 5-13.•Monday-Friday, July 8-26, 9am-4pm.
Week 1 | July 8-12
Week 2 | July 15-19
Week 3 | July 22-26
•Register for a single week or multiple weeks.
•Fees: $365 per week.
•The last day to cancel registration and receive a full refund (退款) is June 15.
Camp Structure
The day is divided into two thematic sessions per age group. Campers have a three-hour morning class engaging with a morning theme (9am to 12 noon) and a one-hour lunch break, followed by another three-hour class engaging with an afternoon theme (1pm to 4pm). Snack periods are held throughout the day. All campers should bring their own bagged lunch and snacks.
Camp ContentExplorers Camp organizes engaging arts, history and science-related activities in every class, and focuses on a range of topics that emphasize active learning, exploration and, most of all, fun! All camp sessions are created with age-appropriate activities that are tailored to the multiple ways that kids learn.
Camp StaffCampers enjoy a staff-to-child ratio ranging from 1:4 to 1:7 depending on the age group. Instructors are passionate educators who are experts in their fields and have undergone training and a background check.
1. On which of the following dates can you cancel your registration with a full refund?| A．June 12. | B．June 22. | C．July 19. | D．July 26. |
| A．By gender. | B．By nationality. | C．By interest. | D．By age. |
| A．15. | B．21. | C．30. | D．42. |
