4 . It can be tough to pull kids away from their computers and mobile devices these days. While they’re playing games, wouldn’t it be great if they could be learning at the same time? Good educational apps offer fun challenges that teach specific grade-level skills. Here are four that combine fun and learning.

Understanding Math($3.99; iOS)

Understanding Math goes beyond basic comprehension to gain a deeper understanding of the whys and hows of math. The app tracks your child’s progress to determine strengths and weaknesses in different skill areas, and you can customize(订制)your child’s learning experience to suit the needs.

Word Creativity Kit($2.99; iOS)

Word Creativity Kit aims not only to make creative writing fun but also build up grammar rules. The app presents a series of words from seven categories, such as space or fantasy. Kids add their own words to finish the complete thoughts that these words have inspired.

Barefoot World Atlas($4.99; iOS)

Barefoot World Atlas helps kids learn about geography and world cultures with a touch of the screen. Each region features a set of sub-topics, from wildlife and natural features to native people, landmarks, and architecture. These facts and illustrations are delivered in photographs, sounds, and hundreds of mini videos.

My Grades & Homework($0.99; iOS)

A combination of grades and homework tracker, My Grades & Homework can help your child stay organized and on top of the progress in school. A convenient calendar and course list format and offer a glance at your child’s assignment schedule that he or she might not normally get from standard homework planners.

5 . Global English Club

♦ English training in four skills. listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

♦ 4-month (800 yuan), 6-month (1,400 yuan) and one year (2,500 yuan) courses.

♦ Choice of morning or evening classes, 3 hours per day, Mon.-Fri.

♦ All native teachers from Canada and USA.

♦ Tel. 8872806 Add. 306 Xinhua Road

Body-building Club

♦ All facilities(设备) supplied.

♦ On the top floor or Sunny Hotel.

♦ Every evening from 6:00 to 9:00, Mon.-Sun.

♦ Drinks and fruits ready for you during breaks.

♦ Tel. 6353188

♦ Add. 369 Dunhuang Road

Piano Club

♦ One-to-one training on Sat. & Sun. From 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm (150 yuan per hour)

♦ Experienced teachers.

♦ Pianos supplied(设备) for free.

♦ Convenient transportations.

♦ Tel. 8756038

♦ Add. 808 Park Road

7 . Welcome to the Sydney Opera House

Ticket Info and Guided Tours

Visitors can enjoy the Sydney Opera House’s foyer (前厅) for free, but for a more insightful visit, you’ll need to book a tour.

There are several different ways to experience the Sydney Opera House, and multiple tours are available including back-stage passes and walking tours.

Opening Hours and the Best Time to Visit

The Sydney Opera House is open year-round with the following opening hours:

●Monday-Saturday: 9:00 a.m.-8:30 p.m.

●Sunday: 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

As for the best time of day, it’s recommended to book the earliest Sydney Opera House tour of the day to beat the crowds. To enjoy sunny weather with fewer crowds, try visiting in the shoulder season (October, November, February or March).

Points of Interest

●The Steps

Before entering the Opera House, take a picture of the building from the steps outside.

●The Sails

Step beneath the sails on a guided tour and enjoy harbor front views.

●The Concert Hall

The Concert Hall is the largest venue with seats for more than 2,000 people. It features contemporary live music shows and highly-regarded orchestral (管弦乐的) performances. It is also here that you will find the world’s largest mechanical tracker-action pipe organ.

●Opera Bar

After your tour, head to the Opera Bar for a bite to eat or drink in the sun.

●Badu Gili

Badu Gili, which is “water light” in the language of the Gadigal people, takes place most evenings after sunset at 9:00 p.m., 9:30 p.m., and 10 p.m. The seven-minute display is free to view.

9 . Toronto is a city of neighborhoods, so wherever you are in Toronto, you’re bound to find yourself surrounded by shopping, dining and culture experiences unique to that specific area.

Toronto’s CN Tower

It’s one of the world’s tallest structures at 1,815 feet and the glassed-in elevators offer visitors a sense of just how high that is. In the tower’s 360 Restaurant, diners sit on a floor that performs a full cycle every 72 minutes, guaranteeing different views of the city with each bite of meal. Plus, if you order dishes at the restaurant, your entry to the CN Tower is free.

The Fairmont Royal York Hotel

It is one of Toronto’s oldest and most storied hotels. Since opening in 1929, it’s stood as one of the largest hotels in the British Commonwealth with 1,600 rooms. It’s also home to more than 300,000 bees, who live on the hotel’s rooftop and produce honey for the Fairmont Royal York’s dining facilities.

The Toronto Islands

North America’s largest urban car-free community offers plenty of green space and beaches for visitors of all ages. Those looking for exercise can explore the islands by bike while checking out the breathtaking views of Toronto’s skyline; visit the rental facility near the Centre Island ferry dock.

St. Lawrence Market

Voted the world’s best food market in 2012, the St. Lawrence Market complex consists of two buildings. The north building plays host to weekly Saturday fanner’s markets, while in the south building, open every day except Sunday and Monday, meat, baked goods, jewelry…are on offer. One of Toronto’s most iconic (标志性的) breakfasts —the pea-meal bacon sandwich is considered a signature dish.

10 . Product placement (植入式广告) is a form of advertising in which a company pays a content creator to place its products on the set of a movie, TV show or music video. The oldest examples of products appearing in films date back to the production of a French motion picture in 1896. Recent years have witnessed the bloom of product placement. With viewers migrating to web videos, this trend makes sense.

When watching web videos, about 90% of consumers either skip or ignore those traditional ads that run before the video. So as advertisers struggle to reach potential consumers, they’re increasingly turning to product placement, spending their advertising budgets to get their ads into media content in ways that the ads can’t be skipped. Studies have shown product placement can increase viewer’s awareness of products and their positive attitudes toward them.

But not all product placement works as intended, and research has shown that advertisers need to engage in delicate dance with viewers to effectively influence them. Viewers tend to be turned off if the product placement is too obvious — as when a character in the show holds the product and talks about it. Most viewers don’t want to be immersed (沉浸) in an intense drama only to be reminded that they’re being targeted by corporations.

In contrast, viewers are most influenced by product placement in which the product or the brand name is spoken by one of the characters but not shown. These pieces of product placement are more likely to be noticed by viewers than those where products are simply shown on the screen. Also, viewers may be more attracted to product placement that appears earlier in a show or movie. Because they become more engaged as a movie or a show progresses. If the placement at the climax — the moment when their attention is fixed on what will happen next — they’re either less likely to notice the placement or more likely to be annoyed by it if they do notice it.

With increasing online viewers and better designed product placement, perhaps advertisers will consider product placement as their first choice. After all, it’s incredibly effective at getting the targeted audience interested without influencing their viewing experience.