1 . Washington, D.C. Bicycle Tours
Cherry Blossom Bike Tour in Washington, D.C.
Duration: 3 hours
This small group bike tour is a fantastic way to see a world-famous cherry trees with beautiful flowers of Washington, D.C. Your guide will provide a history lesson about the trees and the famous monuments where they blossom. Reserve your spot before availability — the cherry blossoms—disappear!
Washington Capital Monuments Bicycle Tour
Duration: 3 hours (4 miles)
Join a guided bike tour and view some of the most popular monuments in Washington, D.C. Explore the monuments and memorials on the National Mall as your guide shares unique facts and history at each stop. Guided tour includes bike, helmet, cookies and bottled water.
Capital City Bike Tour In Washington, D.C.
Duration: 3 hours
Morning or Afternoon, this bike tour is the perfect tour for D. C. newcomers and locals looking to experience Washington, D.C. in a healthy way with minimum effort. Knowledgeable guides will entertain you with the most, interesting stories about Presidents, Congress, memorials, and parks. Comfortable bikes and a smooth tour route(路线) make cycling between the sites fun and relaxing.
Washington Capital Sites at Night Bicycle Tour
Duration: 3 hours (7miles)
Join a small group bike tour for an evening of exploration in the heart of Washington, D.C. Get up close to the monuments and memorials as you bike the sites of Capitol Hill and the National Mall. Frequent stops are made for photo taking as your guide offers unique facts and history. Tour includes bike, helmet, and bottled water. All riders are equipped with reflective vests and safety lights.
1. Which tour do you need to book in advance?| A．Cherry Blossom Bike Tour in Washington, D.C. |
| B．Washington Capital Monuments Bicycle Tour. |
| C．Capital City Bike Tour in Washington. |
| D．Washington Capital Sites at Night Bicycle Tour. |
| A．Meet famous people. | B．Go to a national park. |
| C．Visit well-known museums. | D．Enjoy interesting stories. |
| A．City maps. | B．Cameras. |
| C．Meals. | D．Safety lights. |
2 . If you have no difficulty in understanding what native English speakers say in daily life, there is a whole new world of brilliant podcast (播客) series to explore. If you aren’t sure where to start, have a look at these:
 | The Joc Rogan Experience ★★★★★ The Joc Rogan Experience is a great learning device because of its interesting English conversations between Rogan and his guests. At the time of writing there have been over 1,660 episodes with subjects ranging from comedy and science to politics and sports. Rogan is also a famous stand-up comedian, so the show is full of cultural references and idioms. |
 | This American Life ★★★★★ This American Life is a great choice for English learners who want an insight into the culture of the USA. It is a mixture of journalism and storytelling, focusing on real-life tales from citizens of all regions of the country. The stories are new and varied. One episode was taped for 24 hours in an all-night restaurant; another interviewed workers on strike. |
 | The Writer's Voice ★★★★☆ The New Yorker is a famous American magazine, and every week it prints a new short story. In this podcast, the week's story is read aloud by its writer. The published work covers a wide range of life experiences across the United States and beyond. It's a great way to enjoy some of the best new fiction in the country. |
 | Overheard at National Geographic ★★★★★ National Geographic is a much-loved American magazine (and TV channel) famous for incredible stories and photography related to science and the environment. Overheard is about the discussions Nat Geo employees have had while taking breaks. Expect crazy stories from explorers, photographers, and scientists from around the world. |
| A．have interaction with hosts |
| B．have good English competence |
| C．be interested in being a podcaster |
| D．be familiar with American social life |
| A．The Writer's Voice. |
| B．This American Life. |
| C．The Joe Rogan Experience. |
| D．Overheard at National Geographic. |
| A．They enjoy great popularity. |
| B．Their stories are set in America. |
| C．They are attached to magazines. |
| D．Their works are updated weekly. |
3 . HANDSTITCHED WORLDS: THE CARTOGRAPHY OF QUILTS
Quilts (床罩) are a narrative art; with themes that are political, spiritual, communal, or commemorative, they are infused with history and memory, mapping out intimate stories and legacies through a handcrafted language of design. Handstitched Worlds: The Cartography of Quilts is an invitation to read quilts as maps, tracing the paths of individual histories that illuminate larger historic events and cultural trends.
Spanning the nineteenth to twenty-first centuries, this insightful and engaging exhibition brings together 18 quilts from the collection of the American Folk Art Museum, New York, representing a range of materials, motifs, and techniques from traditional early-American quilts to more contemporary sculptural assemblages. The quilts in Handstitched Worlds show us how this too-often overlooked medium balances creativity with tradition, individuality with collective zeitgeist. Like a road map, these unique works offer a path to a deeper understanding of the American cultural fabric.
Number of Works:18 quilts
Organized by: American Folk Art Museum, New York
Approximate size:175-200 linear feet
Security: Moderate security
Participation Fee: Please inquire
Shipping: IA&A makes all arrangements; exhibitors pay outgoing shipping costs within the contiguous U.S.
Booking Period:12 weeks
Tour: June 2021—August2024
Contact: TravelingExhibitions@ArtsandArtists.org
Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, Wausau, WI
June 12, 2021—August 29, 2021
Washington State Historical Society, Tacoma, WA
September 17, 2021—January 23, 2022
Utah Museum of Fine Arts, Salt Lake City, UT
February 19, 2022—May 14, 2022
Fort Wayne Muesum of Art, Fort Wayne, IN
June 18, 2022—September 11, 2022
AVAILABLE
October 2022—January 2023
Dane G. Hansen Memorial Museum, Logan, KS
February 17,2023—May 14, 2023
AVAILABLE
June 2023—December 2023
Lauren Rogers Museum of Art, Laurel, MS
January 30, 2024—April 21, 2024
AVAILABLE
May 2024—August 2024
All tour dates can be customized to meet your scheduling needs. Please contact Traveling Exhibitions @ Artsand Artists.org for more information.
1. What is the purpose of the exhibition of Handstitched Worlds: The Cartography of Quilts?| A．To promote creativity and individuality thorough the engaging exhibition. |
| B．To provide an opportunity for visitors to learn to make quilts stitch by stitch. |
| C．To give visitors an insight into the history and culture of America in specific periods. |
| D．To enrich the understanding of the American culture by a tour visit to museums across America. |
| A．The exhibition is free both for the exhibitors and for the visitors. |
| B．Exhibitors that are interested can choose whatever dates they want. |
| C．The artistic and historic value of handstitched quilts used to be neglected. |
| D．Exhibitors that are interested can book the exhibition 12 weeks in advance. |
| A．exhibitors | B．visitors | C．artists | D．historians |
4 . 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
1. When is the talk on James Brindley?| A．February 6th. | B．December 5th. |
| C．November 7th. | D．March 6th. |
| A．The Canal Pioneers. | B．An Update on the Cotsword Canals |
| C．Eyots and Aits-Thames Islands | D．Ice for the Metropolis |
| A．Miranda Vickers | B．Malcolm Tucker |
| C．Chris Lewis | D．Liz Payne |
5 .
Travel Back in Time | |
| TOMORROW THEY WON’T DARE TO MURDER US By Joseph Andras In 1956, National Liberation Front Member Fernand Iveton planted a bomb near Algiers. The hoped-for explosion was intended only to be a piece of symbolism, so he put it in an unused shed. He was arrested before it could go off and then mercilessly tortured and hanged. Andras’s fictionalized retelling of Iveton’s story was published in French in2016 to immediate acclaim, winning the prestigious Prix Goncourt. It’s now been translated into English. The book is just 137 pages long, but every one of them is tense, a nightmare of noble intentions gone horribly wrong. | INSIDE MONEY By Zarchary Karabell Given complete access to the 200-year accomplishment of the U.S.’s oldest private bank, Karabell weaves a fascinating tale of the East Coast WASP establishment includes characters such as Alan Greenspan and Averell Harriman, one-time governor of New York. The firm has remained privately held, so its inner workings have been a mystery until now. |
Or See the Future | |
| THE FLIP SIDE OF FREE By Michael Kende It’s not a new insight that we pay for “free” apps and sites with our personal data, but Kende has a more detailed take than most. The digital development specialist at the World Bank Group looks at how the web came to be free via unified standards and the coming social considerations that will need to be faced once the public understands how much “free” actually costs. | THE CODE BREAKER By Walter Isaacson Isaacson’s previous biographies have focused on such men as Steve Jobs and Leonardo da Vinci. Here he tells the story of Jennifer Doudna, a biochemist who won a Noble Prize for the gene-editing technology known as Crispr. The book is an excellent reader on the complex subject, its benefits (fighting disease) and its ethical hurdles (designer babies). |
Anything Other Than Covid | |
| LETTERS TO CAMONDO By Edmund de Waal There are very few ceramic artists working today and even fewer ceramic artists with a part time as an author. Best known for his exquisitely crafted porcelain and his bestseller The Hare with Amber Eyes, de Waal’s latest piece of fiction combines the two sides of his professional life. This book consists of imaginary letters to the real-life Moise de Camondo, a rich Jewish banker who ran one of the most successful institutions in the Ottoman Empire and was also an art sponsor. | ANTIQUITIES By Cynthia Ozick Most people experienced some form of Covid isolation. Ozick, 92, who’s been shortlisted for the Pulitzer and Man Booker International prizes, has created a character who's similarly tortured, though it’s old age, rather than a pandemic, that finds him holed up indoors. As he recalls his life, he is drawn to memories of his cousin, a famous archaeologist and to a mysterious schoolmate. |
Or More About Plagues | |
| LET THE RECORD SHOW: A POLITICAL HISTORY OF ACT UP NEW YORK, 1987-1993 By Sarah Schulman Michael Lewis is something of a master at the onset of the AIDS crisis that no one, other than the tortured, seemed to care. ACT UP, a political and activist effort, was born from that apathy. Schulman's comprehensive, timely Book records the group’s hundreds of demonstrations, and almost as many political groups. | THE PREMONITION: A PANDEMIC STORY By Michael Lewis Thirty years ago, fear and death played out at capturing complex events in the very recent past. Here he turns the pandemic into a tale of good and evil: Evil, in this case, is the administration; good is a crew of scientists, doctors and public health experts. The narrative follows three central characters-a biochemist, a public health worker, and a U.S. federal employee. |
| A．drew inspiration from something real. |
| B．reveal something ugly about their society |
| C．are works written against a background of war. |
| D．provide thrilling plots even though they are short in length. |
①cybersecurity
②artificial robot
③disease-curing
④economic development
| A．①② | B．①③ | C．②③ | D．③④ |
| A．Both are fictionalized works. |
| B．Both are about artistic creations |
| C．Both deal with the theme of isolation |
| D．Both are written against the background of Covid-19. |
①One is a true story and the other is fictional.
②One is about history and the other focuses on the present.
③One is about the causes of the plague and the other focuses on the results.
| A．①② | B．①③ | C．②③ | D．①②③ |
Today’s stars are at the center of much of the world’s attention. Paparazzi (狗仔队) camp outside their homes, cameras ready. Tabloids (小报) publishing stories about their personal lives. Although being famous might sound like a dream come true, they, feeling like zoo animals, face pressures that few of us
The phenomenon of tracking celebrities
Being a public figure today, however, is a lot
7 . TROUBLESHOOTING
For possible malfunctions as described below, please contact Customer Services at 1-800-2020-123
| PROBLEM | POSSIBLE CAUSE | SOLUTION |
| The coffee is not hot. | • The cups were not preheated. | • Warm the cups by rinsing (冲洗) them with hot water (N.B. you can use the hot water function). |
| Coffee does not come out of the spouts (喷嘴). | • The spouts are blocked. | • Clean the spouts with a toothpick. |
| The coffee does not come out of the spouts, but from around the service door. | • The holes in the spouts are blocked with dry coffee dust. • The coffee guide inside the service door is blocked and cannot swing. | • Clean the spouts with a toothpick, sponge or hard kitchen brush. •Thoroughly clean the coffee guide, particularly near the hinges (铰链). |
| The frothed (起泡) milk has large bubbles. | •The milk is not cold enough or is not semi-skimmed (半脱脂的). | •You should ideally use skimmed or semi-skimmed milk at refrigerator temperature (about 5 °C). If the result is not as you wished, try changing brand of milk. |
| The milk is not frothed. | • Cappuccino maker is dirty. | • Clean as described in the section “Cleaning the cappuccino maker after use”. |
| Steam delivery stops. | • A safety device stops steam delivery after 3 minutes. | • Wait, then activate the steam function again. |
| The appliance (电器) does not come on. | • It is not plugged into the mains socket (电源插座). • The main switch (A2) is not turned on. | • Plug into the mains socket. • Place the main switch in the I position. |
| A．It has been used for many years. | B．It is not plugged into the socket. |
| C．Its temperature is too high. | D．Its spouts are blocked. |
| A．If coffee tastes bitter, you may add some milk and sugar. |
| B．If coffee is delivered too slowly, you may wait and activate the function again. |
| C．If coffee doesn’t come out of spouts, you may check them with a toothpick. |
| D．If milk is not frothed, you may use semi-skimmed milk. |
| A．A coffee bean package. | B．A coffee machine quality report. |
| C．A coffee machine advertisement. | D．A coffee machine handbook. |
8 . The BC Book Prizes, established in 1985, celebrate the achievements of British Columbia writers and publishers. The seven Prizes are presented annually at the Lieutenant Governor’s BC Book Prizes Gala in the spring, with the winner of The Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Literary Excellence being announced beforehand at the annual BC Book Prizes Soiree (an evening party). The Prizes are administered and awarded by members of a non-profit society who represent all aspects of the publishing and writing community.
ABOUT BC BOOK PRIZES
Categories and Criteria
General Criteria
● The book must have an ISBN (International Standard Book Number).
● The book must have a print run of at least 350 copies.
● The book must be at least 48 pages long unless it is a children’s picture book in which case it must be at least 24 pages long.
● The book must show in print that it was published in the appropriate eligible year.
● The main language of the book must be English.
● Three copies of the submitted book must be provided for the judges for each prize category entered.
● Submissions must be made using the BC Book Prizes Official Entry Form.
E-book Specific Criteria in addition to the General Criteria
● E-books are accepted for submission to the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize category only.
● A signed statement of verification of copyright must be provided.
● The book must have gone through a professional editing process.
● Three printed copies of the e-book must be provided for the jury.
Expectations of finalists and winners
● The publishers of finalist book will be expected to participate in the shared cost of print ads placed in BC newspapers announcing the finalists. Cost per book is $100.
● All publishers, authors and illustrators are invited to attend the Soiree, which is a free event.
● Tickets to the Lieutenant Governor’s BC Book Prizes Gala are not provided to finalists, so must be paid for by the authors/illustrators or their publishers.
1. What can we learn about the BC Book Prizes?| A．They are in the charge of a non-profit society. |
| B．There are seven members in its administration team. |
| C．The winners of the prizes are announced beforehand. |
| D．They are presented at an evening party every spring. |
| A．A novel written in French. | B．A book published in any year. |
| C．A children’s book with 48 pages. | D．An E-book to be edited. |
| A．No printed copies are required for the submitted e-books. |
| B．All publishers, authors and illustrators enjoy free admission to the gala. |
| C．A participant may provide more than three copies of the submitted book. |
| D．The publishers of submitted books should share the cost of print ads in BC newspapers. |
9 . It’s easy to blame an achy neck and stiff shoulder on bad posture. But on many desks, experts agree, the quiet culprit is your mouse.
“There are a lot of delicate body parts involved in mousing,” explains Cameron Stiehl, a San Francisco-based ergonomic assessment specialist. “When you’re at the computer for hours at a time, having a mouse that doesn’t fit properly or is positioned incorrectly can cause soft-tissue injuries in the fingers, wrists, hands, elbows and even in the shoulder.” Countless ergonomic mouse models promise improvement. If you’re ready for a level up, here are four mice that will give you a hand.
| 1 | Semi-vertical mice like the Logitech MX Master 3S have a 30 to 45-degree slant, which can help reduce stress on the forearm muscles. It can help relieve discomfort from epicondylitis (or ‘tennis elbow’) or help a sore wrist. At 141 grams, the MX Master 3S is a bit heavy but is designed to be especially responsive so that you needn’t move it too much. You can also custom-program the functions of the mouse’s seven buttons and two scroll wheels, letting you avoid certain repetitive motions that can cause injuries. $100, Logitech. com |
| 2 | Look past their uncanny resemblance to Kubrick’s HAL 9000. Trackball mice can be particularly helpful for treating shoulder discomfort by limiting most of your mousing movement to the fingers and wrist. For the most natural motion, Stiehl suggests the Kensington Orbit Trackball. It has both the namespace feature for moving your cursor with little effort and a ring-style scroll wheel encircling it. Unlike traditional scrollers, you use it like a dial. This, Stiehl says, makes the mouse “especially good for people who have issues like trigger finger” (when bending your digits causes them to painfully click and pop). The Orbit also takes the ergonomics a step further, with an included, detachable wrist rest. $50, Kensington. com |
| 3 | A vertical mouse lets you position your hand not flat but tilted sideways as if you’re shaking hands with the device. This position, reduces wrist and forearm movement and can be soothing. The Logitech Lift version’s small footprint and light weight (125 grams) make it a good fit for small hands. “It’s not a long vertical, so I think it can be very comfortable if it fits the hand,” said Stiehl. Six buttons allow for control customization, and it comes in three colors (including a very cute rose), and is made of mostly recycled material. $70, Logitech. com |
| 4 | Working away from your desk doesn’t mean you can’t cast an eye toward ergonomics. The Lenovo Go Wireless Vertical Mouse is a compact vertical mouse, powered by a single replaceable AA battery, which the manufacture r promises will last a year. It also features a handsome cork thumb divot. But the selling point is its smaller footprint, which makes it easy to pack with your laptop. $50, Lenovo. com |
A． | B．  | C．  | D．3 |
| A．Logitech MX Master 3S. | B．Kensington Orbit Trackball. |
| C．Logitech Lift. | D．Lenovo Go Wireless Vertical Mouse. |
| A．Suited for smaller hands. | B．A universal upgrade. |
| C．Trigger finger treater. | D．Ergonomics can go everywhere. |
Sunshine on your face, the scent of blossom in the air, the dreamy song of a blackbird.What better way to while away a spring day than in a country garden filled with flowers like magnolia, rhododendron, primula, iris, daffodils or bluebells? Here are a four of the best.
| LONDON The Savili Garden Egham, Surrey. Open daily. Part of the Windsor Great Park estate, with one of the country’s finest plant collections. Aptly named Spring Wood is planted with magnolia and rhododendron, including many Loderi hybrids, the flowers of which are deliciously scented, while the Azalea Walk is at its peak in mid to late May. Brilliant for families with a great cafe, too. windsorgreatpark.co.uk/en | YORKSHIRE The Hirnalayan Garden Grewelthorpe, North Yorkshire. Open daily from 12 April. Set in a valley between Harrogate and Ripon, this garden features hundreds of native Himalayan plants in a setting that is perhaps as close as you can get to being in an actual Himalayan valley - especially on a misty morning. Many of the rhododendrons are wild species, collected and grown from seed and now in their mature prime. 01765 658009,himalayangarden.com |
| SCOTLAND Arduaine Garden Near Oban, Argyll. Open daily from 1 April. Set on Scotland’s west coast amid stunning scenery, this beautiful garden benefits from the influence of the Gulf Stream. Now in the care of the National Trust for Scotland, the historic garden featured over 200 rhododendrons by the 1920s, which are still spring highlights, as are stands of primula and iris. But the real stars are the stretches of colourful and jaw-droppingly beautiful Himalayan plants. 01852 200366,nationaltrust.org.uk/arduain-garden | WALES Bodnant Garden Near Colwyn Bay, Clwyd. Open daily. Rightly considered one of the UK’s finest gardens, Bodnant springs to life with pools of daffodils in Old Park Meadow, along with national collections of magnolia and rhododendron.Extensive plantings of cherry fill the garden with sweet scent in mid-spring, alongside plentiful bluebells. For these weeks from mid-May, thefamous Laburnum Arch, a long walkway with golden-yellow flowers, alone is worth a visit to experience it. 01492 650460,nationaltrust.org.uk/bodnant-garden |
| A．introduce the beauty of the superb spring gardens in the UK |
| B．urge garden lovers to visit the websites of the four gardens |
| C．promote different regions in the UK by introducing their gardens |
| D．advertise four spring gardens and encourage visits to them |
| A．The Savill Garden | B．The Himalayan Garden |
| C．Arduaine Garden | D．Bodnant Garden |
| A．All four gardens boast magnolia and rhododendron. |
| B．Two gardens are open to the public only during April. |
| C．The National Trust takes care of two of the four gardens. |
| D．Tourists can call to know more about the four gardens. |
