1 . Google Flights reveals new feature to help travelers save money
Regular users of Google Flights might notice a new feature the next time they go to the site to check out airline schedules and compare flight prices.
The new feature officially announced on Monday morning in a news release is Google guidance on the cheapest time to book a flight, which adds price tracking alerts and a price guarantee option already in place.
Cheapest time to book: Google Flights said starting this week, searches that have reliable trend data will let users see in what time frame prices have typically been lowest. Users can then better decide whether to book now or later, Google said in the release.
Take flights from New York to Miami, for example, the cheapest time to book is usually from Sep 13 to Dec 7. Prices during this time are $59 cheaper on average.
Price tracking: Users who want to wait for lower fares before booking can use a price tracking feature that “can do most of the heavy lifting for you,” Google said.
Price guarantee: On some flight results, users might notice a price guarantee badge (标志) pop up (this won’t happen on every use). If you book one of these flights, Google said it will monitor the price every day before takeoff.
“If the price does go down, we’ll pay you back the difference via Google Pay. These price guarantees are part of a pilot program available for select Book on Google itineraries (行程) departing from the U. S.,” Google said in the release.
1. Which is the cheapest time to book a flight from New York to Miami?A.August 19. | B.September 20. | C.December 8. | D.January 11. |
A.Get your money back. | B.Pay back the difference. |
C.Monitor the price before flights take off. | D.Make sure you can get the cheapest flight. |
A.Science. | B.Entertainment. | C.Travel. | D.Education. |
2 . You won’t need to spend lots of money keeping your cats happy. These DIY cat toys are guaranteed to be satisfying. Here are some good ideas for common household items that can easily be turned into fun toys. You can visit our web page to find out the details.
Egg cartons (硬纸盒)
These can quickly be changed into a food puzzle for your furry friends. Simply put in some of your cats’ favourite biscuits and treats, and then close up the cartons. Place them on the floor and watch as your cats smell out the food and figure out how to get all the tasty snacks.
Cardboard boxes
We all know just how much cats love boxes. Your cats will naturally jump right in and claim the boxes for themselves, but you can take the boxes to the next level. Just add in an old towel or a blanket, and your cats will have a cosy place for sleep.
Old socks
Put those old socks to good use and keep your cats entertained for hours. Fill your socks halfway with balled-up paper or other material, and add in a little jingle bell for extra excitement. Then tie off the end with a string, and your cats’ new favourite toy is complete.
Plastic water bottles
Another creative idea for DIY cat toys is using empty plastic water bottles. Simply remove the cap and the label, and wash the bottles thoroughly. Fill it with a small amount of snacks, and let your cats bat it around to get the snacks. The noise and movement of the bottle will engage your cats’ natural hunting instincts and provide entertainment.
1. Why are these household items used?A.To save space. | B.To reduce waste. |
C.To entertain cats. | D.To protect cats. |
A.Cats’ beds. | B.Cats’ playhouses. |
C.Cats’ food containers. | D.Cats’ water bowls. |
A.Egg cartons and cardboard boxes. | B.Cardboard boxes and old socks. |
C.Old socks and plastic water bottles. | D.Plastic water bottles and egg cartons. |
3 . Ready to Experience Summer?
Are you looking to get your kids signed up for a summer camp program? We’re here to help.
ID TechID Tech runs summer camps at over 75 college campus locations across the country. The camp makes the claim to be the top tech camp for 23 years running and offers teens the chance to take part in activities like hands-on STEM leaning and fun to get a preview taste of the college life that may soon be coming their way.
Camp OlympiaLocated on Lake Livingston in Trinity, Texas on over 100 acres of private land, Camp Olympia has its own swimming pool, challenge course, archery field, and more. Kids aged 6-16 can attend one, two, or three-week camps. Campers can participate in over 45 activities over the course of their stay, whether that be water skiing, horseback riding, golfing, or a team competition.
Camp Chief OurayLocated on a 5,100-acre YMCA of the Rockies about 1.5h from Denver, this camp first hosted campers in 1908. It’s billed as an “adventurous playground and traditional overnight camp for kids age 7—17—with mountains, valleys and streams.” Their programs are meant to build campers’ confidence, independence, and resilience, while they live in cabins of up to 10 campers and two staff members.
Mountain Adventure ToursThis outdoor adventure camp, located in Ketchum, teaches kids important values and life skills through entertaining activities in the Idaho wilderness. M.A.T. runs several camps per summer and each has an individual theme, along with accompanying age groups. There are five-night sleepaway camp for 13-15-year-olds, plus themed camps like river rafting and survival skills.
1. Which camp prepares campers for their academic future?A.ID Tech. | B.Camp Olympia. | C.M.A.T. | D.Camp Chief Ouray. |
A.Hands-on STEM learning. | B.A one-month camping. |
C.Competition with campers. | D.Learning survival skills. |
A.Both allow the same age groups. | B.Both teach campers sports skills. |
C.Both are located in the same site. | D.Both offer adventurous activities. |
A.A talent show. | B.A movie. | C.A basketball match. |
5 . Looking for work?
Tutors Wanted: Math / Science / Humanities + Test Preparation
Job Posted: 2 days ago
Wage: $27 – 30 per hour
Job Type: Part-time
Schedule: Afternoons, evenings, weekdays, weekends
Job description:
We’re looking for tutors to join us before the next school year starts.
Our suitable candidate will be able to assist middle and high school students with test preparation and academic work in Math, Science and / or Humanities.
We’ll pay for your training before this fall and can also offer flexible summer tutoring chances, including teaching group classes.
Once our fall semester starts on August 21, we’ll have even higher demand for tutoring sessions on Sundays from 1 p. m. to 8 p.m. as well as from3 p. m. to 9 p. m. Monday-Thursday.
What we offer:
※ Flexible scheduling. Tutors work from 15 to 30 hours per week depending on availability and student demand.
※ Free Sunday dinners during the academic year.
※ Fun staff gatherings
※ Health insurance reimbursement (补偿) for staff working over 30 hours per week.
※ We are 5 minutes’ walking distance from the Menlo Park Caltrain Station.
Applicants must:
※ Have a good command of the subjects they tutor.
※ Be willing to tutor students through the full academic year.
Application instructions:
※ Email us your resume (简历)
※ Tell us why you want to join Academic Trainers and describe your experience of tutoring students if you have any.
※ Let us know your scheduling preferences and potential start date.
※ Tell us which of the subjects you are able to tutor-Math, Science and / or Humanities.
1. Which period of time needs the most tutors during the academic year?A.Saturday and Sunday mornings. | B.Friday afternoons and evenings. |
C.Monday and Thursday mornings. | D.Sunday afternoons and evenings. |
A.Comfortable accommodation. | B.Free job training every month. |
C.Health insurance reimbursement. | D.Free meals during the academic year. |
A.He / She must tutor all the subjects part-time. |
B.He / She must be good at the subjects they tutor. |
C.He / She must have a previous tutoring experience. |
D.He / She must work every evening through the academic year. |
6 . The Best Places for Camping Near Portland
Lost Lake
With 148 campsites, Lost Lake has plenty of room for everyone who wants to go camping near Portland. In addition to a place to park up for the night, the park also has numerous trails to explore, a public boat launch and a fishing dock(码头). But there are no electrical connections available.
Price: Tent sites range from $29- $32 depending on their location.
The Vintages Trailer Resort
Located in the heart of the Willamette Valley, camping in a vintage trailer can be a lot of fun, offering a unique lodging experience. It is a pretty luxurious experience, with terrycloth robes, pour-over coffee, and breathtaking views of the neighboring vineyards. There are plenty things to do in the surrounding valley, but primarily it is one of the nation’s top wine-producing regions.
Price: Each trailer varies.
Beaver Campground
Located in between huge old maple trees and sycamores(悬铃木), Beaver Campground makes a great place to stay. The surrounding forest is a great place to explore, and as the campgrounds are small, with only 24 campsites, you will really feel as though you are in the middle of nowhere.
Price: Between $20- $100 a night.
Oxbow Regional Park
One of the most picturesque places to go camping, the perfect place for swimming, rafting, fishing and much more, the park offers 74 drive-up campsites, each of which comes with a picnic table, fire pit, and cooking grill, and there are also 12 RV sites.
Price: $22 a night
1. What can you do in the Lost Lake?A.Swim in the lake. | B.Use your rice cooker. |
C.Take part in water activities. | D.Explore the surrounding forest. |
A.Lost Lake. | B.Beaver Campground. |
C.The Vintages Trailer Resort. | D.Oxbow Regional Park. |
A.Beaver Campground charges the most. |
B.Price ranges from place to place. |
C.All places carry out the same pricing policy. |
D.Oxbow Regional Park enjoys the lowest price. |
7 . Notice on the Orderly Opening of the National Museum of China
The National Museum of China(NMC)has limited the daily visitor arrivals with a new timetable and adopted an online booking system. We hereby inform you of the following regulations:
•The NMC is open from 9:00 to 17:00(last admission at 16:00)and closes on Monday. Evening visits are temporarily cancelled.
•Visitors must make appointments 1-7 days in advance. Group reservations and on-site reservations are not accepted.
•Visitors can make online appointments through our official website or official social media platform account.
•On the day of the visit, please enter the museum with Chinese ID cards. For other documents holders, please bring the copies of the original documents used at the time of reservation.
•Visitors must enter the museum during their reserved time period to avoid crowding. If visitors miss their reserved time period, they will be refused. If visitors cannot make it on time, please apply for a cancellation in the reservation system before 15:00 on the day of the visit. Reservations cannot be cancelled after the reserved date, and the system will automatically record one’s account as “absent”. For anyone whose account contains three times of absence, the visitor will not be able to make new reservations within 90 days.
•Staff-guided tours are cancelled temporarily. Visitors must be in an orderly manner throughout the visit.
The NMC will take measures to ensure orderly and safe visits. Thanks for your support and cooperation.
National Museum of China
1. When can visitors enter the NMC?A.At 11:00, Monday. | B.At 16:30, Friday. |
C.At 17:00, Thursday. | D.At 10:30, Sunday. |
A.It should be made on site. | B.It can be made in groups. |
C.It can be made through social media. | D.It must be made a week ahead. |
A.He should reserve in three months. |
B.He will be refused to enter the museum. |
C.His account can be recorded as “absent”. |
D.He must reserve again before 15:00. |
8 . If you suddenly find yourself working from home or another remote location, you’re going to miss those interactions with other people. Video conferencing can help by allowing you to talk face-to-face, even if it is via a screen. Jitsi is one of those free video conferencing apps you can use to connect.
Jitsi is a set of open-source projects that allows you to easily build and deploy secure videoconferencing solutions. At the heart of Jitsi are Jitsi Videobridge and Jitsi Meet, which let you have conferences on the internet, while other projects in the community enable other features such as audio, dial-in, recording, and simulcasting.
Jitsi started life as a way to talk to people over the internet using audio and video. Over the course of a decade, though, it’s become so much more. Today, Jisi is:
A vibrant developer community.
First and foremost, Jitsi is a community of developers that are pushing the envelope of video conferencing quality on the web.
The foundation of some really amazing products.
The community members have developed countless projects and products that started with Jitsi code.
A crazy good, completely free video conferencing solution that anyone can use.
Jitsi is a favorite videoconferencing solution for anyone with privacy concerns, journalists, for example. There’s a reason so many people use Jitsi Meet as a Skype alternative for video conferencing.
Unlike other videoconferencing technologies, Jitsi Videobridge, the heart of Jitsi, passes everyone’s video and audio to all participants, rather than mixing them first. Currently, Jitsi supports a maximum of up to 75 participants per call, although performance may suffer with more than 35. The project is working on “going beyond 100” participants at once. The service supports phone in audio participants in both the hosted and self-hosted versions. The service supports screen sharing and has mobile apps for iPhone and Android.
Now Jitsi has surpassed 10 million monthly average users. There are no extra payments to Jitsi, and the project remains free thanks to 8x8 (a company), which uses the technology in its own products.
1. The central services of Jitsi lie in ________.A.a set of open-source projects | B.Jitsi Videobridge and Jitsi Meet |
C.free features like audio and dial-in | D.world’s best video conferences |
A.Jitsi supports screen sharing in the hosted version |
B.Jitsi works on 100 participants at most right now |
C.Jitsi helps with the privacy problem in videoconferencing |
D.Jitsi mixes everyone’s video and audio to all participants |
A.users have limited access to Jitsi |
B.only paid apps can ensure users’ privacy |
C.it has surpassed 10 million monthly average users |
D.8x8 uses the technology in its own products |
“Seeing printed media being
The price for publishing a marriage announcement differs by number of words, space and printing house. It ranges from around 100 yuan to more than 10,000 yuan. Customers can
Meng Si,
10 . NPR’s Student Podcast (播客) Challenge is back—for a fifth year! This year’s competition will open for entries on September 6, 2023 and close on October 28.
As in past years, our judges will choose winners in two categories: grades five through eight and grades nine through twelve. Entries must be submitted by an educator or a student leader who’s 18 years old or older. Another important rule is that the maximum length of your podcast is within eight minutes, and longer entries will be disqualified.
Our judges will use the following criteria to narrow down and choose the winners:
Information and structure, 40 percent
Does the podcast tell a good story or teach us something new and important? Is it structured in a way that keeps listeners engaged? Can we easily follow the story you’re telling or the information you’re explaining? Have you spent time cutting out unnecessary information to make sure the main ideas come through clearly?
Personality and creativity, 40 percent
Does it have personality, or does it sound like you’re reading from a script (脚本)? Does it make us laugh or cry or leave us deep in thought?
Production, 20 percent
We’re not judging you on how fancy your equipment is and we don’t expect you to be an expert on recording and editing sound, but we hope you’ll try.
Some podcasts may use a narration format. Others may be more of an interview format. If you use sound apart from interviews and narration, make sure it is clear and smooth.
1. Who are qualified to submit the podcast to the competition?A.Editors. | B.Students. | C.Parents. | D.Teachers. |
A.They should be more than eight minutes. | B.They must be well structured and edited. |
C.They must be produced with special sound effects. | D.They have to adopt an interview format. |
A.October 28 is the deadline for all the participants to hand in their entry. |
B.The content of a podcast must be educational as well as entertaining. |
C.It doesn’t matter whether students are using equipment of high quality |
D.Winners are evaluated in different aspects other than the script or format. |