1 . Henry Raeburn (1756-1823)
The ExhibitionThis exhibition of some sixty masterpieces celebrating the life and work of Scotland’s best loved painter, Sir Henry Raeburn, comes to London. Selected from collections throughout the world, it is the first major exhibition of his work to be held in over forty years.
Lecture SeriesScottish National Portrait (肖像画) Gallery presents a series of lectures for the general public. They are held in the Lecture Room. Admission to lectures is free.
| An Introduction to Raeburn Sunday 26 Oct., 15:00 DUNCAN THOMSON | Raeburn’s English Contemporaries Thursday 30 Oct., 13:10 JUDY EGERTON |
| Characters and Characterisation in Raeburn’s Portraits Thursday 6 Nov., 13:10 NICHOLAS PHILLIPSON | Raeburn and Artist’s Training in the 18th Century Thursday 13 Nov., 13:10 MARTIN POSTLE |
Monday-Saturday 10.00-17.45 Sunday 12.00-17.45
Last admission to the exhibition: 17.15. There is no re-admission.
Closed: 24-26 December and 1 January.
Admission£4. Children under 12 years accompanied by an adult are admitted free.
Schools and CollegesA special low entrance charge of £2 per person is available to all in full-time education, up to and including those at first degree level, in organised groups with teachers.
1. What is the right time for attending Raeburn’s English Contemporaries?| A．Sun. 26 Oct. | B．Thurs. 30 Oct. | C．Thurs. 6 Nov. | D．Thurs.13 Nov. |
| A．£4. | B．£8. | C．£12. | D．£16. |
| A．They should go on Sunday mornings. | B．They should come from art schools. |
| C．They must be led by teachers. | D．They must have ID cards with them. |
2 . Yellowstone Poster Exhibition to Be on View at UW’s Coe Library
A first-of-its-kind exhibition that focuses on the history of Yellowstone National Park posters will be on display at the University of Wyoming’s Coe Library beginning Tuesday, February 1.
“Wonderland Illustrated” will present posters and poster-style illustrations of the park spanning from the 1870s through 2022. The exhibition will be located on Level 3 of Coe Library. It will be on view through Tuesday, May 31.
The exhibition takes place at the same time as this year’s 150th anniversary of the creation of Yellowstone National Park. The posters in the exhibition serve the purpose of both advertising and art.
“We’re thrilled to be working with Yellowstone collectors Jack and Susan Davís, and Larry and Thea Lancaster to bring this exhibition to the University of Wyoming as part of year-long celebrations recognizing Yellowstone’s 150th anniversary,” says Tamsen Hert, head of UW Libraries’ Emmett D. Chisum Special Collections. “This exhibition involves the history of printing, art, photography and advertising over 16 decades. The images reproduced are found on travel brochures, postcards and maps—many of which are held in our collections.”
One poster from the exhibition—Henry Wellge’s “Yellowstone National Park” from1904—was recently purchased with donated funds and is now part of UW Libraries’ Emmett D. Chisum Special Collections. Wellge, a productive bird’s-eye-view artist, designed the piece for the Northern Pacific Railroad, which used it to advertise the park. This is a unique piece, as posters such as this one were printed on soft paper and very few have survived.
1. How long will the exhibition “Wonderland Illustrated” last?| A．Two weeks. | B．Three months. | C．Four months. | D．One year. |
| A．To remember a famous artist. | B．To raise fund for Coe Library. |
| C．To mark the anniversary of a national park. | D．To tell the history of the University of Wyoming. |
| A．It is rare in the world. | B．It is in black and white. |
| C．It is printed on cloth. | D．It is owned by a professor. |
3 . Family: Poems—by Mr. Keith Keenan
·Kindle $0.00, Hardcover $12.50, Paperback $7.00
The poet describes personal thoughts and feelings in a lyrical journey to understand and celebrate his family. “Family” looks at living honestly in places, not illusions. Figurative language, a love of metaphor and sharp images all make the poems work.
Time to Heal—by Alexandra Vasiliu
·Kindle $9.99, Hardcover $21.94, Paperback $12.64
From the bestselling author comes an inspirational poetry book about love, healing, and growth. It is a reminder to strive to change for the better. Featuring more than 130 uplifting poems and black-and-white illustrations, it’s a great companion when you need to embrace self-love and personal transformation.
Seeds from a Birch Tree —by Clark Strand
·Kindle $9.99, Hardcover $26.80, Paperback $16.95
Seeds From a Birch Tree makes nature into a spiritual path. Its message was simple: Haiku teaches us to return to nature by following the seasons—seventeen syllables at a time. With its mix of poetry and memoir(回忆录), the book guides us to the joy hidden in plain sight, leading us to get into a good state of body and mind.
A Poem for Every Day—by Allie Esiri
·Kindle $9.99, Hardcover $28.05, Audio CD $18.05
This audio book is a collection of 366 poems which link to events on key dates—funny for April Fool’s Day, festive for Christmas. This is the perfect gift for poetry lovers of all ages. These poems are informative, peaceful, and energetic!
There are a large number of poetry collections on Amazon. More information, please click here.
1. How much will you pay if you are to buy a hardcover edition of haiku?| A．$12.50. | B．$21.94. | C．$26.80. | D．$28.05. |
| A．Family: Poems features plain language. |
| B．Time to Heal features colorful illustrations. |
| C．Seeds from a Birch Tree focuses on human nature. |
| D．A Poem for Every Day focuses on festive celebrations. |
| A．A website. | B．A magazine. |
| C．A book review. | D．A travel brochure. |
4 . Monet: The Immersive (沉浸式) Experience
Monet: The Immersive Experience in Liège invites you to step into the world of the French painter Claude Monet, one of the greatest artistic geniuses of the nineteenth century!
Explore some of the most breathtaking paintings by Claude Monet with the help of a digital 360-degree presentation. The unique exhibition concept is staged with state-of-the-art multimedia technology, which shows very large images of Monet’s paintings on the walls and floors of the building. It has music, the smell of flowers, and voice-over in several languages to make the paintings come alive in a way never seen before.
To fully get into the world of the French painter, visitors are guided through three experience rooms. Each room is a highlight on its own and provides visitors not only with an insight, but also with new experiences and new viewpoints on Monet’s life, his work and his masterpieces.
Practical info·Date: from March 2024
·Opening hours:
Wednesday, Thursday: 10: 00 am-7: 00 pm
Friday: 10: 00 am-8: 00 pm
Saturday: 9: 00 am-8: 00 pm
Sunday: 9: 00 am-7: 00 pm
Monday and Tuesday: Closed
·Duration: the visit will take around 60 to 75 minutes
·Location: Eglise Saint-Pholien, Rue Saint-Pholien, 4020 Liège
·Please consult the FAQs of this experience here
1. How does the exhibition help visitors explore Monet’s paintings?| A．It uses digital technology. | B．It gives lectures on art. |
| C．It offers stages to visitors. | D．It provides language services. |
| A．An exploration on French art. | B．An introductory tour of painters. |
| C．A unique journey to Monet’s world. | D．An encounter with Monet-inspired artworks. |
| A．11: 30 am (Wed, Feb 21). | B．10: 00 am (Tue, Mar 19). |
| C．6: 30 pm (Thur, Mar 28). | D．4: 00 pm (Sun, Apr 7). |
5 . People have been predicting (预测) the death of cable TV (有线电视) for a long time, but this really might be it. Just a decade (十年) ago, nearly all Americans — more than 85 percent of U.S. households — paid for packages of TV channels from cable or satellite ( 卫 星) companies. That started to drop slowly at first and then far more quickly in the past few years. Now, the share of American homes that pay for traditional TV service is approaching 50 percent, according to expert Craig Moffett and S&P Global Market Intelligence’s Kagan research group.
For comparison, cellphones were around for decades before the percentage of Americans who didn’t have a landline ( 座 机) at home reached 50 percent, around 2017. Maybe it seems predictable that cable TV would go the way of the landline. I promise you that it was not necessarily obvious, even once Netflix started to take off. Old habits die hard. Old industries that make a lot of people rich die even harder. And don’t forget that some new technology habits catch on fast but don’t stick.
What may be a final drop in America’s cable TV industry is a big deal. It shows that technology can change deep-rooted ways of doing things slowly, and then suddenly.
Ian Olgeirson, a research director at Kagan who has been following America’s TV market for about 20 years, told me that he was surprised by how quickly the monthly cable bill went from being standard to outdated for many Americans. Olgeirson and other TV experts I’ve been speaking to didn’t single out a turning point in cable TV’s big drop. They said the downward trend ( 趋 势) was more like a series of progressive changes building up.
It’s clear that the cable TV system that for decades brought joy and headaches to tens of millions of Americans is wearing thin. The wild card is whether Americans keep turning away from cable and satellite TV relatively slowly, or whether it will fail suddenly.
I have always loved TV. I felt like a real grown-up when I first started to pay a huge bill for television, partly to watch my favorite football team. I had reduced my cable TV package, but then a few months ago I was told that my bill was going to increase by about $10 a month. That was it. I’m a no-cable household now, too.
1. What does paragraph 1 mainly tell us about cable TV?| A．Its falling popularity. | B．Its increasing payments. |
| C．Its various TV channels. | D．Its high service standard. |
| A．To prove technology can change the world. | B．To show it is not easy for cable TV to go away. |
| C．To illustrate there is no market left for cable TV. | D．To explain technology can bring fortune to people. |
| A．America’s TV market was down suddenly. |
| B．The death of cable TV will come in about 20 years. |
| C．Americans turned away from cable TV so quickly. |
| D．There are still many Americans showing interest in cable TV. |
| A．Cable TV won’t be replaced by satellite TV | B．Cable TV brought joy to Americans |
| C．Cable TV has existed for decades | D．Cable TV is the new landline |
6 . What is PayQuick?
PayQuick is a fast payment service for shopping in the biggest supermarket in UK — Tesco. It allows you to add your credit or debit card details to the app so you can use your smartphone to pay for your shopping with just one scan, which means you can go wallet-free in all UK Tesco stores.
What are the benefits?
●Collect your Tesco points automatically
●Pay for your weekly shopping up to £250
●Use PayQuick offline, even with no signal
●Track your spending in Tesco
However, only one qualifying deal per week will collect the extra Tesco points. Additional payments in the same week won’t receive extra points. Tesco points will be added to your future Tesco points statement.
How to get your PayQuick?
Available to new customers who sign up by 3rd March 2024, the PayQuick app can be downloaded from the App Store or our official website. Once you have the app on your phone, register your personal details on the app to get an account. Note that for each customer, only one account is allowed and a family shared account will not be acknowledged. Finally, with all the preparation work done, you’ll be ready to shop using just your phone.
Plus, there’s no need to worry about your bank details being stored on your phone — they’re all securely protected in our data centers. So not only is it quicker and easier, it’s safer than going shopping with your wallet as well.
1. If customers use PayQuick in UK Tesco stores, they can ______.| A．purchase things only offline |
| B．get their Tesco points automatically |
| C．keep track of their daily spending |
| D．pay for their shopping without limit |
| A．To register by 3rd March 2024. |
| B．To download the PayQuick app. |
| C．To bring their phones with them. |
| D．To share the account with their family. |
| A．To ensure the safety of PayQuick. |
| B．To stress the importance of PayQuick. |
| C．To popularize the use of PayQuick. |
| D．To illustrate the application of PayQuick. |
7 . Best Overall: LectroFan EVO Sound Machine
Why You Should Get ItThis compact, stylish, and affordable white noise machine is very easy to use. With a timer, a headphone connector, and a large range of sounds, you’ll be able to find the right set up for you. That’s where it comes in to mask all that unwanted environmental noise—or lack of—so you can get more rest.
Keep in MindThe device isn’t battery-operated, so it’ll need to stay plugged into a power source.
It does everything you need it to, and then some, for a very reasonable price. It plays non-repeating digital noise in a range of colors: It has 10 fan sounds, 10 environmental noise sounds—including pink and brown noise, and two ocean soundscapes.
The device is super simple to use, and once you’ve picked your favorite type of noise, it will be saved in the settings, and the machine will auto play that sound each time you turn it on. The speaker produces a clear and crisp sound, and there’s a wide volume range. It also comes with an optional timer you can set between one to eight hours, or play continuously, plus a 3.5mm connector for headphones if your partner isn’t quite as keen on white noise as you are.
It’s compact enough to travel everywhere with you, and as white noise machines go, it looks pretty good, too. It certainly won’t look out of place on your bedside table. You can power the LectroFan EVO via USB or the included A/C adaptor, but it doesn’t have an internal battery, so it does need to be plugged in.
Price at time of publish: $35Product Details: Dimensions: It’s 4.7 inches long and 3. 3 inches in height. Its width is the same as its length. | Sound options: 22 | Timer: Yes | Power: Plug-in
1. What is the device mentioned used to do?
| A．Avoid noises. | B．Enjoy nature. | C．Help sleep well. | D．Listen to music. |
| A．It works with batteries. | B．It doesn’t disturb others. |
| C．It has one nature noise. | D．Its timer’s set up is fixed. |
| A．3.3 inches. | B．4.7 inches. | C．6. 8 inches. | D．10 inches. |
8 . Using dozens of cameras set up throughout Sweden’s big forests, weeks-long live broadcasts (电视节目) of deer and other wild animals have caught Swedish audiences’ hearts. As three deer nervously come to a lake on screen, comments on the live TV program flood in. “Go on!”; “Jump in!”; “They’re beautiful!” The program Den stora älgvandringen has attracted a large community that watches and comments on the animals’ every move.
Den stora älgvandringen is another example of the so-called “slow TV”, where things are just left to happen at their own pace (节奏). Broadcast for a few weeks each spring on TV and online, the video is recorded in real time from a control room lined with screens. Teams work day and night to offer different viewpoints from 30 cameras, some of which can be controlled from a distance. “We can’t decide what happens. We don’t want everything to be perfect. I mean that this is nature and anything can happen. And we really want to show what it is like,” producer Johan Erhag said. “On all the social media, most things are very stressful. There’s a lot of music in programs. There’s a lot of speaking. But this program is the totally opposite way.”
A hunter in his spare time, Persson said he enjoys the slow and natural pace of the show. “It’s kind of calming and also interesting. It’s basically wind blowing and you are waiting for something hopefully to show up. You might think that a day spent waiting would be a day lost but it’s not. Instead, it could be an activity that is quite healthy for more people,” Persson said.
“After watching the program, I find there are many things to look at and feel about nature,” Anders Lindberg, a columnist said. “The whole idea of sitting and watching nothing happening for hours in nature is wonderful. We can practice meditation (冥想), which ] think for many people is something they lack in big cities. Nature could be a powerful tool used to bridge the gap between the mind and the body, making us feel close to the world around us.”
1. What is special about Den stora älgvandringen?| A．It features animals’ fun activities. |
| B．It follows wild animals’ life in a natural way. |
| C．It records animal experiments in natural settings. |
| D．It uses digital sound effects to impress the viewers. |
| A．It teaches him to protect animals. |
| B．It gives him a sense of achievement. |
| C．It brings him pleasure and relaxation. |
| D．It causes him to pay attention to health. |
| A．By showing humans’ role in wildlife care. |
| B．By raising their interest in outdoor activities. |
| C．By speeding up local tourism development. |
| D．By encouraging a deeper connection with nature. |
| A．Sweden calls for wildlife protection. |
| B．A realistic nature TV show attracts attention. |
| C．The beauty of Swedish forests comes into sight. |
| D．Directors show their creativity in a slow TV program. |
9 . Immersive Disney Animation Singapore
Since its world debut in Toronto in December 2022, Immersive Disney Animation has already drawn audiences across 13 North American cities and made an intercontinental splash in Tokyo. Now, this much-awaited journey is about to hit South East Asia for the first time on 18th November 2023 at the Sands Theatre, Marina Bay Sands!
HIGHLIGHTS
The doors open up to a stunning 360-degree environment that will transport you into the world of Disney’s storytelling. From classic hits to the latest blockbusters like Frozen, Encanto, Zootopia, and Big Hero 6, you can journey through iconic scenes and meet the timeless characters.
The experience goes beyond mere visual delights. There’ll be lots of interactive elements too, including floors that move with you as you explore the galleries, bubble snowfall, wristbands that light up in different colors, and more. Of course, children will be provided with protective gear when they are exploring with parents.
It is also a hands-on adventure that will ignite your creativity and deepen your understanding of the art of animation. Inside the gallery filled with rarely seen exhibits from the Walt Disney Animation Research Library, you can discover animator’s character sketches and get to know some of the incredible animators behind Disney’s legacy. There is also an interactive drawing table to try your hand at drawing your own cartoon characters and make them move.
EVENT DETAILS
Date: From 18th Nov 2023 (Sat)
Opening hours:
Mon–Thu & Sun: 10 am – 10 pm
Fri-Sat: 10 am – 11:30pm
Duration: 90 minutes per slot (时间段)
Exhibition Time-Slots:
10 am; 11:30 am; lpm;2:30 pm;4 pm;5:30 pm;7 pm;8:30 pm
10 pm (Only applicable to Fridays and Saturdays)
Tickets: From $41
CLICK HERE TO BOOK NOW.
1. What can you experience in the Immersive Disney Animation Singapore?| A．Feasting your eyes on fantastic magic shows. |
| B．Interacting with Disney characters face to face. |
| C．Creating your own animated cartoon characters. |
| D．Enjoying a 90-minute newly-released Disney film. |
| A．10 am, 19th Nov 2023. | B．11 am, 17th Nov 2023. |
| C．10 pm, 20th Nov 2023. | D．11 pm, 18th Nov 2023. |
| A．A travel brochure. | B．An official website. |
| C．A local newspaper. | D．An online shopping platform. |
10 . MINIBOSS & BIGBOSS SUMMER BUSINESS CAMP
Join us at our award-winning International Summer Business Camp! Together with students from all over the world, you will dive into experiencing life and culture. We’ve served over 9,000 students from 27countries since 2000!
LOCATIONThe camp is located 10 miles from Oxford, not far from London and Cambridge.
ACCOMMODATIONSThe camp provides full board. You will live in shared rooms in the boarding Thornton High School or Thornton College. Delicious English dishes are prepared by chefs.
AGE GROUPSMiniboss groups: 9-11,12-15 Bigboss groups: 15-18
POWERFUL PROGRAMMES☑Explore Yourself in Business
This course provides you with a broad introduction to business, human full potential and self-realization. It equips you with the skills to successfully launch and manage your own business. Most importantly, you will develop the mindset to become a groundbreaking entrepreneur (企业家).
☑Aeademic ProgrammeImmerse (使沉浸于) yourself in the exciting business world through case studies of world-famous companies. In addition to training, the camp has many recreational activities and sports, which alternate with business games and daily evening reflection. On this course, you will;
● Identify how to unlock your full potential and manage your own potential;
● Strengthen your problem-solving abilities;
● Develop cooperation skills;
● Examine how leading entrepreneurs achieve their goals;
● Learn to think like an entrepreneur.
1. What do we know about the camp?| A．It has a history of 27 years. | B．It is backed by Oxford and Cambridge. |
| C．It is clearly targeted at teenagers. | D．It is open to students of all nationalities. |
| A．Teamwork spirit. | B．Interpersonal skills. |
| C．Creative thinking. | D．Problem-solving abilities. |
| A．Combine education with pleasure. | B．Teach campers to set goals. |
| C．Offer jobs in world-famous companies. | D．Train campers to think like adults. |
