1 . The Best museums in San Francisco for History Buffs
The Cable Car Museum
This museum displays hundreds of artifacts and interactive activities related to San Francisco’s cable cars. Visitors can explore how cable cars were constructed, operated, and later restored during the 1970s, or a behind-the-scenes tour to look at how electricity is generated to power the cable cars. Admission is free and guided tours are available throughout the week, though the museum is closed every Monday.
Fee: Free, but donations accepted.
Address: 1201 Mason St.
Hours: 10 AM-4 PM, closed Monday.
Alcatraz Island
You’ve probably heard of Alcatraz, the 22-acre island about one mile off the coast of San Francisco. It’s famous for serving as a prison for criminals. Today, it’s one of the most popular tourist attractions in the city, partially because of the fascinating museums on the island.
After taking a self-guided tour of the prison, stick around to explore the many museums and exhibits in the island’s various buildings. Exhibits range from collections of prisoner’s hand-made items and historical items to exhibitions on the history of crime in America to exhibits on the island’s Native American occupation of the 1970s.
Fee: Accessible only via cruises; prices start at $ 28 (for kids).
Address: Pier 33 Alcatraz Landing.
Hours: Changes seasonally, open daily.
Musée Mecanique
This small-but-packed museum is the best in SF for going back in time as the collection has more than 300 items. The museum started as one person’s personal collection back in the 1930s, but has since ballooned into the impressive spread visitors can see today.
Admission to the Musée Mecanique is totally free, but because it sits near Pier 45, it’s likely that you’ll end up spending some money in the area, anyway - the popcorn carts on the pier are hard to resist.
Fee: Free, but donations accepted.
Address: Taylor Street at Pier 45.
Hours: Daily, 10 AM-8 PM.
1. On which day is The Cable Car Museum not available?| A．Saturday. | B．Friday. | C．Sunday. | D．Monday. |
| A．Easy access. | B．Prison theme. | C．Free admission. | D．Excellent service. |
| A．Sweet popcorns. | B．Packed items. | C．Cable cars. | D．Large balloons. |
2 . NPR’s Student Podcast (播客) Challenge is back — for a fifth year! This year’s competition will open for entries on January 6, 2023 and close on April 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 (讲述) 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. What is the deadline for handing in your podcast?| A．January 6. | B．February 18. | C．March 26. | D．April 28. |
| A．All monitors. | B．Any student. | C．Teachers. | D．Parents. |
| A．They should be more than eight minutes. | B．They must be well structured and edited. |
| C．They have to adopt an interview format. | D．They must be produced with special sound effects. |
| A．Be polite. | B．Be friendly. | C．Be careful. |
| A．immediately | B．likely | C．unusually | D．equally |
1. Where are the woman’s parents staying before they retire?
| A．In New York. | B．In California. | C．In Florida. |
| A．Travel around the world. |
| B．Attend university in Boston. |
| C．Take a part-time job. |
| A．Last week. | B．Yesterday. | C．Last month. |
6 . Marvelous Scenic Walks Near London
There are plenty of walking routes in London. If you fancy something a bit more rural, then the green and pleasant land has plenty to offer.
Goring Gap and the Thames PathIf you’re in the mood for a gentle rural walk, the Thames Path is far from boring. The 5-mile footpath follows the curve of the river, winding past wildflower meadows (草地).
Post-walk pub: Pangbourne’s seventeenth-century pub The Swan serves high-end dishes. Bag a table on the riverside or keep toasty by one of its open fires.
Box HillTo admire this spots rural views, first you’ve got to jump across 17 stepping stones and climb 272 steps to the top of Box Hill, where the path begins. The total distance is 6.8 miles.
Post-walk pub: The cavernous Tree on Box Hill has an attractive menu and huge beer garden, or sample a glass of Juniper Hill at Denbies Winerie.
A South Downs Ridge (山脊)If you’ve already done the classic Seven Sisters clifftop walk or can’t face all those hills, this is a long but lovely alternative. The route covering 14.3 miles snakes along a ridge and a river valley.
Post-walk pub: There are always 10 real beers at the old-school pub The Wellington.
Chess Valley in the ChilternsChess Valley in the Chiltern Hills isn’t home to any chess masters, but it used to produce a kind of water plant. This walk of 4.9 miles follows the river, winding through rolling meadows and woods.
Post-walk pub: The George & Dragon is a simple old coaching pub on the High Street with a log fire, real beers and giant burgers.
1. Which of the following walks covers the shortest distance?| A．Box Hill. |
| B．A South Downs Ridge. |
| C．Chess Valley in the Chilterns. |
| D．Goring Gap and the Thames Path. |
| A．The pubs are pretty and old-fashioned. |
| B．Visitors can relax at special pubs after walks. |
| C．There are rivers winding through the meadows. |
| D．The food served there is expensive and of high quality. |
| A．A geography book. | B．A travel brochure. |
| C．A fashion website. | D．A science magazine. |
7 . The Steinhardt School’s program in vocal (声音的) performance offers music-based training for a career in music theatre performance. Our curriculum is designed for the serious young musicians who are seeking a program that fully combines the study of voice with the study of acting.
The course content
In addition to voice, acting and dance as well as courses in music theatre history, our program’s music theatre specialization training takes place through an intensive series of music theatre workshops.
The performance opportunities
Besides the work in classrooms and studios, the program offers performance opportunities in fully-staged productions under the guidance of professional directors, conductors, musical directors, and designers. Our guest artists are drawn from New York’s community of professional artists who count Broadway, regional theatre and national tours among their credit. Undergraduate and graduate students also benefit from the extraordinary opportunities available through the diverse offerings of a major university in the cultural capital of the world, New York City.
The graduation
Students specializing in music theatre make their public appearance in their final term as they are presented to New York’s agents, casting directors, directors and producers in their graduation showcase designed to evaluate the work of each student and help them make their first professional contacts in the industry.
The contact details
Telephone: 217-998-5156, 217-998-5157
Undergraduate Inquiries: Professor Dianna Heldman
Graduate Inquiries: Dr. Ana Flavia Zuim
1. Who is the program intended for?| A．University teachers. |
| B．Famous singers. |
| C．Musical students. |
| D．Professional directors. |
| A．Put on a show. |
| B．Evaluate their work. |
| C．Meet a producer. |
| D．Change their appearance. |
| A．Fashion. |
| B．Education. |
| C．Economy. |
| D．Technology. |
8 . Best Places to Visit in England
As the largest part of the United Kingdom, England is home to many great places to visit. The following destinations are some of the best.
LondonOf course, most visitors to England will arrive in London. It’s home to a long list of famous sights as well as beautiful green spaces. It also houses some of the best museums on the planet, many of which are free. See the city from above by riding the London Eye or run into famous people at Madame Tussauds (杜莎夫人蜡像馆).
LiverpoolLiverpool is well known as the place that started The Beatles, though you’ll find a lot more to do there than visit The Beatles Museum. Spend time in the pubs chatting with the locals, go shopping at Liverpool One and enjoy the beaches. Art lovers will enjoy Liverpool’s excellent art sight.
BathSome people say Bath is England’s most beautiful small city, named for its natural hot springs that served as ancient Roman baths (浴缸) 2,000 years ago. And, today, it’s the only place in the United Kingdom where you can bathe in naturally hot, mineral-rich waters just like the Romans did long ago. Enjoy rooftop baths with wonderful views over this Georgian city, dine in award-winning restaurants and stay in romantic hotels.
DoverDover, located in White Cliffs Country, offers a rich history as well as peaceful countryside and a breathtaking coastline. This area has a unique place in history. You could easily spend weeks experiencing this area’s castles, like Dover Castle as well as the Secret War Time Tunnels, once used as an underground hospital.
1. What can visitors do in London?| A．Have a bath in naturally hot water. |
| B．Visit The Beatles Museum for free. |
| C．Enjoy the city’s view from the London Eye. |
| D．Learn about its music at Madame Tussauds. |
| A．London. | B．Liverpool. | C．Bath. | D．Dover. |
| A．It is in Liverpool. |
| B．It is a 2,000-year-old art sight. |
| C．It looks like Dover Castle. |
| D．It was an underground hospital before. |
9 . Over the course of more than 250 years, the US Postal Service has gone through many changes, including switching its focus from newspapers to package delivery service.
In the early 1830s, the Postal Service focused on delivering newspapers to keep Americans informed and connected. To keep newspaper subscriptions cheap and accessible, the Postal Service charged high prices for letter postage as much as a full-day’s wages. In order to help the expansion of the passenger transportation network in the new nation, the agency often shared the letter delivery with stagecoach lines. Later, it did the same for private steamboats and railroads, even airlines
But the competition for the letter delivery became so fierce that a wave of laws between 1845 and 1851 made the Postal Service the only letter-carrier and set aside an annual budget to support the agency. Helped by lowered rates, letters soon became the agency’s main business.
In 1863, the Postal Service began to experiment with home delivery, instead of just carrying letters from post office to post office. By the dawn of the 20th century, even remote farmers’ letters were dropped into their mailboxes. Since then, home delivery has become a “universal public service (UPS)” that every American deserves to receive at a low price.
By the early 20th century, the Postal Service had set a four-pound limit on mail: Anything heavier was supposed to be left to private companies. But the four largest private carriers secretly cooperated to charge confusing and often terribly high rates. In 1913, the Postal Service eventually took the parcel (包裹) service away from the private carriers.
Now the Postal Service’s only growing business is package delivery fed by the online shopping addictions. Since it is required by law to visit every household six days a week, the Postal Service now offers cheap rates to private companies like Amazon and FedEx to deliver their goods to our doorsteps. However, most Americans think that it is unfair to use taxpayer’s money to help such big private companies to deliver their goods.
1. What can we learn from the second paragraph?| A．Letter delivery was once a very profitable business. |
| B．The US was well connected by airlines in the 1820s. |
| C．The Postal Service charged high prices for newspapers. |
| D．In the 1830s. Americans had free access to newspapers. |
| A．Goods transportation. | B．Letter delivery. |
| C．Newspaper subscriptions. | D．Parcel services. |
| A．The private companies often charge terribly high rates. |
| B．The online-shoppers cannot receive their parcels on time. |
| C．The Postal Service usually leaves parcels in the local post offices. |
| D．The “UPS” is originally designed for non-commercial home delivery. |
| A．The Problems of the US Postal Service |
| B．The Postal Service’s Roles in the US History |
| C．A Brief History of the US Postal Service |
| D．The Main Functions of the US Postal Service |
10 . It is a windy day. Glenn Gould has got a coffee cup sitting on the piano top and is working on a music written by Bach. As he plays, he gets so totally lost in the music that suddenly, he stands up, and walks in what looks like a dream to the window.
There’s a total silence. Then the Bach flows out of him. He’s still playing, but in his head. Then he turns, wanders back, sits down on a low chair in front of the piano and picks up right where his voice left off, but now with new energy.
Gould, the greatest interpreter of Bach, is a strange man. He doesn’t like to practise. Instead, he’ll prepare for concerts mentally, running the piece over and over and playing with imaginary fingers.
Gould, for some reasons, reminds me of Michael Jordan playing basketball or Etta James singing the blues: There’s a concentration that’s so deep that it feels special, like a kind of “flow”.
“When you are in it, you lose track of everything except what you’re doing,” writes neuroscientist Daniel Levitin. “There was a surgeon, who wasn’t aware that the roof of his operating room had collapsed until he was done with the surgery. In this state, what you think becomes what you do. You get blissfully lost in an activity, forgetting time, yourselves and your problems.”
How does one get there? That’s still a mystery. Practice is important. Strong will matters. Talent helps. When you find your “flow”, your brain changes. Sex, hunger and thirst matter less. You are chemically released and can now wander far and wide. Yes, you have no idea where you are or how this is happening. But once you find your “flow”, it’s one of the most wonderful experiences ever.
When I watch Glenn Gould walking back to his piano, I see a man living in heaven, if there is one.
1. How does Glenn Gould usually prepare for concerts?| A．By drinking coffee to get more energy. | B．By running the pieces in his head first. |
| C．By practising over and over on the piano. | D．By doing exercise in his sweet dreams. |
| A．Encouraged. | B．Worried. | C．Absorbed. | D．Absent-minded. |
| A．Happily. | B．Occasionally. | C．Unnecessarily. | D．Hardly. |
| A．Practice. | B．Will. | C．Talent. | D．Desire. |
