1 . My motivation for starting our family tradition of reading in the car was purely selfish: I could not bear listening to A Sesame Street Christmas for another 10 hours. My three children had been addicted to this cassette (磁带) on our previous summer’s road trip.

As I began to prepare for our next 500 mile car trip, I came across a book—Jim Trelease’s The Read Aloud Handbook. This could be the answer to my problem, I thought. So I put Roald Dahl’s Jarnes and the Giant Peach into my bag. When I began to read aloud the tale of the boy who escapes the bad guys by hiding inside a giant peach, my three kids argued and wrestled in their seats. But after several lines, they were attracted into the rhythm of the words and began to listen.

We soon learned that the simple pleasure of listening to a well-written book makes the long miles pass more quickly. Sometimes the books we read became highlights of the trip. I read Wilson Rawls’s Summer of the Monkeys as we spent two days driving to the beach. We arrived just behind the power crews restoring (恢复) electricity after a tropical storm. The rain continued most of the week, and the beach was covered with oil washed up by the storm. When we returned home, I asked my son what he liked about the trip. He answered without hesitation, “The book you read in the car.”

Road trips still offer challenges even though my children now are teenagers. But we continue to read as we roll across the country. And I’m beginning to see that reading aloud has done more than help pass the time. For at least a little while, we are not shut in our own electronic worlds. And maybe we’ve started something that will pass on to the next generation.

2 . For more than fifty years, athletes competing in the Olympic games have often been cheered on by either a furry or feathered friend. The Olympic mascot—a cartoonish representation of the host city’s culture and history is so important, and designs are often selected and finalized years before the Games take place. According to the International Olympic Committee(IOC) the role of these things is to help spread a “festive atmosphere” and embody the spirit of the event.

Over the decades, the world has welcomed snowmen, sasquatches, cowboy-hat-wearing bears and aliens to the Olympic stage. The first mascot was created in 1968 by designer Aline Lafargue for the Grenoble Winter Games in France. Affectionately named “Shuss”, the character consists of a two-toned head and lightning-bolt shaped leg attached to skis. Despiteholding the title of first ever mascot. Lafargue created and submitted her design for Shuss in just one night.

To find a worthy representative, each host country will typically organize a submission contest. In 2014 a competition held by Russia in anticipation for the Sochi Winter Games received more than 24.000 drawings. The winners a trio of arctic mammals were selected by a public vote with the results broadcast on Russian TV. But this hasn’t always been the case: For the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympic, one of the first Olympic events to be heavily influenced by corporate financing, Disney won the private bid for mascot design.

Since these creatures are also important to official merchandise (指定商品), cuteness and cuddliness have long been key standards for any mascot’s success. Merchandise of Beijing’s round panda mascot Bing Dwen Dwen for the 2022 Winter Games is already “selling like hotcakes”.

Character design becomes especially important when the Games coincide with a unique moment in history. For example, Sydney, Australia, the host country of the first Olympics of the millennium (千禧年), adopted three mascots for the first time in the Games’ history. The three anime-style cartoons, Syd, Olly and Millie, were named in reference to Sydney, Olympics and Millennium and T-shirts from this landmark Games are still circulating second-hand resale sites now.

3 . Essential First Job Tips for Graduates

Graduates may be anxious as they enter the workplace. And most bosses won’t teach you how to be a good employee. That is something new workers must learn on their own.     1    

Speak clearly. Many graduates mumble (嘟哝) or talk too quickly. It is common that people have to ask them to repeat themselves. Perhaps it is because they often speak to their peers who have super sharp hearing. But the customers you encounter in your new job may not. Good verbal communication skills are essential for most jobs. Practise speaking slowly and clearly.     2    

Listen carefully. This is an important skill no matter what career you hope to have.     3     When someone is talking, make eye contact to indicate that you are listening. And then ask appropriate questions to make sure you understand the directions or questions.

Don’t interrupt unless it’s urgent. When a co-worker or boss is talking to a customer, don’t cut in unless what you have to share absolutely can’t wait. Use good judgment to determine the urgency of the situation.     4     Say “excuse me”, and then wait to be acknowledged before you start speaking.

    5     Some employers have a pretty strict dress code, which takes the decision about what to wear to work. This rule could be quite helpful. Other bosses just tell their workers to “dress appropriately”. Remember, though casual clothing is acceptable to some jobs, make sure your clothes are clean, without rips (裂口) or designs that may upset others.

5 . As students return to school this fall many of them perhaps especially those from historically disadvantaged student groups-will be starting the academic year with achievement levels lower than where they were at the beginning of summer break. This phenomenon is sometimes referred to as summer learning loss. We review what is known about summer loss and offer suggestions for schools looking to solve the problem.

The recent studies on summer loss have been rather comprehensive. One study found that students on average. lost between 25—30 percent of their school-year learning over the summer: additionally, black and Latino students tended to gain less over the school year and lose more over the summer compared to white students.

However an analysis of the national study found little evidence of overall loss over the summers after grades K and 1 and the summer loss gaps widened in some subjects and grades but not others. Von Hippel and Hamrock re-analyzed two earlier data sets and concluded that gaps “do not necessarily... grow fastest over the summer”. Thus it seems summer loss occurs, though not universally across geography, grade level, or subject.

Schools want to address the issue of summer learning loss not only because it may widen achievement gaps. but also because it “wastes” so much of the knowledge students have gained during the school year. Summer loss also undoubtedly increases the amount of time teachers have to spend “re-teaching” last year’s content.

Traditionally, educators and policymakers have relied on conventional summer school programmes to solve summer learning loss. Not surprisingly, research suggests that programmes are more effective when students attend consistently and spend more time on task academically. Regardless of the design, these policies should offer engaging options for students over the summer so that summer learning programmes do not feel like punishment for students who would rather be enjoying summer vacation. Doing so would set more students up for success as the school year gets underway.

6 . The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Young Leaders programme empowers talents to make a positive difference in their communities through sport. Twenty-five young leaders are being selected every two years for a four year period. They promote the Olympic values, spreading the message of sport for good.

To be an IOC young leader, you need to first complete the 4-Week Learning Sprint (冲刺).

4-Week Learning Sprint

The 4-Weck Learning Sprint, which will take place during November 2023, is a virtual learning programme. The sessions can be attended live or watched back after they are made available on the IOC channel. Each week, participants will be asked to complete a topic-specific reflection task.

The 4-Week Learning Sprint is open to anyone, with the target audience aged between 20 and 28.

After successfully completing the 4-Week Learning Sprint you will need to submit a plan for a sport-based project which you will work on if selected as an IOC young leader.

Requirements for the Applicants

·You have successfully completed the 4-Week Learning Sprint.

·You have completed your high school studies.

·You have at least one year of work experience.

·You have strong public speaking skills.

·You are self-motivated and committed.

·You are passionate about creating positive change in your community.

·You are open to being coached and advised by experts and peers (同伴).

·You are able to work with people from different backgrounds.

7 . The world is full of opportunities. Ignoring them or seizing one depends on one’s attitude. Mike seized the chance and did what he wanted to do.

Mike used to be a janitor (看门人) at an elementary school. He collected and cleared away the ________ for the school too. This school has a ________ place in Mike’s heart. He went to this school as a young boy and was a teacher there for 19 years. However, before his career in teaching, he ________ in the same school as a janitor. He has always been good at ________ with students.

Seeing this the teachers ________ him to pursue a teaching career. After years of hard work and fierce ________, Mike finished his degree in 2003 and ________ a teaching job at the elementary school. Since then he has become a constant ________ in the school.

Mike found teaching a very rewarding job. For him it was important that the students grow up not just remembering the ________ but also how a teacher made them feel. Mike was excited to teach the children at the school and was ________ to teach the fifth grade. He was shocked when the directors offered him the ________ of principal a week before the school year started.

“I am ________ grateful. I don’t do anything special. I just ________ and try my best.” said Mike. He was also very excited to take on the challenges of being the new ________ of the school, assume new responsibilities and help ________ the school.

Yours,

Li Hua