2 . China Culture Camp offers special experience for New Zealand students

A group of New Zealand secondary students shared their special memory of the China Culture Camp 2020 with culture performances, dances, group speeches and fun games on Friday. The China Culture Camp 2020     1     (organize) by the Confucius Institute (CI) in Auckland.The students spent a week having fun Chinese class, visiting businesses in the New Zealand China bilateral(双边的) trade and learning Chinese culture.

Year 11 student Te Auraki Fraser from Fairfield College in Hamilton performed Chinese culture dance at the final sharing on Friday.     2     (learn) Chinese for two years, he found that he really likes the language. Although it's a pity     3    he was not able to go to China this year, Fraser wished to go to China to study one day.

"I started studying Chinese     4    I have a passion for languages. Ever since I was young I have tried to learn many different kinds. I was given the opportunity     5     (start) studying Chinese and I committed to it. “he said.

Nora Yao,     6     (direct) of the Confucius Institute in Auckland, the University of Auckland, was pleased to watch the students' performances and sharing."It was the first year we had done the China Camp domestically in New Zealand. We wanted to give     7    special memory to the students even though they cannot     8     (person) visit China. So our camp program this year focused     9    how important the Chinese language is to our bilateral relations and business and our future generation," said Yao.

Around 20 secondary students     10    native language is not Chinese from Auckland attended the week-long China Culture Camp 2020.

3 . The Nez Perce Indians are a tribe that lived in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. At the time of the Lewis and Clark expedition (探险队) , which was one of the first journeys by Americans from the Atlantic coast to the Pacific coast and back again, the Nez Perce territory (领土) covered about 17 million acres, covering parts of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. But that was a brief sweet history.

In September 1805, when Lewis and Clark came off the Rockies on their westward journey, the entire exploring party was hungry and ill -- too weak to defend themselves.

Had the Nez Perce chosen to attack them, they could have put an end to the Lewis and Clark expedition there on the banks of Clearwater River. Instead the Nez Perce welcomed the white Americans and looked after them until they made a full recovery. Thus began a long friendship between the Nez Perce and white Americans. But white men’s greed for land and gold finally broke the friendship.

In 1855 Governor Isaac Stevens of Washington Territory invited the Nez Perce to a peace conference. He said there were a great many white people in the country, and many more would come. But the Chief of the tribe at that time, Old Joseph, replied, “Take away your paper. I will not touch it with my hand.”

Things were quiet for a while after that, but not for long. When Old Joseph died, the chiefship was passed onto Young Joseph. In the late 1870s, government officials came to order the Nez Perce to leave the Wallowa Valley and then began hard battles between the Nez Perce and the white soldiers. After the tribe had fought thirteen battles and moved 1,600 miles to-wards Canada in an attempt to retreat(撤退) north, Young Joseph, gave in to the United States Army. Here was his famous statement, “Hear me my chiefs. I am tired; my heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands I will fight no more forever.”

In 1885, Chief Joseph was sent along with many of his band to the Colville Reservation in Washington where Joseph continued to lead his band for another 25 years, at times coming into conflict with the leaders of 11 other tribes living on the reservation.(保留地，居留地)

4 . Bob, a Burroughs junior high school football player, always had his mom cheering him on. He didn’t play exciting positions. He played as a linebacker(中后卫球员). Sadly, he often found himself at the bottom of the piles, where everyone would jump onto each other at the end of every play. Bob's mom realized it was hard for her son to hear her cheering. She had to find a solution, but couldn't find one.

Then one day the coach from the school team asked him if he wanted to join the team. Bob was ecstatic, because he was only a ninth grader. His mom was also excited, since she loved football and especially loved watching her son play. She kept considering a way for him to hear her. A cowbell! That was it. Now from the bottom of the piles Bob would hear his mom shaking her cowbell crazily, knowing she was there for him.

Bob's team finally made it to the state championship game. What exciting time to play at Busch Stadium under the lights! This experience made Bob appreciate all the years that his mom had sacrificed everything to get him to practice every day, to wash his uniforms, and to never miss a game. He had to do something.

On the night of the state championship game, the loudspeakers introduced Bob, and as he walked onto the field his mom shook the cowbell, hard. However, it didn’t sound right. She looked its inside, and found a note saying,”Thank you, Mom.” Bob had left her a note expressing his appreciation for always being with him, filling her heart with warmth.

Finally Burroughs claimed the title of State Champion. While others were cheering and admiring the state championship cup, Bob' s mom clutched(紧握) her cowbell happily.

Years later, Bob’s mom died. While digging through her belongings, he found the cowbell with the note. Bob took it to his mom's funeral and rang it, whispering, "Thank you, Mom.”

8 . The demand for digital audio (音频的) books is growing very rapidly. Let’s first look at why this has happened. The busy lifestyle leaves us little time to sit down and read a paper book. Besides, we all have time in the day when we are not really busy mentally. Therefore, we listen and “read” when doing other things.

An audio book, read by a professional narrator who is telling you the story, is an ideal way to “read” books that you wanted to read for long but that lack of time did not permit you to read. Storytelling has a very long tradition and with the new technology, it is gaining popularity again.

“For many people, listening to an audio book is an opportunity to hear an author firsthand,” says Mary Beth Roche, president of the Audio Publishers Association. “It’s like having the very best lecture series, not just in your own town, but in your own car or home — and at your command, they’ll read when YOU are ready to listen.”

Audio books used to be thought of as limited special products for only the blind and sight-impaired (视力受损的) or for kids and lazy people who either can not or do not want to read themselves. This has greatly changed over the last few years. A study found that the average listener of audio books is about 45 years of age and has an average yearly income of over $50,000, and at least a college education and often more advanced degrees. And these people have practical knowledge or understanding of the Internet.

Moreover, audio books are especially good for children who hate to read because of problems in school. That way they are familiar with the adventure of using their own imagination to paint their mental pictures of what they hear, rather than just staring at the TV screen. Also, if they have the book and the audio, reading along can help them overcome reading problems.

9 . These days, there are virtual classrooms, virtual museums… Now come virtual summer camps. For those kids who don’t want to leave home, they can still enjoy summer camp activities that range from do-it-yourself mini construction projects and exploring technology skills to reading challenges and crafts (工艺). Enter Walmart and Amazon… These companies, not usually in the business of promoting summer camps, are offering their own versions of virtual summer camps.

Amazon

Through Camp Handmade, customers are provided with arts and crafts workshops and a group discussion. What’s more, Handmade has a wide selection of offerings from crafting experts, which are available to all campers.

Walmart

Drew Barrymore, Neil Patrick Harris, LeBron James, Mina Menzel and Todd Oldham are stepping outside of their day job to serve as camp counselors (顾问). The celebrities will lead sessions on arts and crafts, fitness and other activities.

Barnes & Noble

The bookstore launched the Summer Reading Program for kids between first and sixth grades. Kids can earn one free book at Barnes & Noble if they read any eight books this summer and record them in this Summer Reading Journal.

BOOK IT!

Parents, join us for our first-ever virtual Camp BOOK IT! Track your kids’ reading for the summer in BOOK IT!’s digital dashboard. When kids meet their monthly reading goal, they will receive a free one-topping Personal Pan Pizza.