1. 昆剧社（Kun Opera Club）；
2. “走进大师”社（Close to Masters Club）；
3. 涂鸦社（Doodling Club） ；
4. 文学欣赏社（Literature Appreciation Club）；
请选择你最想参加的1-2个社团并说明原因，以及对社团活动开展提出建议。（120—150字）
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1. 简述目前网络平台的一些问题；
2. 提出你对改善网络环境的建议及理由。
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The Unexpected Power of Random Acts of Kindness
In late August, Erin Alexander, 57, sat in the parking lot of a Target store and wept. She was having a hard day. A barista(咖啡师) working at the Starbucks inside the Target was too. The espresso machine had broken down and she was clearly stressed. Ms. Alexander — who’d stopped crying and gone inside for some caffeine — smiled, ordered an iced green tea, and told her to hang in there. After picking up her order, she noticed a message on the cup: “Erin,” the barista had written next to a heart, “your soul is golden.” The warmth of that small and unexpected gesture, from a stranger who had no idea of what she was going through, moved Erin deeply.
New findings, published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology in August, corroborate just how powerful experiences like Ms. Alexander’s can be.
The notion that kindness can boost well-being is hardly new. Studies have shown that prosocial behavior — basically, voluntarily helping others — can help lower people’s daily stress levels, and that simple acts of connection, like texting a friend, mean more than many of us realize.
But researchers have also found that people who perform a random act of kindness tend to underestimate how much the recipient will appreciate it. And they believe that miscalculation could hold many of us back from doing nice things for others more often.
Stress can also keep people from being kind to others, Dr. Cousineau said, as can the “little judgy voice” in people’s heads that causes them to question whether their gesture or gift will be misinterpreted, or whether it will make the recipient feel pressured to pay it back. “When the kindness urge arises,” she said, “we totally overthink it.”
Researchers who study kindness and friendship say they hope the new findings strengthen the scientific case for making these types of gestures more often.
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“Li Na’s perseverance and pioneering courage will be recognized with the highest honor in her profession: induction (入门) into the International Tennis Hall of Fame (名人堂).”
“Ne Zha and Monkey King share a lot in common. They are brave fighters, refusing to resign themselves to destiny.”
成功的人物总有一些可贵的品质，读了以上材料，谈谈你的想法。内容包括：
1. 简述李娜（网球运动员）或者哪吒（神话人物）等身上的可贵品质；
2. 结合生活实际谈谈其中某一可贵品质的重要性。
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Your child’s brain on math: Don’t bother?
Parents whose children are struggling with math often view intense tutoring as the best way to help them master crucial skills, but a new study released on Monday suggests that for some kids even that is a lost cause.
According to the research, the size of one key brain structure and the connections between it and other regions can help identify the 8- and 9-year olds who will hardly benefit from one-on-one math instruction.
“We could predict how much a child learned from the tutoring based on measures of brain structure and connectivity,” said Vinod Menon, a professor at Stanford University School of Medicine, who led the research.
The study, published in the online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is the first to use brain imaging to look for a connection between brain attributes and the ability to learn arithmetic. But despite its publication in a well-respected journal, the research immediately drew criticism.
Jonathan Moreno, professor of medical ethics at the University of Pennsylvania, fears that some parents and teachers might “give up now” on a math-challenged child. “If it gets into the popular consciousness that it’s wise to have your kid’s brain checked out.” before making decisions about academic options, he said, “that raises huge issues.”
Menon and his fellow scientists agree that their research shouldn’t lead to conclusions immediately. They are exploring whether any interventions might change the brain in such a way that children who struggle with math can benefit more from tutoring.
Just as learning to juggle increases the amount of gray matter in the area of adult brains that is responsible for spatial attention, said Menon, maybe something could pump up regions relevant to learning arithmetic before a child begins math tutoring.
Until then, he said “it’s possible” that parents will interpret the new study as saying some kids cannot benefit from math tutoring, “and give up before even trying. How this plays out is far from clear.”
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The Metaverse(元宇宙): The Future of Web Design and Development?
To many, the Metaverse might seem like this is something that is still far from becoming a reality. To others, it is the inevitable future of web design and development.
The Metaverse is an ambitious project that seeks to bring together many different web development and HiTech technologies in order to offer users a new experience of the web. Today, users view content on the web. On the Metaverse, users will be immersed(沉浸在)in the content thanks to technologies like Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Machine Learning, and other forms of Artificial Intelligence.
In brief, it is the next iteration(迭代)of the Internet where users will be able to navigate through a virtual space instead of the current two-dimensional screens. Although much has been said about it, there is still much that needs to be done, and this is both an opportunity and a challenge. Whatever the case is, it is the future of web design, and companies need to start thinking about how to reap the benefits of it.
One of the most important implications of this upgraded version of the web is the impact it will have on apps and websites. The rise of the Metaverse will not eliminate digital products as we currently know them. On the contrary, it will most likely be the case that both will coexist in new and more powerful forms.
This means that business websites will not become obsolete(淘汰的). As a matter of fact, they will probably become more relevant. Traditional websites will probably end up coexisting with the Metaverse, creating synergies(协同作用)that benefit users and businesses alike.
Aside from the impact on business websites, it is also important to consider operational aspects like the changes in the role of the typical web designer and developer. Digital product teams will have to rethink the tech stacks(一大推)they use in order to build interfaces and experiences for the user journeys coming our way.
Business decision-makers need to understand this and allow their teams to experiment with what might be the future of web experiences for users. Yes, it is a risky bet, but this is something that is gaining a lot of strength, and we might be hearing more about it sooner than we expect.
As mentioned above, traditional websites and other digital products aren’t going anywhere, but they surely need to be reworked in terms of what is expected of the future of web design.
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Say Thanks
If writing thank-you letters is a task you readily dismiss, you aren’t alone. However, saying thanks could be the best gift you can give, to yourself and others.
The benefits of gratitude have long been championed in philosophical thinking. In recent years, the science has been catching up: it shows that people who feel most grateful generally get a psychological boost (促进) as a result. They also have greater life satisfaction, fewer visits to the doctor and better sleep. This has led to gratitude being a part of our culture, inspiring an explosion of gratitude journals, in which you record things you are thankful for. It has also led to renewed interest in the neuroscience and psychology of gratitude.
However, the benefits of actually expressing this gratitude have received less attention. Now evidence is piling up that shows turning our inner gratitude into action can make our lives even better.
For instance, a simple thank you can build relationships, even with strangers. Take people who have received a note of thanks for something they have done from a peer they don’t know. They are more likely to share their contact details with that person in an attempt to continue the relationship than people who receive a note that doesn’t contain thanks. A simple thank you seems to signal interpersonal warmth.
But the benefits go further than just strengthening social relationships, they can have an impact on health, too. A study of more than 200 nurses working in two Italian hospitals found that gratitude expressed by patients could protect nurses from burnout. That was especially so in the emergency room, where personal interactions with patients are typically shorter and less rewarding. This positive feedback from patients reduced feelings of exhaustion among nurses, says Mara Martini at the University of Turin, who carried out the work.
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Children Deserve Arts Education
Children are introduced to the arts in many different ways. Participation in the arts improves personal confidence, problem solving skills, and even memorization and social skills. As young brains develop, it is vital that the creative side of the brain receive equal attention to the logical side of the brain to ensure maximum education. Unfortunately, there are those who believe creativity holds little or no value. However, they could never be farther from the truth.
According to a National Education Association research report, “Teenagers and young adults of low socioeconomic status (SES), who have a history of in-depth arts involvement, show better academic outcomes than low-SES youth with less arts involvement.” This research report shows that the arts strengthen the academic hemisphere of the brain. According to recent studies, as the brain focuses on math problems or reading, only certain areas of their brain are activated. However, when teenagers and young adults are listening to music, drawing a picture or engaging the mind creatively, multiple areas of the brain are working at the same time. As a result, more areas of the brain are strengthened, resulting in stronger overall brain activity.
With all the benefits of arts education, it is shocking that some educational boards still believe sufficient education can be reached without the benefits of the arts. In January 2017, the Utah State Board of Education released an official command that added two classes to the school curriculum, requiring all students between sixth and eighth grades to take those courses. This in turn limited the opportunity for the students to take elective arts courses. This command created an uproar among parents and teachers in Canyon School District and—thanks to protests—was not put into effect.
Participation in the arts is one of the most precious gifts we can give our children. It brings them joy, creativity and helps them excel academically. Our education system is weakening the critical role the arts have in education. If we limit the arts within school systems, we take away our children’s chances of present and future accomplishments. We cannot do that. Our children need to have every opportunity to expand their minds through the means of the arts. We must give our youth the opportunities and advantages to reach their highest goals and dreams if we are to secure a bright future for generations to come.
If it had not been for COVID-19, Tom Watkins would have been in China, serving as the China partner and managing director of WAY American Schools, a private US school using the internet to teach students in China and offering them an American High School Diploma program.
Watkins is enthusiastic about education. As early as in 2005, he has written an article on e-learning reform. “I recall the blank stares I encountered both in the United States and China in the early 2000s when I attempted to introduce e-learning into the mainstream,” said Watkin. “There was little appetite to be early adopters of this teaching method in public and private schools in the United States and across the globe.”
Then suddenly, online learning has popped into the spotlight. In an initiative in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the University of Michigan, to support its newly enrolled graduate students in China, allows students to join the University of Michigan-Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute to take UM courses remotely.
In Watkins’ eyes, e-learning has its advantages, the most important of which are greater flexibility, personalized learning and globalization of education. By e-learning, one can learn 24 hours a day and seven days a week, access the study content an unlimited number of times, and easily tap global educators. If e-learning becomes a norm in the next few years, it may lead to restructuring, reform and reinventing in teaching and learning, Watkins said.
And the benefits are particularly concrete under the current circumstances when the pandemic is still ongoing. As the global pandemic has made it increasingly difficult for students to travel globally, the use of remote learning has enabled teaching and learning to continue without interruption. “When COVID-19 struck, wise policymakers and educators wasted little time casting blame or cursing the darkness but reached for new technology tools to enable quality teaching and learning to continue,” he said.
New look on the Museum
Museums have changed. They are no longer places for the privileged few or for bored vacationers to visit on rainy days.
At a science museum in Ontario, Canada you can feel your hair stand on end as harmless electricity passes through your body. At the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, you can look at 17 century instruments while listening to their music. At the Modern Museum in Sweden, you can put on costumes provided by the Stockholm Opera. As these examples show, museums are reaching out to new audiences, particularly the young, the poor and the less educated members of the population. As a result, attendance is interesting.
Many museums have changed in appearance. Some old, gray museums have been rebuilt, and the newer ones are open and modern in their architecture. Inside, there is modern lighting, color, and sound. Instead of displaying everything they own, museum directors show fewer objects and leave open spaces where visitor can gather and sit down. They also bring together in one display a group of objects drawn drawn from various parts of the museum to represent the whole lifestyle of region or a historical period. In one room, for instance, you may find materials, clothing, tools, cooking pots, furniture, and art works of a particular place and time.
More and more museum directors are realizing that people learn best when they can somehow become part of what they are seeing. In many science museums, for example, there are no guided tours. The visitor is encouraged to touch, listen, operate, and experiment so as to discover scientific principles for himself. The purpose is not only to provide fun but also to help people feel at home in the world of science. The theory is that people who do not understand science will probably fear it, and those who fear science will not use it to the best advantage.
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