Rare Piece of Chinese Art Found at US Home Sale
A small bowl
Sotheby's says the object was found at a yard sale in the New Haven area last year. A collector of
Two experts from Sotheby's confirmed the bowl was from the 1400s when they were able to look at it
McAteer said. "It's always really
2 . Decades ago, NASA asked experts to develop the "smell of space" in order to help prepare astronauts for the experience of outer space. Now, a perfume, Eau de Space, has attracted eager buyers.
According to the Kickstarter activity, which has been launched to sell Eau de Space, the history of the "smell of space" has been unclear owing to various accounts of its development. Ever since the first spacewalk, astronauts have been shocked by the smell.
NASA astronaut Col. Chris Hadfield said,"The only time you can smell space is when you come back from a spacewalk. As you open the hatch(舱门),there is a distinctive smell."Some astronauts and space tourists describe it as the smell of fruit, or burnt cookies. Astronaut Eugene Cerman talked of another smell he experienced:"The moon smells like spent gunpowder."The smell of space is so distinet that NASA reached out to fragrance makers to recreate the smell, according to NASA documents.
Now, the makers have cooperated with award-winning perfumers(香水制造者),and reported that they've secured commercial contracts to reproduce the smell based on astronauts' accounts.
At $ 29 per bottle, Eau de Space will help support STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) programs for students. "For every bottle of Eau de Space you buy,we're going to donate $ 1 to a STEM program for low-income students. It's a big promise and isn't the best decision for a company trying to make a profit. But, imagine that a child who smells Eau de Space today is whipped up to become an astronaut, scientist or engineer," shows Kickstarter.
Eau de Space will be made in the UK employing low-income labor and environment-friendly practices, including zero manufacturing waste, according to the campaign. So far,about 11,000 people have become supporters.
1. Why was the Kickstarter campaign started?| A．To promote Eau de Space. | B．To attract perfume makers. |
| C．To explain the "smell of space". | D．To recreate the "smell of space". |
| A．Its makers will make a profit of $ 28 per bottle. |
| B．It has been available in the market for a long time. |
| C．It can get astronauts ready for their space experience. |
| D．Its smell is designed according to astronauts' descriptions. |
| A．Trained. | B．Inspired. |
| C．Forced. | D．Persuaded |
| A．Eau de Space, a Perfume Used in Space |
| B．Eau de Space, a Perfume on the Way |
| C．The History of Developing the "Smell of Space" |
| D．Astronauts' Different Accounts About the Space Smell |
3 . Whether you want to enjoy your favorite tunes like ever before, or to watch holiday films, there are tons of great deals. Below you’ll find a headphone that suits you, hand-picked by the Gear reviews team.
Son WH-1000XM3 Wireless Noise-Canceling Headphones for $278 ($72off)
Amazon, Best Buy
With fantastic sound, more than 30 hours of battery life, and extreme noise-canceling, the WH-1000XM3 are our favorite wireless headphones.
Apple AirPods Pro for $235 ( $15 off)
Amazon
These are Apple's newest AirPods, and we really like them. The discount isn't the greatest, but it's probably the best deal you'll find on AirPods Pro this holiday season, since they’re brand new.
Four-Driver Earbuds for 146 ($7 off)
Amazon
Most headphones have a single driver that makes all the sound, but these have four, which helps them balance frequencies more steadily, creating a wider soundstage, and providing clearer separation between guitars, keyboards and vocals(歌唱部分).
Beats Studio 3 Wireless Noise-Canceling Headphones for $200 ( $150 off)
Best Buy( $200), Amazon($250), Walmart($280)
They're a little fancy, but if you are after some well-made, stylish, and functional headphones, the Beats Studio 3 is a good option. But with a $200 deal at Best Buy, and fairly steep discounts at Amazon and Walmart, they're actually a pretty good value this weekend. Just don’t expect the same noise-canceling quality you'll find on the Sony WH-1000XM3 above.
Note: We will update this post through the weekend with new deals. If an item is no longer at its deal price or sold out, we cross it out. Besides, when you buy something using the links in our stories, we may earn a small commission (回扣). Here is how it works.
1. What's the original price of Apple AirPods Pro?| A．$ 205 | B．$ 220 | C．$ 235 | D．$ 250 |
| A．It is the cheapest of the four headphones. |
| B．Walmart doesn't discount the headphones. |
| C．It is no match to Sony WH-1000XM3 in noise canceling. |
| D．It is the most recommended by the Gear reviews team this week. |
| A．A website | B．A magazine | C．A guidebook | D．A newspaper. |
4 . Do you like shopping? Or does the thought of wandering round the shops fill you with terror? For some of us, shopping is an enjoyable way of spending our spare time and our money. For me, it’s something I would rather avoid. Thank goodness for the Internet! It’s more convenient to buy CDs, electrical items, even food, from the comfort of your sofa. But that’s not the only reason: price is an important factor. We can buy goods and services cheaper online. But sometimes the problem is knowing what to buy. This has led to a type of shopping called “showrooming”.
Showrooming is something I’ve done. I will go to a shop to see, touch and try out products but then go home and buy them online at a knock-down price. I’m not alone in doing this. Research by a company called Foolproof, found 24% of people showroomed while Christmas shopping in 2013.
Amy Cashman, head of Technology at TNS UK, says the reasons for this new shopping habit are that “people are lacking time, lacking money and they want security about the products they are buying”. She explains that consumers are not only shopping online at home but they are using the Internet in store or on their smartphones to shop around.
But does this mean technology will kill shops? Certainly shops will change. They will have to offer more competitive prices or encourage people to buy more by giving in-store discounts or free gifts.
We mustn’t forget that buying in a shop means you can get expert advice from the sales assistant and you can get good aftercare. It’s good to speak to a real human rather than look at a faceless computer screen but at least by showrooming, you get the best of both worlds!
1. The two questions in Paragraph l are raised to ________.| A．introduce the topic |
| B．give two examples |
| C．compare different opinions |
| D．get answers from readers |
| A．Trying in shops and buying online. |
| B．Showing products in a room. |
| C．Buying something in a store. |
| D．Shopping on the Internet. |
| A．The lack of time. |
| B．The comfort of the sofa. |
| C．The shortness of money. |
| D．The security of the product. |
| A．critical | B．neutral |
| C．supportive | D．casual |
