1 . Though the COVID - 19 pandemic has forced museums worldwide to close for some time, Ke Tao, a 26-year-old product manager in Shenzhen, visits a number of these institutions three to four times a week, thanks to digital technology. The digital technology not only helps people continue their “cultural trips” but also revitalizes (使恢复生机) museums in the pandemic.
“Many museums have held livestreamed shows, allowing audiences to appreciate exhibitions by following virtual guides and interacting online with other visitors, which has been a novel experience for me,” said Ke Tao.
According to a report by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, museums have been badly affected by the pandemic, with nearly 90 percent of them, more than 85, 000 worldwide, having to close temporarily due to measures taken to combat COVID-19. More than 10 percent of them may never reopen.
But when these museums develop their internet presence to maintain links with the public, they have seen a substantial rise in the number of visitors to their websites during lockdowns. For example, the Louvre Museum in Paris saw visits to its website rise tenfold in the first few days of the lockdown in France. Visitor numbers were later reported to have reached a level three times higher than average, the report said.
Han Bing, chief researcher of culture and entertainment, said going digital is an unavoidable process for the development of museums, even in the post-pandemic era. “Compared with offline museums, virtual institutions are not limited by space, can be more expressive by using technologies, and have a stronger interaction with users,” she said.
“Moreover, virtual museums can experiment with new ideas to offer more flexible, interesting and entertaining forms of education for their audiences.”
Han added that while the pandemic will not totally change people’s habit of visiting museums, it may bring a certain degree of change. “In the post pandemic era, the positioning of offline and virtual museums will be different. Both online and offline models have their advantages and disadvantages with a relatively clear division of functions and features.”
1. What contributes most to Ke Tao’s visit to the museums during the pandemic?| A．An offline museum. | B．A cultural trip. | C．Digital technology. | D．A livestreamed show. |
| A．It is fresh. | B．It is boring. | C．It is fictional. | D．It is worthless. |
| A．They will bring complete change. | B．They will disappear from public view. |
| C．They will have much space for development. | D．They will be attached to traditional museums. |
| A．Seldom can museums reopen again. |
| B．Museums will lose their popularity among people. |
| C．Digital museums will replace traditional museums. |
| D．Digital museums and traditional museums will exist together. |
2 . Bacteria are an annoying problem for astronauts. The microorganisms(微生物) from our bodies grow uncontrollably on surfaces of the International Space Station, so astronauts spend hours cleaning them up each week. How is NASA overcoming this very tiny big problem? It’s turning to a bunch of high school kids. But not just any kids. It is depending on NASA HUNCH high school classrooms, like the one science teachers Gene Gordon and Donna Himmelberg lead at Fairport High School in Fairport, New York.
HUNCH is designed to connect high school classrooms with NASA engineers. For the past two years, Gordon’s students have been studying ways to kill bacteria in zero gravity, and they think they’re close to a solution(解决方案). “We don’t give the students any breaks. They have to do it just like NASA engineers,” says Florence Gold, a project manager.
“There are no tests,” Gordon says. “There is no graded homework. There almost are no grades, other than ‘Are you working towards your goal?’ Basically, it’s ‘I’ve got to produce this product and then, at the end of year, present it to NASA.’ Engineers come and really do an in-person review, and...it’s not a very nice thing at times. It’s a hard business review of your product.”
Gordon says the HUNCH program has an impact(影响) on college admissions and practical life skills. “These kids are so absorbed in their studies that I just sit back. I don’t teach.” And that annoying bacteria? Gordon says his students are emailing daily with NASA engineers about the problem, readying a workable solution to test in space.
1. What do we know about the bacteria in the International Space Station?| A．They are hard to get rid of. | B．They lead to air pollution. |
| C．They appear in different forms. | D．They damage the instruments. |
| A．To strengthen teacher-student relationships. |
| B．To sharpen students’ communication skills. |
| C．To allow students to experience zero gravity. |
| D．To link space technology with school education. |
| A．Check their product. | B．Guide project designs. |
| C．Adjust work schedules. | D．Grade their homework. |
| A．NASA: The Home of Astronauts |
| B．Space: The Final Homework Frontier |
| C．Nature: An Outdoor Classroom |
| D．HUNCH: A College Admission Reform |
