The Science Without Borders®Challenge is an international contest that engages students and teachers in ocean conservation through art.
Theme
The theme for the 2024 Science without Borders®Challenge is"Hidden Wonders of the Deep. "To apply for this year's contest, students should submit artwork illustrating mysterious and unique deep-sea creatures or ecosystems, highlighting the beauty and diversity that often goes unseen.
Qualification
This international art competition is open to all students 11-19 years old. College and university students are not qualified for this contest.
How to Apply
To apply to the 2024 Science Without Borders®Challenge, fill out the online entry form, and upload a picture of your art work before 1st July! If you are under the age of 13, your parents will be asked to provide permission, so make sure not to wait until the last minute.
Judging
A panel of artists, educators, and scientists judge the Science Without Borders® Challenge. Artwork will be evaluated on the quality of the artwork, originality, and adherence to(坚持) the theme.
Certificates will be sent to all participants in this year's Science Without Borders®Challenge after the winners are announced in August.
Prizes
Winners will be awarded with the following scholarships:
·1st Place: $500
·2nd Place: $350
·3rd Place: $200
On the streets of Sydney, Australia, a young Chinese woman, wearing elegant hanfu, the traditional clothing of China, gracefully holds a dizi, the bamboo flute of China, fascinating passersby with the melodies of traditional Chinese music. The performer is Dong Min, a talented musician born in 1990.
After graduating from Minzu University of China with a major in Chinese bamboo flute, Dong registered at the University of New South Wales in Australia in 2015 to study curating ( 策 展 ) and cultural leadership. Dong quickly found like-minded friends passionate about Chinese traditional instruments. Then, she founded the Sydney Meya Conservatory(音乐学院) of Chinese Music.
Dong noticed a lack of awareness of Chinese traditional music in Australia. So, inspired by local performers using Western instruments for street performances, she started street performances with her conservatory members, showing traditional Chinese instruments in Sydney's Chinatown in 2016.
"Street performances offer a direct and visual way for people to experience Chinese music. By bringing it to the streets, we make it accessible to everyone, "she said.
As Dong's performances grew in popularity, snippets(片段) of her shows spread across social media, drawing in a larger audience. With over 1 million followers online, including nearly 150, 000 from international platforms, Dong's influence continues to grow.
Apart from her conservatory, Dong also offers online dizi lessons to a global audience and organizes online exchange concerts for her students worldwide. "I hope to create a platform for music enthusiasts to connect and build friendships through their shared love for music, "she said.
Ever since she arrived in Australia, Dong has noticed a growing interest in Chinese traditional music among local people. Many music schools now offer courses on Chinese instruments. "This demonstrates that traditional Chinese music is thriving (兴旺) not only in formal concert halls but also on the streets and within communities, "she said.
Packaging designers often combine a variety of elements—text, illustration, color—in complex designs meant to attract consumers' attention. In many cases, according to a new series of studies, they'd get better results from a simpler approach.
In the first study, the researchers worked with data from the U. S. supermarket chain Kroger. They gathered all product images across four consumable categories—shampoo, deodorant, crackers, and cereal—along with each product's name, brand, retail(零售) price, and weight. Independent research assistants rated the images on complexity of design. Mapping the ratings against each product's price per ounce showed that the simpler the package was, the higher the product's unit price—suggesting that people are willing to pay more when items are presented simply.
In the following experiments, the researchers created simple and complex packages for trail mix and showed one or the other to each of 362 university students. The students indicated the highest amount they would pay for the snack, reported whether they thought it contained few or many ingredients and how pure they believed it to be, and rated the package on attractiveness and simplicity. Those who saw the simple design were willing to pay more, even though they were less likely than people who saw the complex design to award high marks on attractiveness. The simple design got higher scores on purity, and participants believed the product contained fewer ingredients. Repeating the experiment with a different item—hand lotion(护手霜)—got similar results.
"Simplifying packaging design may be an efficient way to convey product information independent of text, "the researchers write. Additional experiments showed that the boost from a simple design was less pronounced when the product's ingredients were highlighted on the package; consumers then had no need to guesspurity.
Imagine being able to chat with an artificial intelligence (AI) about anything. What if you could discuss last night's game, get relationship advice, or have a deep debate with the virtual assistant on your kitchen counter? Large language models—AIs capable of this level of communication—are advancing quickly enough to make this our new reality. But can we trust what artificial agents say?
There are many reasons to embrace conversational AI. The potential uses in health, education, research, and commercial spaces are mind-boggling. Virtual characters can't replace human contact, but mental health research suggests that having something to talk to, whether real or not, can help people.
But the biggest problem is that we trust them more than we should. There's a large body of research in human-robot interaction which shows that people will respond to social gestures, reveal personal information, and are even willing to shift their beliefs or behaviour for an artificial agent. This kind of social trust makes us vulnerable(脆弱的) to emotional persuasion and requires careful design, as well as rules, to ensure that these systems aren't used against people.
A chatbot may, for instance, instruct your child to touch a live electrical plug with a coin, which has happened. The newest language models are trained on vast amounts of text found on the internet, including harmful and misleading content. As it becomes more difficult to expect a language model's responses, there's more risk of unintended consequences. For example, if people ask their home assistant how to deal with a medical emergency, the wrong kinds of answers can be harmful.
We need to ask who creates and owns large language models, and whom this harms or benefits. Personal information that people reveal in conversation can be used for and against them. We need to ensure that this technology is designed and used responsibly. After all, humanity deserves protection, too.
Are you too responsible?
Taking responsibility is an essential element of strong leadership. But when the scales tip to over-responsibility, both the leader and their team suffer.
Define what you're truly responsible for
When it feels like the weight of the world is on your shoulders, try the following pie-chart exercise. Dra w a circle on your paper and allocate(分配) responsibility for the situation to each person on your list. Add up those amounts and determine the remaining percentage. The amount left over is your actual share ofresponsibility.
Examine your assumptions
To start overturning your over-responsibility habit, examine the beliefs and fears that keep it alive. Are they really true? Reframe the release of responsibility and consider that you're empowering others. Allow them to struggle with a task, solve their own problem, or own up to a mistake.
Give responsibilities back
Whether you willingly assumed a given responsibility or it was placed on you, it's time to return it to its rightful owner. Identify one responsibility you can return to a specific person. Expect a few discomfort at first, but resist the temptation to jump back in.
Accept help
If you're overly responsible, you likely say"yes"whenever others ask for help but don't ask for any yourself. It's time to rebalance your give-accept proportion.
If someone asks if they can take something off your plate or offers to do something for you, say"yes. "
Rightsizing your responsibility is not about escaping what is yours to own but finding a more appropriate balance. By taking 100% of your responsibility, but not more, you will avoid unnecessary stress and help others grow.
A. Practice accepting offers of help.
B. Grab a piece of paper and list everyone involved.
C. It may be a simple task that someone else should be doing.
D. The following strategies may help you find a more appropriate balance.
E. In this way, you help them develop greater competence and confidence.
F. Leaders who ask for help increase the feelings of connection on their team.
G. If so, these could be signs that you have an overactive sense of responsibility.
From the age of eight or so, I had to contribute my share of labour along with my father and two elder brothers.
Kneeling(跪) in a rice field, I was up to my thighs(大腿) in the 1 . It splashed(溅) all over me, wet, sticky and 2 . When mud splashed into my eyes and onto my lip, I'd stand up, find the kettle of fresh water and try to 3 it away; but it was always a long 4 .
In midsummer, the sun beat upon my back, making me feel like hot bread 5 the side of a pan. 6 ran down my mud-covered arms and legs. It felt as if ants were 7 all over me. To prevent the sweat from running into my eyes, I kept myface as 8 as possible.
I told myself, Be 9 ! If my parents and brothers could 10 taking it, so I could. A kind of 11 took place of the hurt in me. So thinking, I slowly pulled myself together and I crawled (爬) on.
I 12 hard in the countryside, and I am proud of this. Crawling in the mud had taught me to take sweating as part of my life and not to be afraid in the face of 13 . More importantly, I had learnt the 14 of"you reap what you sow". Plant your feet 15 on the ground, work hard and you will be rewarded.
Beijing Diabolo Museum, museum of"empty bamboos", was first opened in May
2009. It was the first"intangible cultural heritage"themed museum (site) inside a Beijing community.
The Diabolo Museum (house) over 400 diabolos and is divided into three halls, (present) the development of diabolos in terms of their history, techniques, and playing tricks.
Some notable exhibits include diabolos are over 100 years old, the largest diabolo in the world, mini diabolos, a diabolo once played by Puyi, the last emperor of China. There are also plenty of old photographs (show)them being sold on the streets.
Also on display is a (collect) of the sticks used to control the diabolos. (initial), both the spools and the sticks of the Chinese diabolo were made of bamboo, but now they come in (vary) materials such as plastic, wood, and rubber.
"Do you think you can win this competition, Caroline?"Mrs Winterbottom asked her daughter.
"I don't know, mum. But I will do my best. "
"I know, my dear. Just remember that your father pays a lot of money for the horse. A lot of money for the stables(养马场). And a lot of money for the riding club. "
"I know, mum, I know. I'll do my best. I really will. "
Caroline always did her best, but it was never enough. She was a good rider, and her horse Applewind was a great horse. And she never missed a competition. But Sophi e Craig was always better than her. Sophie won all of the show jumping competitions, and Sophie's horse Blossom was everybody's darling. Everyone loved Sophi e and Blossom.
"If you really want to win, you will win", Caroline's dad said. He said the same thing before every competition. "Life is about winning. You have to learn that, Caroline!"
Caroline sighed. "Dad, "she said. "I want to win, too. But Sophi e is too good. "
"You have to be better than her, "Mr Winterbottom said. "If you don't win, Caroline, I'll sell your horse. No trophy(奖杯), no horse!"
With the next competition drawing near, Caroline trained even harder.
"What's the matter, Caroline? You look unhappy. "It was Sophie, Caroline's strong rival as well as close friend.
"Dad said that he'll sell Applewind if I don't win the next competition. "
Sophie knew clearly what that would mean to Caroline. After all, they shared the same hobby, and they went through many competitions together. If she had to quit riding and leave Blossom, she couldn't imagine, or even think about such a scene. Poor Caroline. Poor Applewind.
"You'll win, Caroline. Everything will be fine. "Sophie gave her a firm hug.
The day of the competition soon came. Caroline knew she was going to lose again. And then her dad would sell Applewind. Caroline wanted to cry, but she had to be brave.
"Are you nervous, too?"Caroline whispered into Applewind's ear. "We must win the competition today. Let's go and get ready!"
注意：
1. 写作词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
The competition started.
"But how could Sophie fall off the horseback?"Caroline wondered.
