Two Special Museums
Barbed (有刺的) Wire Museum
Is this the strangest museum of all? One thing's for sure— you won't want to touch the handiwork on display!
Invented by Joseph Glidden in 1874, this type of wire fencing quickly turned into a multi- million- dollar industry. Where farmers once let their animals wander freely across the prairies (草地), this wire now enabled land to be sectioned— and that in turn, changed the face of the" Wild West"!
Opened in 1971, the museum displays over 2,000 varieties of barbed wire, as well as tools and equipment used in fencing. Who would come here? The thousands of barbed wire fans across the world, it seems!
The Salt and Pepper Shaker Museum
Opened in 2001, the owners of this small museum in Tennessee, USA are serious collectors! Their museum houses over 20,000 different salt and pepper shakers, some of which date back thousands of years!
With shakers shaped as astronauts, chickens, monks, letters and cute puppies, you will be amazed at the enormous variety on show! And while you look through their packed shelves, you also get to learn the rather interesting history behind salt and pepper.
One salt shaker the Ludden family don't have in their museum is the Cellini Salt Cellar. This was presented to Francis I, King of France, in 1543 and was made from pure gold and it's worth an amazing €50 million!
In Saskatchewan, Canada, vegetables have a short growing season. So a very unique farm in Hudson Bay is growing fresh, pesticide- free (无农药的) vegetables in a hydroponic (水培的) farm all year long. There the plants are grown in water instead of soil.
Growing vegetables in the middle of nowhere, about 300 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon, may seem like a big risk, but there is no other place for people to get locally grown food. Produce is available in local supermarkets but it is trucked in from far away.
The idea to turn the no longer used Stewart Hawke school into a farm came to the Nels when Hudson Bay asked for bids (投标) for the building in 2018. It was empty and if an alternative use wasn't found, it would be pulled down. "We started looking for ideas, and we went and proposed doing this," Jan Nel said." And they loved it."
After the proposal was accepted, the family worked together to prepare the building in January 2019 and they planted the first seeds in just one classroom the next month.
The company has grown and is now using several rooms thanks to the quality of the produce and the fact that it is local, according to June Nel." It's not two weeks old; it hasn't travelled across the country or across the world," she said. "It actually tastes like lettuce. Lots of people have commented on our herbs. It actually still tastes fresh when you get it, and there's no pesticide used."
She expects more producers to turn to hydroponics in the future but notes that the technology is limited to only some fruits and vegetables and doesn't work for potatoes or grains." It's not the answer to the food security question or challenge, but it will play an increasingly larger role," she adds.
We know that spending lots of time sitting down isn't good for us, but just how much exercise is needed to match the negative health effects of sitting down all day? Research suggests about 30-40 minutes per day of building up a sweat should do it.
Up to 40 minutes of "moderate (温和的) to vigorous (有力的) intensity physical activity" every day is about the right amount to balance out 10 hours of sitting still, the research says— although any amount of exercise or even just standing up helps to some extent.
That's based on a study published in 2020 analyzing nine previous studies, involving a total of 44,370 people in four different countries who were wearing some form of fitness tracker. The analysis found the risk of death among those with a more sedentary (久坐的) lifestyle went up as time spent engaging in moderate- to- vigorous intensity physical activity went down. In other words, putting in some reasonably intensive activities— cycling, brisk walking, gardening— can lower your risk of an earlier death.
While analyses like this one always require some detailed dot- joining across separate studies with different volunteers, timescales and conditions, the benefit of this particular piece of research is that it relied on relatively objective data from wearables— not data self- reported by the participants.
The research based on fitness trackers is broadly in line with the 2020 WHO guidelines, which recommend 150—300 mins of moderate intensity or 75—150 mins of vigorous intensity physical activity every week to balance out sedentary behaviour.
Walking up the stairs instead of taking the lift, playing with children and pets, taking part in yoga or dancing, doing household chores, walking, and cycling are all put forward as ways in which people can be more active— and if you can't manage the 30—40 minutes right away, the researchers say, start off small.
Plastic pollution has become an unfortunate fact of life all over the world— including in the oceans. While all that junk floating around can pose a serious threat to many animals, a new study finds some species may have actually turned it into an entirely new ecosystem!
The North Pacific "Garbage Patch" is a huge area in the ocean where a lot of plastic waste gets stuck. However, it's not just wastes that get caught up in this mess. Researchers from Georgetown University found that many sea creatures like jellyfish, snails, and barnacles also live there.
In 2018 and 2019, scientists collected 105 pieces of plastic from the patch, and found 46 different species of invertebrates (无脊椎动物) living on them. About 80% of those species normally live near the coast rather than in the middle of an ocean. The researchers also found that these species have been breeding on the patch— meaning there may now be a permanent community of coastal species in the middle of the ocean.
Lead author Linsey Haram said that it's not yet known how this will affect the ocean ecosystem. But she said the coastal species are likely competing for food with ocean species, and they may also be eating each other.
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is one of the five areas of garbage that have formed in the middle of huge circular ocean currents called gyres (环流). Another garbage patch is in the South Pacific, two are in the Atlantic Ocean, and the fifth is in the Indian Ocean.
A 2018 study of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch found that about one- third of garbage that could be linked to Japan. Up to 20% of garbage added since 2011 was created by the huge tsunami that hit northern Japan that year, the study said.
How to Teach Time Management Skills to Teens
Teens usually have fairly structured schedules. Their school day and their after- school activities are planned out for them. As a result, many of them don't learn how to manage their time wisely when they have some downtime. .
Advise your teen to write down his schedule. Your teen's time may easily get taken up with video games or social media if he's not careful. Teach him to schedule his day so he can set aside time for chores(琐事), homework, and other responsibilities. , so time doesn't idly pass without feeling like he hasn't done anything fun.
. Whether it's a planner that your teen writes everything in or an app that manages your teen's schedule, help your teen find the tools that will work best for him. Talk about the importance of creating a schedule and using lists to manage his time wisely.
Help him to set goals. . Then, help him identify how much time he'll need to work on that goal each day. Whether he wants to exercise for 30 minutes 3 times each week or he decides to apply for scholarships one Saturday afternoon each month, goal setting is a great way to help him manage his time.
Help your teen prioritize activities. It's common for teens to have conflicts in their schedules. A basketball game, birthday party, and church activity may all coincide (同时发生). , based on his values and commitments.
Set limits on electronics. Your teen may waste countless hours on social media or playing video games if she's not careful. Establish rules that help her create healthy habits with her cellphone and other digital devices.
A. Model good time management habits
B. Give your teen time management tools
C. Practise managing your own time wisely
D. Encourage him to schedule free time as well
E. Talk to your teen about how to prioritize activities
F. Here are some steps you can take to teach your teen
G. Talk to your teen about the personal goals he wants to reach
Zora woke up early on Saturday morning, 1 for her long- awaited trip to the mall with her friends. They had planned this shopping spree(狂欢) for weeks and she had been 2 the days. Zora always had one 3 item she planned to buy for her mum that hadn't told her friends about.
As they walked past a fabrics store, Zora's eyes 4 up. She had been saving up for months to buy a sewing machine for her mum to help patch (缝补) 5 , and she knew this store carried it. She dragged her friends inside, and as soon as she 6 the sewing machine, she knew it was the one.
But when Zora checked the 7 tag(标签), her heart sank. It was much more expensive than she had 8 . She started to feel disappointed and considered giving up on her 9 of helping her mum.
Her friends noticed her 10 and decided to help her. They took out some money and encouraged her to buy it, telling her how much her mum 11 it. With their 12 , Zora decided to spend on the sewing machine, and as she walked out of the store, she felt a sense of pride and 13 .
The rest of the day flew by, and they headed back home. Zora realized that her 14 were the real friends she had. They had helped her at the important moment and created 15 that she would cherish(珍藏) forever.
Lion and dragon dances are an integral (不可或缺的) part of many Chinese celebrations and cultural events, (contain) the Chinese New Year, weddings, and business openings. These dances are often performed by a group of people who wear colourful costumes and carry large, (decorate) dragon or lion puppets. The dragon and lion are both symbolic (animal) that represent power, strength, and good luck.
The dragon is mythical creature that has been a symbol of Chinese culture for centuries. In Chinese mythology, the dragon is associated with the emperor considered to be a symbol of power, prosperity, and good fortune. The dragon is believed (control) the waters and the rain, and is also associated with the idea of the yang, the masculine principle.
In Chinese culture, the lion is seen a guardian animal and is often used to war d off evil spirits. The lion dance (perform) during festivals and celebrations to bring good luck and prosperity to the community.
Together, the dragon and lion represent a balance of opposing forces in the universe, and the dance performances symbolize the (harmonious) and unity of the community. It's said that the dances can bring good luck and prosperity to those watch them and are an important part of Chinese cultural heritage.
1.为何要学习理财知识；
2.合理规划自己的小金库。
注意：
1.写作词数应为80左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
To Be a Smart Financial Planner
I am honoured to have the opportunity to talk about the importance of financial planning as a smart financial planner.
……
Thank you for your listening.
Our science teacher always enjoys giving out challenging assignments to our Grade 10 science class. Unlike other teachers who hand out page upon page of textbook questions, Mr. Hussey seems to prefer having the students learn science through a more hands- on, do- it- yourself approach.
"Today," said Mr. Hussey, "everyone will be making an icebox!" As we sat in awe, trying to imagine what kind of device he was referring to, Mr. Hussey handed out the project instructions. In groups of two, we would design a storage (贮藏) device that was capable of keeping its contents at a constant temperature for a certain period of time, regardless of the outside temperature. The competition was quite straightforward: every contestant would receive a cube (立方体) of ice. The team that had the biggest piece left the next day would win!
As always, I partnered with my best friend, Vlad. That afternoon we went straight to the library. After an intense discussion, we agreed on the basic idea of having the ice cube inside a box, which would be put inside another bigger box. Between the two boxes would be the heat insulator(绝缘体).
The first test of the icebox was extremely disappointing. Since this was our first experiment, we both wanted good results to build our confidence. Before I went to bed that night, I carefully picked out a huge block of ice from our refrigerator and placed it inside the icebox. When I woke up the next morning and looked into the icebox, there wasn't even a bit of ice left. Reflecting on this failure, we were determined to find a better insulating material. Then we tried the same experiment again. This time, we made it. There was 70 percent of the ice left.
注意：
1.续写词数应为 150左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
The day of the competition came very fast.
……
The next day, everybody rushed towards these works of art.
