Hours

Monday – Thursday: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm

Friday: 10:00 am – 8:00 pm

Saturday: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm

Sunday: 11:00 am – 5:00 pm

    Closed on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

    The Museum Shop is open during regular museum hours.

The Museum Library

Monday –Friday: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm

The Skyliner Restaurant

Monday - Saturday: during regular museum hours

Sunday: 11:30 am – 5:00 pm

Admission

Adults:$7.00

The aged and students with ID: $6.00

    Wonderful Museum offers a 50% discount to groups of 20 or more.

    Sydney Trains is one of the most economical, reliable and convenient ways to travel throughout Sydney and its surrounds.

    Our network, the NSW Trains Intercity, covers suburban Sydney and extends to the Hunter, Central Coast, Blue Mountains, Southern Highlands and South Coast regions.

    The network is made up of several color-coded lines. Trains from different lines can share the same platform, so check display screen and listen to announcements.

    Ticket prices are generally based on the distance traveled. You can visit transportnsw. Info for details.

    Getting to the City.

    In Sydney, if you're near a train station, you're on your way to the city. Every rail line leads directly or indirectly to the City Circle. It's the loop around the central business district of Sydney. Most City stations are underground so look out for the sign on street level.

    Automatic ticket gates

    Large stations have automatic gates for entry to, and exit from, the station. If you have an Opal card or a ticket which has a magnetic stripe you must use the automatic gates. You may use the wide gate for wheelchair, pram or luggage access. Station staff will assist you.

    Night Ride buses

    Most trains do not operate between midnight and 4:00 a.m. For your convenience a special Night Ride bus service is available between these hours on most Sydney suburban lines.

    Track work

    In order for the tracks to the maintained, we sometimes have to replace train with buses, particularly at weekends, Please check the track work section for the latest service alterations on your line.

The Secret of a Long Life

    I am Peter Brown. I am a writer with an important magazine. The other day I saw a white-haired man sitting on the chair in front of his house. I could see the wrinkles (皱纹) in his face and neck, and his wrinkled hands. Articles on the secrets of living to an old age are always popular with our readers, so I decided to write a story and discover the secret of this man's long life. As I went near him, I said:

    “Sir, would it be okay if I talked with you for just a moment?”

    “Not at all. Actually, it would make me very happy. I get very bored sitting here, even for a short time. Until a little while ago, I lived a full and active life without a moment's rest.”

    “Well, they say that a lot of activities help one to live a long time.”

    “That's true, very true. I still feel very well, although my step has slowed down a little.”

    The conversation continued in that way for a while. Although I tried to be very thoughtful about getting information from older people, it seemed to me that it would now be all right to begin to ask some polite questions.

    “Would it be okay if I smoked?”

    “Not at all.”

    “I'd offer you one, but I suppose you probably don't smoke, or drink, or…”

    “You're wrong! I've always smoked a great deal. And until a little while ago, I went dancing every night. And as for alcoholic drinks ...”

    “Do you mean to say that you've done these things all your life?”

    “Of course. Why does that surprise you so much?”

    “I've always been told that doing those things is bad for the health.”

    “Nonsense!”

    “I suppose that you have another secret ... a lot of fruit... vegetables ... a lot of exercise in the fresh air…”

    “Don't be silly! I hate exercise in the fresh air, and I don't like any kind of vegetable.”

    “This is unbelievable!”

    “What do you mean, unbelievable? What are you talking about?”

    “It's just that I can't understand how you've been able to live like that and to have lasted so long. Tell me, how old are you?”

    “Me? I'm twenty-eight. Why?”

    No one enjoys hearing the sound of someone else chewing their food. Most of the time, though, it's not that big a deal but a minor annoyance.

    But for a small group of people with misophonia (恐音症), the sound can be painful, causing extreme anger and deep discomfort. The most ordinary sounds of chewing and breathing can drive them crazy. Past attempts to explain the causes of misophonia have suggested everything from compulsive disorder to an easily-annoyed personality—but according to a study published yesterday in the journal CurrentBiology, the true criminal is the structure of the brain.

    For the study, a team of researchers led by Newcastle University neuroscientist Sukhbinder Kumar recruited (招募) 42 volunteers, of whom around half had extreme misophonia and the other half served as the control group, and played them several different noises: some ordinary; some harsh, like the sound of a person screaming; and some that were ordinary for the control group but known to be annoying for misophonics, people with misophonia, like the sound of breathing. As the participants listened, the researchers monitored them for signs of anxiety, both physical symptoms and behavioral expressions, and observed their brain activity using FMRI scans.

    The only significant difference in reaction between the two groups happened, during the misophonia-specific sounds, when those with the condition showed physical changes that suggested they were entering fight-or-flight mode.

    Misophonics had increased activity in the AIC, an area known to play a central role in the system that determines which things we should pay attention to. When the trigger sounds were played, there was not only more activity in this region but also abnormally high levels of connection to other regions.

    Misophonia, in other words, may be a result of misplaced attention the brain of a misophonic focuses on things that other people normally tune out (不予理会). On a related note, on behalf of misophonics and manners-minded moms everywhere: Please, chew with your mouth closed.

    My wife and I spent two weeks in London last year. We went there in the autumn. We think it is the best season to visit England. The weather is usually good and there aren't too many tourists in October.

    We stayed in a small hotel in the West End. It was convenient as we did most of our sightseeing on foot. Taxis were too expensive, we couldn't understand the bus routes, and my wife didn't like traveling under the ground. She said it made her feel sick.

     We went to look at the places which all tourists visit. We saw Buckingham Palace and the National Gallery. We went shopping in Oxford Street and spent too much money. What we liked most, though, was going to the theatre. We didn't have the chance to see such wonderful plays at home. A lot of people say English food is bad. We didn't think so. It is true that most of the restaurants are French or Italian or Chinese, but we had some very good meals.

    In fact, we enjoyed our holiday so much that we have already booked again for this year. We are going to take our umbrellas, though. I'm sure we'll need them sometimes.

Music

    Opera at Music Hall: 1243 Elm Street The season runs June through August, with additional performances in March and September. The Opera honors Enjoy the Arts membership discounts. Phone: 241 ­2742.

    http://www.cityopera.com

    Chamber Orchestra: The Orchestra plays at Memorial Hall at 106 Elm Street, which offers several conceits from March through June. Gall 723­1182 for more information.

    http://www.chamberorch.com.

    Symphony Orchestra: At Music Hall and Riverbend. For ticket sales, call 381­3300. Regular season runs September through May at Music Hall in summer al Riverbend.

    http://www.symphony.org/honie.asp.

    College Conservatory Of Music (CCM): Performances are on the main campus of the university, usually at Patricia Cobbett Theater. CCM organizes a variety of events, including performances by the well­known LaSalle Quarter, CMM's Philharmonic Orchesira, and various groups of musicians presenting Baroque through modem misic. Students with I.D. cards can attend the events for free. A free schedule of events for each term is available by coiling the box office at 556­4183.

    http://www.ccm. uc.edu/events/calendar.

    Rivebent Music Theater.6295 Kellogg Ave« Large outdoor theater with the closest seats under cover (price difference). Big name shows all summer long! Phone:232­6220.

    http://www.riverbendmusic.com