Mid-IB at a glance

    The summer vacation is the time to strengthen your learning and prepare for the year ahead. In July and August Oxford Study Courses will once again hold its Mid-IB Summer School for students half way through their IB Diploma（国际预科证书）.

    We'll be back giving another generation of IB students a unique opportunity to sample a way of life enjoyed by students at famous universities.

    Students who have completed the first year of their IB Diploma can join us and we can help them prepare for their important second year.

    Students can choose how many subjects they study. Each subject is studied for one week. You can attend up to 5 weeks.

    The Mid-IB Summer School is held at Cambridge University in the UK （between June 20th and August 1 st） and at Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology （MIT）in Boston, USA （between July 6th and July 25th）.

Student comments

◆ “The classes have shown me new approaches to learning. I have also learned how to approach exam questions and now feel confident in doing so.”

◆ “It was cool creating tight and close relationships with other students from around the world, realizing we all had a connection to each other.”

◆ “I really enjoyed the level of independence, although I felt like people were watching out for us. I also felt like an Oxford student!”

◆ “I have enjoyed the learning style and the course work has been extremely beneficial academically.”

Enjoy the summer

    Our Summer School gives you an action-packed social scene with visits to the fun places in the area, organized sports and social events, and advice on how to enjoy your free time in these amazing cities with your new friends. Welcome to contact us at ose@ose-ib.com or on +44（0）1865 521802!

    Tourist Guide To The National Gallery

    Opening hours: Daily 10am -6pm Friday 10amn-9pm

    Closed.24-26 December

    Reasons to visit

    With over 2, 300 paintings in the collection, there are hundreds of reasons to visit the Gallery

    Here are some to get you started……

    Get into great art. From Leonardo da Vinci to Vincent van Gogh. See priceless works of art for free……

    Get creative, Brush up your skills, and create your own great works of art……

    Lean about art. Discover more about paintings.

    Be inspired. Life, death, passion, beauty. Every painting tells a story.

    Relax. Escape from the noisy city into a painting

Regulations

    Talk in a low voice when you use your cellphone in the gallery.

    Not touching the paintings or other exhibits. Not taking pets in or crossing the barriers.

    Consuming food and drink in designated areas only, i. e. not in rooms that contain paintings

    Following our'no-smoking' policy in any part of the building.

    Following our'no –photography' policy in exhibitions where a sign is displayed

    Access:

    The National Gallery aims to make access to the paintings enjoyable and welcoming to the widest possible public. There are a range of facilities to help you see the collection, visit exhibitions and come to events

    The Gallery offers British Sign Language -interpreted As on paintings for visitors who are deaf, and special art sessions(展期)for visitors who can't see.

    Address: The National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, London WC2N SDN

    Getting here:

    By tube

    The nearest stations are Charing Cross( National Rail, Northern, and Bakerloo lines )and Leicester Square( Northern and Piccadilly lines)

    By bus

    Routes 3, 6, 9, 11, 13, 15, 23, 24, 87, 91, 139, and 176 stop at Trafalgar Square.

    By bike

    The nearest bike stands are on Orange Street, St Martin's Street, St Martins Place, and Duncannon Street

    Click here to find more information.

    A hospital has been forced to ban Pokemon Go players from the site after a monster hub(妖怪枢纽站) was found in the A&E department. Royal Stoke University Hospital discovered that its casualty unit(急诊室) is on the same spot as a Pokemon Go 'gym' ­­ where players can train their newly caught Nintendo creatures.

    The University Hospitals of North Midlands Trust agreed last week that patients can play Pokemon Go on wards because walking around is healthy. But the Trust has been forced to post a warning on its website about public access to A&E. It said if Pokemon Go becomes a major annoyance it would ask Nintendo­­ which decides on the locations of the virtual gyms according to GPS­­to have it removed from the premises(道馆).

    Kevin Parker, associate chief nurse, said, "Members of the public who do not need to be at Royal Stoke should not attempt to enter A&E or any other part of the hospital building to play the game. The A&E department is incredibly busy this summer. We want the public to understand that anybody who visits the hospital solely to play the game will provide an unwanted distraction to the important work of the hospital. I'm also aware of various reports in the media of unsafe areas that the game has been played in."

    "Royal Stoke University Hospital is a safe area where gamers can enjoy Pokemon Go." Michelle Harris, the Trust's manager, said the game could still be played by those already in hospital. "We recognize that the Pokemon Go game encourages walking and exercise, which is something that the Trust is equally keen to promote," she said.

    There are a number of "walking routes" established throughout the Trust that can be used to combine walking and playing the game. "Walking just 30 minutes, five times a week, can help reduce the risk of preventable illnesses such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease."

    There have been several warnings about the game since its UK release. Last week a group of teenagers in Wiltshire were left stranded almost 100ft underground after they got carried away searching for Pokemon Go characters. The four boys, aged 16 and 17, ended up getting lost and had to wait to get a phone signal before they could call for help. Eventually, they contacted Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue team, who took them to safety. Damien Bence, of the fire and rescue team, said: "Pokemon Go is obviously leading people into dangerous situations."

Earthquakes are something that people fear.There are some places that have few or no earthquakes.Most places in the world,however,have them regularly (有规律地).Countries that have a lot of earthquakes are usually quite mountainous.

The most talked about earthquake in the United States was in San Francisco in 1906.Over 700 people died in it.The strongest one in North America was in 1964.It happened in Alaska.

Strong earthquakes are not always the ones that kill the most people.In 1755,one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded was felt in Portugal.Around 2,000 people died.

In 1923,a very strong earthquake hit Tokyo and the Yokohama areas of Japan.A hundred and forty thousand people died.Most of them died in fires which followed the earthquake.

One of the worst earthquakes ever was in China in 1976.It killed a large number of people.The worst earthquake ever reported was also in China,in which about 830,000 people were killed.This earthquake happened in 1556.

Earthquakes worry people a lot.The reason is that we often do not know when they are coming.People cannot prepare for it.

It was the Dragon Boat Festival. Shiny white tents lined the waterfront, {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (provide) shade and refreshments for dragon boat paddlers (桨手) from all over California, {#blank#}2{#/blank#} gathered around the Castaic Lake for a festive competition.

Giggling kids raced cheerfully along the lakeside beach, with  {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (they) parents enjoying the shady picnic areas under the trees along the shore. "It's a great day out," said Paul Lin, co-founder of Castaic's own Dragon Eyes team.

Dragon boat racing has been going on for thousands of years in China, {#blank#}4{#/blank#}  (initial) conducted in honor of the poet Qu Yuan, as a way  {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (honor) his legacy and spirit.

In the race, a drummer  {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (use) a large traditional wooden drum to keep the paddlers on the beat, {#blank#}7{#/blank#}  a steersman in the back keeps them in their lane.

Lin said a friend got him  {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (involve) in dragon boat racing over a decade ago. In 2018, they decided to host their own festival. "There's something really special to be learned from our dragon boat motto: One Boat, One Beat," he said. "Paddlers come from all walks of life and that kind of {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (close) with people is nowhere else to be seen."

"We really want to help expand people's awareness and grow the sport," said Lin. "We're hoping one day it will become  {#blank#}10{#/blank#}  Olympic sport."