When I was watching a sports event yesterday, I met with an amazing sight. It was not a gold medal, or a world record broken, but a show of pure courage and determination.

    The event was swimming. I watched a man dive off the blocks and knew right away that something was wrong. I'm not an expert swimmer, but I can tell a good dive from a poor one, and this was not exactly medal quality. When he resurfaced, it was evident that the man was not out for gold — his arms were waving in an attempt at freestyle.

    I heard the crowd begin to laugh at this poor man who was clearly having a hard time. Finally he made his turn to start back. It was pitiful. He made a few desperate strokes (划水) and you could tell he was worn out. But in those few awkward strokes, the crowd changed. No longer were they laughing, but beginning to cheer. Some even began to stand and yell things like, "Come on, you can do it!" He did. The crowd went wild.

    Just a short year ago, he had never even swum, let alone race. His country had been invited to take part in the event. Even though he recorded the slowest time, this man gave more heart than any of the other competitors—a man that gave his all, knowing that he had no chance but to compete because of the spirit of the games.

    If you're encouraged by the tiny house movement and think 160 square feet is just enough for your needs, you may want to contact the Academy of Construction and Design (ACAD) at IDEA Public Charter School in northeast Washington.

    Students in the program built a micro house with a kitchen, a bathroom, a sleeping loft with space for a queen-size bed and a storage loft, all set on a trailer for mobility. The exterior of the house was part of a continuous living exhibit in 2015 and was moved to the IDEA campus so students could work with builders to complete the interior earlier this year.

    McMahon said the D. C. government's approval to push companies to hire District residents was at odds with the school system not preparing students for careers in construction, exploring or electrical work. McMahon gathered industry and community leaders to establish ACAD in 2005, and he said 100 percent of the companies he contacted responded positively to the idea, including major firms such as JBG, Clark Construction, Hines Construction and Boston Properties.

    “When students make the connection between what they are learning a potential career, their academics improve dramatically,” said Carol Randolph, chief operating officer of the D. C. Students Construction Trades Foundation. “Some of them who didn't think college was an option now have a better chance because their classes have become relevant to a job.”

    “We teach them life skills and explain that even if you start as a laborer, there are opportunities to move up quickly,” he said. “We rewrite the story for them and explain that they can work for a few years, make good money, get promoted, and start their own business or go to school with less debts.”

    “Parents and school advisor can be the biggest obstacles because of the negative idea of construction as a blue-collar career,” Karriem said. “I get middle-school advisor on board to talk about the opportunities this education provides. These kids are learning lifelong skills that can help them in other fields, provide them with income and allow them to take care of their homes.”

根据短文内容，选择最佳答案，并将选定答案的字母标号填在题前括号内。

Assistant Professor, Musical Theatre Dance

    Wichita State University seeks to hire a full-time, 9-month, assistant professor, beginning August, 2016. Applicants are required to have a degree in dance, teaching experience at the professional or college level, ability to direct and ability to teach stage movement. Salary depends on qualifications and experience.

For complete information see http://finearts.wichita.edu.

Associate/Full Professor in Theatre and Dance

    The Department of Theatre & Dance at the University of California at San Diego (http://www-theatre.ucsd.edu/) is seeking an experienced theatre artist in lighting design. Significant professional experience is required.

A review of applications will start on June 1, 2016. Application deadline: September 1, 2016.

Technical Director in Performing and Fine Arts

    DeSales University's Performing and Fine Arts Department seeks a highly skilled, professional technical director. The position is a 10-month, staff position with the possibility for summer employment with the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival. BA degree or equivalent professional experience is required; MFA is preferred.

    Please email materials to john.bell@desales.edu. Screening of applications begins immediately and will continue until the position is filled.

Assistant Director of Media Resources Center

    Maryland Institute College of Art is seeking an Assistant Director of Media Resources Center in the Academic Affairs Division.

    Position qualifications include a degree in Art History or related field with knowledge of art and design history, library experience, excellent interpersonal and communication skills and familiarity with Photoshop and scanning.

    A review of applications will begin immediately. Applicants may email a letter of interest to jobs@mica.edu. Salary differs depending on your experience. Please include desired salary in your letter of interest.

Application

    Interested persons should electronically submit a cover letter highlighting their experience and qualifications, and names of three professional references with phone and email contact information using the Apply Now link above.

    One hot night last July, when our new baby wouldn't or couldn't sleep,I tried everything I could think of: a warm bottle,songs,gentle rocking.Nothing would settle him.Guessing that I had a long night ahead of me,I brought a portable TV into his room,figuring that watching the late movie was as good a way as any to kill the hours till dawn. To my surprise,as soon as the TV lit up,the baby quieted right down,his little eyes focused brightly on the tube.Not to waste an opportunity for sleep,I then tiptoes（踮着脚走）out of the room,leaving him to watch the actors celebrate John Bellushi's forty-fifth birthday.

    My wife and I heard none of the baby that night,and the next morning when I went into his room,I found that he was still watching TV himself.

    I found in my baby's behavior a symbol of the new generation.My wife and I had given him some books to examine,but he merely spit upon them.When we read to him,he did not feel comfortable.And so it is in the schools. We find that our students don't read and that they look down upon reading and scold those of us who teach it.All that they want to do is to watch TV.After this experience with the baby,however,I have come to a conclusion:"Let them watch it!"If television is that much more attractive to children than books,why should we fight about it?Let them watch it all that they want!

    A study showed that the experiences children have in their first few years are important. These experiences affect the development of the brain. When children receive more attention, they often have higher IQs. Babies receive information when they see, hear and feel things, which makes connections between different parts of the brain. There are a hundred trillion(万亿)connections in the brain of a three-year-old child.

    Researcher Judit Gervain tested how good newborns are at distinguishing different sound patterns. Her researchers produced images of the brains of babies as they heard different sound patterns. For example, one order was mu-ba-ba. This is the pattern"A-B-B". Another order was mu-ba-ge. This is the pattern “A-B-C”. The images showed that the part of the brain responsible for speech was more active during the" A-B-B" pattern. This shows that babies can tell the difference between different patterns. They also were sensitive to where it occurred in the order.

    Gervain is excited by these findings because the order of sounds is the building block of words and grammar." Position is key to language," she says. "If something is at the beginning or at the end, it makes a big difference: John caught the bear.' is very different from 'The bear caught John.'”

    Researchers led by scientist Patricia Kuhl have found that language delivered by televisions, audio books, the Internet, or smartphones－no matter how educational－doesn't appear to be enough for children's brain development. They carried out a study of nine-month-old American babies. They expected the first group who'd watched videos in Chinese to show the same kind of learning as the second group who were brought face-to-face with the same sounds. Instead they found a huge difference. The babies in the second group were able to distinguish between similar Chinese sounds as well as native listeners. But the other babies－regardless of whether they had watched the video or listened to the audio－learned nothing.

    Amsterdam is one of the most popular travel destinations in the world, famous for its beautiful canals, top art museum and cycling culture. It is the capital and most populous (人口稠密) city in the Netherlands and often referred to as the "Venice of the North" due to its convenient system of bridges and canals. Here are some of the key points to remember as you plan your trip to Amsterdam.

    Must-See Attractions

    Most visitors begin their Amsterdam adventure in the Old Centre, which is full of traditional architecture, shopping centers and coffee shops. Don't miss the Dam Square and the areas around Spui and Nieuwmarkt. You'll also want to check out Amsterdam's Museum Quarter in the South District, which is great for shopping at the Albert Cuyp Market and having a picnic in the Vondelpark.

    Transportation

    Travelers should be aware that Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is one of the busiest airports in the world. You can catch a train from Schiphol to Amsterdam Central Station, which has many connecting routes. Cycling is very popular here, and it's easy to find cheap bike rentals around town.

    Recommended Restaurants

    Amsterdam is a top destination for foodies (美食家), so it is difficult to narrow down your dining choices. Here are a couple of our favorites.

Money Saving Tips

    • Unless you really want to see the tulips (郁金香) blooming, avoid booking between mid-March and mid-May. This is when hotel and flight prices rise sharply.

    • Look for accommodations in Amsterdam's South District, where rates are generally cheaper than in the city center.

    • Buy train tickets at the machine instead of the counter to save a bit of money.

    • Check out our homepage to view price comparisons for flights, hotels, and rental cars before you book.