Science Museum, London

    Runs: Until 5 May

    Price: £7

    Exhibition about the Large Hadron Collider which uses theatre and video, as well as handmade works to recreate the experience of the real place and show the work behind the discovery of the Higgs 、 boson. Well worth it for anyone studying physics or simply interested.

    Weston Park Museum, Sheffield

    Runs: Until 5 May Price: Free for students

    Underneath the 1960s-built Castle Market in Sheffield, there are the remains of a historical castle. Now that the market is being moved, there has been a sudden growth in interest in the old castle.

    Seacity Museum, Southampton

    Runs: Continued

    Price: Entrance to the museum is £4.50 for students

    Explores the Titanic disaster and its effect on Southampton, where more than five-hundred families lost a family member to the disaster. The exhibition recreates the sights and sounds of 1912 Southampton and ends ill the Disaster Room, where a series of events from the moment of the Titanic hit the iceberg are explored using powerful oral description from survivors.

    The Guildhall, Leicester

    Runs: Until 1 June

    Price: Free

    This exhibition tells the history of King Richard III and of the search for his lost remains, eventually found underneath a car park two years ago. The exhibition can give visitors a rounded view of the life of the king and how he was discovered. Great for history students.

    A year ago, I paid no attention to English idioms, though my teacher emphasized (强调) the importance again and again. But soon, the importance of English idioms was shown in an amusing experience.

    One day, I happened to meet an Englishman on the road, and soon we began to talk. As I was talking about how I was studying English, the foreigner seemed to be astonished. Gently shaking his head, shrugging his shoulders, he said, “You don't say!” “You don't say!” I was puzzled. I thought, perhaps this is not an appropriate topic (适当的话题). “Well, I'd better change the topic.” So I said to him. “Well, shall we talk about the Great Wall？ By the way, have you ever been there？” “Certainly, everyone back home will laugh at me if I leave China without seeing it. It was magnificent.” He was deep in thought when I began to talk like a tourist guide. “The Great Wall is one of the wonders in the world. We are very proud of it..” Soon I was interrupted again by his words: “You don't say!” I couldn't help asking, "Why do you ask me not to talk about it？" "Well, I didn't request you to do so, " he answered, greatly surprised. I said, "Didn't you say' you don't say？”Hearing this, the Englishman laughed to tears. He began to explain, “'You don't say' actually means 'really!' It is an expression of surprise. Perhaps you don't pay attention to English idioms.” Only then did I know I had made a fool of myself. Since then I have been more careful with idiomatic expressions. Remember: what the English teachers said is always right to us students.

    Look and listen, and that concert poster just might be singing. Engineers have designed antennas（天线）that can turn everyday objects, from posters to clothing, into radio stations. Anyone walking or driving by can tune in and hear what's on. The devices use radio waves, but they don't generate their own. They hijack（劫持）the same waves that carry music and news to your smartphone.

    Vikram Iyer co-led the project with Anran Wang, a graduate student in computer science and engineering. The two got the idea for their invention by paying attention to what was already around them. “It's the ideal way to minimize the power consumption for any kind of communication,” notes Iyer. Their research had focused on new types of wireless communications that won't require much energy. They wanted something that would work outdoors in a city. Then they realized the air is already filled with wireless communications in the form of radio stations.

    Radio waves carry energy at the speed of light from tall transmission towers to radios in cars, phones and homes. These waves of the antennas take in existing radio waves and change them slightly. Those changes add new sound information. The changed waves are then sent back out into the world where people can listen in. So the device only needs enough power to change the waves, not to generate them.

    The scientists tested their device with a poster. It advertised a Seattle concert by Simply Three. People standing almost 4 meters away from the poster could use FM receivers on smartphones to listen to all songs of the band's music. Those in cars as far as 18 meters away could use car radios to pick up some parts of the songs

    The technology could even extend to clothes. Iyer, Wang and their team turned the shirt into an antenna. It let the shirt talk to the wearer's smartphone. If a sensor in the shirt tracked a person's heart rate during exercise, for instance, the antenna could transmit those data to the wearer's phone.

    With spring officially here, we can look forward to fresh flowers and cherry blossoms. While you could stay home and admire the change in season, why not celebrate the end of winter with a fun spring time holiday？We've found a handful of terrific packages at home and abroad, good for departures through mid-May.

       London's Chelsea Flower Show for $849

    Every May, London hosts the world famous Chelsea Flower Show, showcasing astonishing gardens, and lively horticultural(园艺) displays that set the latest in garden design trends. This year, Virgin Vacations offers a six night air-land packages priced at a sweet $849.Good for departures May 21—23, this deal covers the following costs: accommodations; airfare from New York; daily continental breakfast; and one full day entrance to the Flower Show (May 24, 25 or 26).

    Cherry Blossoms in Washington D. C. from $319/nt.

    You don't need to travel far for an impressive flower show！From March 31 through April 15 Washington D. C.is hosting its yearly Cherry Blossoms Festival, marking the 95th celebration of the original gift of 3,000 cherry trees from the city of Tokyo to the people of D. C.. Several hotels are honoring the occasion with special deals：for example, Hay-­Adams offers a Cherry Blossom Package from $319/night with lodging (two-night minimum stay), free parking, and a special amenity.

    Spring Flowers of Amsterdam for $739

    Want to catch the spring flowers blooming in the lowlands of Holland？Amsterdam is a treat to visit at this time of year, as its numerous gardens explode with color. You can go Dutch and save some serious dollars to boot！At just $739 for a four night stay with airfare, at this spring escape is priced to go！Good for travel between April 1 and May 17, the deal includes air from New York; accommodation at a budget hotel; daily breakfast; and a local map and guide.

    Tokyo Spring Fun for $949

    To spot the cherry blossoms right at the source, we recommend a spring venture to Tokyo. Now you can visit on the cheap with the Asian Affair Holidays special we found：a Tokyo spring special starts at just $949！This deal covers airport transfers; five nights' lodging at Tokyo Hilton International; and a half day city tour. This particular price is valid for departures between April 1 and April 30, perfectly timed for the best of cherry­ blossom season.

    It's the 3rd Annual Family Fun Fair!

    • Games   • Crafts (工艺品)   • Apple pie contest

    • Food   • Face painting   • Door prizes (门票对号奖)

    … and more!

    What: A chance to celebrate spring, support our community (社区), and have fun!

    When: Saturday, February 8th from 9 a. m. to 3 p. m., rain or shine!

    Where: The big field next to Hopedale Elementary School

    For more information: Contact Peter Halm at 555-0191

    Don't miss the 3rd annual Family Fun Fair!

    This fair promises to be even better than last year's fair—no kidding!

    Last year the game booths (摊位) were a big hit. (Who could forget Principal Snyder winning a toy dog that was so big it took four students to carry it to her truck?) This year we have two new game booths. So get ready to take part in the games.

    Visit our craft tables. They will be better than ever! You can buy items such as clothing, backpacks, and gift baskets.

    Children aged 5 and under can have their faces painted for FREE by Mr. Garcia's third-grade art class.

    No fair would be complete without food. We will be selling hot dogs, ice cream, roasted nuts, and cotton candy at our booths. For those of you who love to bake, why not enter our new apple pie contest? Just bring your pie to the pie table on the morning of the fair. At 1 p. m., our judges, Coach Carter and math teacher, Mrs. Adams, will choose a winner.

    Won't you please support our school by coming to the fair? Tickets are only $2 each. Door prizes will be given. You could win sports equipment, a new camera, or dinner for four at Merino's Restaurant!

    This will be the best fair ever. Don't miss it!

    Life for almost anyone is increasingly influenced by screens. Not only are screens themselves cheap to make, but they also make things cheaper. Any place that can fit a screen in can cut costs. And any activity that can happen on a screen becomes cheaper. The physical experience of learning, living and dying is becoming smooth glass. All of this has led to a curious new reality: Human contact is becoming a luxury good (奢侈品).

    "What we are seeing now is the luxury of human engagement," Milton Pedraza, the chief of the

    Luxury Institute, said. Expected spending on experiences such as enjoyable travel and dining is outpacing spending on goods, according to his company's research, and he sees it as a direct response to the rapid increase of screens.

    Screens exposure starts young. And children who spent more than two hours a day looking at screen got lower scores on thinking and language tests, according to early results of a landmark study supported by the National Institutes of Health. The study focuses on brain development of more than 11,000 children. Most disturbingly, the study is finding that the brains of children who spend much time on screens are different. For some kids, their cerebral cortex (大脑皮层) would become thinner before expected time. In adults, one study found an association between screen time and depression.

    There is also the reality that in our culture of increasing separation, in which so many of the traditional gathering places and social structures have disappeared, screens are filling a vital gap.

    For normal people, running away from the screen becomes impossible. It's not a luxury, and it's easy to get. It is normal for more people to need the network constantly. In addition, it has become an important part of social interaction.