Mass media are tools of communication.Mass media allow us to record and pass information rapidly to a large，scattered(分散的)audience.They extend our ability to talk to each other by helping us overcome barriers caused by time and space.

    There are various ways in which mass media make daily life easier for us.

    First,they inform and help us keep a watch on our world. They gather and pass on information we would be unlikely or unable to get on our own.

    Second，mass media help us to arrange our time and life.  What we talk about and what we think about are greatly influenced by the media.When people get together，they tend to talk about certain happenings in the newspapers or on TV.Because we are exposed(暴露)to different points of view through different kinds of media every day，we are able to evaluate(评价)all sides of a certain issue.

    Third,the media are used to persuade people. A good example is advertising through the media.Newspapers，magazines and TV are filled with all kinds of colorful，persuasive advertisements.Though many advertising may not say openly that they want you to buy a certain product，they describe their products in such a way that you may want to buy them.

    Fourth,the media also entertain.  All of the media make some efforts to entertain their audience.For instance，even though the newspaper is primarily a medium of information，it also contains entertainment features(特征)．Television，motion pictures，fiction books and some radio stations and magazines are devoted mainly to entertainment.It is estimated that in the future，the entertainment function of mass media will become even more important than it is now.

    When she first started learning about the climate change from one of her elders, Fawn Sharp was invited on a helicopter flight over the Olympic Mountains to survey the Mount Anderson glacier(冰川). But the glacier was gone, melted by the warming climate. Sharp had a deep sense of loss when she discovered the glacier wasn't there anymore.

    Loss is a growing issue for people working and living on the front lines of climate change. And that gave Jennifer Wren Atkinson, a full-time lecturer at the University of Washington Bothell, US, an idea for a class.

    This term, she taught students on the Bothell campus about the emotional burdens of environmental study. She used the experiences of Nalive American tribes (部落) , scientists and activists, and asked her 24 students to face the reality that there is no easy fix -- that "this is such an intractable problem that they're going to be dealing with it for the rest of their lives.”

    Student Cody Dillon used to be a climate science skeptic (怀疑论者) . Then he did his own reading and research, and changed his mind.

    Dillon wasn't going into environmental work--he was a computer-science major. Yet, the potential for a worldwide environmental catastrophe seemed so real to him five years ago that he quit his job and became a full-time volunteer for an environmental group that worked on restoration (恢复) projects.

Six months into the work, he decided that Alkinson's class was just what he was looking for 一 a place where he could discuss his concerns about a changing climate.

Atkinson said she hopes the class helped her students prepare themselves for the amount of environmental loss that will happen over their lifetimes.

    “We are already changing the planet - . so many species are going to be lost, displaced or massively impacted (巨大影响的) ,”she said. “The future isn't going to be what they imagined.”

    Directions Choose a book from the list below and bring it to class by the due date. You will have approximately one trimester，from September 14 to November 16，to read the book and complete your report. It is okay to switch your book if you do not like your original choice. Students are encouraged to check out the book of their choice from the public library.

    The purchase of a book is optional.

    Forty-three years seems like a long time to remember the name of a mere acquaintance. I have forgotten the name of an old lady who was a customer on my paper route. Yet it seems like just yesterday that she taught me a lesson in forgiveness.

    On a Saturday afternoon, a friend and I were throwing rocks onto the roof of the old lady's house. The object of our play was to observe how the rocks changed to missiles （导弹）as they rolled to the roof's edge and shot out into the yard like comets （彗星）falling from the sky. I found myself a perfectly smooth rock and sent it for a ride. However, it slipped from my hand as I let it go and headed straight for a small window. At the sound of crashed glass, we knew we were in trouble and ran away.

    A few days later, when I was sure that I hadn't been discovered, I started to feel guilty for her misfortune. She still greeted me with a smile each day when I gave her the paper, but I was no longer able to act comfortably in her presence. I made up my mind to save my paper delivery money, and in three weeks I had the seven dollars that I calculated would cover the cost of her window. I put the money in an envelope with a note, and put the envelope through the letter slot in her door.

    The next day, I handed the old lady her paper and was able to return the warm smile that I was receiving from her. She thanked me for the paper and said, “Here, I have something for you.” It was a bag of cookies. I thanked her and began to eat the cookies as I continued my route.

    After several cookies, I felt an envelope and pulled it out of the bag. When I opened the envelope, I was surprised. Inside were the seven dollars and a short note that said, “I'm proud of you.”

    Robots come in many shapes and sizes. But most have one thing in common. They are built to help people. Lately engineers have been developing new kinds of humanoid robots. These high-tech machines are designed to lend a hand everywhere from hotels to disaster areas.

    "Robots help people by making their lives easier, safer, and more fun," says engineer Omar Abdelwahed.

    Since November, a robot named pepper has been on the job at the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. When guests have questions or need directions, they can ask Pepper. They can also use the robot's touch screen to find the information they need. Pepper is able to talk with guests and entertain them with stories too. It can even tell what kind of mood they are in.

    "Pepper provides our guests with information in an exciting and new way," says hotel manager Donald Bowman.

    For a kid, being in the hospital can be boring and even scary. But a small robot called NAO is helping to make hospital stays easier. It was designed to keep people company.

    A Tennessee doctor named Phil Parker bought a NAO robot three years ago. He programmed it to talk to and play with young patients. He brings it to hospitals to help sick kids. When kids get medical tests, NAO explains what is going on. The robots also reads to kids and plays games with them like rock, paper, scissors.

    "The robot gets many kids to smile for the first time since they've been in the hospital," Parker says.

    Other robots are being developed to help in places where it's hard or risky for people to go. For example, disaster areas can be full of rubble and other dangers. Engineers in Japan are building a robot called E2-DR to go into those areas and search for people who are hurt.

    We work with Cambridge County Council's Participation Team to create opportunities for young people to visit the University and learn more about it. The following events are scheduled for the 2019/2020 academic year.

    Superstar workshops

    12 engaging workshops are planned for young people aged 7 to 11. These half-day visits will be held throughout the year, at times when young people are not at school. If participants complete 8 of the 12 workshops, they will be awarded the nationally recognized Superstar Crest Award.

Please note, workshops will only run if we have a sufficient number of attendees (usually around 3+ participants).

    Explore University Days

    Explore University Days are for young people aged 12-15. Participants visit the University for two days and engage with a range of university-related workshops, and other fun activities.

Previous participants have engaged with the following:

    Visited the Sports Centre

    Took part in a Neuroscience workshop

    Enjoyed a two-course meal at a University College

    Dates will be confirmed in early December 2019, and a schedule for event will follow in the New Year.

    Events for post-16 students

    If you are studying for your post-16 qualifications and are considering applying for Cambridge or would like to find out more about a specific subject, the following events might be for you:

    University and College Open Days

    Subject Master classes

    Cambridge Science Festival