When introducing American universities, some of the first institutions（机构）to mention are the Ivy League schools. Originally, the Ivy League was an athletic conference made up of 8 private institutes of higher learning in northeastern United States. However, as time went on, these schools also became known for their excellence in academics besides athletics. Included in the Ivy League schools are Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Princeton University, University of Pennsylvania, Yale University, and Harvard University. These 8 schools have been recognized as some of the best colleges and universities in the United States.

    Harvard University is a private institution located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The university includes a number of graduate and professional schools, as well as a college for undergraduates. In 2012, Harvard ranked number one in US News' ranking of national universities again. Founded in 1636, Harvard is the oldest institute of higher education in the United States. It can be said that first there was Harvard, then the United States of America. Also, Harvard's library contains the oldest collection of books in the United States as well as the largest private collection in the world. Harvard has also been described by Forbes Magazine as one of the “billionaire universities” as of their recent list of 469 billionaires, 50 received a degree from Harvard.

    Harvard College (the institute for undergraduate students) is one of the most famous schools in the United States. It offers over 40 undergraduate fields of study, including astrophysics（天体物理学）, mathematics, neurobiology(神经生物学), etc. And the financial aid program there is amazing. Even though the tuition is about 37,576, and there are other expenses throughout the year, about 70% of undergraduate students received financial aid. Out of those students, over 90% of them had their full need met. And the policies for international students are the same for U.S. citizens.

    Harvard College is very selective, as it only admits about 6% of their applicants. For admission into Harvard College, it is required that students take the SAT or the ACT, as well as 2 SAT Subject Tests. Harvard will also look at other factors during admission such as your application essay, high school transcript, work experience, GPA (Grade Point Average), your interview, recommendations, and most importantly, your character and personal qualities.

    We are naturally drawn to friends and colleagues with familiar voices, scientists have found. People prefer those who have a similar accent, intonation and tone of voice to themselves, they discovered.

    Previous research has focused on how male or female a voice sounds. Men with deeper voices and women with slightly higher voices were thought to sound more attractive, because they suggest a bigger or a smaller body.

    But the new study, published by a linguistics expert in Canada, suggests there is a more complex mechanism (机制) at play. Dr Molly Babel, from the University of British Columbia in Canada, said, “The voice is an amazingly flexible tool that we use to construct our identity. Very few things in our voices are changeless, so we felt that our preferences had to be about more than a person's shape and size.”

    She recorded 30 volunteers' voices and asked each to rate the others' attractiveness on a range from one to nine. Each participant was from western America, with similar accents. The people we assessed were all in the same dialect group, but they showed that dialect to different degrees.

     “We seem to like people who sound like we sound, and we like people who fit within what we know,” Dr Babel said. She also found that breathy voices in women—typified by the famous American actress Marilyn Monroe-were seen as more attractive.

    The breathy tone, caused by younger and thinner vocal cords (声带), implied youthfulness and health. A creaky (咯吱作响的) voice, suggesting a person has a cold, is tired or smokes, was seen as unattractive. The participants preferred men who spoke with a shorter average word length and deeper voices.

    Low-Cost Gifts for Mother's Day

    Gift No. 1

    Offer to be your mother's health friend. Promise to be there for any and all doctor's visits whether a disease or a regular medical check -up. Most mothers always say no need, another set of eyes and ears is always a good idea at a doctor's visit. The best part? This one is free.

    Gift No. 2

    Help your mother organize al1 of her medical records, which include the test results and medical information. Put them all in one place. Be sure to make a list of all of her medicines and what times she takes them. “Having all this information in one place could end up saving your mother's life,” Dr. Marie Savard said.

    Gift No. 3

    Enough sleep is connected to general health conditions. “Buy your mother cotton sheets and comfortable pillows to encourage better sleep.” Savard said. “We know that good sleep is very important to our health.”

    Gift No. 4

    Some gift companies such as Presents for Purpose allow you to pay it forward this Mother's Day by picking gifts in which 10 percent of the price you pay goes to a charity (慈善机构).Gift givers can choose from a wide variety of useful but inexpensive things many of which are “green”—and then choose a meaningful charity from a list. When your mother gets the gift, she will be told that she has helped the chosen charity.

    “Sesame Street” has been called “the longest street in the world”. That is because the television program by that name can now be seen in so many parts of the world. That program became one of American's exports soon after it went on the air in New York in 1969.

    In the United States more than six million children watch the program regularly. The viewers include more than half the nation's pre-school children, from every kind of economic, racial, and geographical group.

    Although some educators object to certain elements in the program, parents praise it highly. Many teachers also consider it a great help, though some teachers find that problems arise when first graders who have learned from “Sesame Street” are in the same class with children who have not watched the program.

    Tests have shown that children from all racial, geographical, and economic backgrounds have benefited from watching it. Those who watch it five times a week learn more than occasional（偶然的）viewers. In the US the program is shown at different hours during the week in order to increase the number of children who can watch it regularly.

    The programs all use songs, stories, jokes, and pictures to give children a basic understanding of numbers, letters and human relationships. But there are some differences. For example, the Spanish program, produced in Mexico City, devotes more time to teaching whole words than to teaching separate letters.

    Why has “Sesame Street” been so much more successful than other children's shows? Many reasons have been suggested. People mention the educational theories（理论）of its creators, the support by the government and private（私人的）businesses, and the skillful use of a variety of TV tricks. Perhaps an equally important reason is that mothers watch it along with their children. This is partly because famous adult stars often appear on it. But the best reason for the success of the program may be that it makes every child watching feel able to learn. The child finds himself learning, and he wants to learn more.

    The organizing committee of the China International Import Expo has organized 45 city tour routes to help participating merchants gain a better understanding of the city and its industrial strengths. Below are 16 of the routes, with each located within a different district. These routes will showcase the architecture, history, culture, economy, technology and ecological protection efforts within each area.

    Waigaoqiao "6+365" Exhibition Trading Platform

    The "6+365" One-Stop Trading Services Platform aims to promote the operations of the CIIE. Professional services are available at this venue all year round. Among the buildings that can be toured is the International Automobile Exhibition Trading Center.

    The Bund（外滩）

    Apart from its classic architecture and waterfront views, the Bund, one of the most well-known attractions in Shanghai, is home to many major financial organizations.

    Nanjing Road Tour

    Visitors will get to tour this famous commercial street that features high-end shopping options and cultural offerings.

    West Bund Area

    The area is home to major enterprises' artificial intelligence deployments such as Microsoft, Tencent, Xiaomi and NetEase.

    Experience Shanghai Culture

    Visitors will walk along Yuyuan Road, an old street in Changning district that is said to be the most representative of Shanghainese style.

    Fintech Tour

    Here, visitors can explore cloud computing, artificial intelligence and block chain through visits to the Shanghai Science and Technology Financial Cluster Area.

    Shanghai Culture Trail

    This tour allows guests to experience Shanghai culture through visits to many former residences of celebrities.

    Innovation Valley

    Visitors will get to see the Changyang Campus which is well-known for its innovative efforts as well as similar companies and unicorn enterprises.

    Baoshan Riverside & Ecology

    Tour locations include the Shanghai Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal and the WusongPaotaiwan Wetland Forest Park.

    Minhang Culture

    This tour has a focus on cultural and creative industries where people can learn about traditional handicraft.

    Intelligent Connected Vehicle Tour

    Visitors will get to see the Shanghai International Automobile City in the district.

    A place for paintings

    Fengjing old town is well-known for its farmer paintings.

    Ecological Songjiang

    Visitors can admire the scenes of nature at the Sheshan Natural Forest Park.

    Knowing what to do at checkout and properly preparing for it can turn a potentially heated situation into a quick thank you add goodbye. Below we made a list of five things you should remember at hotel checkout.

    Don't be late to check

    Hotels may add an extremely high price for being just a half hour late. If you know you won't make the cutoff time, it never hurts to call ahead and try to negotiate away a potential charge.

    Don't forget to double cheek the room and safe

    Make sure you don't leave things behind. If you have an early flight or checkout time, pack up as much as you can the night before so that last-minute rush isn't too annoying. Also, be sure to take out anything in the room safe.

    Don't forget to tip the housekeepers

    It's always polite to leave some money for the people keeping your room clean.

    Don't ignore the detailed bill

    You may be in a rush, but give the detailed hill a careful look to see if the hotel charge is different from the rate you initially booked.

    Don't get angry

    Shooting at the assistant manager standing behind the front desk probably won't help.

    When dealing with an unexpected item on the bill. Think about how difficult it can be to deal with annoyed customers. Keep calm and things may be solved better and sooner.