Space Center Houston offers a variety of age-appropriate and inspiring camp experiences with safety top of mind. In the wake of COVID-19, we aim to continue inspiring all generations through the wonders of space exploration while maintaining the highest level of safety for all. Our Explorer Camps introduce children ages 4-11 to science, technology, engineering and math through engaging and hands-on learning activities. Discover and explore our Explorer Camps for ages 6-7 and below.
JOURNEY TO MARS
June 14-18, July 12-16, Aug. 9-13 $289.95 5-DAY EXPLORER CAMP
While demonstrating best safety practices, campers are involved in activities that arouse their interest in science along with their sense of adventure. These young engineers learn the basic of rocketry, discover coding and explore hands-on science activities.
ENGINEERING BASICS
June 7-11, July 5-9 $289.95 5-DAY EXPLORER CAMP
Campers discover what it takes to solve problems related to space exploration in Engineering Basics. Taking LEGO bricks "out of the box" and to new and exciting places, this camp gets your little builders using LEGO bricks like never before. These engineers-in-training will participate in problem-solving activities, building simple machines, art projects, and robotics.
JOURNEY TO SPACE
June 28-July 2, July 26-30 $289.95 5-DAY EXPLORER CAMP
How do astronauts work in space? Why is Venus so hot? Will people ever go to Mars? How do robots work? What do engineers do? All these questions are answered as campers explore space through art, science, robotics and engineering activities. This camp leaves all inquiring minds inspired to continue their journey.
EXPLORATION AND DISCOVERY
June 1-5 $229.95 5-DAY EXPLORER CAMP
Campers discover what it takes to send people, supplies and spacecraft beyond Earth's atmosphere. During this five-day adventure, former astronauts will deliver speeches on how they live and work in the space station.
Bookstores, like wines, have different notes, different flavors, each one distinct. There are the musty (有霉味的), odd ones with random piles and dusty rows, usually with both used and new books. There are small independent stores charming and cozy. Then there's the big-box with long, straight rows, bright and dustless, usually featuring a cafe and a kids section you can get lost in.
My adoration for bookstores is, without a doubt, partly nostalgic (怀旧的). I came of age in the late 1990s, when Amazon was mostly known as a river in South America, phones were not smart____and bookstores were dotted around cities.
When my husband and I were dating, our go-to date was to get coffee and walk around bookstores together. It was the best. We'd move slowly, wandering through the religion section, the memoirs, fiction, poetry, history. I'd pick up a title I'd heard about and sit in the aisle reading a chapter. I'd find one I'd never heard of and scan the back cover. We'd sip our coffee and read each other interesting paragraphs from books we found.
I fell for bookstores and for my husband at the same time. So when stores began closing down all over America, we were both sorrowful. What were we supposed to do with a night out now?
In a recent very informal and unscientific poll (调查) of my friends, I found that many of us love and miss physical bookstores. Friends described the feeling of discovery and exploration, the calming serenity (宁静) of being surrounded by words and ideas. My wise friend Greg said, "Bookstores are like the best parties: You may discover a new friend or join an unexpected conversation with a simple turn of your head."
I dream of an America with streets full of independent bookstores whose inventories (库存清单) contradict one another. But right now I'm in favor of any brick-and-mortar (实体的) book store, really. Any place that reminds us that the material world is beautiful and worth spending time in. Any place where we can learn how to exist together in communities full of words and ideas. Any place where we may discover something unpredictable and new. And if there's coffee nearby, even better.
The world's biggest electric vehicle — a 45-ton mining dump truck named the eDumper — may have to give up its throne. A newcomer powered with both electricity and a reserve of hydrogen fuel, is going to steal that title as the largest electric mining truck.
London-based Anglo American is developing the beast of a machine — it weighs 290 tons — as part of its sustainable mining vision. The conceptual work is done, but UK-based Williams Advanced Engineering will bring the truck to life. The idea is to replace the vehicle's diesel engine (柴油机) with a high-power modular lithium-ion battery (锂电池). "We are delighted to be involved in this innovative and exciting project which shows the potential of battery technology that can adapt to increased demands, from automotive and motorsport to ‘heavy duty' industrial applications," Craig Wilson, managing director of Williams Advanced Engineering, said.
While the eDumper — a mining truck used to move stones from the sides of mountains in Switzerland — relies entirely on pure electricity and pure physics for power, the Anglo American truck will use both a lithium-ion battery and hydrogen fuel cell (电池) module. Altogether, the new truck will have over 1,000 Kilowatt hours of energy storage.
Hydrogen fuel is a clear fuel that produces only water as a by-product when consumed in a fuel cell. It's typically produced from natural gas, nuclear power, or renewable wind and solar power. Adding hydrogen fuel cells to the vehicle's battery will allow the truck to run for longer periods of time without recharging.
There's also a third type of power that comes into play with the Anglo American truck: kinetic (动力的) energy created through the process of regenerative braking (再生制动系统). When an electric vehicle — be it the Anglo American truck, or the eDumper — rolls down a hill, that movement creates electrical energy for the battery as you brake. The electric motors power the car through the battery's stored energy, but can also become mini generators that return some energy back to the battery.
After Anglo American finishes test trials with the truck, the firm will conduct studies to understand how the truck's power units can be used to provide energy storage in other applications.
A new study of older adults finds excessive daytime napping (小睡) may signal an increasing risk of Alzheimer's disease. Investigators from Brigham and Women's Hospital report a relationship between daytime napping and cognitive (认知的) aging: excessive daytime napping predicts an increased future risk of Alzheimer's, and a diagnosis of Alzheimer's speeds up the increase in daytime napping during aging.
"Daytime sleep behaviors of older adults are often ignored, and a consensus (共识) for daytime napping in clinical practice and health care is still lacking," said Peng Li of the Medical Biodynamics Program in Brigham's Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders. "Our team calls for a closer attention to 24-hour sleep patterns — not only nighttime sleep but also daytime sleep — for tracking the health of older adults."
Researchers at the Brigham recognized that all previous studies on Alzheimer's disease assessed napping within a participant only once, most of which were subjective and questionnaire-based. In the new study, more than 1000 individuals, with an average age of 81, were provided Actical, a watch-like device, to wear on their wrist for up to 14 days. After napping episodes were identified, the nap duration and frequency were calculated.
The results suggest that excessive daytime napping may signal an increasing risk of Alzheimer's, and that faster yearly increase in daytime napping may be a sign of worsening or unflavored clinical progression of the disease.
Researchers acknowledge that although the method of the new study has been widely used in sleep field studies, they recognize that polysomnography (多导睡眠记录仪) is the gold standard for sleep scoring. Moreover, the participants studied were older, and therefore, the findings may not be easily translated to younger people. In addition, future studies should test whether a direct intervention in daytime napping can lower the risk of Alzheimer's or cognitive decline.
"We hope to draw more attention to daytime sleep patterns and the importance of patients noting if their sleep schedule changes over time," said co-senior author Kun Hu of the Medical Biodynamics Program. "Sleep changes are critical in shaping the internal changes in the brain."
The research by OECD that was analyzing the homework of 15-year-old school kids has shown that Italian children are overwhelmed with homework as they have to spend over 9 hours on it weekly. The other countries where children have to work over 6 hours on their tasks are Ireland, Poland, the USA and Australia. No wonder children would rather find hundreds of other activities than do their home assignments. According to the Cooper's review of homework studies, 70% of students show better academic success thanks to homework they were completing. Consequently, we should not underestimate its benefits and now it is time to focus on the reasons why it should not be banned.
Additional practice
Sometimes the percentage of this knowledge is relatively low, but the requirements of the curriculum make teachers give many self-study tasks home for them to achieve better test results. Moreover, the obligation to repeat the material learnt at the lesson contributes to its better memorizing and understanding.
It teaches students responsibility
When students only visit classes, they have no idea how difficult it is for teachers to prepare for the lessons and may behave abusively. These features can be very useful for the future career too.
It teaches important life skills
When we say that students do their homework, we implement many meanings in this phrase. Pupils learn to manage time effectively, set priorities, and improve self-discipline.
If teenagers would have too much time for leisure activities, the probability that they will interfere with some illegal or criminal issues rises greatly. Being busy with tasks, they do not waste their time and spend it with the unmatched benefit.
A. It keeps students busy.
B. It enriches students' knowledge.
C. Therefore, it's high time that homework should be banned.
D. Not all the information is grasped by students at the lessons.
E. That is a good preparation for future career and meeting deadlines set by bosses.
F. At the same time, each person realizes that homework is extremely important in studying.
G. When they are given assignments on a regular basis, they raise responsibility, punctuality, and execution.
The stage lights dimmed, and I took a quick look from behind the heavy black curtains into the audience. Blinded by the lights, I quickly 1 . It seems that a great number of eyes were looking at me. I took a deep 2 as the music of my dance began to play. I entered the stage and began my performance, the graduation test of the classical Indian dance.
After a decade of learning this art form, I had 3 been considered ready to take on the most difficult act. The test is the most important event in a dancer's life as it pays 4 to all the factors in one's life that develop the dance form: one's culture and family.
The performance is undertaken only by the most 5 and determined students. It is a difficult process that requires much 6 . For more than six months, I spent two to three hours every day practicing these dances. Many times, I 7 myself to my physical and mental breaking point, but still I would not stop. I could not give up. There was always so much more to do and so much more to learn.
I 8 a lot about myself in those tiring hours. I learned that I was far too 9 to give up, and I was too proud to prove myself 10 after I had set an unrealistic goal. Even with physical pain and mental 11 , I forced myself to meet my 12 . Even when I was at the end of my 13 , there was always something driving me on, forcing me not to give up.
Fortunately, I made it. What I had done 14 the success. It was in those hours that I learned what a dancer truly is. Those time was evidence that I could 15 something I set out to do.
Volunteer travel involves taking a trip all or part of the purpose is to participate in an arranged service opportunity helping others. Usually, these trips are arranged by church organizations, human interest groups, non-profits.
Charitable interests often go far beyond national boundaries and sometimes, donating money is not enough (satisfy) the need to help. Volunteer travel is a way to combine a visit to a new location meaningful work that has a direct impact on communities in other parts of the world.
This type of travel has been option for many years. (historic), church groups made up a large part of this market. Once a year a religious organization would organize a trip to another country. The primary purpose of the trip was very specific. For example, it would be to help build a school, dig wells or engage in hundreds of other (project) that would impact those less fortunate.
As international travel becomes by far (easy), volunteering in other countries has become as accessible as browsing a website and signing up. Instead of (travel) with a group that is organized at the volunteers home base, the volunteer may join a group that gathers at the worksite from all over the world. This sort of volunteer travel (refer) to as voluntourism or vacanteerism from time to time.
18-year-old Sadiya was born in Deora, a small village in eastern India, but moved to the city of Mumbai when she was 3. In 2020, when the pandemic (疫情) broke out, her father's small business was forced to close temporarily and the family returned to her ancestral village to wait out the pandemic.
However, it greatly shocked her when she found that attending school was uncommon in Deora, where almost half of the villagers couldn't read. Unable to afford textbooks, many families often withdrew their children from schools. They didn't wish to educate their children, many of whom had to work in the fields with parents though some had the desire to read.
Sadiya, the college girl with a strong sense of social responsibility, has been trying to seize opportunities to open doors for others. Fluent in Hindi, Urdu, and English, she often speaks at inter-college events on the right to education and enjoys a high reputation among college students.
Used to taking on challenges, Sadiya was determined to do something for the children. One day last July, Sadiya sat down with her family elders and proposed the idea of setting up a library. Many shook their heads in disagreement this wasn't how a young girl should spend her time.
After many discussions, Sadiya finally convinced them and gained access to her relative's guesthouse, mending it with $67 that she'd won in public-speaking awards. She took the help of her uncle, Akbar, and cousin, Nawaz, and got to work. Walls were repainted the bamboo roof was repaired and lights and bookshelves were fixed, and the room was filled with chairs and a long table. Vivid charts stuck on the walls — from anatomy (解剖) to transportation, lightened the space.
Looking at the newly-decorated "library", Sadiya couldn't hold back her excitement while imagining the children reading books here by light.
All was ready except books. So what Sadiya was desperate to do next was fill the shelves with books. She drew on all her savings and purchased many books suitable for children online.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右；2. 请按如下格式作答。
But these books were far from enough. With everything ready, the library finally opened. |
