Amsterdam, the capital and most populous city in the Netherlands, is one of the most popular travel destinations in the world, famous for its beautiful canals, top art museums and cycling culture. 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. 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. The top museums to visit are the Rijksmusuem, the Ann Frank House, and the Van Gogh Museum. The Canal Ring is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that was originally built to attract wealthy home owners and is a popular place for celebrity spotting and nightlife today.
Transportation
Travelers should be aware that Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is one of the busiest airports in the world. This airport is located about 15 kilometers southwest of city center. You can catch a train from Schiphol to Amsterdam Central Station，which has many connecting routes. It's typically not a good idea to drive a car to the city center because traffic is heavy and parking is difficult to find. Cycling is incredibly popular here, and it's easy to find cheap bike rentals around town. Amsterdam has a flat terrain(地形) and is a great city to explore on foot.
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.
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.
Instead of hiring a tour guide, hop on a canal boat. They're inexpensive and will give you a unique point of view of the city.
Check out our homepage to view price comparisons for flights, hotels, and rental cars before you book.
Spanish artist Pablo Picasso (1881—1973 ) was one of the greatest artists of the 20th century. It was said that everything his brush touched turned to gold. But in truth, his works could be worth more than any precious metal. Picasso created more than 20,000 works in his life, including two of the world's 10 most expensive paintings.
Between 1907 and 1913, Picasso and his colleague Georges Braque started a revolution(革命) in painting. Before that, paintings were like windows—they were painted to look as if they had depth. You could tell which objects were "close" to you and which objects were "far away". But Picasso and Braque didn't want to paint like that any more. To them, a painting wasn't a window to the world; it was marks and lines on a flat surface. Why, they thought, should an object like a guitar be shown only from one angle (角度) ? A guitar can look very different depending on which angle one looks at it from. Their answer was to show all the angles. They broke the guitar up into pieces. Their style of painting is called cubism.
But why did they feel such a need to change things? Well, the world around them was changing, too. Science was turning people's ideas upside down. Albert Einstein's theory proved that what we knew about time and space was wrong. The world was becoming different; artists needed to start seeing and painting it differently.
The famous and terrifying painting Guernica (1937) shows a terrible scene during the Spanish Civil War. In the painting, you can actually see the sky falling. Picasso couldn't have painted it without the skills he learned during his cubist period. Breaking a guitar up into pieces was his preparation for showing the world being blown to pieces.
Staff at the Thai Dynasty Restaurant in Singapore never thought they'd receive such a huge tip during the COVID-19 pandemic (流行病), when economic condition seemed hard, let alone one as big as $600. But believe it or not, they did.
What was more surprising, however, was the person who left that massive tip for them. It wasn't from a customer who was feeling extra generous that day. No, it was Jesse, a food delivery rider who came by to pick up an online order.
Being a familiar face among the staff due to frequent orders from the restaurant, the delivery rider wanted to show his best appreciation for their hard work in ensuring orders are prepared on time every time he comes by to pick something up. Along with the tip, he also left a heartfelt written note.
"Hello! I am writing to you all because I am very happy with your food and friendly customer service," the note starts. "I want to say that your food is really delicious. You know, every day when I'm working, I see you all working so hard, which makes me feel proud of you all. Working is not easy, and I understand that because I am also working. Therefore, I want to thank you all for the good food and I want to help you all. Here inside is $600, for all of you. Share it among yourselves. Thank you once again!"
Speaking to Shin Min Daily, Thai Dynasty director Jason Pay said he never expected such a thing from a delivery rider, despite Jesse being a familiar face. "Employees are allowed to keep the tips for their good service, but they chose to return it, which I'm touched by," Pay said.
Yes, they managed to return the super generous tip when Jesse swung by a few hours later to pick up another order. But seeing the hard work that the delivery rider highlighted in his staff, Pay decided to reward them the next day with pizza and other dishes for lunch.
There was a lot of news related to artificial intelligence, or AI, and machine learning. Among the stories were two dealing with direct competitions between humans and machines.
In one competition, machines that used AI performed better than human beings in a high-level reading test. Two natural language processing tools beat human in the experiment. One of the tools was built by the American technology company Microsoft. The other was created by Chinese online seller Alibaba Group.
In another competition, a computer took on humans in live, public debates. The event demonstrated how AI-powered computers are increasingly being developed to think and sound like humans. The organizer of the debates，US technology company IBM, announced split results. It said a majority of those watching said they felt the machine had done more to improve their knowledge of the subject. But, the human got more praise for communicating their ideas.
This year, we also explored the many ways AI and machine learning are now being used. For example, some US judges use machine learning systems to help them decide when, and for how long, criminals should be jailed. The system uses computers to examine data from thousands of court cases.
One fast-growing area of AI is facial recognition, which is increasingly being used for security purposes. Recently, Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson airport became the first in the US to permit passengers to use facial recognition technology to get on flights. A Chinese company showed an AI system developed to recognize individuals by body shape and walking movements. The system is already being used by Chinese police in Beijing and Shanghai.
In addition, machine learning was used during 2018 to predict results of the World Cup soccer competition. The technology also created artwork sold for a large amount of money. And it is being used to help farmers save time and money, while reducing environment-harming chemicals. Other technology systems are being used to follow farm animals and wildlife to collect information on their activities.
First aid is an important tool in quickly responding to accidents to ensure that injuries can be efficiently and immediately handled before a trained medical professional arrives. First aid in schools is especially helpful as children often get into accidents that need quick care. Whether they are minor or more serious, preventing them worsening is important.
A Quick Response is Guaranteed
Some injuries do not require professional assistance. They can be treated with simple methods such as applying an ice pack etc. First aiders can help the affected person feel better and ease pain by performing simple procedures on the spot.
People equipped with first aid skills can handle emergencies in an efficient manner. Their professional knowledge and right methods of treatment can help preserve lives. A trained person is more composed (镇定的) and confident in critical situations. He/She knows the best possible ways to help the victims make it.
A Greater Sense of Safety is Promoted
People who get first aid training are likely to feel secure. They are aware of the fact that they can treat themselves easily in case an accident occurs. Moreover, they are also trusted by their friends or loved ones., it is more helpful to keep them relax and stay calm in the event of an emergency.
To sum up, first aid offers a wide range of benefits. Therefore, it is a must for the teachers and students to get a proper first aid training so that they can contribute to a safe campus.
, it is important to have first aid in the schools. It is vital to make everyone aware of the basic methods they should apply after an accident occurs.
A. First aid can save lives
B. Call the police at once
C. If there is a well-trained first aider around
D. To ensure the safety of all the staff members and students
E. First aid is the initial treatment given to a victim
F. A quick response can make you uncomfortable
G. Here are some of the benefits coming from having a first aider on site
The first time ever I realized that plastic was a serious matter for our planet was during a road trip in Western Australia, almost 12 years ago.
We1at a supermarket along the Coral Bay coast to buy some groceries and the lady at the counter told us they didn't sell any shopping bags in order to prevent plastic in the 2and to help preserving the endangered turtles living in that area. After a first reaction of surprise, we3all our shopping in our arms and left.
This was just one of the many experiences I'd had that made me more4about my impact and pushed me to adopt different habits to live and5more sustainably.
Our trip to Borneo was another life-changing6that has strengthened my resolution to a zero-waste lifestyle. While traveling in some Asian countries, we came to know that7 drinkable water was always a challenge. So we had to travel with our water bottle, and we8to avoid using plastic during our trip.
Besides, we were also9impressed by our stay on Libaran Island. A sustainable turtle conservation10and the community had made big efforts to11the beaches and creatively re-use plastic for ten years. Despite that, the shore is12daily with tons of plastic coming from the tides.
Facing this global issue13,raised in me a feeling of sadness and anger that soon turned into14: to do as much as possible to reduce plastic in our life. Small changes can 15a difference!
Yuan Longping,is the Father of Super Hybrid Rice, was a famous scientist. He graduated from Southwest(agriculture) College in 1953. From then on, finding ways (grow) more rice was his life goal. Thankshis research, the United Nations has more tools in the battle to rid the world of hunger.
Yuan Longping was quite satisfied with his life. He enjoyed swimming, listening to music and reading. He believed that a person with too much money had more trouble. Therefore, he donated a lot of money to others for their research in agriculture and he was highly praised for he had done.
Yuan Longping was a pioneer in rice research and made great(achieve) in this area. So(absorb) was Yuan Longping in his work that he used to forget meals. He solved the food shortage and provided a solution to the world starvation. It is regarded asfifth invention after China's Four Major Inventions and because of his contributions to the world, he(award) with the National Top Science and Technology Award in 2000. He often said," Only by working hardyou succeed in time."
Such is Yuan Longping, a simple man of great ambition and much devotion.
信中应该包括下列内容：
1. 适当的方法：运动和节食等。
2. 避免使用减肥药（weight-loss pills)。
注意事项：
1. 请对所有要点进行陈述，可适当发挥，但不要逐句翻译。
2. 词数80字左右，开头已经写好，不计入总词数。
Dear Tom,
I am very worried to hear that you want to lose weight but you are not sure how to do it correctly.
……
Your friend,
Li Hua
The Sports Day was fast coming to the school. All the children were very excited and were practicing for the big race. Jim, one of the fast runners of the school was confident that he would win so he was not doing anything at all. "You have to work hard to come first in the race, Jim. You are not practicing at all," said Jim's mother.
"Mom, you know how fast I am! Then why should I waste my time running? Only I will win; no one else will win!" shouted Jim. "Jim, you may be right but talent without hard work is not good at all. This laziness of yours will cost you greatly," his mother warned him. Jim just laughed and shrugged (耸肩) his shoulders. He was so confident that would win the prize as no one else in his class was as fast as he was!
Tim, a classmate of Jim was also participating in the running race. He was not a fast runner. However, he was very devoted and practiced till late night and had developed great endurance (耐力) and willpower (意志) to win the race.
There were a few days left for the Sports Day but Jim did not practice at all. On the other hand, Tim practiced day and night. The Sports Day was almost around the corner but Jim was confident that no one could beat him and had not practiced at all. But Tim with his devotion and hard work had become a very fast runner.
At last, the Sports Day arrived. All the students crowded the ground to cheer their favorites. The signal was given to the participants to begin the race. The coach blew the whistle and everyone began to run towards the finishing line. It was so exciting. Jim and Tim left all the racers far behind. Both of them were neck to neck.
注意：1.续写词数应为150左右；
2.请按如下格式在答案卡的相应位置作答。
Paragraph 1
Suddenly, Jim went ahead of Tim.
Paragraph 2
Jim's mother came to Tim and praised him for his hard work.
