阅读B 篇主题：纸质字典与电子时代-----求知欲的本质
Hey Siri, Call Webster
When it comes to learning new words, it’s not where you look them up that’s important
By Kelly McMasters | January 18, 2024
Not long ago, my son asked me about the meaning of a word in a novel he was reading for
his fifth-grade book club.
“Look it up,” I responded, my automatic rejoinder when my children ask me the meaning
of a word, which is often.
“But my screen time is off,” he whined. We were sitting next to a bookshelf that held at
least three dictionaries, plus a thesaurus. I looked pointedly at the shelf, and my son
sighed dramatically. “Can’t you just use your phone?” he asked.
A terrifying thought occurred to me. “Do you even know how to use a dictionary?” This
was my second son, and it turned out that my sureness of having taught him something
was often a transplanted memory of having taught that very thing to my firstborn.
“Of course,” he scoffed. “Every chapter is a different letter.”
I laughed out loud at this idea. I’d never thought of the dictionary as having chapters, as
something that might be read sequentially from beginning to end.
We pored over a paperback dictionary together for a few minutes before I handed it to my
son. It took him a few tries to find the word in question (peripheral), and he was
overwhelmed by the idea that there could be an entire page—pages!—devoted to words
that share the same three beginning letters. He kept saying: “How can there be this many
words?” He asked this with alternating horror and awe.
I wanted him to land squarely in the awe category. But I knew from experience that if I
pushed too hard, he’d just shut the book. So I concentrated on my own work as he
continued to browse.
After a few frustrated minutes, he looked at me with surprise. “Do you know all these
words, Mom?”
I am an English professor, and he often assigns strange functions to my job, imagining the
classes I teach to be a mix of book club, Scratch class, and the soul-numbing
five-paragraph essay. I rarely explain that these things don’t really exist in college. “I
definitely do not know all these words,” I said. “But that’s why this is one of my favorite
books.”
I was just a bit older than my son is now when I decided that I wanted to learn as many
words as I could and started marking every entry I looked up in the dictionary with a small
penciled dot. I don’t know where I got this idea. I remember feeling stolen from, my face
burning in the dark, while watching the scene in Say Anything when Diane Court tells Lloyd
Dobler that she used a pen to mark the words she looked up in her obscenely huge
dictionary. My dictionary was also obscenely huge, the kind with onionskin paper and gold
leaf on the cutaway thumb tab for each letter. Diane’s dictionary was covered in Xs; mine
was filled with graphite—a strange, silvery Morse code dotting its pages.
The dictionary was a gift for my 13th birthday. Books, especially new books, were
hallowed in my house. Although neither of my parents was able to go to college, they both
made clear that my education was a family priority. This dictionary seemed like an
embodiment of what I’d need to know to get into college one day. And so I took to
measuring my progress. In her book Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, the
psychologist Angela Duckworth argues that this inclination toward self-challenge is far
more important as a measure of success than talent or intelligence. I agree that my
impulse to set goals and my tendency to work harder than the next person have been
more helpful in my life than any score I ever received on an IQ test or the SAT. But mostly,
I marked up my dictionary because I enjoyed the process, took pleasure in the visual
tabulation. I didn’t set out to learn every word. I did it for the experience, for the pleasure
of participation, not the result, a rare thing in those days. I continued to make these pencil
marks for years, and when I did finally go off to college, I packed that dictionary in my
suitcase.
My dictionary was also obscenelyhuge, the kind with onionskin paper and gold
leaf on the cutaway thumb tab for each letter. Diane’s dictionary was covered
in Xs; mine was filled with graphite—a strange, silvery Morse code dotting its
pages.
After my son finished his homework that evening, I reshelved the paperback dictionary.
He did not place a dot by his word, and since that day, I haven’t seen him take the
dictionary down once. I have, however, heard him ask Siri to define many more words. I
try not to let this scare me, and yet, I worry that things are too easy for my children, that
asking Siri to define words instead of hunting for them on their own in a paper dictionary
will soften and ultimately dull their brains. I want to keep them sharp, but I don’t know
how to do this in today’s world, where every single definition of every single word is only a
voice query away.
A few days later, my son asked me about my dictionary, the one I marked up. He wanted
to see it. A small pain gripped my chest at the memory. “The book is gone,” I said.
The dictionary was stolen at the end of my freshman year of college. I had used the book
to prop open my old double-hung dorm window, and someone walking by just plucked it
from the sill when I wasn’t looking.
“That’s so sad,” he said. “I wish I could see all the words you know.”
I thought about this. When they were toddlers, I used to write the words my children
could say in chalk on our bluestone patio. I loved seeing the list grow, extend to more and
more of the pavers until we couldn’t squeeze any more words in. I thought about all of my
own dictionary words climbing out of my childhood bedroom and down to the street,
extending into the distance, making a bridge of letters to my college dorm room.
My son paused, thinking, then said, “But you still know all those words, even without the
book.”
I realized that this was true. I imagined my dictionary with its little dots, moldering in a
secondhand bookshop or turning to mulch at the dump. I still made it through the next
three years of college, even without my book. And it wasn’t, ultimately, the dictionary that
got me there—not really.
I remembered that although my children loved to watch me chalk out their words, what
they loved even more was helping spray down the stones with the hose afterward,
watching the color disappear until our patio resembled a computer screen gone blank.
And I understood that although my son may be learning differently, he is still learning. It’s
not about the words themselves or how we learn them, but the wanting to know them,
the curiosity and the appetite.
文章来源：https://theamericanscholar.org/hey-siri-call-webster/
阅读理解C 篇
主题：NYC 植树策略：兼顾生态效益与空气污染防范
Planting Some Tree Species May Worsen, Not Improve, NYC
Air, Says New Study
Kevin Krajick August 5, 2024
In line with longstanding initiatives to expand its green spaces, New York City is planting
tens of thousands of trees each year. They provide shade, lower surface temperatures by
releasing moisture, absorb a surprising amount of airborne carbon, scrub out soot and
other floating pollutants, and provide wildlife habitat along with just plain beauty. What
could go wrong?
Actually, something could go wrong, according to a new study. Oaks and sweetgums,
which currently account for a majority of the city’s trees, produce huge amounts of
volatile compounds called isoprenes. Harmless by themselves, isoprenes interact rapidly
with polluting nitrogen oxides emitted by vehicles, buildings and industry to form
ground-level ozone―a prime factor in many respiratory ailments, especially chronic
bronchitis and asthma.
The research, carried out by scientists at the Columbia Climate School’s Lamont-Doherty
Earth Observatory and other institutions, found that if the city maintains past species
patterns in new plantings, isoprene production in Manhattan in coming decades will go up
by about 140%, and resulting summer ozone levels as much as 30%. In Queens, which has
the most room of any borough for more trees, isoprene production could quadruple, with
corresponding increases in peak ozone; the other boroughs are somewhere in between.
The study was just published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology.
Aerial view of tree-covered NYC parkland and Hudson River.
More than a fifth of New York City’s surface is covered with trees, and many more are
being planted. Here, Manhattan’s General Grant Memorial and Riverside Park, seen from a
n apartment building near 125th Street. Photo: Róisín Commane
“We’re all for planting more trees. They bring so many good things,” said study coauthor R
óisín Commane, an atmospheric chemist at Lamont-Doherty. “But if we’re not careful, we
could make air quality worse.”
“There is no reason to think that trees don’t play a role in what’s in the air,” said lead
author Dandan Wei, who did the research as a postdoctoral scientist at Lamont-Doherty.
“We just didn’t have the tools before this to understand this particular aspect.”
The leaves of some tree species emit isoprene as a byproduct of photosynthesis, though
no one is quite sure why. With oaks, emissions tend to increase exponentially with heat, at
least until air temperatures reach the high 90s. Some scientists think this helps keep leaf
tissues from drooping and losing their ability to photosynthesize as it gets hotter.
Emissions of these and other volatile compounds by trees may also have something to do
with attracting pollinating insects. For whatever reason, oaks and sweetgums are
especially prolific; oaks emit some 800 times more isoprene than low emitters like maples
or London planes. (Fun fact: the oak-rich Blue Ridge Mountains get their bluish tinge when
seen from afar due to vast amounts of isoprene and other volatile compounds reacting
indirectly with water to form tiny floating droplets.)
New York City is home to some seven million trees, covering 22% of the surface, according
to the city Parks Department, which controls planting and maintenance on public property.
Parks and forests contain some five million, of which more than half are oaks of various
kinds and sweetgums (37% and 17% respectively). On the streets, (close to 700,000 trees
at last count), oaks comprise 18% and sweetgums just a small number. London planes are
the most common street trees, comprising a third. Some 130 other species account for the
rest.
Young oak tree on a city street
A newly planted red oak on West 104th Street, Manhattan. Native to the region, it has l
ong been a top choice for planting in cities because of its resilience and the excellent
shade it provides. Photo: Kevin Krajick/Columbia Climate School
he City University of New York Graduate Center, who does lab experiments on tree leaves
The authors of the new study carried out their research by analyzing newly available
satellite imagery showing the city’s tree canopy in 30-by-30-meter grids, and combining it with 2016 and 2018 Parks Department censuses of tree species. They then fed in data
from scientists including study coauthor Andrew Reinmann, an environmental ecologist at t
tomeasure their isoprene production under different conditions. The researchers scaled
up the lab data to the city’s actual tree coverage, and modeled how trees interact with
tailpipe and building emissions of nitrogen oxides.
They found that emissions from trees play a controlling role in the formation of ozone on
hot summer days, when levels routinely exceed the federal safety levels of 70 parts per
billion. Levels sometimes now reach 100 parts per billion; the addition of new trees could
eventually drive it up even further, says the study.
But isoprene from trees alone is not to blame. Ozone cannot form without one essential
precursor chemical: nitrogen oxides, also known as NOx, emitted during combustion of
fossil fuels by vehicles, hot-water boilers, power plants and industry.
“If we lowered NOx significantly, trees wouldn’t be a problem,” said Wei. “We don’t want
to convey the idea that trees pollute the air. It’s the cars.”
New York has made some headway at reducing nitrogen oxides in recent years, but the
pace has been agonizingly slow. The study says that at current rates of 2% to 5% a year, it
would take 30 to 80 years for the city to reduce emissions by a factor of five―the level at
which emissions from trees would no long play a role in ozone formation.
No quick fix appears to be imminent. The city’s Local Law 97 mandates that many
buildings become carbon neutral, which would largely eliminate fossil fuels―but not until
2050―and electric vehicles are still just dots on the horizon. In June, New York Gov. Kathy
Hochul suddenly canceled a plan decades in the making to reduce vehicle traffic by
imposing congestion pricing in Manhattan. Prospects for its revival are uncertain.
Meanwhile, the City Council passed a 2023 resolution calling for an increase in
tree-canopy coverage from its current 22% to at least 30% by 2035. This would require 2
50,000 new trees. A 2022 study by The Nature Conservancy found that canopy cover act-
ually could be increased to 42% without impinging on existing landscapes such as
buildings and roads.
The Parks Department is cognizant of the issue. A 2018 study carried out by some of its
researchers concluded that city trees emit more than 800 tons of volatile compounds each y
ear, including isoprene. “We didn’t make a big deal of that,” said Novem Auyeung, a
Parks Department senior scientist who oversees practical research into how the city
should manage its natural resources. Like the authors of the new study, she said trees
should not be viewed as the enemy. “We could plant any trees we want to, if we just
rethink our car-centric lifestyle,” she said.
https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2024/08/05/planting-some-tree-species-may-worsen-not-im
原文链接：
“Oaks are tough trees. They might be able to survive climate change,” said Commane. “
There are still wonderful reasons to have them around.”
The study was funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , with
additional support from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.
Tags:
air pollution, air quality, climate change, cs highlights, cs impacts, Lamont-Doherty Earth
Observatory, New York City, NOAA, NYC Parks, research, Roisin Commane, trees
In any case, the department has already reduced the proportion of oaks it plants in favor
of a more diverse mix―but not because of the isoprene question. There was a mass
die-off of the city’s American elms in the 20th century, and in the past several years, of
ash trees, both due to introduced exotic pests. “We’ve learned our lesson. We’re trying to
diversify so if one pest comes along, we have other trees,” said Auyeung.
The department focuses on trees native to the region, including the native oaks that
dominate many eastern forests. According to its data, of 55,533 trees planted in the city’s
forested areas from to 2018 to 2023, the percentage of oaks was down to 20%. On the
streets, 57,335 trees were planted; 17% of them were oaks. In the fiscal year ending this
June, some 18,000 more were planted, though the species composition is not yet
available.
“We’re not going to go cutting down any big old oaks,” and neither will the department
completely stop planting new ones, said Auyeung. “You have to think about what you
would lose if you do that.” Oaks are keystone species, she pointed out, providing food and
habitat for native insects, birds and mammals. They provide excellent shade, can grow in
relatively small spaces, and unlike other desirable shade species such as tulip trees, are
relatively unbothered by the city’s stew of air pollution, ozone and otherwise. Importantly,
northern red oaks in particular can function in high temperatures when other trees shut
down. Up to a point, they may in fact grow even better as the climate gets hotter,
according to a 2008 study.
prove-nyc-air-says-new-study/
阅读D 篇主题：欣赏艺术之美，激发抽象思维与宏观视野
Pondering artistic beauty encourages ‘big picture’ thinking
Published: 7 May 2025. Story: Fred Lewsey
A psychological experiment conducted at Kettle's Yard suggests that actively considering the
beauty of art increases abstract thinking and “transformative” emotion – helping us escape the“mental trappings” of day-to-day living.
Since the dawn of philosophy, thinkers from Plato to Kant have considered how beauty affects
human experience, and whether it has the power to transform our state of mind.
Now, a new study from the University of Cambridge suggests that stopping to contemplate the
beauty of artistic objects in a gallery or museum boosts our ability to think in abstract ways and
consider the “bigger picture” when it comes to our lives.
Researchers say the findings offer empirical evidence that engaging with artistic beauty helps us
escape the “mental trappings of daily life,” such as current anxieties and to-do lists, and induce
“psychological distancing”: the process of zooming out on your thoughts to gain clarity.
A team of Cambridge psychologists conducted an experiment using the University’s modern art
gallery, Kettle’s Yard, as a “living laboratory” to compare the cognitive effects of merely seeing artwith actively judging how beautiful it is.
Researchers found that study participants who focused on the beauty of objects in an exhibition
of ceramics were more likely to experience elevated psychological states enabling them to think “beyond the here and now”, and more likely to report feeling enlightened, moved, or
transformed.
This was compared to participants who were simply asked to look intently at the artistic objects
to match them with a series of line drawings. The findings are published in the journal Empirical
Studies of the Arts.
The study, among the first to explore how aesthetic experiences in a gallery or museum can affect
cognitive processing, reinforces the importance of art creation as well as access to artistic spaces,
say researchers.
“Many philosophers throughout history have suggested that engaging with aesthetic beauty
invokes a special kind of psychological state,” said Prof Simone Schnall, senior author of the studyand Professor of Experimental Social Psychology at Cambridge.
“Our research indicates that engaging with the beauty of art can enhance abstract thinking and
promote a different mindset to our everyday patterns of thought, shifting us into a more
expansive state of mind.”
“This is known as psychological distancing, when one snaps out of the mental trappings of daily
life and focuses more on the overall picture.”
“Visiting an art museum is not just a pleasant way to spend an afternoon, it may actually change
how we think about our lives”
Prof Simone Schnall
For the latest study, 187 people were recruited to visit Kettle’s Yard gallery during an exhibition ofhandmade clay objects by pottery artist Lucie Rie.
“Ceramics were ideal for our purposes,” said Schnall. “A glorious painting by an Old Master wouldbe too striking. We needed art that is subtle in form, requiring a focused contemplation of thenature of beauty.”
Participants were randomly split into two groups: the ‘beauty’ group was asked to actively
consider and then rate the beauty of each ceramic object they viewed, while the second group
just matched a line drawing of the object with the artwork itself.
All participants were then tested on how they process information, and if it’s in a more practical
or abstract way.
For example, does ‘writing a letter’ mean literally putting pen to paper or sharing your thoughts?
Is ‘voting’ marking a ballot or influencing an election? Is ‘locking a door’ inserting a key or
securing a house?
“These tests are designed to gauge whether a person is thinking in an immediate, procedural way,as we often do in our day-to-day lives, or is attuned to the deeper meaning and bigger picture of t
he actions they take,” said Dr Elzė Sigutė Mikalonytė, lead author of the study and a researcher atCambridge’s Department of Psychology.
Across all participants, those in the beauty group scored almost 14% higher on average than the
control group in abstract thinking. While they were told the study was about cognitive processes,
participants were asked about interests, with around half saying they had an artistic hobby.
Among those, the effect was greater: those with an artistic hobby in the ‘beauty’ group scored
over 25% higher on average for abstract thinking than those with an artistic hobby in the control
group.
Emotional states of participants were also measured by asking about their feelings while
completing the gallery task. Across all participants, those in the beauty group reported an
average of 23% higher levels of “transformative and self-transcendent feelings” – such as feelingmoved, enlightened and inspired – than the control group.
“Our findings offer empirical support for a long-standing philosophical idea that beauty
appreciation can help people detach from their immediate practical concerns and adopt a
broader, more abstract perspective,” said Mikalonytė.
Importantly, however, the beauty group did not report feeling any happier than the control group,suggesting that it was the engagement with beauty that influenced abstract thinking, rather than
any overall positivity from the experience.
The latest study is part of a wider project led by Schnall exploring the effects of aesthetic
experiences on cognition. The project, supported by the Templeton Religion Trust, aims to
address whether art can contribute to human flourishing and positive values.
“People today are often tethered to their devices, and we usually think in very concrete terms
when we’re doing something on a screen,” added Schnall.
“It’s becoming much rarer to zone out and just let the mind wander, but that’s when we think inways that broaden our horizons. Admiring the beauty of art may be the ideal way to trigger the
abstract cognitive processes increasingly lost in a world of screens and smartphones.”
原文链接：
https://www.cam.ac.uk/stories/artistic-beauty-abstract-thinking
How Are Museums Using Artificial Intelligence
The Silicon Review 16 July, 2024 Author: The Silicon Review Team
Museums, once quiet places filled with history, are now full of digital excitement. Every year, over
1 billion people visit museums around the world. These institutions now face the challenge of
preserving artifacts while also engaging a tech-savvy generation.
Artificial intelligence (AI), known for self-driving cars and futuristic robots, is becoming a key
player in the cultural sector. AI is more than just a trend; it's transforming the museum
experience.
Using machine learning and advanced algorithms, museums create personalized visitor journeys,
protect delicate collections, and reveal hidden stories. AI-powered virtual guides customize visits
based on individual interests, and predictive analytics enhance exhibits. From interactive
chatbots to augmented reality overlays, AI is redefining the museum visit for everyone.
In this article we will explore how AI is changing the way we experience and interact with
museums
AI-Powered Personalized Experiences
Today's museum visitors want more than just a walk through static exhibits. They want
engagement, personalization, and a deeper connection to the stories behind the artifacts.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is making this possible, transforming the museum experience into a
dynamic, personalized adventure. This not only delights visitors but also encourages them to
return and fosters a deeper appreciation for cultural institutions.
Smart Recommendations
When you visit a museum, AI-powered recommendation engines can create a personalized
itinerary based on your interests. By analyzing data such as visitor demographics, past behavior,
exhibit popularity, and contextual information, these algorithms can suggest exhibits, artworks,
and events that will resonate with you. This makes your visit feel both surprising and personal,
enhancing your satisfaction and curiosity to discover more.
Interactive Chatbots & Virtual Guides
AI-powered chatbots and virtual guides are replacing old-fashioned audio guides and brochures.
These digital companions engage visitors in conversations, share historical anecdotes, and offer
context-sensitive insights. They can even tailor their responses to the visitor's age and knowledge
level, creating a personalized learning experience for everyone.
Augmented Reality (AR) Overlays
七选五：AI 重构博物馆：互动体验与数字化运营的变革
One of the most visually impressive uses of AI in museums is augmented reality (AR) overlays. By
pointing their smartphones or tablets at exhibits, visitors can see a hidden layer of digital
information. Historical figures can step out of paintings, artifacts can reveal their intricate details,
and static displays can come to life with animation. AR not only makes exhibits more visually
appealing but also deepens understanding and engagement, providing a memorable experience
that visitors are likely to share and revisit.
AI in Museum Operations & Collections
AI is transforming museums not just in visitor interactions but also in managing collections,
preserving artifacts, and improving operations, making them more efficient and effective.
Preservation & Restoration
Museums care for priceless artifacts that can deteriorate over time. AI helps by analyzing
high-resolution images to detect early signs of decay, such as cracks or discoloration, which may
not be visible to the naked eye. This early detection allows for timely intervention and restoration,ensuring the longevity of these cultural treasures. AI also predicts future deterioration patterns,
helping museums take preventative measures and optimize preservation strategies.
Digitization & Cataloging
Many museums have more artifacts than they can display. AI speeds up digitization and
cataloging by analyzing and tagging images, documents, and audio recordings quickly and
accurately. This creates comprehensive digital archives that aid in research and preservation.
Additionally, museums can share these digital collections online, reaching a global audience and
making cultural heritage more accessible.
Predictive Analytics
AI also improves museum operations by analyzing historical data and real-time inputs like
weather, holidays, and social media trends to predict visitor traffic patterns. This helps museums
plan staffing levels to ensure enough guides and personnel are available during peak hours,
enhancing visitor experiences.
Moreover, predictive analytics assist in scheduling events and exhibitions strategically to
maximize attendance and revenue. By understanding visitor preferences and predicting popular
exhibits, museums can optimize ticket sales and tailor marketing campaigns. This data-driven
approach also helps manage resources efficiently, from gift shop inventory to maintenance
schedules, ensuring smooth museum operations.
Accessibility & Inclusion Through AI
Museums are more than just places to store artifacts; they are spaces for learning, engagement,
and cultural exchange. AI is helping make these experiences accessible and inclusive for everyone,regardless of their backgrounds, abilities, or language preferences.
Real-time Translation
Museums attract visitors from all over the world, speaking different languages. AI-powered
translation tools help break down language barriers, allowing visitors to engage with exhibits,
educational materials, and historical texts in their preferred language. Whether it's translating
signs in real-time, offering audio guides in multiple languages, or using chatbots that converse in
many tongues, AI ensures language is no longer a barrier to cultural understanding.
Image Recognition & Descriptions
Visually impaired visitors often face challenges in museums. AI is changing this by using image
recognition technology to analyze exhibits and generate detailed audio descriptions. This allows
visually impaired individuals to "see" through their ears, opening up a world of art, history, and
culture. Additionally, AI creates alternative text descriptions for images on museum websites and
digital platforms, making online content accessible to screen readers and other assistive
technologies.
Personalized Learning
Museums are important for children and families, not just adults. AI enhances the educational
aspect of museums by tailoring learning experiences to different age groups and learning styles.
Interactive exhibits powered by AI can adjust their content and difficulty level based on the user's
age and responses. AI can also analyze visitor data to identify knowledge gaps and recommend
additional materials, ensuring each visitor leaves the museum with a deeper understanding and
appreciation of the subject matter.
The Future of AI in Museums
AI is advancing rapidly, and its influence on museums is growing. This future promises exciting
possibilities, ethical challenges, and transformative experiences.
AI-Generated Art
AI can now create paintings, sculptures, and music that rival human works. Museums are
debating how to include these pieces in their collections. Should AI art be displayed with
traditional art or in a separate space? These questions are challenging our definition of art.
Ethical Considerations
AI brings ethical concerns. Algorithms can reflect biases from their training data, risking the
reinforcement of stereotypes or exclusion of some views. Museums are collaborating with AI
ethicists to develop fair algorithms. Visitor data collection also raises privacy issues. Clear policies
on data handling are essential to protect visitors' information.
Predictions
AI will continue to revolutionize museums. Virtual reality exhibits could transport visitors to
distant lands and historical eras. AI-powered curators might create dynamic exhibitions tailored
to individual interests. As AI advances, we can expect even more innovative applications. The
future museum will blend technology and culture, creating experiences that educate, inspire, and
captivate.
Conclusion
AI is changing museums by creating personalized experiences, preserving important artifacts, and
making cultural heritage accessible to everyone. With interactive guides and augmented reality,
AI is transforming how we experience art and history. Museums are now dynamic spaces where
technology and culture meet.
There's still much more to come. The future may bring AI-generated art and immersive virtual
exhibits. What do you think about AI in museums? Share your experiences and predictions in the
comments below! Let's keep the conversation going about how this technology is reshaping our
cultural institutions.
文章来源：https://thesiliconreview.com/2024/07/how-are-museums-using-artificial-intelligence
完形填空：小镇成长经历对个人价值观与心态的塑造
What Growing Up In A Small Town Teaches You About Life
By Sara Chuirazzi- Apr 3, 2015
When I was two years old, my family moved from Cincinnati to a little town in northeast Ohio
called Cortland. The realization that people only really knew Ohio for the three C’s – Cleveland,
Cincinnati, or Columbus (not Cortland!) – came quickly when I decided to go to school in centralPennsylvania. The truth is, I never considered myself “Midwestern” until I left Ohio. You’d thinkthat people would realize that we were neighboring states, but the people at my “East Coast”school thought of Ohio as a whole different world. Half of my peers didn’t even realize I lived amere three and a half hours away. “Do you have to fly home? Do you live on a farm? Is thereeven anything in Ohio worth seeing?” The questions are never-ending. I was a unicorn in theireyes, a novelty. Or, on second thought, maybe just a country hick. Don’t even get me started onthe “pop” versus “soda” debate…
As I grow older, I’m more and more thankful for my small town roots. Sure, my friends and I loved
to complain about how bored we were in the middle of nowhere, but as I finish up my junior year
of college, I’m convinced that it took leaving our small town to realize how much we actually did
love it and what exactly we loved about it.
We grew up amongst corn fields, spent summers by Mosquito Lake, and learned to ride our bike
on the hill with the rest of the kids in the neighborhood. We played kick ball and Red Rover in the
empty lot down the street, caught snapping turtles in the creek and snakes in the shared
vegetable garden behind the fence, and spent many an afternoon exploring the woods behind
our houses. We counted the days until the county fair, prayed for snow days (inside out pj’s and
ice cubes in the toilet, anyone?), we’re forced into corn hole competitions by our dads, never
viewed burnt out headlights as anything other than padiddles, and have all run a red light at
some point at one of the five stoplights in town. I might be showing my affinity toward the
midwest lifestyle, but all of these things taught have taught me important life lessons.
For one, the pace of life isn’t anxiety provoking and people really value connecting to each other.
That means that you do more than just talk to your next door neighbors – in a lot of cases,
they’re truly an extension of your family. So much of this lifestyle revolves around being outside
and knowing the ins and outs of the town, being present and mindful of your surroundings is a
critical part of the culture. The gift of being able to grow up slowly is another invaluable treasure
that I was given by my small town. Sure, there will always be a little bit of “keeping up with the
Jones’,” or rather the “advanced” girls, but I never felt pressure to rush through my childhood orto act older than I was – heck, I was still playing with American Girl dolls in middle school!
As I move through my college years, I look forward to the visits to my little hometown. A huge
perk has been the memories that I made with the people that I was lucky enough to know, and
maybe wouldn’t have if our school district didn’t have just one building for each the elementary,
middle, and high schools. There were no more than 130 kids in my public school graduating class
and we had known each other since kindergarten. My life would be so different without the
midwestern friendliness and hospitality that I’ve been exposed to through the years and which
has acted as my compass growing up. I am grateful for the experience that I had growing up and
know that wherever my next adventure takes me, I can trust my small town roots to lead me in
the right direction.
文章来源：
https://www.readunwritten.com/2015/04/03/what-growing-up-in-a-small-town-teaches-you-ab
out-life/
Guo Liping, 50, has been regularly visiting the Shahe Market in Beijing's Changping
district for a decade. He said he is a big fan of the vibrant open-air market because
Open-air markets bolster Beijing's street vending economy
By Xing Wen and Yan Dongjie
it helps him unwind and stay passionate about life.
The market is so popular among both Changping's residents and visitors from other
districts that shoppers jostle for elbowroom on normal days, and now with the Year
of the Dragon here, the crowds are swelling as more vendors have set up shop to
sell Spring Festival decorations such as lanterns, couplets and red envelopes, Guo
said."Shahe Market is the place to be if one wants to get into the festive mood. Look how
happy people are when choosing Spring Festival decorations. See how their faces
light up when they land a good deal. Simple pleasures don't cost much here," he
said, in between bites of his hot sesame bun with sausages.
As delicious smells wafted up from the food stalls on a cold winter morning, Guo,
who works in the finance sector, said: "For many people like me, coming to the
market is therapeutic, and I am not exaggerating a bit. As soon as I walk into the
market, I feel very relaxed. It's totally worth the one-hour drive."
The Shahe Market in suburban Beijing covers an area of 120,000 square meters and
is among the Chinese capital's largest open-air markets. It attracts thousands of
shoppers when it opens every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.
The unique selling point of the market is that people find everything they need here
— and more, Guo said.
And he is absolutely right.
The market not just offers daily necessities such as fruits and vegetables, street
food and antique items, one might also spot vendors selling katydids, which are
large, typically green, long-horned nocturnal grasshoppers that are kept as pets by
many people.
"Everything is so down-to-earth here, which is in stark contrast to the modern city
life in Beijing. It is a fond reminder of my childhood days- the good times I spent
with my family at the open-air markets near my native village in Gansu province,"
Guo said.
Daji, which translates as a "big market or fair", is typically held on specific dates
语法填空：大集回归：现代都市生活的烟火气与治愈力
based on the lunar calendar, such as dates ending with five or seven. It is also a
common practice to hold daji ahead of or during traditional Chinese holidays such as
the Spring Festival holiday. Visiting such fairs is popularly termed as ganji, which
literally means "chasing the market".
These markets or fairs evolved from the folk custom of trading in goods, which can
be traced back to the Han dynasties (206 BC-AD 220).
In the olden days, due to a lack of convenient means of transportation and
communication, it was challenging for households to meet their needs for daily
necessities. As a solution, people made agreements to gather on a particular day at
a specific location, where they traded their surplus goods for the items they needed.
In addition to being venues for buying and selling, these markets became occasions
for people to socialize and be entertained.
Today, when supermarkets are found in almost every corner of Beijing and online
shopping platforms offer same-day grocery delivery services, Guo said he still
enjoys visiting the Shahe Market.
"The fruits and vegetables here may not be as well presented and packaged as
those in the supermarkets, and some may even be covered in soil, but they are
always fresh and more affordable," he said, adding that he also enjoys talking to the
vendors and learning about the efforts they put into growing their produce. "The
market has brought people closer."
Since last year, more young people have started visiting the Shahe Market, which
was traditionally the favorite haunt of the older generations, according to Guo.
"They (young people) are very noticeable. You can tell by their colorful coats and
hairdos."
Chen Xiaoyi, 26, who works for an IT company in Beijing, said she loves the
market's lively vibe. More importantly, shopping here is affordable and helps her
save up money for the future, she said.
Chen first visited the market last May after she saw a post about it on social media.
Now, visiting the market almost every weekend has become a habit, she said.
"It's like a mini break from my stressful work life. Some people go hiking in the
mountains during the weekend, I hike to the market," she said, as she waited at a
stall to buy some freshly squeezed sugar cane juice, which she plans to use later to
make sugar cane Americano.
The young techie said the best-part about visiting the market is that she can wear
casual and comfortable clothes, and no makeup at all. "I know for sure that no one
will judge me here. I quite like the crowd of shoppers at the market, even though I
hate crowds in general because I have to squeeze into packed subway trains to go
to work every morning," she said.
Shopping at the Shahe Market has helped her cut down her monthly spending on
groceries by more than 1,000 yuan ($140), because most products are cheaper
than those available at central Beijing's supermarkets, Chen said.
"For example, the price of strawberries, which I love, is nearly half here compared
with the price of strawberries at the supermarket near my apartment. In other
words, this market is good for the body, the soul and the wallet," said the techie,
who has already introduced her friends and colleagues to the Shahe Market.
Chen, who has also been sharing her experiences on social media, has come across
many like-minded young people who see visiting open-air markets as fun. "Together,
we have located more such markets in the suburbs of Beijing, and I am planning to
visit them one by one."
Li Yang, an undergraduate student at Beihang University, said the Shahe Market is
popular among university students as well."Getting up early on a winter morning to
attend classes is so hard, but getting up early to go to the market for a hearty
breakfast is fairly easy," he said.
After breakfast, Li and his classmates often throw a challenge to see how many
things they can buy at the market for 100 yuan.
"I once struck a great bargain — I bought three long-sleeve tops and two pairs of
sweatpants for 100 yuan. My friends said the clothes look just as chic as those sold
by top international brands. When they visited the market the following week, the
vendor was no longer there. I believe that's why this market is so much fun," the
21-year-old said.
Open-air markets have mushroomed around the city over the past year after the
Beijing municipal government decided to support the development of street vending
economy, said Liu Hong, a regular vendor at such markets.
The 42-year-old, who sells baked buns with shredded braised pork, has been doing
brisk business in three to four open-air markets each week in Beijing's Changping
and Shunyi districts. "As different markets are held on different days, I can find one
to sell my buns each day of the week if I want to."
Liu, who is from Hebei province, had a small restaurant in Beijing where he sold his
baked buns, noodles and soup. Business took a hit during the COVID-19 pandemic
and he couldn't pay the rent for the restaurant space. He had no choice but to shut
it down.
At an open-air market in Changping's Nanqijia village, Liu needs to pay only 30 yuan
a day to rent a stall, so there is much less pressure on him to run his business.
"Also, I really enjoy the lively atmosphere at these markets. You can tell that the
ambience is lifting people's moods as they walk around, or browse products. People
are much nicer to each other," Liu said, taking a bun out of the oven for a customer,
who in turn offered him one of the oranges she had just bought from another
vendor.
"Maybe I will open a restaurant again someday after I am able to save up enough
money, but I will definitely miss my time at these markets, which have cast a
magical spell," he added.
文章来源：https://www.chinadailyhk.com/hk/article/376314
读后续写：陌生人间的互助善举：微小温情治愈困境
The kindness of strangers
By Bruce Corcoran -January 4, 2023
Hailey Slovik of Detroit said she’s learned a valuable lesson about winter driving.
The hard way.
The 27-year-old was one of dozens – possibly hundreds – of people who found themselves
marooned in Chatham-Kent trapped by a fierce winter storm Dec. 23.
The just-in-time-for-Christmas blizzard saw Mayor Darrin Canniff declare a state of emergency
and the closure of both Highway 401 and Highway 40, as first responders and snow plow
operators grappled with drifting snow in whiteout conditions.
The extreme weather event saw local residents and business owners open their doors to the
stranded, and many travellers were also welcomed to emergency shelters at schools, churches,
arenas and even Chatham’s Wal-Mart.
On her way to Toronto to visit her boyfriend and meet his family for the first time, Slovik set out
in the afternoon. She heard there was a storm coming, but didn’t give it a lot of thought thinking
she could “beat it” and go around any problem areas.“
I thought it was like Michigan where they detoured you around the parts of the road that were
closed,” Slovik said. “I didn’t realize that wouldn’t happen…I didn’t think it would be a big deal.”
Old Man Winter had different plans. Slovik discovered Hwy. 401 was closed from Tilbury to
London, with police redirecting off the highway towards Chatham.
Now facing a blinding whiteout, her Buick Lacrosse slipped into a ditch somewhere. However, she
managed to get car out, crawling along unfamiliar roads.
As night lengthened Slovik said she began to panic. She found herself on Bloomfield Road but got
stuck when she attempted to turn the car around.
Other vehicles stopped to see if she was okay. A passerby offered Slovik a blanket that she pulled
around herself to keep warm, as she turned the car’s ignition on and off to charge her phone and
create heat.
Eventually she fell asleep.
Enter Good Samaritan Jessie. Slovik awoke to a knock on her car window and an invitation to
come in out of the cold.
“He asked if I was OK and if I needed anything and then invited me to come and sleep on the
couch,” Slovik said. “I was so happy and I was so grateful.”
The next morning, Jessie and his friend Chantel helped Slovik plot her next move. Because her car
was stuck with no scheduled time to be towed out, she decided to catch the train to Toronto and
return when the car was pulled out.
However, Slovik’s impromptu hosts weren’t done helping. They helped Slovik purchase a VIA rail
ticket to Toronto and gave a her a suitcase to carry her Christmas gifts in.
“They bought my ticket and I paid them back,” she said, noting it was her first-ever train ride.
On Boxing Day, Slovik got a ride to Chatham with her boyfriend’s family, retrieved the car and
headed back to the U.S.
The American traveller said she’s in awe of how events unfolded during the storm and of the
kindness of the strangers she met.
“I wasn’t expecting this kind of help,” Slovik explained. “It’s like a Christmas miracle. The chancesof me landing in someone’s yard like that…it’s like I met an angel.
“You never know,” Slovik said. “I never thought I would meet such polite people. It definitely
made everything easier. It certainly could have turned out differently.”
Henceforth, Slovik said she will be prepared for winter driving and will “definitely” be packing
flares, candles, blankets, a shovel and food “just in case” she encounters a storm on the road.
Slovik also had plenty of praise for Chatham-Kent police who oversaw her car tow and the 9-1-1
operators she spoke with throughout the ordeal.
“They were calm and very, very helpful.”
文章来源：https://chathamvoice.com/2023/01/04/the-kindness-of-strangers/
