2021-2022 Haynes Bridge Middle School Talent Show
Important Information:
Audition（试演）will be held on Friday 10/29, Saturday 10/30, Sunday 10/31.
Dates for rehearsals（排练）and performances:
1st Rehearsal — Monday, November 15th 4:15-5:45
Dress Rehearsal — Wednesday, November 17th 4:15-6:00
Talent Show Performance — Thursday, November 18th at 6:00-7:30
All participants must be available to attend all dates!
Rules & Regulations:
1 Auditions are open to all HBMS students. Students may enter the talent show as a solo act or a group. (Group can be no more than 6 students.)
2 Acts must be no more than 3 minutes in length. An act that runs longer may be selected under the condition that it be cut down to the 3-minute maximum.
3 The show will be about 1.5 hours long. There will be about 25 acts selected, possibly a few more if some run under the 3-minute maximum.
4 Tryouts（选拔赛）are closed to anyone other than students who are auditioning and the judges. This includes relatives, friends, and other students.
5 Students must be in attendance at school in order to participate in an extracurricular activity. This includes all talent show events.
6 Failure to attend your scheduled audition and any of the scheduled rehearsals — except in the case of illness or extreme emergency — will result in you being excluded from the show.
7 If the act has been changed from its original audition without permission, or, if it is not well prepared, it will be dropped from the show.
Music is said to be a universal language. But for Chase Burton, a deaf filmmaker, music has always been a different experience.
"When I was a kid, I'd lie on the floor above our garage so that I could feel the vibrations (震动) from my brother's band rocking out below my body. That was one of the first times I began building a relationship with music," said Burton.
In 2016, his ability to experience music changed completely, thanks to the California – based technology company Not Impossible Labs. It designed a vibrating suit that enables deaf people to "feel" music through their skin. The suit can translate audio into a range of vibrating pulses (脉冲) that are felt at 24 contact points. Burton has been wearing the suit for four years. "The sound drubs different parts of my body," said Burton. "Maybe it will strike me in my ankles first. And then I'll start to feel the vibrations in my back and wrists."
The creators want to extend the musical experience beyond the deaf community. In 2018, they gave out 150 vibrating suits at a rock concert where half the audience members were deaf and half could hear. Since then, the creators have been working to improve the technology and want the suit to become a consumer product accessible to all, which will be used in live sports broadcasts, or video games.
As a writer and director, Burton has been working to make the movie world more inclusive. For his latest movie he hired all-deaf staff and actors. Burton hopes that the vibrating suits will be available to his film audiences in the future. He believes that the suits can improve emotions while people are watching a movie for normal people as well as the deaf. "I see the tech as a real opportunity to help people understand that music or movies don't always need to be enjoyed through the ears," said Burton.
To give a tip or not? If so, how much? They can be headaches even for the most experienced tourists. This week, the main political parties in the UK have finally come to rescue by passing laws to forbid bars and restaurants taking tips from the customers.
However, not every country in the world takes the matter as seriously as the British, who are believed to have invented the custom in the 17th century — originally as a noble practice of giving small gifts to the so-called "inferior (低等的) classes". Later, tipping has become a habit widely accepted in the world, although it is influenced by a nation's culture and values.
A common joke among Americans is that only getting tax return is more confusing than tipping. Tips were imported into the country in the 19th century, when wealthy Americans began travelling to Europe. The custom was originally disapproved in the US. Critics accused tippers of creating a class of people who "begged for favors". Fast forward to the 21st century and you will still find Americans debating the pros and cons. But tipping is now completely ingrained (根深蒂固的) in the national soul.
Like many Asian countries, China is largely a no-tipping culture for decades it was actually prohibited and considered illegal. To this day, it remains relatively uncommon.
Japan's complex manner system includes tipping. It is socially acceptable on special occasions such as weddings, but on the other occasions, it can actually make the receiver feel ashamed, if not abused. Even on occasions where tips are expected, the money is expected to be sealed in special envelopes as a sign of gratitude and respect. Otherwise, it will be refused because tips are usually included in the payment for the service.
The term "Metaverse" is the latest buzzword (流行语) to capture the tech industry's imagination — so much so that one of the best-known internet platforms is rebranding to signal is embrace of the futuristic idea.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's announcement that he's changing his company's name to Meta Platforms Inc. might be the biggest thing to happen to the metaverse since science fiction writer Neal Stephenson coined the term for his 1992 novel "Snow Crash". But Zuckerberg and his team are hardly the only tech visionaries with ideas on how the metaverse, which will employ a mix of virtual reality and other technologies, should take shape.
What is the metaverse? Zuckerberg has described it as a "virtual environment" you can go inside of — instead of just looking at on a screen. Essentially, it's a world of endless, interconnected virtual communities where people can meet, work and play, using virtual reality headsets and glasses, smartphone or other devices. The metaverse also could be a game -changer for the work-from-home shift amid the coronavirus pandemic. Instead of seeing co-workers on a video call, employees could join them in a virtual office.
Zuckerberg's embrace of the metaverse in some ways goes against a central tenet (信条) of its biggest enthusiasts(狂热粉丝). They consider the metaverse as online culture's liberation from tech platforms like Facebook that assumed ownership of people's accounts, photos, posts and traded off what they collected from that data. "We want to be able to move around the Internet with ease, but we also want to be able to move around the Internet in a way we're not tracked and monitored," said Steve Jang, who focuses on cryptocurrency (数字货币) technology. There is a growing concern about Facebook trying to lead the way into a virtual world that could require even more personal data and offer greater potential for abuse and misinformation when it hasn't fixed those problems in its current platforms.
Collecting rainwater is important. It can help you save both money and the environment while preventing possible damage. And lots of people have taken action to do it.
Many people pay monthly for the water from the city water supply. Collecting rainwater can help you save part of that money. Why? You can use the rainwater to water your garden and wash your pets, houses, and cars without ever opening the city water supply.
Plants can grow better. It's a known fact that plants are not huge fans of tap water. Tap water is treated with numerous chemicals unfriendly to plants. But with rainwater, you'll never have to worry about these chemicals. After all, rainwater is a natural source of water. It generally won't harm plants.
It can protect your property (房产) from rain damage. Too much rain may damage your home. This is especially true if your house doesn't have a water collecting system.
The system can help direct rainwater away from your home to where you want to collect it, which also prevents water from flooding in your neighborhood.
You'll help clean natural waterways. Rainwater helps the ground stay clean. But when it runs along rooftops, streets, etc., it collects many pollutants. However, by collecting the water, you can prevent a considerable percentage of the pollutants from reaching the natural waterways in your hometown.
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A. It's helpful in reducing your water bills. B C. Instead, it can promote certain plants' growth. D. It's hard to collect enough water during dry seasons. E. The resulting dirty water flows into the natural waterways. F. Nowadays, many towns encourage people to collect rainwater. G. For example, in rainy seasons, rainstorms may destroy your yard. |
Raynor Winn and her husband Moth became homeless due to their wrong investment. Their savings had been1to pay lawyers' fees. To make matters worse, Moth was diagnosed (诊断) with a serious disease. There was no2, only pain relief.
Failing to find any other way out, they decided to make a3journey, as they caught sight of an old hikers' guide.
This was a long journey of unaccustomed hardship and4recovery. When leaving home, Raynor and Moth had just £ 320 in the bank. They planned to keep the5low by living on boiled noodles, with the occasional hamburger shop treat.
Wild camping is6in England. The Winns had to get their tent up late and packed it away early in the morning to avoid being caught. They soon discovered that daily hiking in their 50s is a lot7than they remember it was in their 20s. Raynor felt itchy (痒) all over and8a bath. Moth, meanwhile, after an initial struggle, found his symptoms (症状) were strangely9by their daily tiring journey.
10, the couple found that their bodies turned for the better, with re-found strong muscles that they thought had11forever. "Our hair was fried and falling out, nails broken, clothes12to a thread, but we were alive."
During the journey, Raynor began a career as a nature writer. She writes, "13had taken every material thing from me and left me torn bare, an empty page at the end of a(n)14written book. It had also given me a choice, either to leave that page15or to keep writing the story with hope. I chose hope."
With the recent relaxation in travel restrictions, I found myself (visit) Innsbruck, the capital city of the state of Tyrol in Western Austria.
The destination within snow-capped mountains is perfect for a short break. Even the approach Innsbruck Airport by air is a breathtaking sight as the plane (gentle) moves between the mountains on its journey to the runway.
The city is like an artistic (compose) of modern architecture and historic buildings
serving both as a university town and a tourist center. Weaving my way through cobbled streets and well-designed buildings, I was impressed by this stunning city was the Imperial capital 500 years ago, when the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I lived here, and it still lives up to (it) royal connections today with the unique architecture.
I wandered round this small city, (amaze) at the dramatic backdrop of the Nordkette mountain which offers skiing and hiking near the downtown. The Goldenes Dachl, significant landmark in Innsbruck with its 2,657 golden copper tiles(瓦片)that shine in the sunlight, took my breath away.
Innsbruck (steal) my heart with the stunning architecture, majestic mountains and friendly people on this tour. I couldn't wait to return (explore) more of this delightful European city.
I needed to do something in my community in order to complete the community service hours required to graduate from high school. Some of my friends had signed up to spend time at a soup kitchen, so I did, too. It seemed like a good thing to do.
I thought that we would just be passing out dinners to those in need, but I found out we would be doing everything from preparing to serving the dinner. We began preparing the food, from mixing salad dressing to separating frozen meat. Much still needed to be done before dinner was served, but already outside the building many homeless people were gathering. It wasn't until a couple of hours later that we opened the doors and began serving dinner.
As the line of people came toward me, I got a little scared. I'd come face to face with the homeless. How should I act? How would they treat me? Would they hate me for having more than they did? While some of the people looked very friendly, some of them looked so dangerous. I didn't have too much time to worry about it. I was assigned (分配) to serve the salad with the lady next to me. She smiled at me and said if I needed help, she'd be right there, which I found quite comforting.
I had never seen so many people wanting food. They were of all ages and nationalities. Most of them wore clothes that were torn and dirty. Some looked like they had totally given up on life, while others seemed to be making the best of the situation, smiling and joking. Some were better off than others, but they all needed a good meal and a warm place to eat. It saddened me to think of how many people there were who didn't have a place to call home and the only food they got came from a soup kitchen.
注意：
1）续写词数应为150左右：
2）请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
As they came in my direction, I put on my brightest and happiest smile.
I was so happy that I had earned my service hours in this way.
Your city offers cheaper drinking water.