Next month, I’m traveling to a remote area of Central Africa and my aim is to know enough Lingala — one of the local languages — to have a conversation. I wasn’t sure how I was going to manage this — until I discovered a way to learn all the vocabulary I’m going to need. Thanks to Memrise, the application I’m using. It feels just like a game.
“People often stop learning things because they feel they’re not making progress or because it all feels like too much hard work,” says Ed Cooke, one of the people who created Memrise. “We’re trying to create a form of learning experience that is fun and is something you’d want to do instead of watching TV.”
Memrise gives you a few new words to learn and these are “seeds” which you plant in your “greenhouse”. When you learn the words, you “water your plants”. When the application believes that you’ve really memorized a word, it moves the word to your “garden”. And if you forget to log on, the application sends you emails, reminding you to “water your plants”.
The application uses two principles about learning. The first is that people memorize things better when they link them to a picture in their mind. Memrise translates words into your own language, but it also encourages you to use “mems”. For example, I memorized motele, the Lingala word for “engine”, using a mem I created — I imagined an old engine in a motel (汽车旅馆) room.
The second principle is that we need to stop after studying words and then repeat them again later, leaving time between study sessions. Memrise helps you with this, because it’s the kind of application you only use for five or ten minutes a day.
I’ve learnt hundreds of Lingala words with Memrise. I know this won’t make me a fluent speaker, but I hope I’ll be able to do more than just smile when I meet people in Congo. Now, I need to go and water my Vocabulary!
【小题1】What does Ed Cooke make an effort to do with Memrise?| A．Create memorable experiences. | B．Make progress with hard work. |
| C．Learning words instead of watching TV. | D．Combine study with entertainment. |
| A．Logging on to the application. | B．Being a Memrise user. |
| C．Practising the vocabulary. | D．Moving words to your garden. |
| A．By linking different mems together. | B．By putting knowledge into practice. |
| C．By offering human translation services. | D．By applying an associative memory approach. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Positive. |
| C．Uninterested. | D．Negative. |
For Icelandic visitors, Reykjavik is the gateway to wilderness adventures as well as an excellent jumping off point for chasing the Northern Lights, which you can spot from September to April. After a full day of exploring, warm up in one of the area’s hotels, enjoying comfort it offers.
Reykjavik Residence
In the heart of downtown, the luxury suites (套房) and quality apartments allow guests a comfortable degree of flexibility and independence, with larger units ideal for families and two types of breakfast—delightful breakfast baskets delivered straight to your room, and the pleasant selection at Port 9 next door.
Berjaya Marina Hotel
It is located next to the historical and still fully functioning, dry-dock called Slippur. Combining the dynamic, creative atmosphere of this rapidly developing district with the country’s strong fishing traditions, it offers everyone the opportunity to see and experience the city at its most creative and colorful points.
Hotel Borg
As one landmark in downtown, its 99 rooms and suites, with art style throughout, are elegantly appointed yet offer a set of modern elements. Enjoy a drink or cocktail in the hotel bar. Relax in the sauna, steam bath or hot pool. Full service gym with free weights, exercise bike, rowing machine, and more is available for guests of the hotel.
Apotek Hotel
Conveniently located within walking distance of a variety of shops, galleries and restaurants, it is a four-star, 45-bedroom and suite hotel, and is as welcoming as it is stylish. A perfect restoration of a historical building designed by the former State Architect of Iceland, it is truly a home away from home.
【小题1】What could guests enjoy in Reykjavik Residence?| A．Artistic atmosphere. | B．Flexible price. |
| C．A pleasant party. | D．Two breakfast options. |
| A．Reykjavik Residence | B．Berjaya Marina Hotel |
| C．Hotel Borg | D．Apotek Hotel |
| A．They offer excellent cocktails. | B．They have advantages in location. |
| C．They are designed by artists. | D．They are 4-star hotels. |
Do you want to go to Spain to experience its festivals in spring? If you do, here are some that are worth experiencing.
15-19 March: Las Fallas Festival, valencia
Huge cardboard, wood, and plaster statues are made into the shape of traditional figures or even modern cultural figures like Shrek and former American President Obama. The creations are on display all over the city before being burned in one of the many bonfires, which takes place among much partying.
23 April: Saint George Festival, Barcelona
Sant Jordi, or St George, is the patron saint of Catalonia (as well as England and about 10 other countries and regions). But St George's Day in Barcelona is also the city's version of Valentine's Day when romance sweeps the city. The tradition is for the man to give his lady a rose in return for a book.
30 April to 7 May: Feria de Sevilla, Seville
Spring Fair, the Feria, is a joyful festival with masses of food, drink, music and dancing. To the west of the city a huge area is given over to the creating a small ''town'' of tents for drinking, eating and socializing. Most of the tents are private and invitation only but there are seven public ones.
Mid-May: Fiesta de San Isidro, Madrid
It's Madrid's largest festival. Music and dancing is everywhere with Latin rhythms happening at concerts all over the city. The festival starts with a grand procession of giants, followed by an opening speech in the Plaza Mayor. Over the next few days, entertainment takes over the city's public spaces.
【小题1】What do we know about Las Fallas Festival?| A．Statues are burned during the party. | B．American President displays his statues. |
| C．It is held to burn things for good luck. | D．People only party at home with bonfires. |
| A．Give their girls a book as a gift. | B．Join a grand procession of giants. |
| C．Express their love to their lovers. | D．Pray to St George for a happy marriage. |
| A．On 23 April. | B．On 15 March. |
| C．In the middle of May. | D．At the beginning of May. |
·Tuesday’s Story
A Book of Rhyme for Children and Pet Lovers
Becky Hohnstein
www.xlibris.com
Hardback| Paperback| E-book
$22.99 |$14.99 | $3.99
This children’s and pet lovers’ book uses photographs to tell the story of a remarkable, well loved bichon dog, through babyhood, then as a fun energetic dog and then an aging dog. Rhyme makes the story fun to be read and read to.
·Emma Embury: Poet of the Heart
Charles Russel
www.xlibris.com
Hardback| Paperback| E-book
$31.99 |$17.99 | $3.99
Emma Embury was a brilliant early 19th Century American poet, novelist, and essayist. Her life story, along with her poems, and selections from her essays and novels, makes delightful reading.
·Family Guide to Celebration of the Jewish Holidays
Leonard Chesler
www.juniverse.com
Paperback| E-book
$14.95| $3.99
Written as a family guide, emphasis is placed on purpose, meaning, value, joy, and inspiration for each holiday and our daily lives.
·Just Arrived- A Different World
Bona Udeze
www.iuniverse.com
Paperback| E-book
$20.99| $3.99
Emeka has just arrived in America and must now face culture shock while many other Africans tolerate the same fate, fighting for survival in a strange new world.
·Trials of a Dead Lawyer’s wife
Maggie Redmon
www.xlibris.com
Hardback| Paperback| E-book
$31.99| $17.99| $3.99
It is based on a true story. After her husband Scott changed his will just hours before he died and half a million dollars would be given away to his girlfriend, Maggie started to search for truth and justice.
【小题1】Which author’s book would you choose for a person adopting a dog?| A．Charles Russell. | B．Becky Hohnstein, |
| C．Maggie Redmon. | D．Leonard Chesler. |
| A．Tuesday’s Story. |
| B．Emma Embury: Poet of the Heart. |
| C．Family Guide to Celebration of the Jewish Holidays. |
| D．Just Arrived-A Different World. |
| A．Tuesday’s Story is about the story of a dog owner. |
| B．Emma Embury’s works include different types. |
| C．Leonard Chesler’s book emphasizes some scenic spots. |
| D．Scott changed his will to punish Maggie’s dishonesty. |
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