This is an excellent program for incoming college freshmen with a real passion for conservation.

How It Works

This scholarship program helps you tailor your college studies to become a leader in the conservation field. Incoming freshmen at George Mason University who qualify will receive an invitation. Begin your degree program at Mason on campus, with courses that will prepare you for studying conservation biology.

Who's Qualified?

Candidates for our SMSC are selected from incoming applicants to Mason and are evaluated on the following criteria:

●academic achievement in high school

●college application essays

●letters of recommendation

●participation in extracurricular activities

●standardized test scores

●Rising college freshmen in any major, by invitation only.

What You'll Learn

SMSC offers three full-time residential programs in conservation biology that integrate directly into your degree plan at Mason, no matter your major. You choose when to attend, either fall or spring of your junior or senior year. Through this one-of-a-kind opportunity, you'll get hands-on field experience working with rare and endangered species. You'll become a member of Smithsonian's world-famous community of conservationists where scientists, educators, and animal keepers will serve as your mentors (导师).

Choose one of three semester programs to suit your interests and academic schedule:

●Conservation, Biodiversity and Society

Offered in fall or spring to students with at least 45 undergraduate credits

Includes weekly work with a conservation expert

●Wildlife Ecology and Conservation

Offered in fall only to students with at least 60 undergraduate credits and an upper-level ecology course

Includes a five-week independent research experience under the guidance of conservation mentor

●Endangered Species Conservation

Offered in spring only to students with at least 60 undergraduate credits and an upperlevel ecology course

Includes a five-week independent research experience under the guidance of conservation mentors

●Additional Benefits

Private tours of our endangered species research facility

Priority registration for our popular, week-long summer field course

Access to seminars (研讨会) with world-famous researchers and scientists

Found only in eastern and southeastern Australia, platypuses are some of the most unusual mammals on earth. They have webbed feet and a duck-like bill, lay eggs, and live in rivers, lakes, and streams. Experts worry that the animals are in danger of becoming extinct because their habitat is declining. But platypuses are difficult to study because they prefer to be active at night and spend most of their time in burrows (地洞) or in the water.

The Healesville Sanctuary, a zoo that specializes in animals native to Australia, has trained dogs to use their keen sense of smell to locate hard-to-find species. The Dog Squad, as the dogs are called, have helped experts find critically endangered creatures. The Dog Squad has been carefully trained not to disturb the animals. Once a dog detects its target, it simply sits and points its nose in the right direction.

Now researchers have trained two dogs, a Labrador retriever named Moss and a Kelpie mix named Pip, to find out platypuses. Since platypuses spend so much time in water, the dogs have learned to ride a paddleboard.

Wearing safety vests, the dogs excel at their job. Handlers say the biggest challenge was keeping the dogs calm and balanced on the water. The dogs now silently inform the team when platypuses are nearby, taking care not to scare the creatures away. They have even discovered the entrances to platypus burrows that humans were previously unable to access.

Scientists say this new way of tracking platypuses with the use of paddleboards has been a "game changer" for research. By figuring out where and how the platypuses live, experts can better understand how to protect these rare egg-laying mammals. "Platypus is such a unique species," said La Toya Jamieson, one of the wildlife detection dog officers. "It's so critical that we protect not only them but also their environment."

The biggest benefits seem to come to those who master their second languages fully. Switching languages frequently in the course of a day may be particularly important. A bit of university French does not, unfortunately, convey the same advantages as deep knowledge and long experience. Studies of interpreters and translators have provided some of the strongest evidence for a bilingual advantage. For example, they are faster at jumping back and forth between simple addition and subtraction problems than monolinguals, suggesting generally better cognitive (认知) control.

Studies have found striking evidence that in poorer parts of the world multilingual people show the strongest advantages from speaking several languages. Where schooling is limited, researchers assumed that bilingualism exercises children's brains in a way that their schooling may not.

Age plays a role, too. Studies suggest that the effects of languages on the brain are stronger for young children and the old than they are for young adults. One meta-analysis on the topic revealed that 25 studies out of 45 found a bilingual advantage in children younger than six, while only 17 found them in children aged 6-12.

But all these studies take for granted the mental superpower that you get from language study: being able to talk to people you could not have spoken to, or understood, otherwise. Even if you cannot be fluent from infancy (幼儿), that should be more than enough reason to give it a go.

The melting ice shows a surprisingly active and varied in-between world. However, the melting also shows a dirty layer from pollution and leaves broken and unstable ground. The ice once held the mountain slopes (山坡) together like a support. Now, its melting leads to more rockslides and instability, meaning paths across the mountain must be remade every year.

This change is easy to see at places like the Marjelensee lake, which has turned from a wide lake wrapped in ice to separate sunlit pools. As expert Tom Battin explains, the edges of glaciers are places where old environments disappear and new ones are born. This complex process involves many living things working together to settle on the newly open land.

However, as new homes for wildlife form, some specialized kinds are lost. Animals suited to the cold are forced to move higher up the mountains into smaller living areas. Key species that live well in rivers fed by glaciers face a risky future. Expert Lee Brown points out the importance of the small animals in these waters. "They clean the water and provide key nutrients. Losing this hidden world of tiny life could in the end endanger the larger wildlife that people care about," Lee adds.

This deep change is also strongly felt by local people. Guides like Martin Nellen and his son Dominik, who have lived next to the Aletsch all their lives, are watching their world change. A wooden cross set up in 1818 to push back the advancing glacier now stands under the blue sky as a sad memory of all that is being lost—a quiet sign of an age of ice that is quickly coming to an end.

Start by creating a budget. This is the first step to take control of your finances. Be sure to discuss and agree on rules for sharing the costs of common items with your roommates. For more clarity, you can even create a written roommate agreement that outlines everyone's responsibilities.

Many students mistakenly believe that scholarship applications end once they start college. In reality, there are many opportunities available. Spend just 10-20 minutes each week searching for scholarships tailored to your specific major, background, or interests. Don't ignore smaller awards, as they can add up to cover textbooks or a laptop.

If you have student loans, consider making interest payments while you're still in school. For example, if your loan accrues (累积) $27 in interest each month, paying that amount regularly will prevent your total debt from growing. This simple habit can save you a significant amount of money in the long run.

Getting a part-time job on campus, such as working at the library or a café, can provide valuable cash flow for daily expenses or loan interest. Some students might feel embarrassed about working these jobs, but generating your own income is nothing to be ashamed of.

A. In fact, it is a sign of responsibility and independence.

B. List all your income and expenses to see where your money is going.

C. You should also learn to spend your money wisely for long-term growth.

D. This prevents the interest from being added to your original loan amount.

E. Another effective way to manage your money is to find a source of income.

F. It is also important to invest in friendships and build a strong social network.

G. Another crucial tip is to continue applying for scholarships throughout college.

I tried to8 everything perfectly at home and in life. I often looked at social media and9 that I wasn't doing enough. It was hard to10 being present with my children and trying to achieve more. But I started to11 what children really need. Maybe they don't need a perfect life—they just need a calm and caring parent.

Now I try to choose a12 way of parenting. I focus on being intentional rather than trying to do too much. Sometimes I feel13 of not meeting society's expectations. I want my children to remember happy14, not perfect ones.

When I feel anxious, I15 myself that my children need a healthy and present mother, not a perfect one. I can build a home filled with trust, strength, and love. And perhaps, that is enough.

I arrived in China from Australia as a student with a love for travel, culture and adventure. My adventure (begin) in the winter of 2014 at Peking University for my one-year Chinese language learning program. I had never imagined it would turn into a period when I would complete a master's degree, begin my (profession) life, get married and have two kids.

In the busy city of Beijing, each day brought something new. I quickly became (attract) to the hardworking nature of the local students and I soon befriended my classmates from different countries. Things were always happening, new shops were opening and people were the move everywhere. High-speed railways and tall buildings sat alongside traditional ones. In short, the place was exciting.

Beyond the (excite) of it all, I was bathed in another culture completely different from my own. When first dating my now-husband, we arranged (play) soccer. I arrived and asked, "Where's the ball?" He explained we would just join (stranger) already playing. This was foreign to me, as we wouldn't do that in Australia. Yet, despite being an introvert (内向者), idea was appealing to me and many of my most precious China memories are related to the collective and community atmosphere there.

Other fond memories involve Chinese traditions, like having a yuesao for my post-birth "sitting the month". This care for both the mom and the baby, with rest and specific foods, contrasts with the experience in the West, almost all new moms often feel pressure to bounce back quickly and handle most things themselves.

From my husband's family to passers-by on the streets, Chinese people are very friendly and I (inspire) by people's spirit and pride in what they do every day.

1. 使用情况；

2. 利弊分析；

3. 你的观点。

注意：

1. 写作词数应为80个左右；

2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

Dear editor,

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Yours,

Li Hua

For many children, the very thought of surgery is terrifying. The hospital environment — white halls, the sharp, clean smell of medicine, and the frightening medical instruments — can feel scary. This anxiety often reaches its height in the final walk towards the operating room, a moment thick with fear for both the children and their parents. However, one kind doctor in Brazil has changed this difficult experience, turning fear into strength by allowing his young patients to walk into the operating room not as scared and small children, but as superheroes.

Dr. Leandro B. Guimarães, an ear, nose, and throat specialist, said the idea started with a difficult moment with a little girl named Allana. She was just two years old, and as he carried her down the hallway, she cried uncontrollably, her small body shaking against his and her tiny fists holding his white coat tightly. Her desperate cry echoed (回响) in the hallway, each one a reminder of the complete terror she was experiencing. That day, standing outside the operating room with a heartbroken child in his arms, he made a promise to himself: No child under his care would ever have to approach surgery in tears again. He was determined to find a way to replace their fear with courage.

"I let the children choose which hero they want to become," Dr. Guimarães explained, a warm smile on his face. His clinic now features a special "Hero's Chest", filled with many wonderful costumes. "I tell them we will go in ‘flying' or running and that our mission is to clear their nose and ears. I only enter the surgical room when they are ready and fully engaged in the game." He even encourages parents to join the process if a child is particularly nervous, allowing a mother to wear a Catwoman mask or a father to hold the edge of a Superman cape (斗篷). The goal is to make a fearful experience feel calmer, lighter, and magical.

The transformation begins the moment a child selects their character. A quiet, withdrawn boy might gather his courage as he puts on a Batman suit. A shy little girl's face lights up as she places a Wonder Woman tiara (皇冠) upon her head. Dr. Guimaräes and his team fully commit to the process, with nurses becoming "mission control" and anesthesiologists (麻醉师) introduced as"science officers" providing special powers for the journey ahead.

注意：

1. 续写词数应为150个左右；

2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

Online, Dr. Guimarães shared joyful videos of the young patients with their parents.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

These videos become popular online.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________