Inventions make our life easier and more interesting than before. Let's take a look at some of the interesting inventions.
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| Smart mug It's hard to keep coffee or tea warm, especially in winter. But this smart mug from US can help us. The mug is made of special materials. There is an app for the mug that allows people to set the mug to a certain temperature between 48℃ and 62 ℃. Then, the mug keeps your coffee or tea at that temperature for about an hour. |
| | Social robot Can robots talk to us like humans? Jibo, a robot made in US, can talk to you. The robot has a big, round head and a big body with no eyes or mouth. It uses animated icons(动画图标)to show emotions (情感). It just seems like a real human. Right now, Jibo can only do some easy things, like taking photos or reading news to you. But he may learn to do new things in the future. |
| | Fidget spinner They are small plastic or metal toys with a ball in the middle. The toys can twirl around on your fingertip(指尖). Once they are spinning(旋转), you can put the toy anywhere as long as it is a flat(平的)surface, such as a ruler or even the nose of a pet dog. It's very popular with young people around the world. Some people say that the little toy helps them relax. |
Yun Siqi from Beijing is a 20-year-old young pianist. He started to learn the piano at age 4 and it has been his favourite hobby since then. Before that, he often heard his elder sister playing the violin and he loved the classical music she played. "I wanted to beat her in something and I chose the piano, "Yun said.
At 4, several minutes of practice a day was enough. As Yun grew up, at ages 7 and 8, he had to practise for four hours a day. The time kept going up after Yun was 12. Now, he needs to practise at least seven hours every day. He sleeps for only five to six hours a day, but he is still full of energy. Yun never got tired of the piano. In fact, he had great fun playing it. "Music is my special luck, and it is a real enjoyment to be with it every day, "he said.
Yun worked hard and soon he stood out. From 2013 to now, Yun shone at different music festivals, concerts and competitions. Yun said successes or failures(失败)were not important and they would not affect his understanding of music or his plan for the future.
"If you lose, think carefully about it, and if you win, just work harder, "the young pianist said. "I still need to practise more to become better, to bring out the real beauty of classical music through the piano. It may take a lifetime."
Recently, a video story has spread among people.
James Anthony has cleaned the halls of Nickerson Primary School for 15 years. Although he is deaf, he never complains(抱怨). Instead, he greets every child and teacher with a smile. Teachers and children love him very much and call him Mr. James.
On the day Anthony turned 60 the school wanted to give him a very special surprise. That day when Anthony walked into a classroom. a group of children started to sign(打手势) and sing "Happy Birthday" to him. Anthony started smiling as usual. Then his jaw(下巴) dropped open and he laughed for joy as he realized what was going on. A few teachers led the kids through the whole song as Anthony watched. A wide smile was on his face. As they finished, tears came out from his eyes. Scott, secretary(秘书) of the school said, "The children love and respect Mr. James. They give him high fives in the halls, and he even teaches them sign language. Today he has put smiles on faces all around the world. "
When you and your family go out for dinner, do you notice how many dishes you usually order? It's OK if you finish all of them. But if you waste too much food, you need to pay for it. Last year, China's top legislature(立法机关) reviewed(审议) a draft law(法律草案) for stopping food waste for the first time. In general, a draft will become law after the top legislature reviews it three times.
According to the draft law, restaurants should tell customers not to order too much. If customers leave too much food uneaten, restaurants can charge(收费) them for food waste. The law also bans(禁止) waiters from encouraging people to order too much food. Some restaurants may use the "N-1" mode for people to order dishes. "N" stands for the number of persons at a table. So if there are six people at your table, you should order just five dishes, which can help people control the amount of dishes in a proper way.
The draft law also asks schools to teach their students to avoid food waste. It also bans TV programs about overeating and overdrinking. Producers of such programs will face a fine of up to 100, 000 yuan.
Food waste happens in many places and has long been a big problem around the world. Wended to obey the law and refuse to waste food.
Complains about Buses from Soak Road to the Airport
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No. 1 |
No. 16 &. No. 49 travel along the road, but only No. 49 can be taken, because the other is always . |
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No. 2 |
Timetable shows there are buses every , but passengers have to wait in fact. |
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No. 3 |
The number of passengers is than what it should be. |
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No. 4 |
The highest speed is 50 mph, but the average speed for a No. 49 bus on Saturday morning is mph. |
One day, Shorya Mahanot, an Indian boy, went into his sisters' room while his family (have) dinner. He found a canvas(画布) and colors, and then had fun (paint) on the canvas. His mother and sisters rushed towards him. But to his surprise, they (hug) him instead of punishing him. His family have encouraged him to paint since then.
His sisters and parents are artists. He (influence) by their interest and collection. He is more and more interested in painting because of the encouragement from his family and friends. As he keeps creating new paintings, his imagination and creativity develop.
He (make) such rapid progress that people call him a Child Picasso. He (feel) great by this praise. He has never thought of success. He just enjoys painting when he is in front of the canvas, he forgets everything else. He knows exactly what he is feeling and what he wants to express. He really feels happy to be an artist. (get) a title as a Child Picasso for doing what he loves, he thinks it is a happy thing for him.
"Don't be afraid to spend time on hobbies, "he says. "Painting is the best way to express what you (feel). You (know) yourself better. Soon you (be) a happier person."
Do you like to drink hot water? Compared with people in most other countries, Chinese people e like to drink warm water. Do you know why?
In the old days, people drank water from the river. The bacteria(细菌)in it could make them s . Ancient people around the world used different w to kill the bacteria in the water. For the Chinese, they thought drinking boiled water was the easiest way to protect t from the harmful bacteria.
What's more, in traditional Chinese m , "yin" and "yang" mean cold and hot energy. It was b that the power of your body came from "yang". And drinking hot water could nourish(滋养)the yang "energy. That's. w traditional Chinese doctors always suggest people should not drink cold water.
Besides this, before people in northern China had central heating(中央供暖), it was hard for them to p the cold in winter. Drinking hot water helped them keep w. Another reason is that s the early 20th century, the Chinese government has encouraged people to drink more warm water. It has also helped the Chinese to form this special habit.
Living in a different culture can be a both exciting and challenging experience. You have to learn different cultures and try to get used to them. Let's share some cultural differences between China and the US to help understand each other.
Privacy(隐私)-Chinese people talk about subjects such as ages and income(收入), which Americans think is not polite.
Families-In China, elders are traditionally treated with respect. In America, the goal of the family is to encourage independence (独立), especially that of the children. (1) Unlike the Chinese, few elder Americans live with their children.
Friends-Chinese people have different understanding of "friends". In China, "friendship" means a lifelong relationship between friends who think it's their duty to give each other any help. Americans always call people they meet friends.
Money-The Chinese like saving money. They are always careful when they are planning to spend money. It is different in America, where far fewer families are saving money.
Education-Chinese people value education and jobs more than Americans do, who pay more attention to good nature instead.
Team VS individual-Basically China values the community and the US values the individual. If you achieve something in the US, it's because you were great. While in China, if you achieve something it's because the team, or family, or company is great. (2) Everything you do gets attributed to the greater whole, while in America individual merits(功绩)are celebrated.
