In some science fiction movies, evil robots refuse to die, no matter how hard people fight back.
Now science fiction has become science fact. For the first time, scientists have made a robot that can take a beating (挨打) and keep on going. Scientists from Cornell University made the robot, which looks like a spider with four legs.
Until now, even the most advanced (先进的) robot was almost certain to break down when it was damaged. That is because its computer inside simply doesn't know how to make the machine work after its shape has changed.
To deal with this problem, the scientists put eight motors (发动机) and two sensors (传感器) that read how the machine is working. They all give signals to the machine's software. Using this information, the computer can then figure out the machine's shape at any moment.
The new technology is a big advance in robot-making, scientists say, and it's far from scary. It may someday help scientists create better artificial (假的) arms and legs and give new freedom to people who lose them. It might also help scientists understand how people and animals figure out their own sense of place in space.
“It has been difficult to design robots that can work well when the environment changes or when it's damaged,” says Olaf Sporns of Indiana University in US. “With this work, we are nearer to solving this problem.”
Campbell Remess, a 12-year-old boy from Tasmania, has an unusual hobby—sewing(缝纫). He makes teddy bears, and gives them to children at the local hospital. “If Campbell could be on that sewing machine for 24 hours, he would,” said his mother, Sonia.
Campbell is one of nine children, so when he had the idea of giving Christmas presents to kids in hospital, the only choice was to make them himself. “First, I took a lot of practice,” said Campbell. “ I haven't sewn anything before.” He downloaded patterns from the Internet and learned by trial and error (反复试验). At first, a bear took him five hours to make, but now it only takes him an hour to make a bear.
Campbell visits the hospital every Thursday, giving out new bears and visiting kids whom he's given gifts before. “He looks at sadness and tries to turn it upside down,” Said Sonia.
There has been sadness in his family, too. Five years age, his father Nathan had cancer. Even though he received the medical treatment, there was still an 80-percent recurrence rate(复发率). “When we discovered Dad had cancer, we all felt very upset.,” said Campbell. “As a result, the cancer got worse with stress. So I made my first bear, hoping that Dad could be free from cancer.
Since Nathan got the bear, ▲ It's the longest period he has been free from cancer.“ there's a little magic in it,” said Nattan. “ A lot of magic in Campbell though.”
Campbell explained his project with this: “ I think being kind will change the world.”
A
BBC News on TV, radio and online often brings you stories from across the world. Today we can hear "Life in China". Have you got a story about life in China today? If you do, please put your stories here.
Wu Peng, Anhui | I am a 14-year-old boy from a poor village in Anhui Province. Like many other left-behind children in China, I live with my grandparents now. My parents went to work in Shanghai several years ago. They call me twice a month to ask about my study. I really miss my parents and I hope I can go to school in Shanghai. I think every child needs parents' love and care. |
Cindy, Shenzhen | I like traveling and I have traveled a lot around China. During the trip, I often find that a number of Chinese often break the rules in public. For example, when I traveled in Hong Kong this year, I saw a kid eating noodles on the underground, which was against the rules. However, the kid's mother didn't think she did wrong. Can you believe it? Let's improve our public manners. |
Mike, Shanghai | These days, we're asked to "clear our plates" when having our meals and say no to wasting. Some of us used to order more than what we could eat. That was a big waste of food. Now we need to finish the food we order. We should also stop wasting in some other ways. For example, we should turn off the lights when we leave the classroom. |
It is said that more than four million people die each year from smoking. The number is frightening.
Yet people around the world continue to smoke. In the USA, about forty-seven-million adults smoke. This year, more than 430,000 Americans died of diseases which have something to do with smoking. The American Cancer Society (美国癌症协会) says smoking harms the body greatly. It warns that smoking even a number of cigarettes is dangerous.
戒烟是不容易的 However, doctors say you probably will live longer if you do stop smoking. You will feel better and look better. You also will protect the health of family member who breathe your smoke.
There is not one right way to stop smoking, doctors say. Anyway can help. You can take long walks or spend time in places where smoking is not allowed. Also, you can eat a small piece of fruit or vegetable instead of having a cigarette. The sooner you stop smoking, the more you'll reduce(减少) your chances of getting cancer and other diseases.
Stop smoking before smoking stops you!
D
It is reported that a Chinese commercial flight was forced to land at an airport in Chengdu after a mechanical failure.
The flight, Flight 3U8633, which is operated by Sichuan Airlines, was flying from Southwest China's Chongqing to Lhasa, capital of Tibet. It took off at 6:27 am on Monday May 14th. Unfortunately, at around 7 am and 9,800 meters after it took off, something unexpected happened. So the flight was forced to turn to Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province to land.
According to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC)(中国民航局), part of the cockpit window broke as the Airbus A319 flew over Chengdu. The aircrew enacted emergency code 7,700 and had to land in Chengdu. Luckily, all passengers on the plane are safe, although the co-pilot got injuries to the face and waist. And another crew member was slightly hurt during the emergency landing, according to the CAAC.
Sichuan Airlines said that they are now beginning to look into the causes of the accident. The plane landed in Chengdu at 7:46 am on Monday.
Altogether, there were 119 passengers and nine crew members on board, according to the airline, which has arranged another flight to take the passengers to Lhasa.
Hello, everyone! I am a reporter of CCTV. Today I talk about jobs with three people from different countries. Here is my survey result.
Tony Smith is an American writer. He works at home. He gets up at 8:00 in the morning. After one hour, he eats breakfast. He usually reads books for two hours after breakfast. |
Mary Hill comes from France. She is a clerk. She works at a clothing store. She usually gets up at 6:30. After breakfast she goes to the store by bus. |
Ann Green is a music teacher. She gets up at 6:00 every morning. Then she eats breakfast. She teaches at Yu Ying School, but she is from Japan. |
The human face doesn't lie. We show sadness and happiness through our expressions. Scientists used to believe we had six basic facial expressions that tell others how we feel: sad, happy, surprised, fearful, angry and disgusted(恶心的). But a new study shows that our faces can do-more than we think.
Scientists from Ohio State University found out that humans can actually make 21 different facial expressions alter studying how people move their facial muscles(肌肉).
The scientists took pictures of 230 volunteers making faces in response to different descriptions. These included phrases like "you just got some great unexpected news", which produced a "happily surprised" reaction from volunteers. Others included "you smell a bad odor", which caused "disgusted" faces. In total, around 5,000 pictures were taken of the volunteers. The scientists then studied similarities of these pictures. This helped them to define a facial expression. "That tells us that these 21 emotions are expressed in the same way by nearly everyone," said Dr Aleix Martinez to The Daily Telegraph. For example, to express surprise, 92 percent of volunteers widened their eyes and opened their mouth. And 99 percent raised their cheeks and smiled to show being happy.
We are not always aware of our facial expressions, which can hold clues to how we really feel. So these results may have a big influence on medical treatment. If doctors were able to recognize more complex(复杂的)emotions, it would help doctors treat patients suffering from certain diseases.
a. Take pictures of volunteers' facial expressions.
b. Compare the pictures to find similarities.
c. Direct volunteers with different descriptions.
d. Find 230 volunteers to take part in the experiment.
We surveyed 300 young people on what they like to do at weekends: one hundred people are from the ages of 11-18, one hundred 19-26 and one hundred 27-35. The following shows their answers:
From The Times, December 4th, 1886
A Letter to the Editor(编辑)
Dear Sir,
I am writing to you about a man in our hospital. He needs your help. His name is Joseph Merrick, and he is 27 years old. He is not ill, but he cannot go out of the hospital because he is very, very ugly. Nobody likes to look at him, and some people are afraid of him. We call him "The Elephant Man".
Two years ago, Merrick lived in a shop near the London Hospital. For two pence, people could see him and laugh at him. One day Dr Frederick Traves--a hospital doctor—saw Merrick, brought him to this hospital, and looked at him carefully. Dr Traves could not help Merrick, but he gave him his card.
Then the shopkeeper, Silcock, took Merrick to Belgium(比利时). A lot of people in Belgium wanted to see him, and so after a year Merrick had £50. But then Silcock took Merrick's £50. left Merrick in Belgium, and went back to London.
Merrick came back to London by himself. Everyone on the train and the ship looked at him, and laughed at him. In London, the police put him in prison(监狱).But then they saw Dr Traves's card, brought Merrick to the London Hospital.
This man has no money, and he cannot work. His face and body are very, very ugly, so of course many people are afraid of him. But he is a very interesting man. He can read and write, and he thinks a lot. He is good, quiet man. Sometimes he makes things with his hands and gives them to the nurses, because they are kind to him.
He remembers his mother, and he has a picture of her. She was beautiful and kind, he say. But he never sees her now. She gave him to Silcock a long tine ago.
Can the readers of The Times help us? This man is not ill, but he needs a home. We can give him a room at the hospital, but we need some money. Please write to me at the London Hospital.
Yours faithful,
F. C. Carr Gomm.
Chairman of the London Hospital
The world's largest amphibious(水陆两栖的) airplane, AG-600, carried out its first flight on December 24th, 2017 in Zhuhai, a city in Guangdong Province. It is a plane that can take off and land on both ground and water. AG-600 took off from Jinwan Airport at 9:39 am. The flight took about one hour before the airplane landed at the same airport.
AG-600 is one of three large airplanes made in China. The other two are Y-20 and C919.AG-600 can cover a maximum (最多的) flight distance of 4,500 kilometers and carry a maximum weight of 53.5 tons at a time. The development of it begin in March 2014 and was completed in July 2016. In April, the first ground test was successful. In early December, the airplane received the government's approval (批准) for the first flight.
The airplane will mainly be used for firefighting and search and rescue(援救、营救) at sea. It can also be developed to do research on the environment and resource at sea. According to Huang Lingcai, one of its main designers, the airplane can make round trips without refueling (补充燃料)from the southern island province of Hainan. It is able to save 50 people when doing a rescue mission(使命) at sea. To put out forest fires, it can collect 12 tons of water from a nearby lake or sea in 20 seconds and then use the water to put out fires in an area of around 4,000 square meters. It is said that the airplane will be of great importance to the country's emergency rescue system and the building of strong sea power.
Next, the airplane will continue to make flight tests and will be put into use after it is proved to be safe and useful enough.
In 1987, a small company names Huawei was started in Shenzhen. After more than 30 years of development, the company has now beaten Apple and become the world's second-largest maker of smartphones behind Korea's Samsung. It has also become the world's largest supplier(供应商) of 5G.
But recently, Huawei faced some difficulties. The U. S. government ordered a ban() on its sales in America. American officials said Huawei gave information that it collected to the Chinese government. At the same time, the U. S. government planned to stop selling parts and services to Huawei, which was believed that Huawei's business would be hurt.
"We have never received such a request from the Chinese government and we have never tried to get into other systems to collect information. " Ren Zhengfei, Huawei's founder and president said. "This ban from the U. S. would have little effect on our company. Huawei has enough ability to deal with the problems. " Ren added.
In an interview several years ago, Ren Zhengfei said, "I started Huawei with only £4,000 at the beginning, but now it has become a $100 billion company. The experience was not as romantic(浪漫的) as you imagine. "
Facing the ban of the US, Huawei is growing. Huawei's smartphone sales around the world rose 50 percent compared to a year earlier in the first three months of 2019. At the same time ,sales from both Samsung and Apple fell. So far, Huawei has grown into the world s largest telecommunications equipment(电信设备) supplier, selling in17 O countries! It may beat Samsung as the largest smartphone maker in the near future.
Imagine one day the water taps (水龙头) in your house stop running. You have to pay a lot of money to buy water from shops. And still there isn't enough water for everyone. Your mother has to save the family's shower water to use for washing clothes. Would you be able to stand that kind of life?
Probably not. But that is what kids in Yemen (也门) are experiencing (经历). According to a report, the capital, Sana, will run out of drinking water as early as 2025.
Because of the water shortage, the Yemen government often cuts the water supply (供应). Hannan, an 18-year-girl, tells the Teens, "In a good week we'll have a water supply all week. But then the next week there will be water only for a day or two."
Hannan says only rich people have enough water to use. They can buy water from the shops or from the water trucks. Private (私人的) companies own the trucks, They travel around the city every day to sell water— at very high prices.
"A lot of people can't pay for it," she says.
The government is thinking of making use of seawater. But it will cost a lot and it may not happen soon enough to help the people of Yemen.
To write a great news story, you have to make sure it is correct, relevant (相关的) and fresh.
For a start, all the information in a story must be correct. Not only the spelling and grammar, but also the facts. Any mistake that appears in a story can get a newspaper into big trouble. For example, if a newspaper said that Yang Liwei was the first man to go. into space, it would be wrong. He wasn't the first. The newspaper would probably lose lots of readers because of that mistake.
A news story should not only be correct, but also be relevant to its readers, People are mostly
interested in local news. That is why you care more about what happens at your school than at American schools. It is also why newspapers in Beijing don't talk about much news in Shanghai or
Hong Kong.
Finally, news must always be fresh. When you pick up your evening newspaper, you want to read about news that happens that day. You don't want to read about news. from last week!
Now you know what. makes a good news story. Have a good look at our newspaper and see if it. Is full of good news. You can try writing a news story for our newspaper like a real reporter.
The Internet has become part of teenagers' life. A new report shows that 38 percent of 3 375 students use the Internet often.
Most of the students get useful information for their studies, but some are not using it in a good way. Many students are playing online games too much. Some even visit some unhealthy websites. A teacher from Beijing Yinghua Middle School, Hong Ying warns that something bad can happen if young people spend too much time on the Internet. She said that one of her students used to be good at school. But when he started visiting unhealthy websites, he hurt a girl by cheating online. At last the police caught him and sent him into the prison.
In order to help young people use the Internet safely, some schools in Shanghai find a good way. The schools provide a textbook for the students. The book uses real examples to teach students about good ways of using the Internet. Teachers and parents all think the book is good.
Hong said that the book will help students keep away from the bad behaviors of using computer. The book will teach students how to be a good person in the online world.
wet, two, she, mother, thanks, when, decide, without, education, rest |
The photo, Baby, Mom Take You Home, deeply touches the hears of millions of people, which is regarded as a symbol of a love.
Eleven years later, we found the mother Bamu Yubumu, who is now a 32-year-old woman living in Taoyuan village in Yuexi county of Liangshan. life shows the great changes have taken place in the village.
In the past, she lived in quite dark and old adobe houses electricity. When it rained, the bed and the quilt would get . Her family used to plant com, potatoes and buckwheat, but it was hard to feed the family. So she made a brave to go outside to work.
During her working days in Nanchang, the biggest headache for her was her daughter's illness. In the new city, she didn't know how to go to the hospital and she couldn't afford the treatment, so she had to go home for the girl. The famous photo was taken at the Nanchang railway station in 2010 she went back home with her daughter. Her journey home first took her to Chengdu for two days and one night, she for a night at a hotel before spending another 14 hours on a train to Yuexi county, Liangshan. Since then, she has never left her hometown to work.
The life of her family began to change after a targeted poverty relief project(精准扶贫)was introduced to the village.
Her family started growing tobacco leaves and fruit tees with the help of the local government. They made 100, 000 yuan last year. to the government, they have moved into a new concrete house. Besides, the family has enjoyed medical care and the children have enjoyed for free.
Accident Report |
|
Accident |
A truck hit a car. Three people were in the car. |
Weather condition |
It was a fine day. |
Cause |
The car driver, Chen Gang was calling while driving. |
Date |
March 21st, 2020 |
Time of call |
10:20 p. m. |
Caller (来电者) |
Wei Feng. He was walking by the road when the accident happened. |
Place |
Huaihe Road, Hefei |
Conditions |
Chen Gang hurt his leg. Chen Gang's father hurt the head. Chen Gang, s son felt frightened. The truck driver was also frightened. |
Action |
Two policemen arrived by car at 10:40 p. m. and sent the victims (受 害者)to Aihua Hospital at 10:45 p. m. |
From November 1st to December 10th in 2020, China started its seventh national population census(人口普查). 7 million census takers have asked each family about their name, gender(性别), age, education, employment (职业)and so on. This census is different from the ones in the past. For the first time, people can use smartphones and other digital tools to record their information.
China has a national population census every ten years. The first one was done in1953. At that time, there were about 600 million people in China. But China's population has boomed. It was about 1.37 billion in 2010.
The 2020's national population census include all residents(居民) of China. But Chinese citizens who had settled(定居)abroad and foreign citizens who were staying in China on either business or tourist visas(签证) were not counted.
"The census is very important for every citizen," said Ning Jizhe, director of the NBS. "It will help improve infrastructure(基础建设) and public services." For example, if census results show that there are many children living in a particular area, the government will know that it should build more school there.
Last year, a group of elephants made a decision: go north! After months of travelling, they made it 500 kilometers away1their home in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan.
It's not common to see Asian elephants travel such2long way. Scientists are not sure why3this. Some believe it's because they were looking for better food. According to Zhao Huaidong from the International Fund for Animal Welfare, the number of Asian elephants4now because of human protection efforts. So their old homes might not have enough food for5. At the same time, elephants are quite6in the vegetables and fruit that people grow.
Another possibility, according to Chen, is that they have lost their way. Some7also believe that they were traveling because of migratory instinct (迁徙本能). Recent solar (太阳的) activity has changed earth's magnetic field (磁场). This might make the elephants think that they should migrate.
During their long journey, the 15 elephants have already damaged (破坏) 561,333 square meters of farmland,8we need to protect them. For the safety of both humans and the elephants, people fed them tons of food9them away from towns and cities. Seventy-six police cars and trucks10to keep an eye on the elephants.
Luckily, on August 8th, Xinhua News said that the elephants have come back to the living place where they used to live.