相关试卷

Despite Kyle Tianshi being only a 15-year-old US high schooler, he has published five sci-fi novels. His fifth book Eventide was released in July. However, this may not be his most impressive achievement as Kyle just received the"Hero Award", a $20, 000 grand prize. It is the top honor in the California Youth Sustainability Awards. The competition aims to encourage and support young community leaders who are making a difference for sustainability in their communities by taking action for the planet.

Kyle, a sophomore from the Cambridge School in the US, received the honor for his portable invention called NEREID. The device can detect microscopic particles(粒子) in water by using a laser and microscope. These particles can be harmful to people and the environment. 

Kyle came up with the idea for the invention based on his experience growing up in San Diego, California, the US. People had no access to unpolluted drinking water and his parents asked him not to drink tap water. Kyle spent about $60 buying the tools needed to analyze the tap water：a laser, a microscope and a micro-computer. "It's incredibly powerful for the price, "Kyle said. Then he used their family's garage as his laboratory, doing research on the pollution of drinking water caused by micro-plastics.

Kyle hopes to bring to market a low-cost alternative tool for detecting micro-plastic pollution levels in drinking water. In this way, he can offer help to people who don't have access to water filtration(过滤) systems. He has applied for a patent.

Kyle said his sister Emily, a freshman at Stanford University, inspired his interest in environmental research. She was recognized nationally for developing a water collection device. They have founded the Clearwater Innovation program to advocate for clean water through social media platforms and organize community cleanup events. 

With a history of more than 6, 000 years, Chinese painting, originally  (pursue) by wealthy people, developed around 221 BCE during the Eastern Jin Dynasty. Then, it became popular around 581 CE as more and more people began to show(appreciate) of its beauty. 

Basic tools and materials for Chinese painting involve writing brushes, ink and paper. The Chinese painting brush is mostly made of goat, wolf or fox hair, is suitable for producing brushes that are both soft and stringy(有韧性). 

The ink stick is produced with a mixture of pine soot(松烟) and animal glue. It's used in combination with an ink stone. The painter wets the ink stone and then grinds(研磨) the ink stick on the stone,(make) the ink run so that it can be used for painting.

Many Chinese ancient artworks (create) on silk. However, silk was expensive that only very important paintings would use it. By the first century, when the early form of paper was invented, it had become a lot (cheap) to paint. 

Traditional Chinese painting enjoys worldwide fame  its original style, distinctive features and special techniques. It emphasizes harmony between man and nature. When looking at a Chinese painting, you may not  (initial) realize its complex concept. In fact, much remains (learn) about traditional Chinese painting and its elements. Through appreciating Chinese painting, you will have a better understanding of traditional Chinese culture and Chinese people. 

Ms Salomon had only been working at Sainsbury's for a year when she was diagnosed(诊断) with Alzheimer's disease. Before that, she had been 1 to leave her job as a bookkeeper because she was becoming increasingly 2 .

Upon being informed of her diagnosis, 3 , the Sainsbury's staffers started doing all they could to make sure that Ms Salomon felt comfortable and 4 . For the next four years, Sainsbury's did everything to keep Ms Salomon on the team. They changed her 5 ；they stayed in 6 with her family so they could provide 7 on her condition at work；they 8 retrained her. When the disease progressed, Sainsbury's even created an entirely 9 job for her as a "tote box cleaner".

In 2017, Ms Salomon received a medical 10 that said her Alzheimer's had progressed to the advanced stage, and she was 11 unemployable. Again, Sainsbury's kept her on the team.

Ms Salomon's 12 finally came to an end 6 months later, and though it was an emotional 13 , she was also relieved.

"There have been so many times Sainsbury's could have let her 14 , "Ms Salomon's son Doron said. "Instead, they have always 15 her, going above and beyond to make sure she's happy and feeling valued. On a human level, they have shown sensitivity, kindness and care. "

Now, an increasing number of cities are stopping using recycling services, partly out of fear that workers might contact the coronavirus from one another while sorting through used water bottles, food containers and boxes. One solution：Let robots do the job. 

Since the coronavirus took hold in the United States last month, AMP Robotics has seen a "significant"increase in orders for its robots that use artificial intelligence to sort through recycled material, and weed out trash. Some facilities that were looking at getting one or two robots are now saying, "We need quite a bit more. "The Colorado company's chief executive, Matanya Horowitz said, "It's all moving quite fast. "

Before the pandemic, automation(自动化) had been gradually replacing human work in a range of jobs, from call centers to warehouses and grocery stores, as companies looked to cut labor costs and improve profit. 

But labor and robotics experts say social-distancing directives, which are likely to continue in some form after the crisis becomes less strong, could cause more industries to accelerate their use of automation. And long-lasting worries about job losses or a broad unease about having machines control vital aspects of daily life could disappear as society sees the benefits of restructuring workplaces in ways that minimize close human contact. 

Recycling is one industry that may be altered permanently by the pandemic. Some workers, who earn as little as $10 an hour, have been concerned about coming to work during the crisis and some cities have been competing to find enough protective gear(防护装备) for all of their employees. Federal health officials have assured them that the risks of transmission from household refuse is low. But workers in recycling facilities often work side by side sorting material, making social distancing difficult. 

At AMP Robotics, executives like Mr Horowitz say their robots will enable recycling facilities to space out their employees, who stand at conveyor belts(传送带) weeding through the used plastic and paper. 

I'm rather good at using maps. But I forgot the maps and here we were, late afternoon, last day of vacation, my daughter, my cousin and I, driving along a two-lane highway in Oregon. No other car in sight, and the sun had just gone down. Where was that sweet little village?

It was supposed to be right along this river. We drove on, farther into the unknown, river always on the left as our guide. We kept passing farms and fields and now a few lights were coming out. In my head, I was doing a lot of self-criticism：Why didn't we start earlier, bring the map and drive on and on? My cousin and I were both impatient and stressed. My daughter, at least, was happy in the back seat, text-messaging a friend. I pulled up on the shoulder of the road to think.

Just then—WOW! Amazing! A new scene had appeared. Where did it come from? 

Right there, out of nowhere：a magical misty landscape. Fields stretched in silent purples, with rows of tall trees, darkening in the dusk. I turned the car engine off. All was silent in the hot summer air. Beside us, a plum-colored river hardly moved between a border of trees, its dark lazy water reflecting the last light of day. 

How breathtaking! Where had it been? If I had seen even a bit of this beauty while driving along, I could have stopped and taken a look. I had missed it all. 

We miss a lot, almost everything, in fact, in our world. Our task-focused filters(过滤器) take care of that, selecting only what we need. We need to get to work. Have some lunch. We see what we need to see, often for the purpose of survival. Gregory Bateson, speaking of beauty, said aesthetic judgment is selection of a fact. In our daily lives, who or what is doing the selecting? Can we make a change? Can we see further? 

As China's gig economy(零工经济) continues to grow, the central government is seeking better regulations (serve) the rights of workers, develop new skills and startups and ensure healthy and balanced development in the job market. Gig workers, often referred to independent contractors(承包者) or temporary workers, are those such as delivery drivers and online sales hosts often enter into contracts with ondemand companies to provide services to their clients.

The guideline (release) early on Thursday by five central departments to solve practical problems that are being faced today and are on the horizon among employees and employers in the gig economy. 

In the past few years, with the rise of technology and the impact of the pandemic, the gig economy (provide) opportunities to many people across a number of sectors, according to Pang Shi, director of one department. She said the gig economy provides an important way for people to improve their incomes, and that for seniors, the (disable) or those with other difficulties, gig work provides less pressure than full­time employment. 

Gig workers often have higher work (efficient) because of new technology, (break) the previous working limits of time and space. "The gig economy is showing growing importance to the stability of the job market, (particular) facing current economic downturns, "Wei Xiang, professor from the University of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, added.

Most young people are always on their phones, which may upset many people. 1 , a group called Girl Scouts are receiving 2  for setting up their first walk­in clinic for elderly people, who have difficulty understanding how to 3  the secrets of their smartphones. 

Each teen spent at least an hour of one­on­one time with their oldsters. Based on their 4  knowledge, each Girl Scout was assigned to 5  different aspects of Android and Apple phones. 

Some of the oldsters actually wanted to take part in ecommerce(电子商务), and needed help to 6 a payment account on their smartphones while others simply had 7 when learning how to send messages to their family members. "I was teaching this older woman how to 8 , and the first thing she did was to send a message to her daughter, "one of the Scouts said. "How 9 it was! It just made me feel really, really happy. "

In addition to arranging group lessons for all of the seniors to 10  together at the end of the clinic, the youngsters even printed out brochures and guides for the seniors to take home in case 11  seniors would encounter problems with their smartphones in the future. 

The eighth graders earned their "Silver Award"for their job. After experiencing the 12 of their project, the girls hope to organize more 13 in the near future. "Those girls were just great, "said Nancy, a greatgrandmother who once 14 the clinic. "They were ready for us and had a very mature attitude about answering our questions, and they 15 the praise. "

We've all been there: those times you need to argue your point of view to someone who you know disagrees with you. You immediately go to your keyboard and start to type out that 280character tweet, the Facebook reply, or a paragraphslong email. Surely the reason, logic, and strong power of your written words will convince whoever disagrees with you to see your point of view. But new research suggests a different idea.

That research was conducted by Juliana Schroeder, assistant professor of University of California, Berkeley, and her colleagues. In Schroeder's study of almost 300 people, participants were asked to watch, listen, and read arguments about subjects they agreed or disagreed with. They were asked to judge the character of the communicator and the quality of the argument. Schroeder's team found that the participants who watched or listened to the communicator were less dismissive(抵触的) of their claims than when they read that communicator's same argument.

The idea for her study came from a newspaper article about a politician. One of her colleagues read a speech that was printed in a newspaper from a politician with whom he strongly disagreed. The next week, he heard the exact same speech playing on a radio station. He was shocked by how different his reaction was toward the politician when he read the speech compared to when he heard it. When he read the statement, the politician seemed idiotic, but when he heard it spoken, the politician actually sounded reasonable. 

So in the workplace, speaking to someone in person often involves nothing more than walking a few doors down to their office. And that's exactly what you should do if you need to convince that boss or colleague of why your blueprint for the company or project is the right one.

Only as a last way should you try to communicate with someone who you disagree with over social media. Twitter's limited text allowance and social media users' short attention make arguing your point an uphill battle.

For many people, going a few hours without your smartphone can feel like a lifetime. Now, one expert claims that humans are becoming so dependent on technology that we're actually merging(融合) into it.

Speaking at the Fast Company European Innovation Festival, Professor Yuval Noah Harari, a historian at the Hebrew University claimed that it's becoming more and more difficult to tell where humans end and machines begin. He said, "It's increasingly hard to tell where I end and where the computer begins. In the future, it is likely that the smartphone will not be separated from you at all. It may be embedded in your body or brain, constantly scanning your biometric data and your emotions. "

During his speech, Professor Harari highlighted how humans have affected our environment over time, and suggested that now may be the time to affect ourselves. He said, "Humanity has always remained constant. If we told our ancestors in the Stone Age about our lives today, they would think we are already the Creator. But the truth is that even though we have developed more wonderful tools, we are the same animals. We have the same emotions, the same minds. The coming revolution will change that. It will change not just our tools；it will change the human being itself. "

If we do manage to merge with machines, Professor Harari suggests it could open the door to setting up civilizations beyond Earth. He added, "Life will be able to break out of planet Earth and no longer be confined to this flying rock. "

While Professor Harari's claims may sound farfetched(牵强的), he isn't alone in his vision of a machinehuman world. Back in 2017, Elon Musk claimed that humans should merge with machines, or risk becoming irrelevant. He said, "Over time I think we will probably see a closer merger of biological intelligence and digital intelligence. "

Every day, a lot of people move house. With a newfound appreciation for space and air, it may suddenly have seemed as if a new kind of life was possible. . Here's some expert advice on how to build a new community.

Ask people you already know if they could introduce you to anyone in the location to which you are moving. Posting on social media is probably the easiest way to tap your friends' friends. It increases the chance that there's someone you will get along with.

Don't expect friends to magically appear

. People really need to take the initiative to go out there and meet people and not assume that friends are just going to fall into their lives. As people become familiar to us, we like them more, and it's completely unconscious.

Be open to a broader range of people

You have spent a lifetime narrowing your social circle to those you really care about, but the chances are you're not going to meet new best friends in your new area instantly. When it comes to friendships, having close friends is one of the best things we can do for our health and wellbeing. But even having brief interactions with people in general benefits us. .

Don't despair

Remember to maintain preexisting friendships, so that you're not feeling lonely and disconnected while developing new relationships. . But people don't realize that if they put themselves out there, the process can go faster than they think. It really makes a difference if you're willing to attend different events；you can really change your social life.

A. Make a public appeal

B. Put some work in before you move

C. Quality is best, but quantity still does something

D. It can take a long time to build up new friendships

E. But now the pandemic has made it harder to connect with strangers

F. It doesn't necessarily mean you made the wrong decision in moving

G. We tend to think friendships happen naturally and that's a huge misconception

The Tiangong space station is a space station being constructed by China. The construction of the station is based on the experience gained from its pioneers, Tiangong­1 and Tiangong­2. The first module(舱), the Tianhe core module, was launched on April 29, 2021, followed by multiple crewed and uncrewed missions and two more modules to be launched by 2022. 

According to China Manned Space Agency(CMSA), which operates the space station, the purpose and missions of Tiangong space station are listed as：breakthroughs in key technologies such as permanent human operations in orbit, long­term autonomous spaceflight of the space station, life support technology and development of technology that can aid future deep space exploration. 

The Tianhe Core Cabin Module(CCM) provides life support and living quarters for three crew members and provides guidance and navigation(导航) for the station. The module also provides the station's power. The station is equipped with a small kitchen for food preparation and the firstever microwave oven in the spaceflight, so that astronauts can always have hot food whenever they need. 120 different types of food, selected based on astronauts' preference, are stored aboard.

China's intention to build its own space station was amplified(增强) after NASA refused Chinese participation in International Space Station in 2011. On February 22, 2017, CMSA and Italian Space Agency(ASI) signed an agreement to cooperate on longterm human spaceflight activities. The agreement holds importance due to Italy's leading position in the field of human spaceflight with regard to the creation and development of the International Space Station and it shows Italy's increased expectations of China's developing space station program. Tiangong is also expected to host experiments from many other countries.

Plants don't have ears or a central nervous system, but new research out of the University of Missouri has demonstrated that they might still have the ability to "hear". More specifically, plants have been shown to exhibit an immune response to the mere sound of a hungry insect.

For the study, researchers played the sound of a caterpillar chewing to a group of plants, which caused slight vibrations(振动) on the plants' leaves. The plants were able to recognize these vibration patterns as danger, and responded by mounting the appropriate immune response. In other words, it appears that plants can "hear"themselves being chewed on.

Researchers assume that plants achieve this remarkable ability thanks to proteins that respond to pressure found within their cell membranes. Vibrations cause pressure changes within the cell, which can change the behavior of the proteins；however, additional study will be required to confirm or deny this theory. 

Once researchers identify the exact mechanisms at play in this process, it could lead to advances in crop protection. Farmers could potentially learn to use sound to cause a plant's natural chemical defenses against insect threats, rather than turning to poisonous chemicals.

"We can imagine applications of this where plants could be treated with sound or genetically engineered to respond to certain sounds that would be useful for agriculture, "said study author Heidi Appel.

The study adds to the growing list of ways that plants have been shown to sense their environments. They are not the boring organisms that many people assume they are. For instance, some plants are able to communicate with each other and signal upcoming danger to their neighbors by releasing chemicals into the air. Plants can respond to light (think about sunflowers) and temperature. Some can even respond to touch, such as the Venus flytrap(捕蝇草), which snaps shut when an insect stimulates its hairs. 

Banff National Park is home to an amazing wildlife population. But the busy Trans­Canada Highway that cuts through the park is a hazard to the lovely animals. To address the problem, Banff first put up wildlife fencing on either side of the highway to discourage animals from entering the busy road. Then, since 1996, six wildlife overpasses and 38 underpasses have been opened to help the animals cross the highway in safety. 

I was fortunate to visit Banff's Red Earth Overpass with Trevor Kinley, the project manager of Parks Canada. He told me that so far, they had documented 10, 000 safe animal crossings on this overpass alone.

"Some animals have learned how to use the crossings much more quickly than others. Black bears are the fastest learners, followed by deer. Wolves and lions take the longest to work out how to use them, "Kinley said, laughing. "But those animals that are slower to adapt are usually more capable and determined to figure out the safest way to cross those overpasses and underpasses. "

There is some criticism(批评) that channeling so much wildlife into a few bridges and tunnels is like making a trap for the animals, offering big animals an easy meal on either side. "But research has shown that this is not the case, "Kinley assured me. "There are no more killings around the crossings than anywhere else in the park. "

Walking over the Trans­Canada Highway and then walking underneath through one of the tunnels, I was amazed to see the fresh tracks of black bears, wolves, deer and many kinds of smaller animals. Somehow, I was so happy to see all these animal footprints, knowing that all this wildlife was passing safely under and over the longest road in Canada. 

Hopefully, the success of the wildlife crossings in Banff will continue to inspire similar solutions around the world, where human pressure on wildlife continues to grow. 

How to Show Emotion

If anyone has ever told you to "open up more"or "show some emotion", you may wonder what they really meant. It's easy for us to get caught up in our own little worlds and hide what we're feeling from other people. . But if you can open up more to others, you'll see how rewarding it is to connect on a deeper level.

. Relax and think through your feelings as they come to you. Whenever you feel something, take a second to sit with what you're feeling. Think about how you feel and let the emotion wash over you naturally.

Name your emotions as they come to you. Giving your feeling a name makes it easier to understand. Once you're comfortable with a feeling, give the emotion a name. Are you anxious about something? If you don't feel anything particularly moving, are you bored or content? This process will make you more self-aware. .

Maintain a journal for your feelings. One way to help you to open up emotionally to others is to keep a daily journal. . Every day, write down a paragraph or two about your day and how it makes you feel. This will help you track your feeling over time and put you more in tune with yourself. 

Engage in fun activities to share experiences with others. Do things you enjoy with people you love to share positive emotions. Dedicate one night a week to go out and grab dinner with your family. , or go on a 20-minute walk every day. Being emotionally available and sharing how you feel is a lot easier when you have fun with the people you care about. 

A. Push yourself to share every day

B. Take a minute to process emotions

C. Take a cooking class with your partner

D. Open up and get used to sharing how you feel

E. It will also help you express what you're feeling

F. Treat it as a special space for you to open up and be honest

G. Sometimes, we don't even realize we're being guarded or hiding our feelings

One of the UK's largest architecture firms, Foster＋Partners, has revealed plans for a new "city within a city"in Vietnam. The new 290-acre district will be built around long rows of trees and greenery in Ho Chi Minh City, according to Foster＋Partners in a press release.

Called "the Global City", the project, including high-and low-rise residential buildings and public housing in addition to schools, a shopping mall and medical facilities, is set to complete within four years. Surrounded by two waterways, the community will comprise five different neighborhoods connected by a central park and wide streets, as well as a series of pedestrian(行人) bridges.

According to Toby Blunt, a senior partner at Foster＋Partners, the firm took over the overall master plan but was tasked with enhancing its combination with nature, while increasing pedestrian connectivity between the different neighborhoods. 

Foster＋Partners'studio head Gerard Evenden emphasized the number of green spaces in the plan, including parks, courtyards and gardens. "The design seeks to strike a balance between biodiversity and human well-being, "he said, calling it a sustainable master plan for the future.

The district's design references the architectural traditions of Ho Chi Minh City, formerly noted as Saigon, through the use of brick and wood. The southeastern city enjoys fame for its wide mix of styles, from French Colonial(殖民时期的) landmarks like the Saigon Opera House, to concrete modernist apartment blocks and contemporary additions to the skyline, like the lotus flower-inspired Bitexco Tower.

Foster＋Partners, founded by celebrated British architect Norman Foster, is famous for eye-catching projects including the Hearst Tower in New York. 

"The Global City"is one of several futuristic master plans that the firm has developed in recent years, with its team currently working on various planning projects designed to regenerate old urban areas or create new sustainable communities in densely populated cities.

Parents, teachers and caregivers have long suspected the magic of storytelling to calm kids. Researchers have now quantified the physiological and emotional benefits of a well-told tale. 

"We know that narrative has the power to transport us to another world, "says Guilherme Brockington from Brazil's Federal University. "Earlier research suggested that stories help children process and regulate their emotions—but this was mostly conducted in a laboratory, with subjects answering questions while lying inside functional MRI(磁共振成像) machines. There are few studies on physiological and psychological effects of storytelling in a more commonplace hospital setting. "

So investigators working in several Brazilian hospitals split a total of 81 patients aged 4 to 11 into two groups, matching them with storytellers who had a decade of hospital experience. In one group, the storyteller led each child in playing a riddle game. In the other, youngsters chose books and listened as the storyteller read them aloud. Before and after these sessions, the researchers took spit samples from each child, then asked them to report their pain levels and conducted a free-association word quiz. 

Children in both groups benefited measurably from the interactions：they showed lower levels of cortisol—the stress-related hormone(激素)—and higher levels of oxytocin, which is often described as a feel-good hormone. Yet kids in the storytelling group benefited significantly more：their cortisol levels were a quarter of those in the riddle group, and their oxytocin levels were nearly twice as high. Those who heard stories also reported pain levels dropping almost twice as much as those in the riddle group, and they used more positive words to describe their hospital stay. 

The study demonstrates that playing games or simply interacting with someone can relax kids and improve their outlook but that hearing stories has an especially dramatic effect. "The researchers really tried to control the social interaction component of the storyteller, which I think was the key, "says Raymond Mar, a psychologist at York University, who was not involved in the new research.

Next, the investigators plan to study how long these effects last, along with storytelling's potential benefits to kids with particular illnesses such as cancer. For now Brockington says the results indicate storytelling is a low-cost and extremely efficient way to help improve health outcomes in a variety of settings. Mar agrees. "It's very promising and feasible, "he says, "and possibly generalizable. "

Laurie Horam never thought of himself as musical. At home, his dad never listened to music, while one of his boarding school teachers labelled him tone deaf. But last month he started to play the harmonica(口琴) on the streets of Bradford. People clapped, danced and threw coins into his case for the local food bank. Horam caught himself thinking, "How, at the age of 79, do I come to be playing music to people on the streets? "

The question preoccupied him, because, some years ago at a family gathering, Gavin, his eldest son, said, "You know what, Dad? It can't be coincidental. We must have got our musical abilities from you. "Horam has three sons and they cover a range of instruments. He was surprised. "There can't be music in me, because I can't play! "he said.

Eight years ago, Horam, a retired civil servant, was on his way back from a trip with his family. Gavin stopped at a music shop. He walked out and said, "Here you are. I bought this for you, Dad. It's a harmonica. I'll try to show you how to play a bit. "

They went to a session at their local pub. Gavin played the guitar and Horam sat in the corner with his harmonica, trying to make a sound that no one would hear. After six months, he was invited into the group. He discovered a talent for improvisation(即兴表演), responding to a note within a millisecond without batting an eyelid. "I don't play by ear. I play by heart. "Actually, Horam says, "My harmonica plays me—how I feel, what I am, what I've been. "

Music has enriched life with friendship and made Horam feel"part of something much bigger"than himself. "At a time when the circle of life might be shrinking, mine is expanding, "he says. "Maybe we never know completely who we are or what we can do. "

Could you imagine a world  everyone looks the same or has the exactly same hobbies or interests? As such, Global Diversity Awareness Month is a great way to celebrate diversity(多样性). During this time, people from all over the world celebrate what (make) us different and unique. 

Everyone has their own way of viewing things, which (shape) by their individual experiences and world view they carry with them. When dealing with an issue, different approaches can generate (creative) and innovation, instead of everyone contributing the same thoughts and conclusions. To put it (simple), our diversity and inclusiveness(包容性) are our biggest strengths. 

Learning about other cultures will help (we) better understand ourselves and the society as a whole. We can do this by watching foreign films or listening to music from other countries. Local cultural art exhibits are worth (visit), too. Also, invite our friends and family to dinner, which can open our mind new ideas and customs and delicious food! There's no doubt that diversity and inclusiveness make our world better place. It is important that we connect with other people, learn from them and their cultures, and make an effort (appreciate) those differences.

Earlier that evening, my mother called, telling me that my brother died in a car crash. I stumbled(跌跌撞撞地走) around the house 1  what to put into the suitcases. My husband, Larry, and I had been packing for moving to New Mexico. The house was in a total 2 . 

I tried to hold my tears. I 3 picked things up and put them down. I couldn't 4 . What I'd heard on the phone echoed(回荡) through my head.

Larry phoned a few friends. 5 , someone asked to speak to me. "If there is anything I can do, let me know. ""Thank you, "I replied. I didn't know what to 6 .

The doorbell rang and I rose slowly for the door. It was Donna. 

"I've come to clean your shoes, "she said. 7 , I asked her to repeat. "When my father died, it took me 8 to get the shoes cleaned and shined for my father's 9 , "she said. I hadn't even thought about shoes.

Shoes were gathered. Donna 10  herself on the floor and got to work. The love in the act 11  my tears. Watching her 12  on one task helped me pull my 13  into order. Laundry first, I told myself. One by one, the jobs fell into place. 

Now whenever I hear of an acquaintance's loss of a loved one, I think of one 14 task that suits that person's 15 . If the person asks, "How did you know I needed that? "I'd reply, "Because someone did that. "

People living in informal settlements across the world often go to dangerous lengths to secure clean water and electricity. Now, Henry Glogau, a New Zealand-based architectural designer, has created a striking skylight(天窗) that can provide both safely. 

In Chile, around 110, 000 families live in around 800 informal settlements often built around farther parts of the larger cities. In these remote, informal settlements, electricity as well as water isn't reliably available. Besides, many Chileans in informal settlements also board up their windows for privacy and security, limiting the amount of natural light. This means that even during the day, informal homes can be difficult places to meet, work or study.

Glogau's design aims to use Chile's abundance in two natural resources—seawater and light—to create the skylight that can help solve the problem.

During the day, the skylight is powered by a small solar panel, with the center part of the skylight also functioning to desalinate(淡化) seawater via the evaporation and condensing(蒸发和冷凝) process. Water can then be tapped from the skylight to be used for consumption. 

However, during the night, when light is in even more demand, the skylight can continue to function. The salt generated from the desalination process is stored within special tubes containing special metals. The salt reacts with these metals to create twelve "salt batteries"which can continue to power the skylight, thus providing lighting for living, work and study.

Currently, the skylight is being tested in informal settlements in Antofagasta, Chile. However, informal settlements aren't unique to Chile. According to the United Nations, around 1 billion people live in informal settlement conditions, with roughly 370 million in Eastern and South-Eastern Asia, 238 million in sub-Saharan Africa and 227 million in Central and Southern Asia. Naturally, not all of these have access to seawater, but products such as the Solar Desalination Skylight can still point the way to providing necessities that can help improve living conditions and opportunities, at an affordable cost.