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But according to teachers, there's one thing many of them can't do very well: type on a keyboard. The 22-year-old singer Billie Eilish said this year that she never learned to type, and now she regrets it. According to the US Department of Education, there has been a big decrease in the number of courses that teach typing in the classroom.

The department said that in 2000, 44% of students had taken a typing course before finishing high school. In August, The Wall Street Journal spoke to a number of young adults and teenagers about typing. Many said they have to take their time while typing on a computer keyboard, looking carefully to find the letters they want.

It involves using all fingers to type without looking at the keyboard. However, young people today often lack this ability. It's said one of the reasons young people are slower at typing is that they do a lot of their schoolwork on smartphones or tablets.

Some teachers think young people's typing speeds might cause them problems when they're writing long assignments at university, or working in a job that needs them to type a lot. But experts still say being able to touch type can help people find better job opportunities.

A. One thing has changed.

B. It might not be needed for all jobs.

C. There are some excellent typing programs online.

D. They might even be able to create an app themselves!

E. However, by 2019, only 2.5% of students had taken such a course.

F. That's despite a big increase in the use of technology in classrooms.

G. In older generations, touch typing was considered an important skill.

But over the years, Loughridge noticed a shift in this attitude. "When I started teaching, it was very common to be surprised and disturbed by the idea that a computer could make music," she said. "But five years later, that started to seem like a much more common idea for students."

With the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), there's been an increasing number of conversations surrounding AI and art, and whether the work we're enjoying is from a human or a machine. But the answer, Loughridge says, is not always so simple, at least not when it comes to music. After all, a computer-generated piece in the style of Chopin was created by human programmers and Chopin composed with a piano that is also sort of a machine.

This is the example Loughridge uses to open her upcoming book Sounding Human. The December release was inspired by the shift in attitude Loughridge has seen over her career, and explores how the human and machine have been seen as both oppositional (对抗的) forces and working pairs.

"The book is trying to get out of this division of human and machine to explore how they relate to each other, and what it opens up for us to think about those relationships rather than get stuck on a human or machine question," she said.

In the book, Loughridge explores this debate and how it played out from 1740 until 2020, starting with the emergence of an android-like (像人形机器人的) device that plays the flute (长笛) and ending with musicians experimenting with machine learning.

The subject matter is particularly poignant (引人深思的) as there's more debate around AI. The conversation has evolved even over the last year, Loughridge said, with more people viewing the use of this type of technology as either "good" or "bad". But looking through the history in her book can provide greater context to these conversations.

Like many athletes, Griggs found inspiration from a sporting legend. "Watching Usain Bolt at the 2012 London Olympics changed everything," he recalled. "I cheered loudly when he won the 100 meters in 9.63 seconds. That moment made me dream of becoming an Olympic medalist."

Though starting as a sprinter (短跑运动员) and playing multiple sports including football, Griggs discovered his true talent after joining Mid-Ulster Athletics Club at 14. His coach quickly noticed the teenager's strong discipline (自制力), often arriving first for morning runs and staying late to improve his techniques. Changing to long-distance running proved successful — within two years, he won gold in the 3,000 meters at the 2021 European Under-20 Championships.

His success didn't stop there. In 2023, he helped Ireland win gold at the European U20 Cross Country Championships and claimed individual bronze (铜牌). Then, just last November, Griggs set a new parkrun world record, completing the 5-km course at Victoria Park in Belfast in 13 minutes and 44 seconds beating the previous record by one second.

Behind these successes lie strict training routines. Griggs runs over 100 kilometers weekly, combining track workouts with hill training. "Some days I feel exhausted," he admits, "but thinking of standing on the Olympic platform keeps me going." His teammates describe him as "the most focused athlete in the gym", always completing extra main exercises after regular sessions.

With the 2028 Olympics approaching, when he'll be 23, experts believe Griggs's steady progress could make him as a strong medal hope. "Every race teaches me something new," says the determined runner. "My Olympic dream that started in 2012 continues to guide my training."

Lascaux Cave Paintings, France

In the region of southwestern France lies the Lascaux cave system, where some of the world's best-preserved Paleolithic cave paintings can be found. Nearly 20,000 years old, these images and engravings (雕刻) feature animals as well as abstract designs. Since 1963, the site has been off-limits to visitors to prevent worsening. However, a team of scientists have recreated this UNESCO World Heritage Site with advanced technology and you are able to have a specially arranged visit with prehistoric cave experts.

Skara Brae, Scotland

The ancient stone village of Skara Brae stands on a coast in Scotland's islands, just one of many destinations you'll visit on this trip to the United Kingdom. Settled about 5,000 years ago, it is also one of the best-preserved Neolithic sites in Europe. The ruins consist of a series of stone homes where nearly everything remains undamaged. This once-developed community of farmers, hunters and craftsmen was mysteriously deserted around 2500 BC.

The City of Tikal, Guatemala

Tikal is home to the ruins of a powerful Maya city that flourished (繁荣) from around AD 300 to 800. Located in the depths of the Guatemalan rainforest, this site was once inhabited by more than 60,000 people and covered an area of at least 47 square miles, making it one of the largest pre-Columbian cities. On this trip, you'll explore a variety of Tikal's unearthed structures, such as its palaces, temples and ball courts. But archaeologists still don't have any clues as to the cause of Tikal's decline.

This is a true story about something that happened to me last summer. I was spending the holiday(happy) with my family at a beach in the south of England. I was very(interest) in exploring the local area, so one morning I(wake) up early and set off along the quiet road. In my eagerness to discover the local area, I forgot( tell ) my parents where I was going.

It was a hot, sunny morning and I soon felt thirsty, but I was determined to challenge(me) by walking to the highest point. I'm a good walker and so I pushed my way up the hill, although it was quite hard work. At the top, I saw many birds (fly) around their nests(鸟巢). Feeling curious, I left the road and moved towards the nests. Aha, there were some baby birds in the nest. "If I take picture of the baby birds, will I be attacked?" With(butterfly) in my stomach, I held my camera up and pointed it at the birds.

Just then, one of the birds made a loud noise. I was so surprisedI dropped my camera! I didn't have time to worryit, though. To protect their nests, the birds started to fly at me one by one to make me go away. I rushed back down the hill. Near the bottom of the hill, I heard a car engine. It was my mum's car! I jumped in and shut the door, looking at her in panic.   "Go! Go! Go!" I shouted. I spent the rest of the summer saving up for a new camera.