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In 2023, just before my 32^nd birthday was approaching, the Singapore-based sister insisted my mother and I join her for a holiday.  My mum, regarded as a fearless woman, would get strangely nervous and confused by the complex on-boarding 1 .  Perhaps the only thing that convinced her to overcome her 2  was the fact that it would give us a chance to 3  our weakening relationship full of a great deal of differences. 

There was another 4  to the trip for my mom—a return to the place where she spent her honeymoon in 

1989.  Back then she was four months 5  with me.  Growing up, I remembered the days when she would always 6  me hot milk in the cold winter.  Looking back, the motherly 7  actually displayed the love in the blood. 

Those sweet moments gradually 8  as I grew older and moved away from home.  Soon, our relationship became tense.  Weekly phone calls were too 9  and careless to ever mature into real talk.  The 10  led to arguments instead.  To me, her old-fashioned advice annoyed me, forcing me to 11  information or even lie intentionally.  Perhaps Singapore would give us a chance to bring our 12  back to life. 

Looking for something to 13 ourselves, we signed up for a joint painting activity. To our joy, our faded connection began to take on the 14 of something truthful and beautiful. This makes a landmark in a daughter's journey in 15 with her long-cherished past.

As digital devices have taken over society, "keyboard activity" is now often recommended as a substitute (替代物) for early handwriting, a new study notes. .

"Some schools in Norway have become completely digital," notes Audrey Vander Meer, the new study's leader, who works at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim. . The human brain has developed to interact with the world in as many ways as possible, she notes. She believes that young children should learn to write by hand successfully, and, at the same time learn to manage a keyboard.

. Her new findings prove this. This is because writing and printing involve complex movements that activate more areas of the brain. The increased brain activity, "gives the brain more ‘hooks' to hang your memories on," she explains.

Think about it.  The same movement is required to type each letter on a keyboard.  By comparison, when we write, our brain needs to think about and recover memories of each letter.  .  And we need to control our hands to press a pen or pencil to shape the different letters.  All of these use and connect more areas of the brain. 

Along the way, these processes appear to "open the brain up for learning", says Vander Meer. . She expresses her worries.

Vander Meer also points out that taking notes by hand stimulates "visual note-taking". Rather than typing blindly, the visual note-taker has to think about what is important to write down. Then, key words can be "interlinked by boxes, and arrows, and supplemented by small drawings".

A. Young kids should learn several basic drawing skills. 

B. It is believed that typing may be easier for young children. 

C. Using a pen involves more of the brain than using a keyboard. 

D. It has to be done by hand, not necessarily typing on a keyboard. 

E. So learning through only one format—digital could be harmful. 

F. She measures brain activity to better understand learning and behaviors

G. It is also necessary for us to use our eyes to watch what shapes we are writing. 

Horror movies are designed to cause seemingly bad emotions — shock, fear and disgust.  Yet many people want to sit through those films.  Why? Clasen, who directs the Recreational Fear Lab at Aarhus University in Denmark, made a survey of more than 250 American horror fans with his team, and the responses of those participants revealed three types of fans. 

The first type felt great and were in high spirits. The second type reported some negative reactions to scary movies, and some even had nightmares at first, but they explained that they were feeling like they learned something about themselves at last. The third type of fans seemed to use horror to deal with bad feelings and events in real life. They supported statements such as "Watching horror movies makes me realize that everything in my own life is OK. "

According to previous studies, thrill seekers, who often seek out new and intense experiences, tend to be horror fans. Men also seemed to be slightly bigger horror fans than women. Clasen's teammates didn't think so. "They are stereotypes (老套)," they said. Men are less likely to admit in surveys that they are afraid of horror. Likewise, researchers think it's unfair to paint all horror fans as thrill seekers. What may influence how much people like horror is something called the need for affections. "People differ on that — how much emotion they want in their lives," Clasen explained.

After watching a horror movie, you could be left unsettled and anxious, or you have nightmares, but it may actually help you become more prepared in real life. Horror fans reported lower levels of distress (忧虑) during the pandemic, for instance. "That's because horror movies let people practice negative emotions in a safe setting," Clasen said. "That way, when it comes to scary situations in real life, you know how to react quickly and correctly. "

Good or not, scary movies aren't for everyone. And that's OK. "Monster movies are good," sociologist Margee Kerr said, "because you know that they're not real. " "If you are not ready to watch a horror movie, there are other ways to test yourself. One is writing your own horror-movie story. If you are writing a story about something that you are afraid of, you are taking control of it," she explained. "That can be really helpful. "

The public nowadays has a misunderstanding of forest fires, believing that fires should be kept out of every type of forest. Many of us can recall Smoky the Bear's famous warning: "Remember, only YOU can prevent forest fires". However, that's not always the case. Under the right conditions, and when conducted safely, fire can create many environmental benefits as well as help prevent larger, uncontrollable wildfires.

After a forest fire, many wildlife species will move into recently burned areas to feed on these newly available foods. Some reptiles and amphibians such as the pine snake prefer forests frequently burned by fire. As Herbert Stoddard put it, "One of the most harmful things modern man has done to birds has been his attempt to exclude fire from fire-type pine (松树) forests. Within a few years most forests choke up with bushes, lose their prairie-like vegetation (草原般植被) and can no longer support birds dependent on periodic burning for their food supply and proper cover. "

If you are asked to picture the forest floor, what do you see? Pine needles, cones, leaves, branches might come to mind-all sources of fuel. If these fuel sources build up without any type of removal, the ‘fuel load' can lead to fires catastrophic to forests and people alike. In contrast, prescribed fire can be used by forest professionals every couple of years to keep forest fuels at an appropriate and manageable level. They can also minimize the spread of pest insects and disease and remove unwanted tree and plant species. Plus, they can create and maintain important wildlife habitats rich in grasses and promote the growth of trees, wildflowers and other various plants.

Many organizations and agencies work to promote fire on the landscape when and where appropriate. Smoky Bear even has an updated warning: "Only You can Prevent Wildfires," as the Forest Service has over the last few decades developed policies and procedures to include prescribed fire as a management tool, as well as continuing their work to prevent and fight wildfires.

One summer night, a boy felt himself lifted from bed by his father. Dazed with sleep, he saw stars flashing across the heavens. "What is it?" the child whispered. "Shooting stars. They come every year in August. " Decades have passed, but I remember that night still, because I was the fortunate boy whose father believed a new experience was more important than an unbroken night's sleep.

Some parents like my father have the gift of opening doors for their children. This art of adding dimensions to a child brings the reward: the marvelous moment when the spark bursts into a flame that will burn brightly on its own one day. At a Golf Association tournament, a ten-year-old girl played creditably. "How long have you been interested in golf?" someone asked. "I got it for my ninth birthday," she said. "Your father gave you a set of clubs?" "No," she said, "he gave me golf. "

I have a friend, a psychiatrist, who says there are two types of people: those who think of life as a privilege and those who think of it as a problem. The first type is enthusiastic and energetic. The other type is suspicious and self-centered. And he adds, "Tell me about your childhood and I can tell you which type you are likely to be. "

The real purpose, then, of trying to open doors for children is to build eager and outgoing attitudes, which is the most valuable legacy we can pass on to the next generation. But why don't we work harder at it? Probably because sometimes we don't have the awareness or the selflessness or the energy. And yet, for those of us who care what becomes of our children, the challenge is always there but the opportunities also come repeatedly. Many years have passed since that night. And next year, when August comes with its shooting stars, my son will be seven.

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"Not fair. " Wendi was rather angry. "You promised we could go to the climbing park. "

"But, it is going to rain, and the climbing park is outdoors. " Mum shook her head.

Wendi looked out of the window. "But it isn't raining, just clouds. "

"The weather lady says so, and she knows, rain in the afternoon," Mum said.

"The weather lady must get it wrong," Wendi complained in a low voice, but suddenly, the rain started. "Oh. " Wendi was surprised, looking up at the sky.

"We'll go to the climbing park another day. " Mum watched the rain.

"How does the weather lady know about the weather?" Wendi asked.

"Well, she has got a weather station, I think. " Mum was not sure.

"Grandpa might know. I'll ask him tomorrow," Wendi said.

"We can build a little weather station in the garden if you like, Wendi," Grandpa explained. "You'll need a wind vane (风向标) to see how the wind is blowing, and we can make it by ourselves. And we also need to prepare a rain gauge (雨量计) to measure how much rain has fallen. And, I've got a good thermometer (温度计) for outdoors. "

"A thermometer . . . what is that?" Wendi asked.

Grandpa laughed. "A thermometer measures the temperature. "

"Thermometer. " Wendi was pleased with her new word.

"And last of all, we need a barometer (气压计). That's a big word, too, Wendi," Grandpa explained. "A barometer tells us what the air pressure is. I've got one, too. "

"But what is air pressure?" Wendi asked.

"Well, if the air pressure changes, the weather will change," Grandpa answered.

When everything was ready, Grandpa and Wendi got down to business, and soon a little garden weather station came into being. 

Grandpa gave Wendi a list and said, "You have to keep a list of all the wind, rain and temperature changes. That's when you'll see how the weather is changing. And then you really will be a weathergirl. "

Rainy, Windy, Sunny, Snowy, Hot, Cold, Cloudy, Stormy, Very Windy . . . Wendi painted many cards for all the things a weathergirl has to say. 

Hearing the news, all Wendi's friends visited her garden weather station.

注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右；2. 请按如下格式在相应位置作答。

Wendi was a very good weathergirl until one icy cold winter day. 

After seeing this, Grandpa said to Wendi, "No weathergirl is always right, but it will snow soon, I am sure. "

在成长的过程中，我们总是对未来的职业充满憧憧，近期你班将以"My Dream Career"为题举行演讲比赛。请你根据以下要求写一篇英语演讲稿，内容包括：1. 你的理想职业；2. 选择它的理由；3. 实现的途径。

注意：1. 词数80左右；2. 可根据内容要点适当发挥，以使行文连贯。

My Dream Career

During my teenage years, I developed a deep love for ballet (芭蕾). I would volunteer at a local dance school  was next to my home. It was a great chance for me to be part of the dance community. 

One day, there was a debate about the preferred style of ballet among the teachers. Some preferred the traditional ballet, while others  (be) more interested in exploring modern movements. I found the content of  (they) discussions interesting. 

In order to contribute to the dance world, I decided to open my own ballet school and make it  (attract). I worked hard to clean up  old building and turn it into a beautiful studio (工作室). The greenhouse nearby provided a perfect space for practice and warm-up exercises. 

Creating a suitable environment for learning and dancing was important to me. I wanted my students to feel interested.  (actual), one of my main challenges was coming up with creative ideas for each class. I wanted each topic to ignite (激发) curiosity and  (excite). 

I was excited when my first group of freshman  (dancer) joined the school. It was easy for them  (mix) up the dance steps at first, but with practice, they became more fluent in the movements  before. 

I log onto a computer at the doctor's office to say I have arrived and then wait until a voice calls me into the examination room. There, a robotic nurse1 me onto the scales and then takes my blood pressure. Some time later, in steps the doctor, who is also a robot. He notes down my 2 and gives me a prescription. I pay for my 3 using a credit card and return home without having met another human being. This is my nightmarish (噩梦般的) vision of the future, which hasn't happened 4 yet.

I should say I really do like many aspects of 5 . I am a big fan of air conditioning in summer and heaters in winter. But I am writing this because I don't want machines to6 .

When I call my dentist's office and actually get a human being on the line, I am 7 . And when I see the introduction of yet more self-service checkout station sat the grocery store, I feel like 8 , "When it comes to cashiers, make mine a(n) 9 , please!"

After all, human cashiers sometimes 10 you a store coupon (优惠券) for items you are buying. Even more than that, real-life cashiers often take an interest in particularly cute children, which can 11 young mothers' day. A cashier may also show compassion for an elderly person 12 to get that last penny out of his purse.

Machines can be 13  and cost-effective and they often get the job done just fine. 14  they lack an element so important to everyday life. 

Call it the spirit, the soul or the heart. It is 15  no machine will ever have. It is human being that encourages us to smile at others, which may be what they need at that moment. 

The History of the Automobile

The automobile, more commonly known as the car, certainly counts as one of the greatest inventions in human history. 

As to who invented the automobile, the answer is not quite so clear-cut. While some give credit to Karl Benz, who patented the first gas-powered vehicle in 1886, others give the praise to Gottlieb Daimelr. Incidentally, the two inventors' companies merge (合 并) in 1926 to form the famous Mercedes-Benz.

It was Henry Ford who designed a system of mass production that allowed him to produce cars far more cheaply, which in turn meant he could sell them at lower prices. By 1927, 15 million of Ford's famous all-black Model Ts had been produced. Mass car ownership had become a reality.

Inventors were working on electric vehicles around the same time that gas-powered ones were being developed. The first electric car was designed in 1884 by Thomas Parker, the same man who electrified the London Underground. By 1900, electric vehicles were giving gas cars a run for their money. They were quiet, did not give off emissions, and were easier to drive, especially for women. They were difficult to charge when most people's homes didn't have electricity. They were also rather expensive. In the end, Henry Ford's cheap Model T put an end to interest in electric cars which didn't become popular until the gas shortages and environmental concerns of the late 20th century.

Now, early in the 21st century, we find ourselves on the brink of yet another age in automobile history. Electric cars are set to make the gas-guzzler (油 老 虎) out of date.  Benz, Daimler and Parker would surely be amazed by how far their dreams have come. 

A. But why were early electric cars not popular?

B. However, they weren't without shortcomings.

C. They were also popular in European countries. 

D. It allows people to travel great distances quickly, safely and cheaply. 

E. And self-driving cars may soon make human drivers a thing of the past. 

F. At first, European models were far too expensive for most people to buy. 

G. Many people think of electric vehicles as a new invention, but actually that's not the case.

During the COVID-19 pandemic (大流行病), many people developed new hobbies at home. However, the 17-year-old Benjamin Choi, a high schooler in Virginia, US, began working on an invention that would quickly go beyond the scale of just a "pandemic project". He set out to design and build an affordable robotic, prosthetic (假体的) arm that could be mind-controlled without requiring any brain surgery (手术), reported Smithsonian magazine.

Choi was inspired (鼓励) by a 60-minute video he'd watched in third grade where researchers implanted (植入) tiny sensors (传感器) into a patient's brain, allowing her to move a robotic arm using her thoughts. "I was really amazed but also alarmed that they require this risky open brain surgery. "

Choi set out to design an improved version himself. With past experience in programming and robotics, he was able to independently design the first version of his robotic arm using his sister's 3D printer. This initial version worked, using brain wave data and head gestures. The brain wave interpretation algorithm (算法) he had to write from scratch, for which he's now acquired a provisional patent (临时专利权), was still to come.

In October 2020, he received a support in money from polySpectra, a company that produces durable 3 D-printed materials. They helped to produce his arm, moving it out of the prototype (原型) stage and making it working for daily use. 

After over 75 designs, Choi's mind-controlled arm is now made from engineering-grade materials (材料). It operates using the algorithm, which is driven by artificial intelligence that interprets a user's brain waves. The arm remains affordable—it costs under $300 (around 2,000 yuan) to make.

Now,the invention has earned him a spot (焦点) in the top 40 finalists (决赛选手) of one of the oldest and most prestigious science and math competitions for US high school seniors. Choi wants to continue to improve his prosthetic arm in the future. 

Plants need phosphorus(磷) to grow. At first, people used organic or natural fertilizer. In1842 English agricultural chemist John Bennet Lawes patented a process for treating phosphorus-rich bones and rocks with acid, making it easier for plants to obtain, and soon the world's first human -made fertilizer began selling.

Later scientists discovered that phosphorus was a bit tricky. The fertilizer Lawes produced contained a form of phosphorus that plants can easily use. But as soon as the phosphorus hit the soil, a large part of it reacted with soil minerals, forming substances that crops can't access. Some also got locked away in equally unavailable organic forms.

So scientists concluded farmers shouldn't cut back phosphorus. They should use more, especially as they raced to feed the world's growing populations during the 20th century. In fact, it was once soil scientist Paul Withers' job to spread the word. As a government farm advisor in the 1980s, he drove a red Volvo station wagon around the winding roads of rural England telling farmers to make sure their crops got plenty of key nutrients. This method, which Withers calls "insurance-based farming", is still widely used around the world.

But is the large amount of unused phosphorus in the soil-so-called legacy (遗漏的) phosphorus actually as difficult to obtain as scientists once thought? English crop scientist Roger Sylvester-Bradley has taken a first common sense step: They stopped adding phosphorus fertilizer to half the barley field to see how the plants would grow. Eight years later, they have only just started to observe the first signs of phosphorus shortage. Barbara Cade-Menun, who oversees similar experiments in Canada, says, "Our production isn't changing. "

"The plants can use our mistakes from the past," says Sheida Sattari, whose 2012 analysis found global soils contain enough legacy phosphorus to cut the expected demand for new fertilizer in half by 2050.

Wilberforce Tushemereirwe holds up a genetically-modified banana that took millions of dollars and 20 years to make. It contains a large amount of provitamin A, a substance that transforms into vitamin A in the body. This "super banana" was created at Uganda's National Agricultural Research Laboratories for the noblest of causes: to save the lives of thousands of children who die in Uganda every year from a lack of vitamin A.

Vitamin A shortage remains a serious global public health problem. The World Health Organization estimates that 190 million preschool children suffer from vitamin A shortage today, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia. It is the leading cause of preventable blindness in children. It also inhibits children's growth and weakens their resistance to illnesses so that many die from treatable diseases such as diarrhea and measles. In Uganda, one of the world's poorest countries, it remains high on the list of health risks, which makes it urgent to find ways to deal with the condition.

The Ugandan government has tried for decades to solve the problem — with limited success. Distribution of vitamin A capsules, for example, worked well in urban areas but failed to reach those most in need in rural areas. Increasing corn and wheat flour and eatable oils with vitamin A proved more effective. But those foods are not consumed in large enough amounts to make a meaningful difference. Bananas, a main staple of the Ugandan diet, seemed to be a better option. 

Yet, one problem still remains. Fred Wanyu, a Ugandan tribal leader and linguist, says his ancestors considered the banana "the mother of society". Farmers worry that a new super banana will distort (扭曲) Ugandan banana culture dramatically. Though he respects the ancestors, Wanyu also believes that if a little piece of banana is added to a sister banana, developing into something better, "I think we will live in a better world. " "That's what many Ugandans wish for as they struggle their way out of malnutrition and extreme poverty. " "Culture is dynamic," Wanyu said. "Otherwise, we would continue writing on stones. "

International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is seen as a window into the inventions that will change our lives in the years ahead. Here are some of the best inventions making the headlines from this year's show.

The virtual fence for your wandering dog

This $1,495 GPS-enabled dog collar lets you "draw" a boundary anywhere, including your home, the houses of friends, a campsite or a park. If the dog escapes, the GPS alerts you via a mobile phone app and helps you track and find it, even in remote areas like woodland.

The robot that brings you toilet paper

Consumer goods giant Procter & Gamble's toilet paper brand, Charmin, has shown a two-wheeled robot designed to save its owner at the most important moment. The "RollBot" is ordered by a smart phone using Bluetooth and uses technology similar to a robot cleaner to navigate to its owner, carrying a precious spare roll.

Wearable camera boosting hearing aids

Hearing aids can struggle to isolate (分离) sounds, often strengthening background noise as well as a person's voice. The Hear, a wearable camera made by Israeli tech company OrCam, uses artificial intelligence to identify the person who is speaking and then employ lip reading technology to isolate the sound of their voice, making it easier for those with hearing difficulties to understand them.

Solar-powered electric tricycle

French start-up Wello has displayed a vehicle that lies somewhere between an electric car and a bicycle, showing a solar-powered electric tricycle. The vehicle is pedal-assisted, so it doesn't need a driving license and can travel in bike lanes, but can reach a top speed of 25 miles per hour.