We all know that foods will easily go bad if they get too warm. So we usually put them into our fridges to keep cool in hot weather. But can you make it without fridges?
In 1995, Abba, a teacher from Nigeria, found a cool way. His invention was called Pot-in-Pot Cooling System.
It uses two clay pots (陶罐). There is a smaller pot inside a larger one. The space between the two pots is filled with wet sand. Fruit, vegetables or drinks can be put into the smaller pot. A wet cloth covers the whole cooling system. Some foods can be kept fresh for several weeks in it.
Abba built five thousand pot-in-pot systems for the villagers in his hometown. Then people all over the country began using the invention. Soon it became popular with farmers in other African countries.
In 2000, Abba got a prize --- the Rolex Award. If you are trying to do something to improve human life, you may have the chance to get this prize.Who is Abba?
Where should we put fruit and drinks in the Pot-in-Pot Cooling System ?
What can farmers use Abba’s invention to do?
How many pot-in-pot systems did Abba build for the villagers?
From the passage, how can we have the chance to get this kind of prize like Abba?
What is your zodiac(生肖) animal? According to the Chinese lunar calendar(农历), 12 animals mark 12 different years. It is the basis of the Chinese zodiac. Nowadays, Chinese zodiac animals have worldwide fame and are increasingly popular among western people.
The zodiac is an important part of Chinese culture. People believe that the characteristics of a zodiac animal influence the personality of every person born in that year. For example, people born in the Year of the Tiger are considered powerful and brave.
Zodiac animals also have some social functions. When people think it is not proper to ask: “How old are you”, they may change their question to “What is your zodiac animal?” With this question, you can figure out roughly which year someone was born and the person’s age.
Zodiac animals are not special to China. Many countries share a similar zodiac culture with China. For example, in the Japanese Zodiac, a wild boar(野猪)takes the place of a pig and the Vietnamese(越南的)zodiac has a cat instead of a rabbit.
But have you ever wondered how these 12 animals were chosen to represent each year? According to legend, the Jade Emperor(玉皇大帝)invited all the animals to join him for Chinese New Year. Only 12 animals went to see him. As a reward he named a year after each one in the order they arrived. The ox would have been the first to arrive, but the rat sat on his back and jumped off just before they arrived to come in first place.The characteristics of a zodiac animal may influence the _____ of every person born in that year.
A.appearance | B.personality |
C.hobby | D.education |
“What is your zodiac animal?” is a question used to find out a person’s______.
A.age | B.name |
C.job | D.weight |
In the Japanese zodiac, we don’t see the zodiac animal:_______
A.wild boar | B.rabbit |
C.dragon | D.pig |
According to the last paragraph, we know that ____ was the first animal to arrive.
A.ox | B.Rat |
C.pig | D.Cat |
Post your problems on the blog and get other bloggers’ advice!
★★★★★★
My problem is my parents. They never stop going on about how I should keep my room tidy, keep my hair tidy and wear smart clothes. They even make me do the washing-up after dinner every night! None of my friends have got such tenable parents. What should I do?
Helen, USA
★★★★★★
Hi, Helen. I think you should do what your parents ask. They’re much older than you and you should respect them. It’s their house you live in and their money you spend.
Emily, AustraliaE
★★★★★★
Helen, why should your parents do all the housework? You should help around the house. –it’s only fair. I don’t think you should change your appearance though. Teenagers should look like teenagers.
Simon, EnglandWhat is Helen’s problem?
A.Her parents treat her badly. |
B.She always worries about her parents. |
C.Her parents don’t care about her feelings. |
D.She doesn’t want to do what her parents ask. |
In Emily’s opinion, Helen should .
A.respect her parents | B.give her parents money |
C.leave her parents | D.change her appearance |
Simon suggests that Helen should.
A.wear smart clothes | B.help with housework |
C.do all the washing-up | D.change her appearance |
Shopping online is easier than actually going to a store and saves your time. However, it’s not always that easy. Sometimes, you may have a few problems.
Xu Zijiao, 21, a student at Sichuan University, often buys clothes on Taobao. “The colors might be different. And since you can’t feel the clothes, the quality might be bad,” Xu said.
Many people had similar experiences to Xu – buying something that isn’t as good as the advertisements suggest, or going into a store for a special offer but still paying a lot. What would you do if your consumer rights(消费者权利)were broken? Guangzhou Daily reported that according to a research, 60 percent consumers would give up without fighting for their rights.
March 15 is World Consumer Rights Day. According to consumer protection laws in China, consumers have nine rights, including the right to guaranteed safety, truthful information, free choice and respect.
How can we fight for our consumer rights? Here are some tips:
1. Learn some of the differences between real and false goods.
2. Check the label (标签) and read the information carefully before you buy something.
3. Get a receipt (收据) for all your goods and services.
4. If you find there’s any problem with your goods, talk to the seller first, and try to get your money back or get an exchange. If you can’t reach an agreement, call 12315 or go to your local consumers association for help.The second paragraph uses Xu Zijiao’s example to show _____.
A.there are problems with shopping online |
B.shopping online is a good way to buy things |
C.how to buy clothes on Taobao |
D.the advantages of shopping online |
Shopping online has the following disadvantages EXCEPT _____.
A.the quality is not always as good as they promise |
B.the online shops can better protect consumer rights |
C.we can only know about the goods from the advertisements |
D.you may pay a lot more even if there is a special offer |
According to the law, consumers have the following rights EXCEPT _____.
A.guaranteed safety | B.truthful information |
C.cheap prices | D.free choice and respect |
If you buy false goods, you’d better first_____.
A.talk to the seller |
B.call 12315 |
C.fight with the seller |
D.turn to the local government for helpxkb1.com |
On Sunday , April 22, people all over the world take time out to appreciate ( 珍惜 ) the earth that we all share. It’s Earth Day, a special day to learn about our planet ( 星球) and how to take care of it.
On Earth Day, some people listen to speeches about the environment. Others help clean up their offices or save water and electricity at home. Your parents may even decide to take a day off from driving their cars.
The idea for Earth Day came from a U.S. Senator (参议员) ,who was worried about pollution and the health of plants and animals. And the idea quickly caught on ( 流行起来). In 1970, the first Earth Day was celebrated. More than 20 million people in cities all over the U.S. took part . Since then, Earth Day has been used to educate people about their role in taking care of our planet.
Now , Earth Day has become a global celebration. In 1990, 200 million people from 140 countries took part in clean-ups, tree planting and other environmental events on Earth DayWhen is Earth Day?
Who came up with the idea for Earth Day?
How many people celebrated the first Earth Day in 1970 ?
Is Earth Day popular around the world now ?
What is Earth Day?
Alice is my pen friend, She is a 16-year-old girl from the UK, but now she lives in China. She is a middle school student in Nanjing. She likes going to school, but there are some things she doesn't tike, such as PE. She enjoys playing sports. She thinks sports are interesting and exciting. But she doesn't like doing physical exercises in PE classes. She feels that they are boring! Her favorite subject is Science. It seems that the amazing and useful Science attracts her. She thinks she is on the way to be a scientist. She wishes to invent things to make the world more beautiful.
In her free time, she often goes to the beach. She loves just sitting around and talking to friends there. She's getting better at understanding boys, but she hates listening to hours of talk about football. " It's not interesting at all!" she once said to me.
That is my pen friend Alice.
Information about Alice
BasicInformation |
Name : Alice Age: sixteen |
Birth place : in the UK Living now : in China |
Like |
What |
Why/ For what |
Playing sports |
Interesting and __ |
|
Going to the _ |
Sitting around and __ |
|
Favorite subject: Science. |
__ |
|
Dislikes |
Having _ |
Physical exercises are _ |
_ |
Not interesting at all. |
|
Wishes |
To be a _ |
Be attracted by Science. |
To invent things |
Make the world _ |