Every year，Time magazine puts out its list of the year's best inventions.Some of them help us solve problems，while others make life easier or more fun.Here are three of the inventions on this year's list.Which one do you think is the best？
Life﹣like animals
At the Hologram Zoo（全息动物园） in Australia，you don't just see a giraffe.You see a group of giraffes running towards you and then over you."We show people things they have never seen before，"says the zoo's CEO.Visitors to the zoo can see life-like wonders.Thanks to hologram technology，the public can see wildlife while no animals have to be kept in cages.
Stopping fires
Alert California is a safety program in California.It uses AI to predict wildfires.The AI detector（探测器） uses more than a thousand cameras in forests across the state.It can spot smoke and other early signs of fire.In two months，the program correctly predicted 77 fires before any 911 calls came in.
Air on Mars
If astronauts land on Mars in the future，they'll need air to breathe and a way to get home.NASA's Moxie can help solve both problems.This small equipment can separate oxygen（氧气） from the atmosphere（大气） on Mars and help astronauts breathe.In addition，the oxygen can be used to provide energy for spaceships.This is important for sending astronauts home from Mars.
Robert Adolf was attracted by Chinese culture when，as a child，he watched the 1998 Disney cartoon，Mulan.He never thought that he would one day work in China.
Adolf was born in Munich，Germany in 1997.After graduating from Kotztanz University in 2017，he came to China.At the beginning，later lived in Lianyungang，in northern Jiangsu province.
After living in China for several years，Adolf learned that there are 56 peoples in China."It is amazing!Why not show their cultural charm to the world？"said the young man who's also known as Baozi.He gave himself the nickname because the first meal he had after arriving in China was baozi.
In July 2021，Adolf and three of his Chinese friends decided to film a documentary of China's peoples.Two months later，they set out from Lianyungang and drove all the way to Guizhou province.They have recorded the customs and culture of the Tujia，Dong，Yoo，Shui and other peoples along the way.
"In Guizhou，you can truly experience the colorful life of peoples，"recalled Adolf.While filming in Guizhou，they worship their ancestors，sing traditional songs，and watch horse races.The celebrations usually last for nearly two months.It is known as the "longest national festival in the world".
His short videos have been praised by audiences from China and abroad."After watching these videos，many foreigners feel surprised to discover that China has so many beautiful places and cultures.Many of them want to visit China，too，"the 26-year-old said."This is exactly what I want. "
Adolf hasn't set a timetable for his short video project.But one thing is for sure：he will keep on filming.One day he will finish recording all of the 56 peoples in China!
①Adolf's videos have won praise all over the world.
②Adolf made up his mind to film a documentary.
③Adolf recorded several peoples' customs along the way.
④Adolf celebrated the Duan Festival with the Shui people.
In English，we have the term the"buddy system".As far as I know，it was first used by people who enjoyed the sport of scuba diving（戴水肺潜水）.People were able to swim underwater and explore the strange and wonderful world of life below the waves.Scuba diving is a fun sport，but it's also a dangerous one.It's best to do it with a partner—a"buddy"，who can help in case one of you gets into trouble.So，the"buddy system"was introduced.
Not every sport or activity is as dangerous as scuba diving，but having a buddy—or a dazi in Chinese—to share your interests with makes it more fun for the both of you.Finding a dazi，however，can sometimes be difficult.Maybe none of your close friends shares a very particular interest that you have.Many young people now go onto social media platforms like Xiaohongshu，which connect people with"shared interests".
These young people have found English conversation partners，jogging buddies and fellow comic book fans.They are even finding dinner companies who like to eat spicy food. （Sorry，that would not be me. ） A good friendship may develop from this dazi relationship，but not necessarily.That shared interest may be the only thing you have in common.
The idea of having a dazi reminds me of my father.He loved to fish，but I didn't.I went with him a few times and found it boring.But my dad didn't miss me because he had a fishing buddy.Ed and my dad would meet at the same fishing spot every Saturday morning.They would sit side by side for hours and talk—when they did talk—about fishing.I asked him once what Ed did for a living and if he had a family."I don't know，"my dad said，"we only talk about fishing. "For my dad，Ed was the perfect dazi.
Having a buddy to share your interests makes life more enjoyable.It also motivates you to learn more and get better at whatever sport，activity or hobby you're doing，and it makes you more sociable（好交际的），too.It's good to have a buddy.
Are you a morning people？Do you find it easy to wake up early？You may have Neanderthals（尼安德特人） in your ancestor.A study has found Neanderthal DNA in some present-day humans.This may decide whether someone is a morning person.
About 70，000 years ago，early humans moved from Africa to Europe.Some of them got married to Neanderthals.The effect of that interbreeding（混血繁衍） still exists today.Modern humans of non-African ancestor have between 1 and 4 percent Neanderthal DNA.
Some of that DNA is connected with sleep—or the internal body clock.For the new study，researchers compared DNA from today's humans and DNA from Neanderthal fossils（化石）.In both groups，they found some of the same genes connect to the circadian rhythm（昼夜节律）.And they found that modern humans who carry these genes are likely to wake up early.
For Neanderthals，being"morning people" was not the real benefit of carrying these genes.In fact，Neanderthals' DNA gave them faster internal body clocks.This allowed them to more easily get used to daily changes in daylight.
"It seems that having a faster running clock leads people to earlier wake up.Besides，they have an easier time to get used to seasonal change，"says John Capra，who is a researcher at the University of California San Francisco.
This connection makes sense in human history，says Mark Maslin.The scientist studies Earth systems at University College London.
When early humans moved out of Africa，they went north.They would have experienced changeable daylight hours for the first time.Days were shorter in winter and longer in summer.The Neanderthals' genes were more likely to help them get used to this new environment.
"In tropical（热带的） Africa，the days were about 12 hours long，"says Maslin. "Early humans spend only 30 percent of their awake time collecting food.But the farther north they went，the shorter the days got in winter.There also wasn't as much food available.So，it makes sense for Neanderthals and humans to start collecting food as soon as there is any light to work by."
Sleep Tight!
Many teens aren't getting enough sleep.According to a U.S.survey，more than 1/5 teens have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep.Here，some health experts are offering tips to help teens get a better night's sleep.
Try changing one bad sleep habit at a time.For example，avoid having a big meal close to bedtime or make sure your room is dark and comfortable.It's not possible to change everything all at once.If you can change one habit even several night s a week，that's great.
We have plenty of research showing how destructive technology is to sleep.No one—children or adults—should have a phone in their bedroom at night.If that's too hard for you，you can start with some easier ways to reduce the damage of nighttime screen time.Passive（被动） use，is better than active use，like gaming.
Many of you like to sleep late on weekends.This can affect your weekday sleep.On Sunday night，you haven't been awake long enough to fall asleep at the right time.You'll then have trouble getting up for school on Monday morning.Then your whole sleep schedule just gets out of control.So it's necessary to set a proper bedtime on weekends.
Like adults，some teens may have a lot of worries on their minds："Oh，no!I still have so much work to do.If I don't get enough sleep，I'll fail my test tomorrow!"
If you are one of these teens，try keeping a diary.Write down what you did today and what you plan to do tomorrow.You can also just write about your worries.It can help you get rid of them.
A.Control screen time before bed
B.Keep a diary to reduce stress
C.Avoid sleeping late on weekdays
D.Start with small changes
E.Set a normal bedtime on weekends
What else can you do to have a better night's sleep？
Genevieve Moss has lost hearing in a serious accident.Her world has always been 1 .And in her life，alone in a town in England，she often felt lonely.
Then one day in April 2021，something2 Moss's eyes as she read the local newspaper.It was a photo of a tiny black﹣and﹣white cat.A family was 3 a home for their last newborn kitten.Moss fell in love with the cat.She immediately pick up her phone and got in touch with 4 .Soon，the deal was made.Moss called the cat Zebby because his 5 look like those of a zebra，both black and white.
Moss had heard of studies showing that pets can make people 6 to manage mental health conditions.People who own pets can stay away from loneliness.However，she had no idea that Zebby would become her helper and her 7 .From their first night together，Zebby has slept next to her.When he hears noises in the dark，he jumps up 8 ."He became my night watch cat，" Moss said."Sometimes，he would run around the room 9 I woke up.If not，he wouldn't stop. "
After several weeks，Moss noticed that whenever her phone rang or someone knocked at the door，Zebby would tap her.It wasn't long before the cat took on another 10 ：collecting Moss's mail.Now，whenever he hears the mailbox being opened，he runs towards it11 it at Moss's feet.
This past July，Zebby was named Britain's National Cat of the Year 12 Cats Protection.It is the largest cat charity in the U.K.Moss was 13 to hear the news and said，"Zebby is very special，and I've never known a cat quite like him.I'm proud of him. " According to the charity，000 other cats because of the many ways he helps Moss.He has had no training at all， 14 his instincts（本能） seem to have told him that his owner needs his help.
"I can 15 imagine not having Zebby in my life now，" Moss said."Zebby has made my house a home. "
Advertising in Ancient China
Ads are almost everywhere in our lives—on smartphone apps，TVs，and big screens in shopping malls.But before there was mass media（大众媒体） did the ancient Chinese make ads for their goods？
The purpose of advertising，after all，is to attract people's attention and improve the（develop） of business.This was also true in ancient times.More than 2，000 years ago，Qu Yuan wrote the poem Heavenly Questions.A man who sold meat in a market（record） in it."He knocked his knife on the table to make a sound. "This was one of the easiest（method） to draw people's attention.
Another simple way to advertise was to shout about the quality of the goods.In the Song Dynasty，sellers used clever rhymes（押韵） to market the goods of own.They even wrote lyrics to make it an art form.
In addition，some sellers considered（ask） famous people for help.Strategies of the Warring States（《战国策》） mentions the story of a horse seller.At first，he brought horses that belonged to him to the market and shouted to the crowd about the good quality of his horses. he shouted loudly，nobody was interested.He tried many ways，but nothing worked.He became（hope）.Later，the man came up with a good idea.He went to Bo Le，a famous local horse expert，"Could you visit my stall（摊位） and look at my horses？I'll pay you it. "Bo Le agreed.He showed up at the seller's stall and expressed his "interest" in the horses.Other people in the market （sudden） gathered around.Soon，every horse in the stall had a buyer.How effective this way of advertising was!
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TOLiPing@mail.com
SUBJECT Hope to get your advice soon!
Hi, Li Ping
How's everything going？I'm glad to tell you that we will organize a Chinese culture festival in our school next week.These days I'm thinking about holding an activity about telling Chinese folk stories in Chinese.What do you think of it？Besides，Can you come up with one more activity for our Chinese culture festival？I really need your advice to make everything go better.
Looking forward to hearing from you soon.
Jack
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