Joseph Francis Charles Rock (1884–1962) was an Austrian-American explorer, botanist, and anthropologist (人类学家). For more than 25 years, he travelled extensively through Tibet and Yunnan, Gansu, and Sichuan provinces in China before finally leaving in 1949.
In 1924, Harvard sent Joseph Francis Rock on a treasure hunt through China's southwestern provinces—the Wild West of their day. But gold and silver weren't his task: Rock, a distinguished botanist, sought only to fill his bags with all the seeds, saplings, and shrubs he could find. During his three-year expedition, he collected 20,000 specimens for the Arnold Arboretum (阿诺德植物园).
Botany, though, was just one of Rock's strengths. As an ethnologist (民族学者), he took hundreds of photographs of the Naxi, a tribe in Yunnan province, recording their now-lost way of life for both Harvard and National Geographic, and took notes for an eventual 500-page dictionary of their language. His hand-drawn map of his travels through China's "Cho-Ni" territory, in the Harvard Map Collection, includes more than a thousand rivers, towns, and mountains indicated in both English and Chinese, and was so well made that the U.S. government used it to plan aerial missions in World War II.
Scientist, linguist, cartographer, photographer, writer—Rock was not a wallflower in any sense. Arrogant and self-possessed, he would walk into a village or warlord's place "as if he owned the place," said Lisa Pearson, the Arboretum's head librarian.
In declaring his successful return under the headline "Seeking Strange Flowers, in the Far Reaches of the World", the Boston Evening Transcript ran a large photo of the daring explorer wearing in a woolly coat and fox-skin hat. "In discussing his heroism including hair-raising escapes from death either from mountain slides, snow slides and robber armies, he waves the idea away as if it is of no importance."
The Arboretum and Rock parted ways after 1927, mainly because his trip cost Harvard a fortune—about $900,000 in today's dollars. Fortunately, many of his specimens, many of his amazing photos, and his great stories remain.
You've heard of the fat suit and the pregnancy suit; now meet AGNES—the old person suit.
AGNES stands for "Age Gain Now Empathy (换位体验) System" and was designed by researchers at MIT's AgeLab to let you know what it feels like—physically—to be 75 years old. "The business of old age demands new tools, " said Joseph Coughlin, director of the AgeLab. "While focus groups and observations and surveys can help you understand what the older consumer needs and wants, young marketers never get that ‘Ah ha!' moment of having difficulty opening a jar, or getting in and out of a car. That's what AGNES provides. "
Coughlin and his team carefully adjusted the suit to make the wearer just as uncomfortable as an old person who has spent a lifetime eating poorly and not doing much exercise. Special shoes provide a feeling of imbalance, while braces on the knees and elbows limit joint mobility. Gloves give the feeling of decreased strength and mobility in the hands and wrists, and earplugs make it difficult to hear high-pitched sounds and soft tones. A helmet with straps (带) attached to it presses the spine (脊柱).
AGNES has been used most recently by a group of students working on a design of an updated walker. By wearing the suit they could see for themselves what design and materials would make the most sense for a physically limited older person. Coughlin said the suit has also been used by clothing companies, car companies and retail goods companies to help them understand the limitations of an older consumer. An unexpected benefit they've found with AGNES is that it has become a powerful tool to get younger people to invest in their long-term health.
What exactly is intelligence? There aren't any easy answers. Despite the progress that has been made in genetics and psychology, human intelligence has remained one of the most controversial areas of modern science, until now, that is, for the discovery of a gene (基因) linked to intelligence has made the experts think again.
Robert Plomin of the Institute of Psychiatry in London and his colleagues in the US have been looking into genetic make-up. From their research, they have discovered that a slightly different gene is more common in those with a high IQ. Plomin analyzed DNA from two groups of 51 children aged between 6 and 15. What he found was that the first group had an IQ of 136, putting them in the top 5% of the population, while the other group had an average IQ of 103. An analysis of their genes showed that 32% of children in the higher group had the gene in question, while only 16% in the second group did. However, there is a lot more research to be done, and Plomin himself is cautious at this early stage. He suggests that there are probably many genes that contribute to intelligence, rather than just one.
Several studies have shown a strong link between IQ and career success, although some psychologists remain unconvinced about this. Professor Michael Rowe, who has written a book called Genius Explained, is one of these. "The people with the highest IQs are not usually the ones who do best in their careers."
Many psychologists now believe that when it comes to intelligence, IQ isn't everything. Many alternative views have been put forward recently. One example is the idea of multiple intelligences, which was developed in the 1980s by Harvard psychologist Howard Gardner. This offers a much broader view than the IQ theory, including creativity and communication skills as relevant factors (因素) in intelligence.
Tony Buzan, brain expert and author of Master your Memory, is enthusiastic about this belief, arguing that true geniuses (天才) do indeed appear to combine high levels of each type of intelligence. He lists Alexander the Great, Pablo Picasso and Albert Einstein as examples. At the same time, Buzan believes that everyone can develop their intelligence, only if they take the trouble to exercise their brain. Perhaps there's hope for us all!
According to a report by the United Nations, 54 percent of the world's population lives in urban areas and it predicts that by 2050, this figure will have increased to around 70 percent. But as more and more people migrate from the countryside to the city to get better opportunities, they can end up with nowhere to live.
This is true in places such as Rio de Janeiro, where migrants can't rent or buy a home, and they end up building their own communities and houses on unoccupied land. These are called shanty towns—poor communities where the houses are built out of cheap materials—and often don't have any electricity or water supply.
These are, of course, not the megacities (大城市)of the future we want to see. Some serious urban planning is needed to make our cities of the future good, safe and modern places to live in. This involves improving the infrastructure (基础设施), the housing conditions and also the opportunities for education and employment.
Something urban planners
are looking at now is the creation of "smart cities". According to
John Rossant, founder and chairman of the
non-profit organization New Cities Foundation, technology is the way forward. He thinks that it's generally
accepted that "cloud computing 
ubiquitous internet, robust 5G networks, etc, will transform our cities." He says technology is really "a game changer" in urbanisation. It would collect large amounts of data about how a city is performing and may improve how a city functions.
This may sound like a utopian (乌托邦似的) view. For now, some big cities around the world are trying out more low—tech schemes to try and make them desirable places to live and work in. Building shared—ownership housing and improving public transport are some ways. And encouraging cycling and building bike lanes can keep the population healthy and cut down on smog. What would make your city a better place to live in?
Do you have the experience of digging out your suitcase, deciding what to bring and being afraid that you've forgotten something?Hope they can transform the way you pack.
Keep a Basket Handy
Do you wait until the last minute to pack? Keep a basket in your bedroom, living room, or bath room that you can use to throw in items you need to pack as you come across them. Besides, you can just put the contents of the basket into your suitcase if you are in a hurry to leave for the airport.
Buy Wrinkle-free Clothing
You won't need to worry about carefully packing your items of clothing if they're made from wrinkle-free materials. They'll still look fresh and bright when you are in them at your destination.
Keep Old Packing Lists
Chances are that you end up taking trips that require you to pack similar items. Keep old packing lists from former vacations to the beach, ski resort, and city - that way, you'll always have a list of at least the basics.So you don't need to waste your effort to remember where you left your hand-written packing lists.
Schedule a Packing Time
Time can slip away from you before a trip — you may be caught up at work, at home, or be occupied with other responsibilities of daily life. That way, you will not need to do your packing frantically (狂乱地) from the last minute to 1 o'clock on the day you leave.
A. Buy necessary stuff when you arrive.
B. That's why I've distilled (提炼) the art of packing down to some essential trips.
C. Just roll them up or put them at the bottom of the suitcase.
D. Determine a night well in advance of departure to pack.
E. Rolling your clothes is the best way to save space for the suitcase.
F. The best way to do this is to save them on your computer.
G. This makes you less likely to forget the stuff.
It was pouring outside. We all stood there just inside the door of the Walmart. We waited, some patiently, others 1 because nature messed up their well-planned day. I got lost in the sound and sight of the heavens washing away the dirt and dust of the world. Memories of running, splashing (溅起水花) happily as a 2 came pouring in. They were a welcome 3 from the worries of my day. Then she came. She was about 6 years old, and my attention was drawn to this beautiful brown haired, freckled-faced image of 4. Just then, the trance (恍惚) we were all caught in was broken by her sweet voice. "Mom, let's run through the rain!"
"No, honey. We'll wait until it slows down a bit. 5, we'll get all wet." Mom replied.
"No, we won't, Mom. That's not what you said this morning," the young girl said as she pulled at her Mom's arm.
"This morning? 6 did I say we could run through the rain and not get wet?"
"Don't you remember? When you were talking to Daddy about his cancer, you said, 'If God can get us through this, there's 7 he cannot get us through."
The entire crowd stopped dead 8. I swear you couldn't hear anything but the rain. Mom 9 and thought for a moment about what she would say.
Now most people would just laugh it off and 10 what the girl said. But this was a moment of affirmation in a young child's life, time when innocent trust must be protected so that it will bloom into 11. "Honey, you are absolutely 12. Let's run through the rain. If we get wet, well maybe we 13 need washing," Mom said. Then off they ran.
We all stood watching, smiling and laughing as they rushed past the cars. They held their shopping bags 14 their heads just in case. They got wet all over 15 they were followed by a few who screamed and laughed like children all the way to their cars.
A CCTV journalist succeeded in arousing a heated discussion among netizens by asking people whether they were happy. The responses to the question were various, even some quite funny ones (include). Although people played jokes the answers, it did not take long they began to figure out the true meanings of happiness.
It is certain that people's views on happiness (affect) greatly by their own life experience. Unfortunately, too many people refer to being rich as happiness and there is no sign of decrease in the number of those who are voluntarily at the mercy of wealth. Some people whose (intend) is to make big money appreciate (be) given any chance to multiply their income, believing that is their happiness lies. Some are eager to inherit their parents' property, especially those who are known as silver-spoon kids. Even worse, some would rather break the law to satisfy their financial desire or seek their fortune (legally).
In my opinion, happiness is not about pursuing wealth merely but about admiring the beautiful things in life. Therefore, live your life the fullest and be happy.
阅读下面短文，根据所给情节进行续写，使之构成一个完整的故事。
The event that stands out in Tom's memory happened one morning when Tom was only ten years old. He was at home with his elder sister Jane. Tom was doing his homework when he heard raised voices. At first he thought nothing of it since customers in the motorcycle shop directly below their flat often became loud, but he soon realized this time it was different.
"Quick! Quick! Remove the motorcycles from the shop." someone yelled.
Then a thick burning smell filled the air. When Tom opened the front door of their flat to investigate, a thick cloud of smoke greeted him. The motorcycle shop had caught fire and people were running and crying.
Jane, who had been playing the violin in her room, hurried to the living room. They rushed out of the door and along the corridor (走廊) through the smoke.
They were heading towards the stairway at the far end of the corridor when Jane stopped in her track. She turned around and headed back the way they came. Tom had no idea what she was doing, but he followed suit.
Jane had suddenly remembered the lady in her 70s who lived next door to them, who they called Makcik, Malay for auntie. Jane began banging on Makcik's door, but got no answer. As the smoke thickened around them, Tom could see many of their neighbors—some still in their pyjamas—running for safety. The thought of fear crossed his mind.
"She would have run for safety like everyone else!" Tom cried. However, Jane refused to give up. "I know Makcik's still inside." She said she was familiar with Makcik's daily routine and was certain she would still be sleeping. She pounded the door. "Go downstairs. Go now! Go!"
注意：
1）所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2）应使用5个以上短文中标有下划线的关键词语；
3）续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好；
4）续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。
Paragraph1:
Tom noticed the flame was reaching up.
Paragraph 2:
Luckily, some neighbors passing by stopped and offered help.
写作要点：
1）表示对客人的欢迎；
2）介绍此项活动（如活动目的、内容等）；
3）表达对客人的祝愿。
写作要求：
1）词数不少于80；
2）不能使用真实姓名和学校名称。
