Don't view people like me as dinosaurs. Yes, we are living in the Information Age, but I have no 1 in saying I can't give up newspapers. Every morning,I read The Seattle Times, The New York Times and USA Today.
I used newspapers to 2 my kids. No, I am not joking. During my eldest son's teenage years, he wouldn't 3 me no matter what I said or how I said it. So I used newspapers. "4 you don' t believe me, just read the paper," I would say. I 5 for my kids any good story with life lessons. I made my 6 through words in black and white. The printed words worked like7 . Immediately, there were no more disagreements or8 .
Reading newspapers opened my kids' minds in 9 areas. There were, of course, areas I had no knowledge of or things that would never cross my mind to teach. I was10 that my kids, at a young age, understood very complex(复杂的) problems. Every day, they could find reliable stories 11 many different topics in newspapers.
But newspapers are not only for kids; they are for adults, too. My 85-year-old aunt never finished primary school.12 , she always enjoys reading newspapers and learns a lot every day. "13 did you know that?" I would ask her when she would throw one14 scientific discovery at me. "I read about it in the newspaper," she would always reply.
We are in the Information Age, but I believe newspapers 15 play an important role in" educating" people of all ages.
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Do you often eat at KFC? Do you like its chicken nuggets(鸡块)? The fast-food company is now planning to" reinvent" this popular product. In the future, its chicken nuggets may contain no chicken.
Yes, you read that right. KFC has been working with a Russian tech company for the" Meat of the Future" project. They are going to produce chicken nuggets in labs. The process will use chicken cells(细胞) and plant material. There is no chicken in the ingredients. However, KFC says people may not notice the change. The lab-grown nuggets will be made as similar as possible to the real thing in both taste and appearance.
Meat-lovers may not like this idea. But according to KFC, producing chicken nuggets in labs is better for the environment. For years, fast-food companies have been asked to look into their environmental footprints. Raising farm animals and transporting(运输) meat over long distances produce lots of greenhouse gases.
Moreover, fast-food companies have long been criticized (批评) by animal lovers. Every year, they kill billions of chickens. If meat can be grown in labs, there will be no need to harm animals.
Raisa Polyakova is KFC Russia's general manager. "At KFC, we are monitoring all the new technologies," he says. "We are doing our best to try to solve our problems."
KFC says it will test its lab-grown chicken nuggets first in Russia. If the test is successful, the nuggets will be made available around the world.
What do you think of KFC's new idea? Do you want to try its"chickenless" chicken nuggets?
Most modern cities have taken action to reduce traffic jams and improve air quality. But if they want to become more livable, they should think about more helpful plans.
Amsterdam has set a good example. As from 2030, driving a gas car in the city will not be allowed. The Dutch capital wants its people to become healthier and happier. One way to do so is to use electric(电动的) cars or give up driving completely. Some other cities, including Chengdu, Hamburg and Madrid, have followed this example. They have also been thinking about car bans(禁令).
▲ . Traffic jams waste lots of fuel and time each year. They slow down economic growth. Pollution from cars makes climate change more serious. It is also bad for people's health. Amsterdam's government says car pollution reduces the life of its people by a full year.
But will everyone like such plans? Electric cars, after all, are more expensive. And for most people, giving up driving means life will become more difficult. Perhaps cities can help make this change easier. For example, they can think about improving public transportation. People who drive electric cars may spend less on parking fees. New technologies can also do their part. Cities can be more open to new ways of getting around, such as bike-sharing.
Saying no to non-electric cars or even all cars is hard. But let's think seriously about our health and future and those of our planet. Making our cities more livable has to become an urgent(迫切的) goal.
① improving public transportation
② allowing electric car drivers to park for free
③ offering electric car buyers some cheaper cars
④ introducing bike-sharing and other new ways to get around
The length of summer vacation may vary based on where ycu live. At most schools in southern China, the vacation lasts for two months— from the beginning of July to the end of August. But how about kids in other countries or regions? Do they all get out of school at the same time or for as long? Let's find out.
England
In England, summer vacation starts in mid-July and ends in early September. That means most kids only get six weeks off.
During their summer vacation, kids often leave the city and go into the country. Towns and villages hosting festivals that celebrate music or theater are some of the most popular destinations.
Japan
Unlike here in China, the school year in Japan doesn't start in September, but in April. So when Japanese kids go on their summer vacation from mid-July to the end of August, it doesn't mark the end of the school year. Instead, it's just a nice long break during the summer heat.
Because summer vacation takes place between terms, kids are often given lots of homework during their time off.
Argentina(阿根廷)
In Argentina, summer vacation starts in mid-December and lasts till the end of February.
Wait a minute! Wouldn't that make it a winter vacation?
Well, Argentina lies in the Southern Hemisphere(南半球). When it is summer in the Southern Hemisphere, it is winter in the Northern Hemisphere.
Adults also usually get a long break in January or February. So the entire family may pack up and head to one of the country's many beautiful beaches. During summer vacation, the beaches are very crowded!
Have you ever been doing something and, suddenly, you get this strange feeling that you've seen or heard before? Although you know you' re seeing or hearing is happening right now for the first time, you still feel that it ( happen) before.
Most people feel this way from time to time. There's special name for this feeling. It is called déjà vu, which means" already seen" in French.
Experiencing déjà vu is a strong sense(感觉) of ( remember) something. But the facts of this experience ( be) often very unclear.
Most people who experience the feeling of déjà vu believe the familiar situation might appear in their ( dream). Sometimes they are very sure of that.
Is déjà vu a ( six) sense into the future or the past? Not likely! Researchers believe the feeling of déjà vu is most likely just a joke our brains(大脑) play us. The joke makes us ( think) that an experience we' re having now is being remembered rather than happening right now.
classmates' opinions | listen to the teacher,… |
your opinion | … |
注意：（1）短文必须包含以上所有要点， 并适当补充； （2）文中不得出现真实的人名和校名等相关信息； （3）词数: 80~100; 短文首句仅供参考, 不计入总词数。
Last week, we had a discussion on" How to improve our ways of study" in our English class.
