International Weather Forecast (January 18^th, 2008)

Today: Plentiful sunshine. High 59F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.

Tonight: Generally clear. Low near 35F. Winds light and variable.

Tomorrow: A mainly sunny sky. High 59F. Winds ENE at 5 to l0 mph.

Today: Cloudy with rain and snow showers Temps nearly steady in the mid 39s.Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.

Tonight: Rain and snow showers this evening changing to rain showers overnight. Low 34F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.

Tomorrow: Cloudy skies early will become partly cloudy later in the day. High around 45F. Winds WNW at l0 to 20 mph.

Tomorrow night: Partly cloudy early with increasing clouds overnight Low 29F.Winds W at 5 to10 mph.

Today: Cloudy and windy. High 56F. Winds WSW at 20 to 30 mph.

Tonight: Partly cloudy and windy. Low 43F. Winds W at 20 to 30 mph.

Tomorrow: Windy with occasional light rain. High 58F. Winds SW at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 70%.

Tomorrow night: Cloudy and windy. Periods of light rain early. Low 54F. Winds WSW at 20 to 30 mph, Chance of rain 60%.

Today: Cloudy with periods of rain. High 73F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch.

Tonight: Rain. Low near 70F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch.

Tomorrow: Showers in the morning with isolated thunderstorms arriving in the afternoon. High 78F. Winds NNE at 5 to10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.

Tomorrow night: An isolated thunderstorm possible during the evening, then occasional showers overnight. Low near 70F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.

I recently posted a picture on Facebook from the movie Mad Max, a film where two groups race through the desert in steampunk vehicles, and wrote, “Actual picture of my way to work today.” It was meant to be a joke because of the sandstorms in Beijing, but one of my friends from back home thought it was real.

I couldn’t imagine how they could think that is actually what China is like. China has so many more conveniences and advantages than the West, and many of my friends agree. “I don’t know how I will be able to deal when I go back home,” said a friend who is about to end her gap year in Beijing. “I’ve become so spoiled in China.”

China seems to be leading the way in innovation(创新) and convenience for daily life. Back home I could never shop, pull out my phone and scan a QR code to pay.

There have been rumors of starting bike sharing in my hometown for years with little success while bike sharing suddenly appeared in Beijing overnight. I just step outside and scan a code, and I am on my way.

Going out to eat with a group of friends back home was troublesome for both the group and the servers. Splitting bills and swiping(刷) 10 different cards or making change for each person in the group can be a pain. But with China’s WeChat, you can quickly send your friends your part of the bill.

The list goes on…

When I first arrived in Beijing, I was dead set on leaving in a month. That month has come and gone. Now, when someone asks me when I’m coming back, I think to myself, “Who knows?”

While my friends think I am riding through the desert on a motorbike, I am actually taking a Didi for what is the equivalent of $5 in the US.

With all the conveniences and technology here, I may never want to go back.

The Peanuts Movie, which hits theaters today, brings to life one of the most popular comic strips(连环漫画) ever to appear in print. For decades, kids have found humor and comfort in Charlie Brown and his pet dog, Snoopy. The characters came from the pen of Charles M. Schulz, whose comic strip, Peanuts, first appeared in newspapers in 1950.

Schulz, who died in 2000, was one of the most influential cartoonists in history. His son, Craig Schulz, has reinvented the Peanuts characters for a new generation of kids who may only be familiar with the holiday specials on TV. Craig co-wrote the screenplay for The peanuts Movie with his own son, Bryan.

Director Steve Martino created the computer-animated 3D characters for the movie. Even though he used new technology, he wanted to stay true to Charles Schulz’s original drawings. “I love to draw, I love to tell stories, and I got to do it in a big movie like this,” Martino said. “My hope was to bring these characters to life in a bigger way than we’ve ever seen, but be truthful to who they’ve always been.”

11-year-old Noah Schnapp voices the character of Charlie Brown. “It was a bit difficult at the beginning,” Noah said. “But once I got into it, I had so much fun.” Alex Garfin, 12, is the voice of Linus, Charlie’s friend. Alex has words of wisdom not just for Charlie, but also for kids who want to work on the entertainment industry. “If you don’t succeed, try again,” he said. “You may not succeed 99 percent of the time, but that 1 percent probability will bring you something.” Francesca Capaldi, 11, who voices the Little Red-Haired Girl, agrees.

“Dream big,” she said. “If you really want something, just go for it.”

NASA might be famous for sending rockets up to space quickly. But it will be more famous for making your next holiday come more quickly.

The space agency is working on a new plane, which could solve the problems of supersonic(超音速的) flight and vastly increase the speed of journeys abroad. If successful, the plane would be able to fly between New York and London in just three hours. And it would reduce the time spent flying other journeys by a half, since it could be used more broadly. Until now, the problem with such planes has been the sonic boom(声爆), made famous by the original Concorde. That happens when a plane reaches supersonic speeds.

It is a thunderous noise that upsets people on the ground— disturbing animals and even causing physical problems to materials and houses underneath. It was that effect that led Congress to ban such planes from being used over the US land, a decision that in turn was responsible for Concorde’s failing to be commercially used.

In view of the problem, the space agency has developed a new technology and tried it out in wind tunnels, and now believes that it could be put to commercial use. That plane will fly as high as 55,000 feet—far higher than normal planes—and make a sound of only 60 decibels. That’s far less than 90 decibels thrown out by normal planes, and is roughly in line with a car on the motorway or a busy restaurant.

“As long as we can get endorsement from the general public, the plane will probably be something that’s acceptable,” said Peter Coen, project manager for NASA’s commercial supersonic research team, in a new Bloomberg report. “If we get approved, we will have the full-sized version of the plane tried out and the plane will be put into use.”

A．To suggest the rapid development of planes.

B．To stress the negative effect of sonic booms.

C．To introduce how a commercial plane is designed.

D．To show Congress’ important role in making planes.

A．Response

B．Commitment

C．Investment

D．Agreement