【推荐2】For many students who desire to move around but not far freely, one of the most common vehicles is the bicycle. For such a seemingly simple invention, its story is not that simple.

Most historians trace its origin back to 1817, when a German nobleman named Karl von Drais invented a wooden, two-wheeled machine that riders moved forward with their feet. His invention became popular in both England and France, where it eventually became known as the velocipede. Unfortunately, it was eventually banned as a danger to pedestrians and was rarely seen after the early 1820s.

Things were quiet for several decades until the bicycle development took off in the 1860s. An important milestone happened in Paris in 1863 when pedals were added to the front axle (轴). This occurred in Pierre Michaux’s workshop, but it’s unclear whether he or his employee, Pierre Lallement, should be given credit for the innovation Lallement moved to the United States, where he obtained a patent for “improvements in velocipedes” in 1866. These new machines proved to be popular, and the name “bicycle” had come into use by 1869. However, many people referred to them as “bone shakers”, which described their clunky ride due to a heavy wooden frame and steel wheels.

In the 1870s, “high wheelers” or “penny-farthings” became popular. However, with a large front wheel and a much smaller rear wheel, they could be dangerous, if riders had to stop suddenly, as they would “take a header” when their momentum ( 动量) carried them over the front wheel onto their heads. Eventually, English inventor John Kemp Starley designed a “safety bicycle” with two same small wheels, a chain drive, and a set of gears. With tires added in and brake systems bettered in the following decades, bicycle production had skyrocketed to over one million bicycles by 1899.

Mass production of bicycles increased their popularity greatly, since they became affordable for the average person. Over the course of the 20th century, manufacturers continued to improve the features and design of bicycles as new technologies appeared.

【推荐3】Microsoft has developed a new smartphone app that interprets eye signals and translates them into letters, allowing people with motor neurone disease to communicate with others from a phone.

The GazeSpeak app combines a smartphone’s camera with artificial intelligence to recognize eye movements in real time and convert them into letters, words and sentences.

For people suffering from ALS（渐冻症）, also known as motor neurone disease, eye movement can be the only way they are able to communicate.

“Current eye-tracking input systems for people with ALS or other motor impairments are expensive, not robust under sunlight, and require frequent re-calibration and substantial, relatively immobile setups,” said Xiaoyi Zhang, a researcher at Microsoft who developed the technology.

“To mitigate the drawbacks…we created GazeSpeak, an eye-gesture communication system that runs on a smartphone, and is designed to be low-cost, robust, portable and easy to learn.”

The app is used by the listener by pointing their smartphone at the speaker. A chart that can be stuck to the back of the smartphone is then used by the speaker to determine which eye movements to make in order to communicate.

The sticker shows four grids of letters, which each correspond to a different eye movement. By looking up, down, left or right, the speaker selects which grids the letters they want belong to. The artificial intelligence algorithm is then able to predict the word or sentence they are trying to say.

Zhang’s research, Smartphone-Based Gaze Gesture Communication for People with Motor Disabilities, is set to be presented at the Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems in May.(269)

【推荐2】From classic books like A Wrinkle in Time to classic movies like Back to the Future, children and adults both have been fascinated by the concept of time travel for hundreds of years. But is it even possible? Time travel sounds simple: you just move back and forth between different points in time like you would between different points in space. You could jump forward into the future, or you can jump back to sometime in the past.

Time travel sounds simple: you just move back and forth between different points in time like you would between different points in space. You could jump forward into the future, or you can jump back to sometime in the past.

Exactly how would this be done? Most artistic works that feature time travel finish it with the help of a special device usually called a time machine. The time machine features whatever technology has been developed to transport people successfully to other points in time.

But could time travel really happen? Some scientists believe that parts of Albert Einstein’s theories of special and general relativity might allow for the possibility of time travel. These theories are complex and very hard to understand. They involve unusual astronomical things like black holes and wormholes. Traveling faster than the speed of light might also be required.

It can be fun, though, to think about what problems might be presented by time travel. It may create an absurd situation. For example, let’s say that you travel back in time to the day your parents met. What if your showing up on the day your parents met caused a ripple (连锁反应) in time that led to them not meeting? If they had never met, you would never have been born. If you had never been born, how could you ever exist to travel back in time to cause the problem you just caused? Though it may sound confusing, we hope that any scientist who ever manages to make time travel possible works out these problems in advance.

【推荐3】Stress is a word we hear a lot these days. People have stressful jobs; they feel stressed while studying for exams; even family life can be stressful. Stress can cause headaches and lack of sleep arid research has shown that it is one of the main causes of heart disease. None of us can completely avoid stress. Everyone experiences it.

In ancient times, stress served a different purpose. It kept us alive. When a caveman was walking along and was suddenly faced with a lion, the stress he experienced would make him run away faster than he could usually run. Stress is the state our bodies experience when we need to react to difficult or dangerous situations. While stress saved us back then, and it is still very helpful in difficult situations, we need a break from stress every now and again.

Luckily, there are ways to relax and deal with stress and it seems that music might be our number one cure. A recent worldwide study showed that listening to music is what most people do to relax and reduce stress. The study was based on interviews with 1,000 people in 30 countries and 56% said that listening to music was the best way to relax. Watching TV, at 53%, was the next most popular way of reducing stress followed by taking a shower or bath at 49%. It is not really surprising that listening to music is such a popular way of relaxing. It is cheap and widely available on radio, TV and the Internet.

Of course, musical tastes differ from person to person. Sam might love listening to loud heavy metal music to relax after a hard day’s work, but his neighbour - a fan of Mozart - might find hearing his music extremely stressful. “Sam needs an iPod”, you- might be thinking and you are probably right. Mobile music players can provide music privately whenever and wherever it is needed; We could even call them the stress fighters of the 21 st century. So the next time you fed stressed, take a deep breath, put on your earphones and ... relax..

【推荐2】Music festivals in Europe

Visiting a festival abroad can be a great reason to travel and a way to experience different cultures. These days there is such a number of choices that it’s possible to spend the whole summer watching live music in exciting places. Of course, it’s also a chance to meet people from across the world.

Melt! Festival, Germany

This festival takes place on the site of an open air museum for industrial machinery. There’s also a lake which can be used for swimming when it’s hot. This year’s line-up has over 120 different bands (乐队). Around 90% of the people attending the festival are German providing a perfect chance to practise speaking the language.

Exit Festival, Serbia

Set on the banks of the Danube in an old fortress (城堡), the festival began as a way to show people’s dissatisfaction with the government. These days it’s less political (政治的) but still worries about people who are poor, ill, old, etc and tries to help them. This year’s festival will host many famous bands. From electronic music and dance music to hard rock, there is something for everyone to enjoy.

Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival, Scotland

Set on a Scottish estate (庄园) near Inverness, this year Belladrum will welcome artists from around the world. The most enjoyable part of the weekend is the ceilidh(traditional Scottish dance and party) which is always a lively event. It doesn’t even matter if you’re a beginner because the band teaches you each dance.

Open’er Festival, Poland

Held in an airfield near the northern city of Gdansk, each year Open’er has a seriously good selection (精选品) of bands. This year is no exception, with many famous bands set to play. Not only are there amazing artists, but both Poland and the festival itself also provide very excellent value for money.

【推荐3】National Geographic Exhibit "Titanic: The Untold Story"

The National Geographic Museum is always an interesting and educational place to visit. The admission isn't free but is definitely worthwhile for unique exhibits like this. We'll be taking a self-guided tour hut there may also he museum staff on hand.

About the exhibition

On this exhibition, you will be surprised to find that the sunken Titanic was discovered by Robert Ballard, who was then carrying out a top secret Cold War mission(任务). In 1985,Ballard’s mission was to dive to depths of 9,800 feet using a camera system called Argo to find and document the exploded remains of the submarine (潜艇) Scorpion. The objective of the mission was to gain evidence to determine what led to her loss. After concluding his successful investigations,Ballard used the final 12 days of his expedition to discover the remains of Titanic.

The exhibition — originally exhibited at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum — shows the history of the discovery from an entirely new angle. Not only are visitors exposed to the historical events that led to the ship’s finding, but they can hear the fascinating stories of some of the passengers on board the ship. In addition to items borrowed from families of the survivors that have not been reunited since the night the ship sank in 1912, the exhibition contains those from the rich collections of the National Archives and the 20th Century Fox Archives. There are also movie sets and clothes worn by actors from the 1997 movie Titanic.

Price

Regular:$15

Seniors/Students/Military : $ 12

Children 5—12 ( free under 5 ) : $ 10

【推荐1】The plant chemicals in chocolate can help blood flow, explained scientists.

Lead author Dr. Chayakrit Krittanawong said, “Our study suggests chocolate helps keep the heart’s blood vessels (血管) healthy.” People who ate chocolate more than once a week reduced their risk of coronary artery disease (冠状动脉疾病) by eight percent. This was compared to peers who ate it less than once a week.

When LDL (low-density lipoprotein) collects, it causes vessels and arteries to become blocked up. LDL can prevent blood flow to the heart or brain, causing a heart attack or a stroke. Dr Krittanawong said, “In the past, clinical studies have shown chocolate is beneficial to blood pressure.”

Dark chocolate has long been known to be good for our health. However, recent research has suggested milk chocolate may also provide valuable nutrients for the heart. Dr. Krittanawong pointed out his study did not investigate whether any particular type of chocolate is more beneficial. He said, “Chocolate is of great help to prevent coronary artery disease. But more research is needed to show how much and what kind of chocolate could be recommended.”

While it’s not clear how much is perfect, Dr. Krittanawong warned against overeating. He said, “Moderate amounts of chocolate seem to protect the coronary arteries, but it’s likely that large quantities do not.”

【推荐3】Severe plantar fasciitis (足底筋膜炎) meant I’d been a full-time wheelchair user since I was 12. By the time I was 16, I just wanted my leg off. It took six years for the doctors to operate as they insisted on waiting until I was older and in a good enough place mentally. I held off until I finished my degree. Afterward, with an artificial leg fitted, the world felt like a different place. I’d not walked in years. Suddenly I was a lot taller and no longer in any pain.

When I was in a wheelchair I discovered a real love for sport. I started to compete in wheelchair racing, and soon found I was good at discus (铁饼) throwing. I started competing in Tough Mudder (an endurance event series), progressing from walking with crutches to blade (小腿假肢) running. I now compete in sports internationally and have won the silver medal for adaptive judo at the World Judo Games.

At the time of the surgery I worked as an accountant, but I soon realized I didn’t want to be sitting in an office all day as I’d been in a wheelchair for so long. Therefore, as soon as the revision surgery was complete, I handed in my notice.

My career took a different path after I was asked to be a guest presenter for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards. Now I speak to schools, colleges and organizations about a wide range of subjects such as disability, discrimination, disability in sport, and perseverance. I share my own personal stories, whether that’s how I lost my leg and what I learned from it, my perseverance, and how I followed my dream.

Now most of my income comes from working as a motivational speaker, which I’ve been doing full time for a year. I love what I do, and if I continue to inspire others to do what they want to in life, then I’m happy.