What Can You Do with Used Coffee?

It’s the most popular drink worldwide. According to the British Coffee Association, approximately two billion cups of coffee are consumed every day. But after the beans have been picked, roasted and brewed, the grounds are often     1     of as waste. With the environment and resource consumption such hot topics at the moment, wouldn’t it be great if we could reuse this waste to make something useful? Well, you can.

The company OCHIS manufactures sunglasses. Max Havrylenko, founder of the company, was searching for a(n)     2     substance to plastic. He wanted to “solve the problem of plastic use and overconsumption”, he told the BBC. OCHIS fuses the grounds with vegetable oils, forming a bond. These are pressed into plates which are     3     and flexible. These are then cut into the arms and frames of the glasses. “Don’t worry,” he says. “They won’t     4     in the rain.”

Rosalie McMillan, a London jeweller, uses recycled coffee grounds along with gold and silver to make     5     jewellery. She mixes the coffee with oils and     6     it to heat and pressure to create a compound she calls “Curface”. Her website claims it has a “beautiful surface quality and texture” with similar     7     to hardwood.

What about a coffee cup made from them? Kaffeeform is a German-based company that transforms used grounds and renewable plant-based raw materials into a durable composite. This is     8     into a variety of containers and polished and finished, ready to be sold. So, you can drink your coffee from a cup made of coffee.

And it doesn’t stop there. Even without a factory, you can make use of coffee grounds. They     9     excellent fertilizer. You can mix them with water to make a sepia-toned paint. And the     10     goes on. So next time you finish your morning cup, save the grounds.

People Think Meals Taste Better If They Are Expensive

It is said that there’s no such thing as a free lunch, but even if you manage to bag a bargain meal, it will not taste as good as a more expensive meal, according to scientists.

A new study has found that restaurant     1     who pay more for their meals think the food is tastier than if it is offered for a smaller price. The experts think that people tend to associate cost with quality and this changes their     2     of how food tastes.

Scientists at Cornell University in New York studied the eating habits of 139 people enjoying an Italian buffet (自助餐) in a restaurant. The price of the food was set by the     3     at either $4 or $8 for the all-you-can-eat meal. Customers were asked to     4     how good the food tasted, the quality of the restaurant and to leave their names.

The experiment     5     that the people who paid $8 for the food enjoyed their meal 11 percent more than those who ate the “cheaper” buffet. Interestingly those that paid for the $4 buffet said they felt guiltier about loading up their plates and felt that they     6    . However, the scientists said that both groups ate around the same quantity of food in total, according to the study     7     at the Experimental Biology meeting this week.

Brian Wansink, a professor of     8     behaviour at the university, said: “We were fascinated to find that pricing has little impact on how much one eats, but a huge impact on how you     9     the experience.” He thinks that people enjoyed their food more as they associated cost with quality and that small changes to a restaurant can change how tasty people find their meals.

In a(n)     10     study, scientists from the university showed that people who eat in dim lighting consume 175 less calories (卡路里) than people who eat in brightly lit areas.

If I Were a Boy Again

If I were a boy again, I would try hard to talk to myself     1     to learn about my own weaknesses and     2     , and I would begin early enough, before faults (缺点) had time to become habits.

If I were a boy again, I would practise perseverance (毅力), and never     3     because it was hard to do something. If we want light, we must beat darkness. There is nothing more     4     than perseverance when the right thing needs to be done.

If I were a boy again, I would build a habit of attention, and I would let nothing come between me and my goals. When we are young, one of our great mistakes is that we do not strictly     5     what we are doing at that particular moment. If we begin early and put a lot of     6    , it is easy to learn how to pay attention.

If I were a boy again, I would try to become a brave person. I would consider     7     as one of the highest achievements of life. Dangers will appear in any place, at any time, but staying calm will often get over the worst danger. Be     8     for any potential danger and show your bravery.

If I were a boy again, I would look on the     9     side of everything. Life is like a mirror; if you smile upon it, it smiles back again on you, but if you frown(皱眉), you will be sure to get a similar look     10     . Inner sunshine warms not only the heart of the owner, but all who come in contact with it.