Washing clothes by hand sounds like a simple task, but for many women around the world it can do harm to their well-being and living. What would you do with your time if you could spend less time washing your clothes? “Paid work,” replied Aleas, a 49-year-old woman from a family of 10 with no access to an electric washing machine. She spent 8-12 hours every week washing everyone’s clothes by hand and described how the required body position of sitting on her feet caused her back pain.
Washing Machine Project provides low-income communities with an accessible washing solution. Its task is to help women save the time to take charge of their lives. “A mother or a child doesn’t have to spend 20 hours a week washing clothes by hand,” said Nav Sawhney, an engineering student at University of Bath in the UK.
Sawhney has created a movable washing machine that is operated by hand. He came up with the idea when Divya, a woman he met in southern India, explained the struggle of washing clothes without a machine. This burden is often shouldered by women and girls in many developing countries. Now, Sawhney’s washing machines, which he named Divya after the woman, could greatly reduce the time of washing clothes and allow women and young girls to receive education and have paid work.
After research in Iraq, Lebanon, the Philippines and Jordan, as well as India, Sawhney came up with a machine that uses only 10 liters of water every time, compared with 30 by a typical electric machine, extremely important in places where water is short. It’s also made out of things that are easy to get and replace, which means it doesn’t need much money to make it. Sawhney and his volunteers won the support of University of Bath, and already received orders from Kenya, Nigeria and Uganda.
1. What does washing clothes by hand mean to Aleas?A.A hard way of making a living. |
B.A simple method of killing time. |
C.The tiring housework she has to do. |
D.The family duty she volunteers to do. |
A.She inspired the invention. | B.She helped with the design. |
C.She was the first to order it. | D.She thought up the idea first. |
A.It is cheap and water-saving. | B.It is mainly promoted in India. |
C.It is shared by a community. | D.It is free to use. |
A.To develop the market in developing countries. |
B.To reduce women’s burden in low-income areas. |
C.To take the place of traditional washing machines. |
D.To wash clothes in an environmentally-friendly way. |
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【推荐1】Are you worried by the rising crime rate? If you are, you probably know that your house, possessions and person are increasingly in danger of suffering from great rise in the cases of burglary (夜盗) and attack.
Figures show an ever-increasing crime rate, but it is only too easy to imagine "It will never happen to me". Unfortunately, statistics show that it really can happen to you and, if you live in a large city, you run twice the risk of being a victim(受害者).
Fortunately, there is something definite which you can do. Protect Alarms can help to protect your house with a burglar alarm system which is effective, simple to operate and easily affordable.
You must remember that owning a burglar alarm is no indication that your house is packed with valuable possessions. It quite simply indicates to unwelcome visitors that yours is one house they will not break into easily, so they carry on to an unprotected house where their job is made a lot easier.
Send now for our free leaflet telling you how we can Protect Alarm your house quickly, easily and cheaply. Complete and tear off the slip below and post it to us. Postage is free. Also, telephone us on 327 6721 where we have a round-the-clock answering service. It costs nothing to find out about Protect Alarm.
1. Anyone who takes an interest in the crime rate will, according to the text, be aware that_______.A.more burglars are being caught than ever before |
B.people have more possessions to worry about nowadays |
C.burglars are more at risk than they used to be |
D.homes are more likely to be broken into nowadays |
A.more often victims than those living in other areas |
B.of the opinion that statistics are wrong |
C.twice as well as people living in other areas |
D.of the opinion that burglars only rob unprotected homes |
A.show burglars that you have something worth stealing |
B.persuade burglars not to break into your house |
C.make the burglars’ job less complicated |
D.persuade burglars to try again another time |
A.buy a leaflet |
B.write enclosing a stamped, addressed envelope |
C.phone at any time of day or night |
D.sign a contract |
【推荐2】Have you ever wished you could speak a foreign language without taking classes? Have you ever had language barriers while travelling abroad? Meet Enence --a Japanese high-tech invention that allows you to communicate in more than 40 languages.
What Are We Talking About?
Enence is a state-of-the-art Japanese technology which instantly records and translates over 40 languages, which makes communication easy and fast. You can use it when travelling, for business meetings or whenever you wish to say something in a different language. With Enence, you can instantly communicate in almost any frequently-used language in the world!
How does It Work?
Enence was built with simplicity in mind so anyone can use it. Although it is armed with the latest technology, using the device is super easy. All you need to do is choose the language in which you want to communicate and record your words or sentences. You can even record really long sentences and Enence will translate everything perfectly!
Some Hard Facts
Researches show that over 86% of language learning programs are ineffective and do not bring the desired outcome. Another research done with students taking language courses online shows that 9 out of 10 are not happy with the results and wish they hadn’t spent the money! Now, Enence is here to enable you to communicate freely without taking any courses.
Buy It While It’s Still Available
Enence translator was previously used by governments and large corporations only. However, now Enence is available for the general public. For a limited time, only this device is available for a heavily reduced price of $89 (previously $189). The product has been selling like crazy, so hurry up and order your translator today.
1. What is Enence?A.A travel agency. | B.A translation device. |
C.A government platform. | D.A language learning program. |
A.It’s easy to use. | B.It’s light to hold. |
C.It offers online guidance. | D.Its use is supported by the government. |
A.Online learning is an efficient choice. |
B.It’s worthwhile to spend money on education. |
C.Enence saves not only money but also trouble. |
D.One can win a chance to get Enence free of charge. |
【推荐3】Children love gardening. Here are 4 unique and memorable presents that are sure to be appreciated:
1. Big Kid’s Garden Tool Set
If you really want your kids to help out with the yard work, this garden tool set for children is a great idea. Coming with four pieces—rake, hoe, shovel, and leaf rake—this set is designed and sized for kids five years and up. Each tool is made with a metal head and a wooden handle—these are real tools that they can use in the garden. These kid’s garden tools are perfect for preparing garden beds for planting or cleaning up leaves in the fall.
2. Grow Light System
Here’s the next best thing! The Jump Start T5 Grow Light System is ideal for seedlings, cutting, lowers and other house plants. The super efficient T5 lights help with the growth by providing 15-200 more heat than traditional grow lights. It features simple lamp (夹子) for cay lamp height, adjustment, and the fixture has an internal reflective finish that directs more light to plants. The equipment won’t take up too much spa and it’s no too expensive.
3. Hydroponic Herb Garden Kit
If your kids are a little more high tech and less willing to get their hands dirty, you can still get them into gardening. Fully hydroponic, this self watering planter makes it easy to grow select herbs, veggies, and fruit without a traditional garden. This is a great option for a classroom or apartment dwellers who don’t have a yard. It’s also good for parents who don’t have a green thumb but want to teach their children about growing plants and food.
4. Electric Pressure Washer
The Sun Joe Electric Pressure Washer can perform a variety of cleaning tasks outdoors. Remove oil from concrete, rust from steel and caked mud on equipment. Its 34-inch spray (喷射) length and rear wheels provide easy access to hard-to-reach areas such as 2-story buildings.
For more information, call Anaclerio at 708-864-6584 or Carlisle at 708-205-9141.
1. What is the main purpose of writing this text?A.To share information about gardening. | B.To introduce some services. |
C.To announce gardening plans. | D.To sell gardening gifts. |
A.It can help the plants grow faster. | B.It can decrease your living cost. |
C.It can protect you from being hurt. | D.It can help you do the cleaning. |
A.Big Kid’s Garden Tool Set and Grow Light System. |
B.Hydroponic Herb Garden Kit and Electric Pressure Washer. |
C.Grow Light System and Hydroponic Herb Garden Kit. |
D.Electric Pressure Washer and Big Kid’s Garden Tool Set. |
【推荐1】The National Parks Service has confirmed the discovery of an ancient crab (螃蟹) fossil (化石) found along the shores of Assateague Island National Seashore.
Sharon Conn, a visitor to the area, found the fossil in early October on the shore of Assateague Island. “It is very uncommon to find fossils of this nature. We have a very small number in our museum collection. That is what makes this discovery very exciting,” Liz Davis chief of Assateague Island National Seashore said.
The parks service identified the rare blue crab fossil with the help of the Department of Paleobiology. Matthew Mille, museum specialist at the National Museum of Natural History, tested the fossil to find out how it is. He concluded it was likely from the Pleistocene age, about 2 million years ago. “The extra rock around it is such a well tough ground that it can’t be easily eroded (腐蚀),” he said. “The claw did erode a bit though — which is why it isn’t immediately recognized as a claw. Gone are the tips and parts of the infilled area where the original flesh would have been through, making the whole fossil looks a bit strange.”
The fossil was found on public land and is protected by law. Davis told the Daily Times it was currently at the National Parks Service Toms Cove Visitor Center in Virginia. “We hope to have a small collection of fossils on display at the NPS Assateague Island Vistior Center in Maryland later in 2022,” said Davis.
1. What does Liz Davis think of the ancient crab fossil?A.It is invaluable. | B.It is very old. | C.It is imperfect. | D.It is rare. |
A.Around 2 million years old. |
B.2 million years old. |
C.3 million years old. |
D.Less than 2 million years old. |
A.Sharon Conn. | B.The country. | C.Liz Davis. | D.The National Parks Service. |
A.A Lucky Visitor. | B.Assateague Island. |
C.An Ancient Blue Fossil. | D.An Important Discovery. |
【推荐2】Welcome to Inspire 21!
Our aim is to provide “Inspiring words for the 21st century”. So, here we offer a unique collection of inspiring short stories, motivational short stories, and humorous short stories for you to read and share.
If you do care to share, click the “SHARE”button in the bottom left corner of each page. And thanks for telling others about Inspire 21.
The inspiring stories that are labeled (标记) “TRUE” are done so to the best of our knowledge, but we do not have full proof in some cases. However, all of these stories and messages are provided because of their uplifting content, whether true or not. Many books we’ve read and movies we’ve watched were totally untrue, but we enjoyed the inspiration they gave us—especially if they had a happy ending.
So, please read and share these stories at your own discretion (判断力). Thank you for your understanding!
Also, many of the inspiring stories used here are used with permission from the author. However, we cannot grant (授予) permission to reuse any of these inspirational stories, as the majority of them are not ours.
Lastly, many inspiring stories(emailed to us or we came across online )are listed as “Author Unknown” If you happen to know the author’s name, to whom credit should be given, please contact us with that information so we can keep our inspiring story collection accurate. Thank you again! !
1. What does Inspire 21do?A.It encourages people to use inspiring words. |
B.It offers books and movies with a happy ending. |
C.It collects both true stories and untrue messages. |
D.It provides short stories for people to read and share. |
A.Uplifting. |
B.Unique. |
C.Accurate. |
D.Humorous. |
A.Reuse inspiring stories. |
B.Write more true stories. |
C.Help to give credit to unknown authors. |
D.Keep the inspiring stories more accurate. |
【推荐3】Yue-Sai Kan was born in 1946 in Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, and grew up in Hong Kong. In 1968, while majoring in piano at the Hawaii campus of Brigham Young University, Kan entered a beauty contest sponsored by the local Chinese Chamber of Commerce. She won second place, and as a result got to travel around the world. The life-changing experience marked the beginning of her career in fashion, beauty, communication and cultural exchange.
In 1972, she moved to New York and created the weekly television series Looking East, the first of its kind to introduce Asian cultures and customs to a growing US audience. In 1986, Kan returned to China, producing and hosting the television series One World, which was the first show ever hosted by a Chinese-American on the television network, and was a national hit. Other important projects of hers include the ABC documentary China: Walls and Bridges, which initially explored different forms of spirituality in the country over the ages.
“I worked in China for almost 40 years, and I was there to witness and contribute to the country’s breakneck pace of change. This rare experience has given me a unique vision. As I say all the time, if I stay away from China for six months, I already miss so much of what is happening there! The Chinese saying “a year—small change, three years—big change has held true all this time,” Kan says.
Kan has never stopped doing what she loves. She is currently planning to do a 10-part television series exploring and highlighting the most interesting aspects of 10 Chinese cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hangzhou and Chengdu. “I firmly believe that a TV series featuring these major Chinese cities is not only timely, but also necessary to educate, enlighten and entertain by showcasing the Chinese people as they live today. This will help dispel some of the misunderstandings about China in the world,” Kan says.
Throughout her life, Kan has also been deeply involved in charity. On Jan 26, she is planning to host a major charity event in San Francisco, in which she will honor 12 of the most outstanding Chinese-American women.
1. What contributes most to starting Kan’s career?A.Her university major. | B.Her interest in travel. |
C.Her competition experience. | D.Her parents’ encouragement. |
A.They are entertaining. | B.They are critical. |
C.They are adventurous. | D.They are pioneering. |
A.Its steady change. | B.Its huge challenges. |
C.Its great achievements. | D.Its fast development. |
A.Gentle and considerate. | B.Optimistic and strict. |
C.Generous and humorous. | D.Ambitious and kindhearted. |