【推荐2】Greasy spoon cafés or simply greasy spoons very rarely appear in guidebooks, but they are an essential part of life in the UK, especially for people living in the bigger cities. These small restaurants are so common — like baked beans or phone boxes — that they are barely even noticed, but if greasy spoons were removed, the country would be on its knees.

Greasy spoon cafés are so called because any cutlery ( 餐具) that comes into contact with the food on offer is immediately coated with a sticky layer of oil. It almost seems like an oily mist hangs in the air, as if fat drips (滴下) from the walls. More calories can be found in a cup of tea in a good greasy spoon than in a whole meal at a normal restaurant.

Greasy spoons are generally found slightly away from the main streets of most towns. They usually have large (grease coated) glass windows, a plastic sign with the café name and a huge menu offering a wide variety of foods. Inside they are generally clean and functional. You’ll see old wooden seats, tables and plain walls. Each table has on it a bottle of brown sauce, tomato ketchup and vinegar, and pots of salt and pepper.

In a typical greasy spoon, you will find people from all walks of life: poets, hurrying businessmen, students lazing around with huge cups of tea. Some read novels, some stare into space, and others catch up on the day’s news. At weekends there will always be large groups of friends, recovering from a night on the town. They are all united by one thing: the food. They are all looking for an absolutely substantial meal.

The meals are dangerously unhealthy, and absolutely delicious. All kinds of food can be bought for incredibly low prices. Greasy spoons have some devoted followers. Tapping “Greasy Spoon” into an internet search engine will bring up hundreds of entries — with pictures, reviews, menus and stories. But of course, nothing can beat going to a real one — especially on an empty stomach.

【推荐1】Climate change isn’t just about rising seas and hotter heatwaves; it’s also bringing about a pothole (坑洞) disaster on our roads! In 2023, the UK reported nearly 630,000 pothole complaints—a shocking five-year peak. Across the road, the USA saw a shocking 57% increase in vehicle damages due to potholes compared to 2021. What’s causing this asphalt (沥青) disaster? Climate change is a key factor, damaging our streets with severe weather and rising temperatures.

The science behind this damages is astonishing. Dr. Hassan Davani, an engineering expert, explains that intense heat can soften roads, leading to cracks and potholes. Floods, another climate change mark, wash away road surfaces. Adding to the mess are increased freeze-thaw (冻融) cycles, which create damaged ice lenses under the road. When these melt, they leave behind the terrible potholes.

But fear not! There’s hope on the horizon with cutting-edge innovations. Certain regions are adopting pavements designed to endure broader temperature ranges. Gabe Cimini, a pavement engineering expert, points to California’s use of specialized asphalt mixes that can resist temperatures from58℃ to a freezing -32℃.

And there’s more! Modern Hydrogen, a pioneering climate tech startup backed by Bill Gates, is transforming road repair. By using solid carbon from carbon capture in asphalt, they’re crafting roads that are 250% more solid, enduring higher temperatures and reducing CO₂ emissions. This revolutionary asphalt is already hitting roads in the US and Canada.

Self-healing pavement, or “smart asphalt,” is another game-changer. Imagine roads that can repair themselves! Some newer versions use steel fibres that heat up, melting the mortar (灰浆) to completely mend potholes.

While these innovations promise smoother and more solid roads in our climate-impacted world, widespread adoption might still be a few years away. So prepare for an uncomfortable ride, but remember, smoother streets are on the horizon!

【推荐2】For generations, we’ve spent the first third of our lives acquiring the college degrees we need to find jobs. These degrees are the stamps on our professional passports that pave the way for the remaining two-thirds of our journey. However, the future of work won’t be about college degrees; it’ll be about job skills.

According to the World Economic Forum, over one billion jobs, almost one-third of all jobs worldwide, are likely to be transformed by technology in the next decade. We’ve already seen this happen. Think of the apps you use to shop, track orders and simply stay informed. The stores need to keep them up and running at all hours, day after day, all year round, meaning they need those who can analyze and secure customer data.

In these and other similar situations, people are the organizing force making sure technology works the way we want it to. This means a quick rise in new kinds of digital jobs. According to the Forum’s Jobs of Tomorrow report, there’ll be a rapid influx of roles at the forefront of the data and AI economy, as well as new roles in engineering, cloud computing and product development. These jobs need talent with relevant skills, and importantly these skills can be learnt even by those without college degrees.

Shifting our focus from degrees to skills will mean transitioning (过渡) to always-on skills-based education and employment organizations that acknowledge not just certification but fitness-for-job and employment as outcomes. In recent years, several companies have focused on continuous learning for the workforce — the trend will become stronger.

When it comes to skills, employers look for more than just technical skills. Companies want people with an eye for detail, creative problem-solving skills, a collaborative mindset and an ability to handle complex issues. These too are skills that can be learnt. Anyhow, lifelong learners with ever relevant skills will be in greater demand in the workplace.

【推荐3】Last week, social media posts about a cooking course for school kids, as part of a life skill program to be delivered nationwide this September, went viral (迅速传播) on the Internet. It quickly became the top trending topic on China’s Twitter-like Weibo, sparking heated discussions among netizens.

Based on a new national curriculum standard for compulsory education launched by China’s Ministry of Education (MOE), it outlines different cooking and nutrition courses for students in different grades.

It is recommended that first and second graders learn how to peel fruits and brew tea and acquire a basic knowledge of nutrition as well as the ability to take part in basic cooking at home. Students in grades five and six are expected to acquire basic cooking skills such as frying and stewing, and be able to prepare a nutritious meal for their own families.

Apart from essential skills such as cooking and housekeeping, the program is also designed to enrich their knowledge in production work as well as services.

Many netizens hailed the life skill program and expressed their happiness toward the changing pattern of education.

“This should have been done earlier. Children nowadays lack adequate physical activities and can barely distinguish wheat from rice crops,” commented a user on Douyin. So far the comment has gained 24,000 likes and received nearly 500 replies.

Some netizens, however, expressed their concern that as a non-core curriculum, the program cannot be fully carried out in schools, while others are worried that the program will merely put an extra burden on parents.

“Through the learning and experience, students will develop respect for labor, the ability to make innovations and apply knowledge and skills in real life, and a sense of social responsibilities. Schools should take the lead in teaching life skills, while families should play a supporting role.” said Gu Jianjun, a MOE official.