【推荐1】Looking at Rosa Ferrigno's new suit, you could swear it was knitted(织) with regular yarn(毛线).It’s only when you touch it and hear the characteristic rustling(沙沙声 )of plastic that you realize there's something special about it.In fact, the suit is made out of over 300 plastic grocery bags.

Ferrigno, who once worked as a tailor before starting a family, got the idea for her unique hand-made suit last August.She was at a family picnic and saw on of the other guests carrying a purse made from re-purposed plastic bags.It attracted her, so she and her daughter searched for instructions on how to make one on You Tube.The 75 -year-old ended up making a purse from colorful plastic bags.But that was only the beginning.After finishing her second plastic bag purse, Ferrigno realized she needed something to match it with, so last November she told her daughter she was going to make a skirt and jacket suit out of plastic bags, as a winter project.

Rosa started by cutting up the plastic bags into strips(A.)and then tying them together to make longer, yarn- like strips that could be knitted.But to knit the plastic yarn, she needed that didn't exist on the market so she made them on her own.

The suit took Rosa two months to complete.The jacket was made out of 170 plastic bags, and the skirt required another 140.Although she didn’t even use a pattern when knitting the impressive suit, it ended up fitting her perfectly, and when she finally showed it off at the supermarket earlier this month, everyone went crazy.

“We love it when our customers reuse or recycle grocery bags, but never have we seen a work of art like Rosa's! It's really fantastic "Jo Natale, the supermarket chains vice president of media relations, said.

【推荐2】I've been teaching college for many years, long enough to note the steady relaxation of attention in matters of students' dress. I've long grown used to the tom jeans, shorts in the dead of the Maine winter, and ball caps worn backward. Still, I note recently when one of my students showed up in sleep bottoms. I'm familiar with the school of thought that says students dress is relevant, so long as they're learning. But I also wonder about the wisdom of blurring the line between bed and desk.

I smile when I think back on the occasions that my parents associated with needing to look presentable. Once, when I was 14 and my brother 12, my father announced that he was taking us into Manhattan (just a subway ride away) to see the film “2001: A Space Odyssey. My brother and 1 were excited by the prospect, but were momentarily deflated when my father directed us to put on our best clothes, including jackets and ties. " But why?” I begged, not wanting to change out of my comfortable jeans, T-shirt and sneaker.

“Because," he said, "we're going to New York.”

I can still see the stars in his eyes as he said these words.

So yes, I am all for the freedom of choice in matters of dress, and yes, I do want my students to be comfortable. But I also want to pay my respects to those students who believe that appearances count.

I think of the woman—a somewhat older student—I had in class a few years back. She was someone to whom science did not come easily: She worked doggedly for respectable grades on every assignment. But I was struck by how tastefully she dressed, day after day. When the course ended, I took a moment to mention this to her. "You always look so nice,” I remarked, “As if you were ready to take on the world.”

She answered, as if it were self-evident, “I've waited 12 years to return to school, and I dress up to remind myself to be serious about it.”

And, I might add, she seemed perfectly comfortable to me.

First Impressions Count

Traditionally uniforms were—and for some industries still are -- manufactured to protect the worker. When they were first designed, it is also likely that all uniforms made symbolic sense—those for the military, for example, were originally intended to impress and even terrify the enemy； other uniforms denoted a hierarchy.

    1     Particularly in “customer facing” industries, and especially in financial services and retailing. From uniforms and workwear has emerged “corporate clothing”. “The people you employ are your ambassadors,” says Peter Griffin, managing director of a major retailer in the UK. “What they say, how they look, and how they behave is terribly important. ” The result is a new way of looking at corporate workwear. From being a simple means of identifying who is a member of the staff, the uniform is emerging as a new channel of marketing communication.

    2     Wittingly or unwittingly, how we look sends all sorts of powerful subliminal messages to other people. Dark colors give an aura of authority while lighter pastel shades suggest approachability. Certain dress style creates a sense of conservatism, others a sense of openness to new ideas. Neatness can suggest efficiency but, if it is overdone, it can spill over and indicate an obsession with power.

    3     On the one hand, no uniform will work if the staff feel uncomfortable or ugly. Giving the wearers a choice has become a key element in the way corporate clothing is introduced and managed. On the other, it is pointless if the look doesn’t express the business’s marketing strategy. The greatest challenge in this respect is time. When it comes to human perceptions，first impressions count. Customers will size up the way the staff look in just a few seconds» and that few seconds will color their attitudes from then on. Those few seconds can be so important that big companies are prepared to invest years, and millions of pounds, getting them right.

    4     Some banks have yet to introduce a full corporate look； police forces are researching a complete new look for the 21st century. And many employees now welcome a company wardrobe. A recent survey of the staff found that 90 percent welcomed having clothing which reflected the corporate identity.

【推荐1】People in many parts of the world celebrate Arbor Day. They often celebrate by planting Iices. Many of the trees people plant on Arbor Day might live for 100 years or more. Some might live much longer.

The giant sequoia is the world’s largest tree. One giant sequoia is also one of the oldest known trees. It is 3,500 years old. Giant sequoias grow on mountain slopes in eastern California where summers are dry and winters are snowy. The sequoias are one of redwoods.

The bristlecone pine is a long-living tree found in high mountains of the southwestern United States. The oldest bristlecone pine is 4,700 years old which makes it the oldest tree in the world. The tree is in California, but its exact location is kept secret because an even older bristlecone pine was cut down 45 years ago.

The sugi, which grows in Japan, is often called the Japanese red cedar. It can grow to be 230 feet tall. It looks similar to a giant sequoia, but it has harder bark and longer leaves. The sugi is often planted along roads. Many sugis planted along those roads centuries ago are still living today. The oldest is 3,000 years old.

The huon pine grows in the wet southwestern corner of Tasmania, Australia. It is a slow growing and long-living tree. The oldest one is 2,500 years old. For many years, the huon pine was cut down for its beautiful golden wood. Today, however, laws protect the huon pine from being cut down.

【推荐2】Navigation(导航)in unfamiliar places is a major problem in large cities.Therefore,the popularity of mobile GPS facilities has greatly risen.However,it is sometimes difficult for users to understand where to go.In addition,they have to regularly look at the screen to follow the route,thus increasing risks on the road.

Luckily,preuniversity students from the National Research Nuclear University MEPhI in Moscow have created sneakers that can give directions,count a person's steps and measure the calories burned.The smart sneakers can lead users to their destination.The idea is simple.When moving towards a turn,the right or left shoe vibrates(震动)according to the directions.

“We've developed a facility that goes well with a special mobile app via Bluetooth and receives information about a route.The facility performs all the necessary functions without affecting walking and can be joined to the laces(鞋带)of ordinary sneakers.The user only needs to run the app once,and then puts the phone away and enjoys the walk.In addition to navigation,the system can also keep track of the distance traveled.This information can be found in the mobile app,”said Alexander Pinchuk and Maxim Levkin,the authors of the project.

The team plans to continue developing the project because the smart clothing market is growing every year.According to the creators,it is likely that in a few years,smart sneakers will become popular like smart watches.

This is not the first original project of preuniversity students from the National Research Nuclear University MEPhI Valentin Klimov,deputy director of the Institute of Cyber Intelligent Systems of MEPhI,says,“Our preuniversity students have created rather original projects before.For example,last year,our students developed a useful system for people with poor eyesight and won an international children's competition;then they won the Junior competition and took part in the largest international competition:Intel ISEF.Now these guys are our first year students,and this shows the high level of our applicants.”

【推荐3】Every March, the country celebrates the achievements of women in American history. Even though these achievements go back a long way, most schools didn’t start focusing on women pioneers and their achievements until recently. Today, most schools teach kids about the contributions women have made to our country. How did this change come about?

On March 19, 1911, a German woman named Clara Zetkin organized the very first International Women’s Day. Inspired by American working women, the event took on the causes of peace in an effort to end World War I as well as women’s rights. However, people’s interest in International Women’s Day still dwindled over the years. It gained momentum (势头) again in the 1960’s when the women’s movement caused women to wonder why they weren’t included in the history books.

By the 1970s, more female historians began to look back at women’s contributions in history. In 1978, a California school district started Women’s History Week to promote the teaching of women’s history. School officials picked the week of March 8 to include International Women’s Day. It was so popular that, in 1981, Congress passed a resolution, making the week a celebration for the entire country. The concept of studying women’s history continued to grow in popularity. In 1987, a group of women asked Congress to expand the celebration. That same year. Congress declared the entire month of March National Women’s History Month.

Today, schools and communities across the country celebrate the month with special lessons and activities designed to teach the ways women have helped shape the US. The women who have worked hard to make Women’s History Month a reality would like to see women’s history studied all year, not just every March. In 1996, the National Women’s History Museum was founded. It is a commonweal (公益) organization dedicated to preserving and celebrating the various historic contributions of women. The organization is working with Congress to open a permanent (永久的) museum site in Washington D. C.