There are robots all around us, making our lives easier. Some of them, like the _______ calculator(计算器), can work much more quickly than human beings _______. And they never make mistakes. In some ways robots are better than people. They work quickly, _______ do not make mistakes. They do not get _______ with doing the same job over and over again. And they never get tired.

So robots are very useful in factories. They can be taught to do many different jobs. First their electronic brains must be shown _______ the job is done. A person moves the robot's arms and hands through each part of the job. The robot's brain _______ each move. When the robot is put to work on its own, its brain controls the rods (杆), wheels and motors which _______ its arms.

When the robot is _______ for a new job, its electronic memory is "wiped clean". Then it is taught how to do its new task.

If the robot's hands stop working, or if something gets in the way, it cannot do the next part of the job. So it stops and signals (发出信号) for _______. Then a human engineer attends to (处理) the fault.

Robots are also used for doing jobs that are ________. They can move objects (物体) which are too hot or too heavy for people to deal with.

OUR KIDS ARE AMAZING-especially compared with everybody else's (who seem to cry all the time). How do you show your love for your kids this holiday season? With toys that are smooth and colorful, interactive and exciting. And with ones that have educational value-because you are the boss.

1) FLAX ART HOSPITAL PUZZLE AND PLAY SET

Here is a toy that doesn't need power-and the kids have to put it together themselves. This 50-piece puzzle set is made of soft-edged hardwood and makes a complete hospital, with an X-ray room. It also includes eight patients, a car and a driver. $135; flaxart.com.

2) TINY LOVE ACTIVITY BALL

Sure, it's cool, but this colorful baby toy also develops problem solving and motor skills. It has a head and legs, a magnetic (磁性的) hand and a tail. Suitable for little ones from 6 to 36 months. $19.95; tinylove.com.

3) ROBOSAPIEN

This small, remote control robot is really powerful. It performs 67 preprogrammed (预编程序的) functions, including throwing, kicking, picking up and dancing. You can even program your own function, which, sadly, does not include doing windows. $99; robosapienonline.com.

4) MINI PEDAL CAR

Want a Mini Cooper but can't fit the family inside? Get one for the kids. They can jump into this Mini car, which comes in hot orange with a single adjustable seat, and ride away. But it could spoil them for that used car they'll be driving when they turn 16. For ages 3 to 5.$189; mininss.com (click on "gear up", then "Mini motoring gear").

As the novel corona-virus (新型冠状病毒) spreads throughout China and the rest of the world, an important question has yet to be answered: where did the virus come from?

The latest study showed that pangolins (穿山甲) may be an intermediate (中间的) host of virus, according to Xinhua. However, bats are suspected to be the original cause.

"We don't know the source yet, but there's pretty strong evidence that this is a bat origin corona-virus," said Peter Dazsak, president of Eco-Health Alliance, an environmental nonprofit (非营利机构), according to The New York Times. "When you look at the genetic sequence (基因序列) of the virus, and you match it up with every known corona-virus, the closest ones are from bats," Dazsak also told CNN.

So why are bats the source of so many deadly kinds of viruses and why don't they suffer from any symptoms (症状)? Bats are mammals (哺乳动物) that have a long lifespan (寿命) and live with millions of other bats in caves, where they can potentially spread the virus far and wide. As the only lying mammal, their body temperature is high, similar to a fever It's this fact that may contribute to bats' unique immune system (免疫系统) in protecting from the ill effects of viruses.

But are bats truly to blame for the virus or should we be blaming ourselves? It's the fault (错误) of humans for decreasing (减少) the distance between us and virus-carrying bats. Bats are an important animal in our ecosystem (生态系统) when it comes to pollinating (授粉) many fruits such as mangoes, bananas and avocados. We need to allow them to continue pollination and keep them away from our markets and mouths.

Where is it possible to drive from Rome to Moscow, Madrid, Paris, Vienna and Stockholm without going to Europe? The answer is in the state of Maine!

Throughout the United States there are many towns and cities that have been named after not only European cities but other countries as well, such as China, Poland, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. Just how many New World place names are recycled from the Old World names has never been tallied, but one researcher found forty-one Londons, fifty-six Berlins, twenty-four Dublins, thirty-two Athenses, and twenty-seven Moscows, among others!

Reasons for European place names differ. Some were in memory of settlers' former homes, others in honor of historic events. Founded in 1818 by John coffee, Robert Beauty, John D. Carroll and John Read, Athens is one of the oldest incorporated cities in the State of Alabama. The town was first called Athenson, and the name was then shortened to Athens, after the ancient city in Greece. More interestingly, some names were given by mistake. For instance, the people of Moscow, Kansas, wanted their city to follow the name of the explorer Moscoso. They shortened his name to Mosco, and an official in Washington, thinking the Kansans couldn't spell, added a "w".

Looking through a magazine in a waiting room recently, I came across an article with the title "My top five most precious possessions(财产)". It was just a few lines of text with pictures, but it caught my imagination.

It's interesting how inanimate (无生命的) objects can take on such significance and become woven (编织) into a person's, and sometimes a whole family's, life history.

Anyway, the article had me considering what my most precious possessions are. It was difficult to choose only five, but here are mine:

An old cardboard box filled with my children's baby photos.

A yellow pocket-sized birthday book of special things (poems, pictures of flowers and trees, etc) given to me by my dad when I was probably about seven or eight years old.

A 21^st birthday card from my mum. In it she's written her congratulations, her love, and her hopes for my future. She died not long after, when I was in my early twenties.

A few ancient but very beautiful botany books that were once my great grandmother's. She was a botanist in a time when it was relatively unusual for women to be qualified in this field and I think she was probably a remarkable and very interesting woman. I'd like to have known her.

A brooch (胸针) left to me by my much-loved grandmother. It is not worth anything in terms of money. However, it not only stands for a link between four generations of women, but it is also a reminder of one young man's return from World War I.

How about you? I'd love to hear what you feel are your most precious possessions.