【推荐1】How does fake ‘meat’ taste?

What comes to mind when you hear the phrase “space meat”? It sounds quite weird. But in fact, it could very well be the future of the human diet.

A Russian astronaut recently “grew” meat aboard the International Space Station. Yes, you read that right - he grew it using cells provided by an Israeli company called Aleph Farms. But in fact, he was not the first person to create lab-grown meat. Dutch scientist Mark Post grew the first lab meat in 2013.

But why bother growing meat in a lab when we can get the real thing from cows? For one thing, lab-grown meat is healthier. “We gain greater control over what the meat consists of(由……组成), for example its fat content,” Post said in an interview with The Atlantic. Lab-grown meat is also free of the chemicals that are used on farms, such as pesticides(农药) and growth hormones(激素).

Are there other ways to replace(代替) regular meat? McDonalds is trying to do so with the P.L.T., which stands for plant, lettuce and tomato. The first P.L.T. burgers are already being sold in Canada, according to the fast food company.

The “meat” in the P.L.T. is made out of Beyond Meat, a plant-based meat substitute( 替代品 ) created by a company from Los Angeles, US. The company uses pea, rice and bean proteins to produce patties(肉饼) that look and taste like real meat.

Experts doubt whether these products are healthier than real meat. But they have already proven to be a success, with several fast food companies already offering such products on their menus, according to Fox Business.

When a computer works on a group of programs, it can get very hot. Cooling the computer can cost a lot. So some scientists wonder what would happen if the heat from the computer could be used.

Large Internet companies (公司) such as Google and Microsoft have thousands of computers. As these computers deal with information, they produce lots of heat, so they need huge cooling systems (系统). These systems send the heat into the air.

A company in Holland (荷兰) thinks paying to make the computers work and then paying again to cool them are a waste of energy. So the company developed a specialdevice—the e-Radiator.

Boaz Leupe, head of the company, says that e-Radiator works as a heating system and saves money. He explains that the energy is used twice—once to heat the home and once to cool the computer and that the users don’t have to pay to cool their computers.

Five homeowners in Holland are testing the heating system in their homes.

“We pay for the computer using, so, in that way, homeowners get heating for free,”Boaz says.

Jan Visser is one of the homeowners. “If you use the computer more, the e-Radiator producers more heat, ”he says, “It cannot provide enough heat if you don’t use your computer often.” But he is ready to try it. It’s a great help for his family.

The company says e-Radiators produce heat temperatures of up to 55℃. It says the system could save its users about $440 a year.

【推荐1】Nowadays, we use digital devices in many ways, such as waking us up in the morning, listening to music, communicating with friends and so on. But studies have found that overuse of electronics can affect our sleep, our study and work.

But others see the experiment as a way to experience what life was like before the rise of electronics. “My friend and i has dinner in the evening, and we both discussed about how much more present we felt-- how we could hear what each other was saying,” one participant wrote.

SHANGHAI——Health researchers in Shanghai are calling for more protection for young children as the latest research shows about half of the children are suffering（受折磨）from secondhand smoke.

About 45% of children suffer passive（被动的）smoking in families, 50% in public places, and almost 6% on public transportation, shows a research reported by the Shanghai Children's Medical Center (SCMC)on Tuesday.

"Not only adults but also children and newborn babies are at risk for the bad effects of passive smoking," said Tang Jingyan, a doctor. Research has shown that children who are living in a secondhand smoke situation will suffer from more colds, coughs and sore throats, and they are more likely to suffer from pneumonia(肺炎）and will have a higher risk of developing cancer. Doctors even suggested that children suffering passive smoking are more likely to have behavioral problems and may not develop mentally(智力上) as quickly as other children.

Other research by the SCMC has found that more than 80% of child patients in the center live in a smoke-filled household, where one or both parents smoke. "Though doctors have stressed the harm of passive smoking over and over, it is still hard to reach a totally smoke-free home," said a doctor named Zhang Yiwen. Parents often want to smoke even though the have learned the harmful effects of secondhand smoke.

China has 540 million people suffering from passive smoke,180 million of the younger than 15, the age of smokers is also getting lower, "earlier reports said. "There are more young smokers than before. You can see young people wearing a school uniform(校服）and carrying a schoolbag light a cigarette(香烟）on the street. Some of them are even girl students," said Jing Xingming, a professor. "Children like to copy adults, especially their parents. If parents often smoke at home, it is very likely children will develop a smoking habit which can cause a bad circle," Jin said.

Reports from the Ministry of Health said China has about 350 million smokers, of whom 15 million are underage smokers. Also, around 40 million of the country's 130 million children aged between 13 and 18 had tried smoking, and 15 million had become addicted to(上瘾) smoking.

【推荐3】On March 14, math and science lovers around the world celebrated a special day: Pi Day.

Pi is equal to about 3.14, but the number goes on endlessly. It is sometimes written in Green π. With the help of computers, mathematicians (数学家) have been able to calculate (计算) pi out to over a trillion (万亿) decimal (小数的) places, but there is still no end to the number. This makes pi confusing, even for the most famous scientists and mathematicians.

Pi Day is celebrated around the world on March 14, since how we write this date, 3/14, looks just like the number pi.

For some people, the appeal (感染力) of Pi Day goes far beyond math and science. Pi shows up throughout popular culture. You can see it in movies, comics, music and more. “In modern movies, any time the filmmaker wants to produce a sense of mystery, often the symbol pi is used,” says David Blatner, Jewish American writer of the Joy of Pi.

People also love trying to memorize the digits (数学) of pi and competing against others to see who can remember the most. Many teachers hold class contests to see how many numbers their students can memorize. The Gummess World Record for reciting the most digits of pi is held by Li Chao of China, who successfully recited pi put to nearly 67,890 decimal places.

Above all, Pi Day is about having fun with the number. People celebrate Pi Day by eating or throwing pie and with fun pi-related games and activities. This year, Princeton, new Jersey, held a Pi Event” where people walked 3.14 miles together. Just like the number itself, the possibilities for Pi Day are truly endless.

【推荐1】Homesick is a compound （复合） word made up of HOME and SICK. You know what each word means on its own, of course. But think about what the words mean when they are used together. Homesick means SICK FOR HOME.

Now think for a minute about it. If you change the word home in the definition（释义）to the word “sea”, would the definition fit SEASICK? Does seasick mean SICK FOR SEA? It means something quite different. Seasick means SICK BY THE MOVEMENT ON THE SEA. When you are homesick, the only place you want to be is at home. When you are seasick, the last place you want to be is at sea.

Have you ever heard of a person being heartsick? Heartsick doesn’t mean that something is wrong with a person’s heart. People are heartsick when they are hurt deep inside and when they feel as if their hearts are broken.

But, on the other hand, we have such compound words as handshake and handbag. Perhaps you may write definitions for them and knowing something like this must be helpful in your English study.

Your neighbor is a polar bear!

Polar bears are ready to welcome you! China’s first Polar Bear Hotel opened in Harbin on March 12. You can get an up-close look at polar bears at this special hotel.

The hotel has over 20 rooms. Each has a snow and ice theme (主题). Some of the rooms are painted blue and white. Others have walls that look like glaciers (冰山).

The rooms have windows and floors made of strong and thick glass. You can get a clear (清楚的) look at the polar bears. You are eating in the hotel’s dining hall (餐厅). Polar bears are playing with each other right under your feet! You are resting in your room. Polar bears are swimming or resting just next to you on the other side of the window. You can even feed (喂) these big guys from a safe distance (距离).

Polar bears are right here waiting for you. Come and be neighbors with them!