【推荐1】Every night, we climb into our beds and rest our heads on our favorite pillows (枕头) . Throughout history, the pillow has changed a lot, and its story is both long and colorful.

Nobody knows when the pillow was invented, people are said to have first used them in Mesopotamia around 7000 B. C. They were made of stone and were shaped to support people’s neck. These pillows were not made for comfort but for more practical purposes. The Mesopotamians wanted to keep insects out of their mouths, ears and noses. But if you were poor, you were out of luck because pillows were used only by the rich. In fact, the more pillows you possessed, the more people admired you.

In ancient China, pillows were made of hard materials (材料) like bamboo and wood . They had wonderful paintings of animals, humans, and plants. Centuries later, in Japan, some women used small hard pillows to raise their heads off the ground and keep their beautifully designed hair looking perfect Softer pillows didn’t become more common until the ninth century. The ancient Greeks and Romans put things like feathers (羽毛) and grasses into pillows to make them more comfortable

Starting in the Middle Ages, Europeans almost stopped using pillows. It was believed that using pillows was a sign of weakness . After the Industrial Revolution (工业革命) things changed completely Improved technology allowed pillows to be produced in great numbers, and what was once an item only for the wealthy was now available to everyone.

From the pages of history to your bedroom, pillows have given humans something to lay their heads on for thousands of years. That’s something to think about as you get to sleep tonight. Have a good night.

【推荐2】People in the office usually sit for most of the day when they work. But this is bad for a person’s health. When people sit for too long every day, they don’t move very much. So it is easy to start getting fat. Sitting too long is also bad for their work because it makes them want to sleep. When this happens, people may make more mistakes in their work or spend more time finishing their work. Companies need workers to be healthy, so how do they fix the problem?

Some companies have different types of desks to help their workers. The first type of desk is the standing desk. The desk can be taller when a person wants to stand. It can also be shorter when the person wants to sit. Another type of desk is the walking desk. This desk is made so that a person can work while walking at the same time.

Workers in the companies like the different types of desks very much. They think these desks are quite useful.

【推荐3】Many kids are using technology to spend their free time. Read about two kids here.

Frank Smith, age 11, New York

I used my savings to buy a 3D printer. It was so exciting! I began designing (设计) things even before it came. I started with simple designs. One was a pencil box for my sister. Then I created more difficult ones.

I have a love for 3D printing. It allowed me to help my community. I worked with Good Karma Engineering. We created reusable masks (口罩) with 3D printed designs.

Kelly Rogers, age 12, Hawaii

My aunt suggested science livestreams (直播). I could learn from scientists all over the world. My new friends teach me the importance of environment.

The more I learn, the more I want to help make the world a better place. I’ve started by trying to live a green life. I cut down on my single use plastics. I ride a bike to school.

What new hobbies have you tried lately? Share your story with us at tfkeditors@time.com.

We wash vegetables before cooking them. And we wash our hands before we start eating. That is because we know washing can clean our food and keep bad things away. But, do dogs, cows, deers, cats or pigs wash their food? No, they don’t.

However, there are funny animals called raccoons (浣熊) which wash their food before eating. Raccoons don’t eat if they can’t find water around. Even if they eat, they don’t look too happy. Why do raccoons clean food? Do they really have healthy eating habits? The answer is no. They don’t have a sense of cleanliness. Because they also wash the food in the dirty water!

In fact, raccoons find most of their food in the dirty water. Raccoons can’t see things clearly. Their front feet (脚) are used like our hands. Water can help their feet feel good, so they can know things better. That’s why raccoons usually live in near water and trees. They set up home in the trees.

Raccoons are good-looking. They are gray or brown, having big ears and small eyes and long tails. They look cute and we love them!