Scientists have created an underwater robot that can tell different kinds of pollution at the bottom of the sea. The robot will help clean-up teams find the rubbish and give them a chance to remove the things that can cause the most harm to the environment.

The robot, which weighs nearly 100 pounds and uses special cameras to take 3D pictures, was created by a team at Skarv Technologies.

The researchers put their work to the test at a lake. First, the robot swam up and down in rows at about six feet above the lake bed, collecting information with the special cameras. Then a computer turned the information into a map, which showed different kinds of rubbish in different colors.

A total of 3, 894 objects were found in the lake and divided into different kinds. “There’s too much rubbish,” a member of the Skarv Technologies team, Fossum, told New Scientist. “There’s somewhere around 165 to 300 tons of rubbish in the lake.”

It is not always possible for clean-up teams to remove all the rubbish they find underwater, because there is something more important to clean. The robot will be used to help the teams find the most harmful things. And the teams spend their time, efforts and money in removing them first. “Glass isn’t really polluting,” said Fossum. “So if you know there’s an area with a lot of glass, you probably can ignore (忽视) that. Instead, you should pay more attention to the things that are putting heavy metals (金属) into the environment.”

Besides helping to check the pollution, the robot can also tell the positions of animals in the sea. It can avoid hurting the animals while the clean-up teams remove the rubbish.

Have you ever wanted to try on clothes without going to the trouble of getting undressed? If you have, here’s a device(装置) for you: a virtual(虚拟的) fitting room.

The technology, designed by a Russian company AR Door, was first tried out in May.When a customer walks into a”fitting” room, he or she will stand in front of a big screen that looks like a mirror.

A camera in the mirror, using Microsoft Kinect, records the customer's movement and projects a 3 D image of the clothes onto the customer while he or she stands in front of the screen.

The room also uses augmented(增强的) reality technology. “Augmented reality technology allows customers to select an item of clothing without having to try it on physically,” the company told the Daily Mail.a customer can spin around(旋转) to see all angles of the clothes, and can control the program by pushing virtual buttons.

AR Door is not the only company developing this technology to help people with the way they look. A Japanese company Shiseido recently presented its Magic mirror, a virtual make-up mirror that allowed people to get a full makeover in seconds.

However, the technology is not perfect.The clothes still seem to be hung on the surface of the body,rather than look like that the customer is actually wearing them.And people shopping for clothes probably look better if they try them on.In the end, you won, t know how something really looks and feels.

【推荐3】Every morning my father buys a newspaper on his way to work. Every evening my mother looks through (浏览) magazines at home. And every night, I look at the posters (海报) with photos of David Beckham and Yao Ming on my bedroom wall before I go to sleep. Can we imagine life without paper or printing?

About 2, 000 years ago, paper was invented in China. Then people learned to write words on paper to make a book. But in those days, they could only write books by hand. So, books were expensive and rare (珍贵的) at that time. And because there weren’t many books, few people learned to read.

Then printing was invented in China and it developed greatly at the beginning of the 11th century. Then people could print books quickly and cheaply (便宜地). As a result , more people learned to read. After that, knowledge and ideas spread quickly.

Today with the help of the Internet we can connect and share in formation quickly. We can also read newspapers and magazines online. But will the computer replace (替代) books one day? No, I don’t think the poster of Yao Ming on my bedroom wall will ever be replaced by a computer of two metres high!

【推荐1】Writing a thank-you letter can be a great way to express(表达) thanks for a favor(恩惠) someone did for you. Consider these following steps when writing your letter, which will help make your thank-you letter more meaningful and sincere(真诚的).

Before you start, buy some special stationery, such as nice paper or blank cards. The stationery doesn’t have to be expensive, since even a one-dollar card can be very nice. And you must decide whether you prefer to type your letter or write it by yourself. Handwriting has a more personal feeling, while a printed(打印的) thank-you letter looks more professional(专业的).

Now, you can start writing. You should express your purpose(目的) from the beginning. Start your letter by thanking the person for the gift or service he or she provided. Then you should explain how you plan to use the gift or service, or explain how the gift or service has already been used. What’s more, you can also express your own feeling about the gift or service by saying that “It was a wonderful birthday present…” It also helps to mention a personal feeling such as “I was just so happy with the party”. In the end, you should mention that you want to see or talk to the person again soon. For close relatives and friends, you can also tell them how much you miss them and express regret(遗憾) that their visit was short.

Sign your thank-you letter personally and with a heart. Try “Love” “Yours truly” or “Take care” instead of “Sincerely” as it is more for business.

In this way, you will always maintain(维持) a pleasant relationship with your friends and relatives.

How to Write a     1     Letter

【推荐2】Every year, wildfires destroy much forest land. Homes are broken down, and thousands of people die. Smokejumpers are helping to stop this.

Smokejumpers are a special kind of firefight. They jump from planes into areas that difficult to reach by car or on foot, such as the middle of a mountain forest. They race to put out fires as fast as they can.

At a fire site, smokejumpers first examine the land and decide how to fight the fire. Their main goal is to stop fire from spreading. Using basic tools such as shovels and axes, smokejumpers clear land of burnable material like plants and other dry material. They carry water with them too, but only a limited amount.

Although most smokejumpers are men, more women are joining. Most important are your weight and height. Smokejumpers employed in the U. S. For example, must be 54 to 91 kilograms, so they don't get blown by the strong winds or get hurt when they land.

Smokejumpers must own necessary qualities to survive in the wilderness. In Russia, many smokejumpers know how to find food in the forest and even make simple furniture from trees.

The work is dangerous, the hours are long. But for these firefighters, smokejumpers isn't just a job. They love being able to jump out of planes, fight fires and live in the forest. As 28-year-old Russian smokejumpers Alexi Tishin says, “This is the best job for tough guys.”

During the Festival, Liu Huimin and his team are preparing for the show called “Datiehua” (打铁花). It is the traditional art for more than 1,000 years—since the Song Dynasty. As its name suggests, the traditional art was created by the way of making iron (铁). It was seen as a form of celebration. When villagers open a business or get married, they invite Liu and his team to celebrate the big activity and hope the show can bring them good luck.

For Liu and the villagers in Shanxi, Datiehua is one of the most popular Spring Festival shows, just like the Yangko dance, and drum beating.

According to Liu, they need to heat the iron for nearly 40 minutes before the show starts and the temperature must be higher than 1, 500℃.

When night falls, the show starts. Using a big long spoon, a man takes out the molten (熔化的) iron. Then he hits the spoon with a piece of wood. Bang! Bang! The red-hot molten iron becomes beautiful “stars”. These shining “stars” light up the night sky. In some ways, they can be more beautiful. People sit or stand to watch the show with happy smiles on their faces.

Behind the wonderful show, however, has great danger. The artists wear hats and sheepskin coats as protection, but accidents still happen. During a performance in Henan province, Liu’s hair and face got burnt.

“People ask me why I’m still doing it when it’s so dangerous. I tell them that I’m just happy to bring joy to people.” Liu explained.