【推荐1】In recent years, many schools in China have had a high-tech makeover (改革). They have turned from using “old-school” tools to AI and big data to add value to student learning and life at school.

At a school in Tianjin, a Chinese tech company’s smart system makes learning a fun experience. In aerospace (航天) classes, students use VR glasses to learn about what’s inside a rocket and how it is launched (发射) in a computer game. Also, in swimming classes, by wearing smart earphones, children can get real-time instructions from the coach under the water. This makes training safer.

For PE classes, Yuwen School in Wuhu, Anhui, has used self-testing tools with AI visual analysis (视觉分析) technology for activities such as standing long jump, sit-ups and shot put (推铅球). With facial recognition (面部识别) technology, students can get voice reports and results on how they did right after each exercise. “In the past, when I threw the shot put, the teacher had to use a ruler to measure how far it went. Now, the results just show up on their own. You can also see which parts of your exercise need improvement,” Wu Shengguo from the school told a reporter.

Apart from learning, students can also enjoy meals made by smart canteens (食堂). They make food ordering easier. In June, Yingkou No. 1 Middle School in Liaoning introduced a smart canteen with an “online meal selection (选择) and facial recognition meal pickup” system. Besides, they help make dining more enjoyable. To meet the different needs of students, the canteen offers over 400 dishes, with six to seven choices for each meal. Parents and students can choose meals in advance from the online platform (平台). And they use facial recognition technology to pick up their meal. What’s more, they also help cut down on food waste.

Recently, a primary school in Changsha, has put Virtual Reality (VR) technology (虚拟现实技术) to good use in an English class. When the students put on the VR glasses, it seemed that they were taken into a new world where they could see for themselves. They could enjoy the views along the way, allowing more knowledge to be kept in mind.

VR language learning is now starting to be widely used in many schools. Think of it like this. Now you are learning English in China, you don’t have enough chances to use English if you are not in English classes, but if you learn English in English-speaking countries like America or the UK, it’ll be much easier for you to make progress.

Nowadays, a lot of apps have also been designed to serve VR language learning. The app “House of Languages” is one of them. It is already available on the Samsung (三星) VR. It can sense your movement and the acts of your eyeballs, arms and hands.

When you are learning English in it, a lovely racoon (浣熊) called “Mr. Woo”, will guide you to communicate in English. You can use English by finishing tasks Mr. Woo gives you. For example, you will be asked to find certain things at your home according to the English words that Mr. Woo gives you. After you’ve found these things, you should “take” them, “come back” to Mr. Woo and “give” them to him. Then he will say “thanks” to you. Sometimes, Mr. Woo may have some activities like family party so that you will have more tasks to finish in that situation. You will learn English so quickly that you will even forget you are learning.

Virtual Reality is showing increasing promise in language education and the day isn’t far away when it will become one of the main media in education. What about you? Would you learn a new language in Virtual Reality?

【推荐3】In the workhouse, the children should work to make their living, and they had three meals of thin soup a day, with an onion twice a week.

The dining room was a large stone hall, with a huge pot at one end. The master, helped by one or two women, served out the soup at meal times. Each boy was allowed one bowl of soup, and no more, except on special holidays, they would have a small piece of bread. The bowls never needed washing. The boys cleaned them with their spoons till they shone again. When the boys did that, they would sit staring at the huge pot, as if they wanted to eat it.

Oliver Twist and his partners suffered terrible hunger in silence for three months. Until finally, they became quite wild with hunger. The boys had a meeting. Finally they chose Oliver Twist to walk up to the master after supper that evening, and ask for more.

The evening arrived and the boys took their places. The master stood by the pot. The boy finished the soup quickly and whispered to each other, and made signs to Oliver. He rose from the table and walked up to the master, bowl in hand, said.

“Please sir. I want some more.”

The master was a fat, healthy man, but he turned very pale. He stared at the small boy for some seconds, with horror and amazement.

“What!” he said finally, in a weak voice.

“Please sir. I want some more.”

The master seized him tightly in his arms, and shouted for Mr. Bumble.

The managers of the workhouse were having a meeting. Mr. Bumble rushed into the room, speaking to the gentleman at the table, said, “Mr. Limbkins, Oliver Twist has asked for more.”

It was an alarm. Horror showed on every face.

“For more!” said Mr. Limbkins. “Be calm, Mr. Bumble, and answer me clearly. Do you mean to say that he asked for more, after he had eaten his bowl of soup? ”

“He did, sir.”

“That boy will be hanged one day,” said one of the managers.

Oliver was locked up at once. Next morning a notice was put up on the outside of the gate, offering a reward of five pounds to anybody who would take Oliver Twist away from the workhouse.

（Adapted from Oliver Twist Charles Dickens）