Studying history the American way

Earlier this month, I went through an intense (紧张的) week of final exams on five subjects: English, history, French, math and physics. Of all of them, I found the history exam the hardest.

First of all, history had never been a major subject during my eight years of study in China. It was called a “supplementary (附加的) subject”. As a result, I never paid much attention to it. It really surprised me when I saw American teachers’ emphasis (强调) on history. They believe that by understanding what happened in the past, we can learn how to solve problems in modern society (社会).

Second, in my city in China, students were allowed to bring their textbooks to the exams, and some teachers even encouraged their students to take notes in their textbooks. In America, however, history has closed-book, closed-notes exams. Everything one needs for the exams must be memorized (记忆).

Also, American teachers always connect (联系) history to current (当前的) events. “Everything happened for a reason, and the reason might have had its beginning in earlier times in history,” my history teacher once said. For example, we discussed the separation (分离) of India and Pakistan as a result of the differences between their two religions (宗教). Students often have to make connections between a historical event and current events on tests.

All this has made me pay more attention to history. Through this different way of testing and studying, I have gotten into the habit of memorizing key facts and making connections.

Fun stuff for daily use

These things can make life easier and more interesting. Check them out!

Drink your potatoes

Here comes the world’s first potato milk. Swedish (瑞典的) company DUG made it. It’s made from potatoes. It’s more environmentally friendly than other drinks. The milk has 75 percent less carbon emissions (碳排放) than regular (普通的) milk. Compared with oat (燕麦) milk, it needs less land to grow potatoes. It also uses 56 times less water than almond (杏仁) milk.

DUG potato milk contains calcium (钙), vitamin D, vitamin B12 and other nutrients (营养). It’s healthy for our body. It’s also low in sugar. How much is it? On Taobao, a one-liter bottle of DUG potato milk costs 30 to 40 yuan.

Keep this straw in your bag

Nowadays, more and more bubble tea shops have decided to use paper straws (吸管) instead of plastic straws. Paper straws are more environmentally friendly. But many people don’t like the taste of them. Some people have also made reusable straws using stainless steel (不锈钢). But it may hit your teeth. People also worry that they are tough to clean.

Now, Hong Kong-based Icicle Straw has made a reusable straw. You can split (拆) it in half to clean it. The material it uses is safe and healthy. It tastes just as good as plastic straws and doesn’t hit the teeth. How much is it? It costs 79 yuan.

A mirror that looks at you

Fitness technology company FITURE has created Slim. It’s a mirror with a “fitness instructor (教练)” in it. 

Slim has an AI engine that captures (捕捉) human movements and gives feedback. Based on the user’s movement, it will make a scientific fitness plan.

For example, when you take a class, the AI instructor will tell you to correct your squatting (下蹲) if you don’t do it low enough. When you get it right, it gives you praise.

With Slim, we don’t have to spend a lot of time and money going to the gym. It’s fun to work out at home. How much is it? It costs around 8,000 yuan.

One tough umbrella

Umbrellas are a real hassle (麻烦). They never fold (折叠) up like when they were new. Now there’s a faster fix. The PiF umbrella takes just three seconds to fold up. It won double gold medals in Geneva Invention Exhibition (日内瓦发明展双金奖).

The secret of PiF umbrella is that it uses special memory cloth. The cloth can “remember” the folds and close easily. The umbrella is small, but it can protect against the sun and rain. It has a strong umbrella frame (骨架). It can withstand (承受) the wind force (力) of class 6 and 10m/s. How much is it? It costs 149 yuan.

Travelling to Tokyo

In 2020, Japan’s capital city Tokyo will hold the Summer Olympics. If you plan to travel there, you may want to know how much money you need. Let’s take a look!

The currency (货币) of Japan is the Japanese yen. Its symbol (标志) is ¥, the same as Chinese currency. 

1 Chinese yuan ≈15.4 Japanese yen

Tokyo’s hotels are expensive. Usually it costs 6,000 yen for a single (单个的) person for one night. If you want to save money, a capsule hotel (胶囊旅馆) could be a good choice. You will have a small bed-sized room. It costs about 4,000 yen for one person. 

It takes three or four hours to fly from Beijing to Tokyo. How much is the plane ticket? A round-trip ticket (往返机票) costs about 2,600 yuan. 

Traffic in Tokyo is not cheap. If you take a taxi, the basic fare (费用) is 477.5 yen. Then it will cost 415 yen every 1 km. 

The Tokyo Metro is very well designed. It is very clean and travelers never wait long. A ticket costs 170 to 310 yen depending on (取决于) how far you traveled.

It is cheaper if you take a bus. The fare is 210 yen, and you need to pay when you get on the bus.

One of the Tokyo’s tourist sites (旅游景点) is the Tokyo Tower. At 332.9 metres, it is the second-tallest building in Japan. You can go up and see the whole city of Tokyo. How much is a ticket? It costs 700 yen for a student and 1200 yen for an adult (成年人). 

In Tokyo, you can enjoy all kinds of Japanese food. You can try sushi, ramen noodles (拉面), or yakitori (日式烧鸡). A meal for two people usually costs about 5,000 yen.

Put your money in a card

What did you get this Spring Festival? “ed envelopes” or a credit card (信用卡)? The ICBC (工商银行) has just come out with its first credit card for kids under 16. Usually, people need an ID card to apply for (申请) a credit card. But now kids with a residence booklet (户口簿) can get one. They only need to sign their names. With the card, kids can put money in the bank. They can also borrow 10 yuan over the money they have in the bank. Ma Yinsheng, 12, from Shenyang, is happy with his card. “My mom usually takes my gift money away. This time she let me put it in the credit card,” says Ma. But some have worries. “Kids are too young. They may not use the card well,” says Wang Xiwei, a teacher from Beijing. But the ICBC says that kids can only borrow 10 yuan. And parents can watch their kids as well.

Celebrate your birthday in the British style

It’s party time! Maybe it’s your birthday, or a friend’s. How will you celebrate? Birthday parties and games are popular in Britain. There are many ways to celebrate a special day.

Pass the parcel (包裹) is one of the most favorite for both children and adults. Sit around in a circle with your friends. Wrap (用……包着) a present up in many layers (层) of paper. Then, it’s time to put on some music. As the song plays, pass the parcel around the circle. When the music stops, the person holding it rips (撕开) off a layer. Whoever rips off the last layer of paper wins the prize!

Those who are looking for more adventure (冒险), spend a day in the great outdoors. For my 18th birthday, my friends and I went paintballing (彩蛋游戏). We played a game called Capture the Flag. We were divided into two teams and had paintball guns. If you were hit by a paintball, you are out of the game. It is a color war!

Other birthday activities include horse riding, as well as quad biking (四轮摩托车). This is fun for all of you who like nature and speed. Each person has a quad bike. Then you drive around a route (路线) in the countryside – through hills and mud (泥), puddles (水坑) and forest. Birthdays are times for fun you’ll never forget. How will you make your next birthday special?