1 . How to Travel with Your Friends Without Hating Them

The only thing better than a vacation with friends is a well-planned vacation with friends.     1     Choose your friends, destination and activities wisely and your group will enjoy a fun and memorable holiday-and start getting ready to plan the next one.

Not sure how to plan a trip with friends?

Choose friends you get along well with. You’ll be spending a lot of time with your travel companions, so think of people who have similar general travel habits and are flexible and relaxed.     2     Also consider how much you’ll be willing to compromise.

Decide on a date. Ask your friends when they can take time off from school or work.     3     The larger your group is, the harder it will be to find a time that works for all of you. Be patient and flexible and make a deal when you can.

Discuss a budget early on. Ask your friends to be open about how much you’re each willing to pay for the trip between travel, accommodation, food and entertainment costs.     4     For example, you could say, “I know it’s awkward, bat we should talk about a budget before we start planning everything.”

Pick a destination wisely. A key step in planning a fun trip with friends is picking the perfect destination. Big cities are an excellent pick, as there will likely be activities to suit everyone’s interests.     5     Consider the activities you want to do, sites you want to see and the amount of time you have to travel, as these factors will decide your destination.

2 . Scientists train AI to read human thoughts

Scientists have created a new tool that can turn people’s thoughts into words. It works by using an AI program called GPT-1 to translate brain activity words. In order to achieve this, scientists did a lot.

First, scientists got everything ready before the tests. They invited some volunteers. Each spent sixteen hours listening to stories in a scanner (扫描仪). They imagined the stories as they heard them, and the scanner recorded their brain activity. GPT-1 made connections between the ideas in the stories and the recordings of the listeners’ brain activity.

Then came the tests. The scientists did them in three different ways.

Test 1

The researchers played a new story. GPT-1 was only given recordings of the volunteers’ brain activity. But the words that GPT-1 predicted were very similar to the words in the story that they were listening to. The words weren’t exactly the same, but they often carried the same meaning. For example, when a volunteer was listening to a story about a woman who didn’t have a driver’s license, the program came up with this: “She hasn’t even started to learn to drive yet.”

Test 2

The scientists also carried out the test when volunteers imagined their own stories. “It really works at the level of ideas. The ideas are the same but expressed in different words,” says Alexander Huth, one of the scientists behind the study.

Test 3

The researchers showed the volunteers silent movies, with no spoken words at all. GPT-1 could still figure out the basic ideas.

After the tests, the scientists say that GPT-1 is the first AI program to turn what people are thinking into words without brain surgery (外科手术). The tool isn’t something that can be easily used today, mainly because of the size and the cost of the scanner. In the future, they believe, a similar but cheaper tool could help people who have lost the ability to speak because of an injury or disease.

The scientists say their tool can’t be used to “read people’s minds” without permission. The tool only works if the person wants to share their thoughts.

4 . After returing from his job as a cultural relics protection worker 10 years ago, Wang Yongxian kept his love for ancient Chinese architecture (建筑) through teaching.

Now aged 73, he still teaches a course named “Conservation and Restoration of Ancient Chinese Buildings” at a University in Shanxi province. His main interest is Dougong, a construction method that uses interlocking (紧密连接的) wooden pieces to form structures. The method is one of the most important features of ancient Chinese architecture.

Wang also started online classes to better explain Dougong to those who showed a strong interest in his course. Following a suggestion from his students, he became a vlogger using the account name “Dougong class”. The account is regularly updated with short video clips Wang produces himself. He is surprised that his classes are so popular on social media. The first six lectures on ancient Chinese buildings that he uploaded over a six-month period have received 1.6 million views.

To make it easier for newcomers to the subject to understand, Wang made a wooden Dougong model. Each part is marked with a number or name, and the model can be taken apart and put together, a process that Wang filmed and put online. Some viewers said that they had long been puzzled by Dougong structures, but finally understood how they work after watching the video of “Dougong grandpa”.

Wang said when he was young, the beautiful ancient temples in his hometown had ignited his interest in ancient wooden buildings and finally led him to turn his interest into a lifelong career. What makes him happy today is not only that the government set aside more money for the research and protection of cultural relics, but also that society is more aware of the importance of such work.

To his surprise, about 90 percent of his more than 100,000 viewers online are below age 30. That fact makes him more confident that as long as the story of Chinese ancient architecture is told in the right way, it can attract more people.

5 . At the age of 104, Dorothy Hoffner achieved what few would dare — she _________ a Guinness World Record by skydiving from 13,500 feet From Chicago. Dorothy first tried skydiving at 100. This week, she beat herself, leaving her walker on the ground，_________ out of a plane, and _________ gracefully in Ottawa, Illinois.

Since her youth, Dorothy had taken up _________, even driving across the country on her own. Her _________ and love for life were obvious in her decision to take to the skies in her golden years.

When asked about her amazing achievement, Dorothy didn’t make a big deal about it and simply said, “Age doesn’t really matter.” Her words really showed the _________ and energy she had. Dorothy had faced many challenges throughout her long and _________ life. For example, she _________ the Spanish flu and other pandemics, and she never let those things get her down. She always had this unbelievable _________ that made her want to __________ herself and try new things.

As news of Dorothy’s __________ achievement spread, she became a __________ of hope and inspiration worldwide. Her story particularity awoke the passions (激情) of those facing their own challenges, __________ them to embrace life’s adventures despite their situations. Dorothy serves as a living example of the famous saying, “It’s never too late,” inspiring us all to __________ our passions and __________ regardless of our age.

6 . Four ideas for the best Easter holidays

When the kids breakup from school it can be difficult to choose what to do. With the Easter holidays just around the comer, here are four different ideas to inspire you to make the most of the break, whatever your age.

York

Bursting with museums, attractions, and events for everyone, York is the perfect Easter holiday destination. Going with grandparents? They’ll love walking the cobbled streets for sweet treats or stopping for an afternoon tea at one of the many historic hotels. Or learn about the diverse history of this amazing city at one of the museums. There really is something for everyone in this attractive city.

Botany Bay

Botany Bay is a great spot to spend a day relaxing and playing on the sands. Located in Kent and with lifeguards on duty, it’s a great spot for surfing, exploring the rockpools, and hunting for fossils. For a longer stay, why not hire a car for the Easter holiday and take a road trip along the Kentish coast British seaside break?

Bristol

Travel to the southwest to explore bustling (熙熙攘攘的) Bristol. Bristol is full of amazing restaurants housed in warehouses that remind you of the city’s maritime history. There are also wonderful museums, amazing parks for picnics and games, and even a surf centre nearby. Shop. eat, play — whatever you fancy doing, Bristol has it all.

Snowdonla

Head to North Wales if you’re after some wild adventures. There are plenty of hills, lakes, rivers, and benches to explore, but if your kids have a lot of energy to burn, then Mount Snowdon should be your choice. Standing 1,085 metres tall, it’s sure to provide an exciting adventure for the whole family. Local guides are available to lead you to the top, if you wish.

7 . My story is about love and loss. I was lucky.     1    . Woz and I started Apple in my parents’ garage when I was 20. We worked hard, and in 10 years Apple had grown from just the two of us in a garage into a ＄2 billion company with over 4000 employees.

We had just released our finest creation--the Macintosh--a year earlier, and I had just turned 30. and then I got fired. I got fired from a company I started.    2    .

But something slowly began to dawn on me--I still love what I did. The turn of events at Apple had not changed that.     3    During the next five years, I started a company named NeXT and fell in love with an amazing woman who would become my life. In a remarkable turn of events, Apple bought NeXT. And I returned Apple. And Laurene and I have a wonderful family together.

I’m pretty sure none of this would have happened if I hadn’t been fired form Apple. It was awful-tasting medicine, but I guess the patient needed it. Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick.    4    I’m convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did.

    5    Your work is going to fill large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking until you find it. Don’t settle.

8 . Some of the notebooks George Washington kept as a young man are still in existence. They show that he was learning Latin, was very interested in the basis of good behavior in society, and was reading English literature.

At school he seems only to have been interested in mathematics. In fact, his formal education was surprisingly brief for a gentlemen, and incomplete. For unlike other young Virginian of that day, he did not go to the College of William and Mary in the Virginian capital of Williamsburg. In terms of formal training then, Washington contrasts sharply with some other early American President such as John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. In later years, Washington probably regretted his lack of intellectual training. He never felt comfortable in a debate in Congress, or on any subject that had nor to do with everyday practical matters. And because he never learned French and could not speak directly to the French leaders, he did not visit the country he admired so much. Thus, unlike Jefferson and Adams, he never reached Europe.