A video about a Chinese police officer’s broken English went viral on the Internet in China recently. In the video, a German student returned to Shanghai but got     1    (stop) by the security guards at the apartment gate. But the student doesn’t speak Chinese and the security doesn’t speak English. They couldn’t make     2     (they) understood. So the security ended up calling the police for help. Two police officers showed up on the spot, where they communicated with the student     3     very broken English and with body language.     4     settling the problem, the police officer told the student that she should learn some Chinese.

6 . Big Problems, Simple Solutions

Inventions are improving health and well-being in communities around the world. Speakers at recent TED events have shared simple and inexpensive solutions that can solve everyday problems.

FUEL BRIQUETTES （燃料砖）

In the developing world, smoke from indoor cooking kills more than 2 million children each year. In fact, it’s the number one cause of death of children under five. Amy Smith, founder of D-Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), discovered a way to make a safe cooking fuel. The material she uses is also free and plentiful: farm waste.

Smith invented a low-cost device that turns farm waste into fuel briquettes. These briquettes produce smoke that is less dangerous than the smoke from other fuel. They also burn hotter and last longer. Farmers can make these briquettes from readily available waste. This invention has an economic benefit, too. Farmers can buy the device for $2 and sell briquettes they don’t use. Smith estimates (估算) that this can increase a farmer’s income by $500 a month.

DISASTER SHELTERS

Over 31 million people worldwide lose their homes every year due to natural disasters such as hurricanes and earthquakes. After these disasters, many people live in terrible conditions—in tents or in large stadiums with no privacy. Graphic designer Michael McDaniel invented inexpensive and temporary housing for people in these situations.

Called the Reaction Ex, these shelters are small, one-room houses that comfortably hold up to four people. They’re made from a plastic that is strong, recyclable, and super light. In fact, they’re so light that they can be lifted by hand and are very portable as well. McDaniel hopes that his invention will provide an affordable solution to help people rebuild their lives after a natural disaster.

7 . The Party of Their Lives

In Los Angeles’s infamous Skid Row, there are hundreds of children living on the streets or in shelters. It’s a place where dreams go to die. But one couple is determined to use their own experience with loss to foster a sense of hope.

In 2013, Mary Davis and her husband lost their first unborn kid. Refusing to let the heartbreak break them, they became volunteers in a Skid Row homeless shelter. They found that many of the kids there had never had a single birthday party before, so they decided to throw a birthday party for those homeless kids. They took over a room in the Union Rescue Mission and filled it with streamers, gifts and a cake. The kids were so excited that they made their own music — singing and clapping and, of course, laughing.

Since then, the couple have thrown a party each and every month. They routinely attract 250 kids and their parents. An hour before each party, volunteers arrive to set up the decorations and activities: face painting, balloon artists, a DJ, cake, and pizza. There are small presents for the kids celebrating their birthdays, but the Davis make sure there are more than enough to go around.

“I remember a mom came with her kid,” Mary says. “It was their first night at the shelter, and her child had a birthday. We had an extra gift for her — pink headphones. The little girl was so excited. And her mom... she’s crying. ‘I never imagined we would ever need to be in a shelter. I didn’t know what to expect. But I really didn’t expect a birthday party for my child.’ she cried with happiness.”

Doing her best to normalize these kids’ lives is both heartwarming and bittersweet, Mary says. “If you look outside, you see homeless person after homeless person on the street, and it reminds you that these kids don’t get to leave this area after the party.”

It may be why, after throwing 88 parties, she still cries after each one. She credits the kids in the shelter with helping her hold on to hope. “We didn’t realize how much joy they were going to bring us,” she told CBS News. “And it was so healing for both kids and us.”

On one full-moon night every fall, the river and lakes of Thailand are dotted with twinkling (闪烁的) candles. The Thais are celebrating “Loi Krathong” or “Floating Leaf Cup Day”.

No one knows for sure how this lovely holiday got started. But however it began, it is delightful today. It is simply a time to have fun.

Families always used to make their floats, or little boats, from banana leaves torn into pieces and made into the shape of a bowl. Then they beautifully decorated them with flowers. Now, while many families still make their own floats, others simply buy them. Modern floats may be made of banana leaves or plastic. All of them still hold a lighted candle, a flower, a stick or two of sweet-smelling incense (香), and a coin.

On the holiday evening, families gather at parks near lakes, rivers, or canals for outdoor dinners. Adults sit on mats and visit with their neighbors while children play hide-and-seek. Ion some cities, flaming fireworks and dancers in shining silk clothes entertain the crowd.

Many men and woman sell things. People sell floats to those who have not made them at home. Other people sell balloons in various shapes and colors or clever toys made of bamboo. Food sellers offer noodle soup, dried fish, candy, little cakes, roasted chicken, and bamboo tubes filled with sticky rice cooked in coconut milk. They pour soft drinks into small plastic bags, whirl a rubber band around the top, and stick in a short straw.

Then, when the full moon rises, families light the candles and set their little boats afloat. The waterway soon twinkles like a fairyland with candles moving up and down in their floats and fireworks reflecting in the water.

9 . Arbeia Roman Fort (城堡) and Museum

Arbeia Roman Fort is situated on Hadrian’s Wall. It was the most important structure built by the Romans in Britain, and now it has been a World Heritage (遗产) Site. Built around AD 160, Arbeia Roman Fort was the military supply base for the soldiers who were stationed along Hadrian’s Wall. The fort has been gradually uncovered and some original parts have been revealed. There are reconstructions that show how Arbeia Roman Fort would have looked.

The reconstructions of the Commanding Officer’s house and soldiers’ quarters are strikingly different. The accommodation for soldiers is dark and uncomfortable, while the Commanding Officer’s house is spacious and luxurious, with courtyards with fountains for him and his family to enjoy.

Visit the museum and see many objects that were found at Arbeia. They are historically important and show what daily life was really like at that time. You will see weapons, tools, jewellery, and so on. You can also discover how the Romans buried their dead and see tombstones (墓碑) which survive to this day. There is a “hands-on” area allowing visitors to dig on a certain site and study their findings with the help of museum staff. You can piece together pottery (陶器), or try writing just as the Romans would have done. For children, they can build this ancient Roman fort with building blocks by themselves.

10 . Once I was playing in the woods when the sky started to turn dark and the wind started to blow. I saw a big black cloud       1    (move) towards me. Suddenly, I felt the rain hitting my face! Actually, it was pouring! Then I saw lightning in the sky. And later, BOOM!!! A loud clap of thunder! Then I saw a little old hut and ran inside. It smelled awful and the walls were shaking, but it was       2    (good) than nothing! Outside, the wind was howling and things were flying around. I just stood in the corner, cold and scared.           3    (lucky) my dad came and found me. I was safe!