1 . Going to the bathroom while floating in space can be tricky. Gravity is very weak in space, meaning toilets cannot flush (冲刷) the same way that they do on Earth. In a new contest, NASA is asking inventors from around the world to develop a new space toilet. The space agency is looking for a design that would work both aboard the International Space Station (ISS) as well as on the moon. NASA plans to use this toilet aboard a future lunar lander as part of the Artemis program, which will send humans to the moon by 2024.

Anyone can apply to this challenge, and the winning design will receive a $20,000 prize. The second-place design will win $10,000, and the third-place winner will win $5,000. The contest includes a “junior” category in which anyone under the age of 18 can apply with their creative space toilet idea. Winners in the junior category will receive public recognition and NASA souvenirs.

Designs should also take up no more than 4.2 cubic feet of space. The toilet itself shouldn’t be louder than 60 decibels, which is about the same volume as a bathroom fan. The space toilet will have to be able to collect both urine (尿液) and fecest (粪便) at the same time. It should be able to hold at least a quarter gallon (1 liter) of liquid waste. It should also be able to hold 17.6 ounces (500 grams) of solid waste. The final requirements are that the system must be able to store or get rid of waste, and it should also be able to be cleaned and maintained in five minutes or less.

Hopefully, this toilet will be an improvement on previous systems for waste removal. A waste removal system is a method of disposing of urine and feces. If you are a creative inventor, come and join us!

2 . The vicinity (地区), between southern Angola and northern Namibia, is home to a leafy green plant that can live up to 1,000 years. This “Immortal” plant’s lifespan encourages researchers wondering why, out of all climates the world has to offer, this plant finds itself to thrive in the harsh, dry, and quite unforgiving Namib Desert known to reach less than two inches of rainfall a year.

Welwitschia (千岁兰), meaning “two leaves that cannot die,” in Afrikaans, was discovered by biologists Charles Darwin and the botanist Friedrich Welwitsch, whom the plant was named after in 1859. Andrew Leitch, a plant geneticist at Queen Mary University of London, explains, “Generally speaking, this plant can live thousands of years. When it does stop growing, it’s dead.

Nature Communications, a study published in July, conducted research to discover and identify the magic within Welwitschia’s genetic makeup. Researchers were able to infer, “Approximately 86 million years ago, after a mistake in cell division, the entire Welwitschia genome (基因组) doubled during a time of increased and prolonged drought in the region.” Additional research concluded that repeated genes lost their defining purposes, allowing some to develop new functions. But because DNA reproduction consumes high levels of energy, repeated genes can at times cause more harm than good, especially in severe weather conditions.

This plant also has more magic coming out of its leaves. Unlike most plants, where the leaves grow from the ends of its stem and branches, the Welwitschia’s leaves grow from a “vulnerable” area called the basal meristem (分生组织), which supplies fresh cells to the growing plant. The combination of internal and external factors of the Welwitschia has allowed the plant to continue thriving in extreme temperature conditions. Researchers are hopeful that Welwitschia can also provide insight into the agricultural industry and how we can develop drought tolerant crops.

“What do you call traditional medicine that works?” “Medicine.” This old joke contains more than a milligram of truth. For example, Tu Youyou,a Chinese chemist,    1    (begin) testing the sweet wormwood used in local herbal remedies    2    a cure for malaria (疟疾). But not every folk cure is so closely examined.

Over 1.7 billion people, most    3    (live) in the world’s poorest countries, are affected by Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDS). These often lead to    4    (disable) and place a heavy burden on health-care systems. They are    5    (bad) equipped to deal with them. They    6    (refer) to as “neglected”. A study published in 2009, in International Health, estimated that they received only 0.6% of the money given by rich countries to poor ones for health purposes.

A team put a crude sample on    7    they were working through two rounds of chromatography. Their analysis revealed (揭示)    8    oil which proved effective at killing trypanosome parasites. For many researchers, that would have been the cue for a trip to the patent office.     9    for Dr Osei-Safo the point is not to make a refined pharmaceutical, but rather    10    (direct) those who are ill towards the best treatments available from herbalists.

4 . The Harrow brewery was losing ground year after year because sales were so low that there was no money to advertise on television. It was a vicious circle.

As a salesman, Andrew ________ suggested that the factory director go to the TV station to make an advertisement, but the factory director ________. Andrew decided to take a risk on “what he wanted to do”. He took out a ________ to do the sales work in the factory. While he was wondering how to make the most economical ________, he wandered into Julen Square in central Brussels. ________ it was late at night, there were still many people in the square. The bronze statue of a boy urinating (撒尿) in the center of the square was Julien, a hero who is ________ for saving the city. Of course, the urine from the statue was tap water. Andrew was ________ by a group of naughty children in the square who used their own empty mineral water bottles to splash each other with tap water from the ________.

The next day, people passing by the square found Julien’s urine ________ a golden “Hello” beer. Next to the statue, a large sign   ________, “Free Tasting of Harrow Beer.” One by one, people all over the city ________ with their own bottles and cups from home to pick up the beer. TV stations, newspapers, and radio stations ________ to write about it. Andrew ________ to get the Harrow beer on TV and in newspapers without spending any money. Sales of Harrow beer ________ 1.8 times that of last year.

Andrew became known as a sales ________ in Brussels, and this was his experience: doing something that no one else has done.

5 . Puppet Festival Mississauga!

Puppet Festival Mississauga is an annual event for families taking place at March break all across the city of Mississauga.

Treat your family to quality theatre at Puppet Festival Mississauga this March Break. Puppet Festival Mississauga presents live theatre that encourages children to be curious about the world around them.

Featuring：

Choo.Choo.Whistle.Woof!A PUPPET SHOW FROM CZECHIA

A dog overcomes his fear of the unknown and ventures on a great train adventure!A Puppet Show for Kids at Mississauga Puppet Festival this March Break 2023. Great for Kids 2＋.

An unforgettable puppet show filled with magic and friendship. Based on the classic children’s tale by Oscar Wilde. Watch This Puppet Show for Kids in Spanish and English. at Mississauga Puppet Festival this March Break 2023. Great for Ages 3＋.

And more!

Maja Prentice Theatre is a 200-seat theatre located at the corner of Dixie and Burnamthorpe Road, which is home to live theatre shows, musicals, dance and community events, all year round.