Recently, Beijing subway line “Daxing Airport Express” has taken technology further. It     1     (introduce) palm (手掌) recognition to its payment system in April this year. With the     2     (assist) of this technology, passengers can enter     3     exit “empty-handed” by scanning their palms twice.

Passengers can show their palms to pass ticket gates at stops along the line after     4     (put) in the palm information at the station ticket machines. Fees are taken away     5     (accurate) from the passengers’ account after their exit.

    6     (compare) with the existing QR code scanning, this technology doesn’t require the user’s smartphone. People only need to show one hand     7     the air without touching anything. That is the reason     8     this technology is welcomed by the young people. “That is much     9     (convenient) than I expected.” said a passenger happily right after his first attempt to use his palm to take the subway. “More importantly, my private information can     10     (protect) by using this technology effectively.”

2 . How to Survive a Lightning Strike?

According to the National Weather Service, almost two-thirds of lightning accidents occur as people enjoy leisure activities outdoors.     1    . Here’s how to stay safe when you’re enjoying summer outdoors.

Keep an eye on the sky

    2    . Thunderstorms usually occur in the afternoon or evening. Start your hike in the morning, and finish up by noon if the forecast indicates bad weather ahead. If the forecast calls for periodic storms throughout the day, make a smart choice and consider giving up the trip.     3    .

Before you head out for hiking, check maps to locate visitor centers, campground buildings, or rest areas along your route. Once you hear thunder, see lightning, or sense that a storm is approaching, don’t hesistate to use your plan. Hikers are strongly advised to watch continually for the nearest shelter.     4     .

Know the storm’s distance

Count the seconds between the flash and the following sound of thunder. Divide the number of seconds by five to calculate the number of miles between you and the storm. For example, if the number of seconds is 30, then the distance inbetween equals six miles, and find shelter immediately.     5    , just remember that you can hear thunder at a distance of 10 miles.

3 . People are always curious about researching the well-preserved masterpieces in Western history from the “Old Masters” such as Leonardo da Vinci, Caravaggio, and Sandro Botticelli. One incredible finding is that they all loved using a kind of unusual paint in their paintings.

To be exact, the artists would mix eggs into their paints to create a thing called “egg tempera (蛋彩)”. This technique dates back to ancient Egypt and can be found on many of the paintings from the Old Masters such as Boticelli’s “Birth of Venus”.

Scientists study the elements of their paintings and find that there are added proteins (蛋白质) to the works of art. The reason for that had eluded us for a long time until a new study was published Tuesday, which might tell us why.

To reach their findings, the study’s authors drew on analysis of Old Master paintings such as Boticelli’s “The Lamentations of Christ” and Da Vinci’s “Madonna of the Carnation” along with chemical data from lab-made egg tempera. They found that the egg proteins essentially created a thin protective cover around the paint with the oil in the eggs. This helped prevent it from wrinkling, discoloration while stopping it from yellowing over time by slowing down reactions between the air and oil in the paints.

The findings provide fresh insights into the craft of some of the greatest artists who have ever lived. It just goes to show that while Da Vinci and his fellows might be gone now, there are still plenty of artists that we can learn from their processes and artwork. As an old saying goes, you have to crack a few eggs if you want to make an omelet (煎蛋卷) — and, apparently, so does a masterpiece work of art.

4 . The International Federation of Inventors’ Associations (IFIA) holds around 50 events every year. Here is the information of some upcoming events.

Korea International Women’s Invention Exhibition (KIWIE)

KIWIE is truly one and only festival celebrating women inventors and inventions in the world, which has driven the growth of women inventors at home and abroad. This year, KIWIE 2023 will be held online and offline so that you can view the site and the online exhibition hall at the same time.

Date: July 20 (Thurs) — 22 (Sat), 2023

Place: Hall 4, Exhibition Center 1, KINTEX

International Invention Innovation Competition in Canada (iCAN)

iCAN 2022 last year featured more than 720 inventions from 81 countries around the world and was a true global stage for worldwide creativity and innovation. This year is a special online edition. You can send your application form and video file before 10th August 2023 by email.

Date: August 26 (Sat), 2023

Website: www. tisias. org

Macao (China) International Innovation and Invention Exhibition Expo (MiiEX)

MiiEX is the first and only contest showing various inventions and new products that are intended to go to the market. MiiEX offers a platform for communication among university students and inventors, through which students will get inspiration from interaction among participants.

Date: October 27 (Fri) — 29 (Sun), 2023

Place: Cotai Expo Hall D, The Venetian Macao (China) — Online and Offline Exhibition

Malaysia Technology Exhibition (MTE)

MTE focuses on recognizing inventions, programmes and ideas which contribute to sustainability, reducing poverty, improving area cooperation, protecting our planet, and building peace. The awards especially encourage the development of local solutions to local challenges.

Date: October 17 (Tues) — 21 (Sun), 2023

Virtual Event: www. mte. org. my

Place: Kuala Lumpur City Center.

5 . It is well known that we Sherpa (夏尔巴人) are regarded as the backbone for climbing above 8000 meters. But ________, there were no Sherpa on the list of 8000-meter Winter First Ascents (攀登), which made me as a Sherpa feel ________. I attempted to climb K2, the second highest mountain in the world last winter, but ________. Yet I still wanted to see our flag put on its ________, which had long been my dream.

This year, I made all the arrangements and teamed with three other Sherpa. I trusted them because they were strong, ________ and most importantly they were thinking like me — national ________ first. When we started on Nov. 21, we ________ that we could succeed in reaching the top within three weeks if the weather remained ________. But later, when we were closer to Camp Four, my left foot was getting frozen, so I was worried I could put my teammates in danger ________ I continued. They comforted me and advised me to ________ it by kicking the ice, which ________ worked before we set out again. One of my teammates, Tenzi, was ________ the way and fixing lines all the way. We were climbing behind him carrying ropes and other stuff. We all knew it was ________ that could make all of us hold on straight to the end.

December 17 finally! At 4:43 pm, we joined shoulder to shoulder to the summit but not arriving ________. It didn’t ________ which one of us got the first, but we did it for the significant meaning. When we unite, nothing is impossible.