Cordless Blade 5 is a great one for sheer suction (吸力) power. It’s easy to use it under furniture and it works well on all surfaces. The dust tank holds 0.7 litres and it comes with two batteries for 90 minutes of charge. If you’re on a budget, the Blade 4 is a good option   (now £250, from £450; vax. co.uk)

At 890 W, this corded vacuum is “exceptionally powerful” and its “Air Clean” filtration traps even tiny particles. It has a 12m radius (半径) and comes with three tools, stored in the body (£219; miele.co.uk)

This 880 W corded vacuum has remarkable suction power. It can switch between cleaning carpets or hard floors, and has an anti-hair-wrap brush roll and an LED light to show up dust (£330; sharkclean.co.uk)

Unusually easy to move or turn skillfully thanks to its responsive rollerball, this bagless vacuum delivers strong suction and is great for getting up pet hair. A bit heavy at 7.4kg, it has a ten-metre cord and 3.5-litre caddy, which ejects at the touch of a button (£380; dyson.co.uk)

A long-standing favourite, the Henry is famously strong and great value. It has a large six-litre dust bag, and packs 620W of power. Its cord is a generous ten metres, and it has a long 2.2m hose, which is useful for cleaning up high and under sofas (£130; myhenry.com).

3 . The blue whale holds the current record as the largest creature to live on Earth, but a collection of bones found in Per u might break that record. Researchers have identified a whale species called Perucetus colossus in the publication Nature. Bones from this species, including backbones weighing over 100 kilograms each and ribs measuring nearly 1. 4 meters long, were found by Mario Urbina in 2012 in the Ica desert.

The area where the bones were found was once underwater, making it a rich source of ocean fossils. The find resulted in 13 backbone vertebrae (脊椎), four ribs and a hip bone. The large fossils date back to around 39 million years ago. Alberto Collareta, a lead writer of the study, described the fossils as unlike anything he had ever seen before.

The researchers used 3D scanners to study the bones’ surface and also looked inside. Based on the incomplete skeleton, the team estimated that the ancient creature weighed somewhere between 85 and 340 metric tons. Comparatively, the largest blue whales found fell within that range, at around 180 metric tons. The Perucetus colossus measured about 20meters long, while blue whales can reach 30 meters in length. This means the newly discovered whale was “feasibly the heaviest animal ever,” said Alberto Collareta. But he added, “it was most likely not the longest animal ever.”

Interestingly, the density and weight of the Perucetus colossus’ bones were much higher than those of a blue whale. This suggests that the colossal whale may have inhabited shallower coastal waters, similar to other coastal animals with heavy bones.

Another researcher, Amson, said, without the skull, it is hard to know what the whale was eating to support such a huge body. It is possible that the large creature sought food along the seafloor, the researchers said. Or it could have eaten up tons of smaller sea life in the ocean. Swiesen, a paleontologist, added that he would not be surprised “if this thing actually fed in a totally different way that we would never imagine.”

5 . Eduardo and Mast both badly wanted a puppy. When they got _______, the top of their list in their new life together was to adopt a dog. They stopped by Animal Shelter two days before their wedding and _________ connected with a 4-month-old German shepherd, Daisy. They thought she was _________ for their family. However, they encountered a(n) _______ situation when they learned Daisy would be ready for _______ on a first-come, first-served basis on the same day as their wedding ceremony.

_______ to make Daisy a part of their special day, they decided to _______ the wedding vows (誓言) to 9 a. m.. “Everyone was really _______ and told us, ‘It’s your special day and we’ll be there _______ you’d like,’” Mast said.

On the wedding morning, Mast, in a white dress, and Eduardo, in a black suit ________ vows at a civil celebrant’s (民事神父) home. The excitement of marriage was matched with the ________ to welcome Daisy into their life. Upon finishing saying their “I dos,” they ________ to Animal Shelter.

“We got there about 9:45 and were first in line. When a shelter worker fetched Daisy and carried her in, we were both in ________ at how cute she was,” Eduardo said. “When I grabbed her, she started loving all over us.”

Cavedon, the manager of Animal Shelter, said “I am ________ that the newlyweds step up to adopt the puppy and I witness the tender moment when Daisy ________ them with kisses.

Afterwards they first shared Daisy’s __________ and theirs with people present. The couple’s romance began with friendship in the Marine Corps and ________ evolved into something more serious. After a proposal (求婚) at Great Falls, they ________ for a small civil ceremony and a larger one in the future.

“Now Daisy is learning to be house-broken and has smoothly ________ our apartment,” they said. “She loves to curl up with us in bed at night,” Eduardo added. “She’s ________, adorable and super playful.”

6 . Intuition Robotics, an Israeli company, has developed ElliQ, an artificial intelligence robot designed to help older Americans from loneliness. ElliQ offers companionship to seniors, engaging them in conversations, playing music, leading exercises, and providing reminders for health-related activities. The device resembles a small table lamp with a glowing, moveable head, creating an interactive experience that remembers the user’s interests and tailors conversations accordingly.

Joyce Loaiza, 81, from Florida, is among the first users of ElliQ, who enjoys the device’s company and the personalized nickname “Jellybean” given to her. Furthermore, in New York, ElliQ entertainment 92-year-old Marie Broadbent with games and music, while Washington state’s Jan Worrell, 83, uses it to develop new friendships.

The AI assistant works privately, with conversations not heard by company employees and data stored only on the owner’s device. According to Intuition Robotics CEO DorSkuler, users interact with ElliQ over 30 times daily, and over 90% report experiencing less loneliness. The project idea arose from personal experience when Skuler’s grandfather needed a companion who shared his interests after losing his partner.

While ElliQ is primarily distributed through state agencies in New York, Florida, Michigan, Nevada, and Washington, it can also be purchased for an annual fee of $600, plus a setup cost of $250. The goal is to have more than 100,000 units in use within five years.

State officials emphasize that ElliQ is not meant to replace social interaction, but it provides a valuable service for those who may be home-bound or lack social connections. Despite concerns raised by Julianne Holt - Lunstad, a professor at Brigham Young University, regarding the potential of such devices to reduce social connections, agencies see EliiQ as a beneficial tool, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic increased social isolation among the elderly.

7 . By clicking the thumbs up, posting a comment, or sharing a post, people are validating (认可) each other at an increasing rate. This, as well as the need for in-person validation, can create anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem and make it addictive to hear praise, acceptance, and acknowledgment in all aspects of life.

To break free from external validation, it’s key to learn to be aware when you are seeking it.     1     Here are some meaningful steps to begin that journey.

    2     Getting off social media is a great place to start. This reduces the comparison to others or the anxiety and stress about how your picture, post, or comment is being seen and received by others.

Be mindful. Look carefully at what you are doing.     3     These are self-validations that help you build up your acknowledgment of your own abilities, talents, and skills.

Do not ask for validation.     4     If you do receive validation (encouragement or acknowledgment) recognize the praise and acknowledge it, then stop. Do not continue to ask others or seek out others for validation.

Keep in mind that validation is not a bad thing in your life; it is positive without doubt.     5    

8 . Hip-hop started 50 years ago as an escape from poverty and violence in Bronx, New York City. The music and style appealed to Black and Latino teenagers. As hip-hop spread throughout New York, so did the culture.

People often mix up hip-hop with rap. Rap is a musical style that combines quick recitation of rhymes with musical beats. But hip-hop is more than just music. It is a culture, and rap music is one part of it. Hip-hop also includes other activities, like breakdancing, disc-jockeying and graffiti art. In his 1993 song Hip Hop vs. Rap, KRS-One said: “Rap is something you do. Hip hop is something you live.” In the early days of hip-hop, playing music on the streets or turning a basketball court into a dance floor may have seemed like a simple invitation to have fun and party. But it actually was an answer to social and economic injustice in poor neighborhoods. It was a way to show joy and imagination even without resources and wealth.

As hip-hop and rap music grew into a force in American culture, entertainers used it to speak to their personal realities. In 1982, in the song The Message, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five criticized poverty and a lack of investment in Black communities. Several years later, Tupac Shakur complained about police violence in the song Changes. Today, hip-hop’s influence on music and other industries is so widespread that experts say it becomes difficult to measure.

There is also hip-hop’s influence on protest, resistance and political dissent (异议) around the world. From the Arab Spring and the Palestinian freedom fight to feminism and class struggles, rap music is a popular expression for calls to action. Music videos produced by artists in Africa, Europe, Asia and South America often include breakdancers, graffiti and other elements of hip-hop.

“Hip-hop took the chains off us and said, ‘No, we’re gonna say it our way,’ ” Al Sharpton, American civil rights leader, said, “It was that freedom. It was that raw, non-watered down kind of expression.”