3 . How to Survive Your Weekends Alone Without Losing It

There can be many, many stories behind weekends spent alone. In the 4 years that I’ve been living on my own now, I’ve managed to spend 208 weekends alone.     1     . Here’s an honest and practical guide so that you, too, can deal with your weekends, alone.

Go to a free concert

Coffee shops, libraries and local venues often host free concerts, so see if there is anything going on in your area this weekend. You can really listen to the music, rather than worrying about where your friends are.

Visit a bookstore

If you live near a library or bookstore with seating, take a trip there for a fun day alone.     2     . This is the perfect weekend plan if you are a little low on money.

Take a shopping trip alone

Ease down your shopping stress.     3     , and you can end up missing out on the best clothes. Take a leisurely trip alone and take your time trying everything on: you are likely to have a great day and find something you love.

    4    

The best part about watching television alone is that you can watch whatever you want. As a couch potato, you put on your cozy clothes and get some snacks, no matter how shameful and embarrassing it is.

Go on a long walk or a hike

Going for a long walk and experiencing nature is often more enjoyable if you are alone, as it is peaceful, quiet, and relaxing. You can stop to appreciate every beautiful flower you pass and you can take a break whenever you want.     5     .

5 . The world’s craziest festivals

Crazy festivals all over the world are out there just waiting to be celebrated. Join Cornelia Kumfert on a trip to the most unusual events taking place around the globe.

Burning Man Festival

Every year in Nevada (US) there is artwork and cunosities galore to marvel at when the Black Rock Desert changes into a mammoth art exhibition.

In August and September, some 70,00 people come here to celetrate the Burning Man Festival.

San Diego Comic Con

Surely superheroes don’t queue? Well, at San Diego’s Comic Convention they do. Each July hey open their dos to fans of Superman and other comic figures. More than 100,000 annual visitors have paid homage to their mythical heroes.

Crying Baby Festival, Tokyo

At the Crying Baby Festival in Tokyo (Japan), sumo wrestlers do what they can to bring babies to tears.

Sadists run riot? Certainly not! It’s a 400-year-old tradition based on a Japanese proverb, which says that crying babies grow fastest and parents believe the event brings good health to their children.

Palio Contest, Siena

Fame and honour await the winner of the Palio contest in Siena (Italy).

In July and August, ten inhabitants of different districts of the city jockey for first place in a spectacular horse race.

The trophy goes to the contestant whose horse crosses the finishing line first—whether he’s still in the saddle or not.

6 . Tips for Traveling on a Low Budget

These days, a lot of people travel as a result of rising wealth.On social media,friends ,families, and complete strangers are sharing beautiful images of the places they’ve been Traveling can be a lot of fun, but it does take money to get on a plane and see the world.     1     Here are four expert tips.

Plan ahead. Planning is possibly the most important aspect of any trip. If you want to keep your costs down, you must make a plan. That will allow you to spend the least amount of money to meet your demands when traveling.    2    

    3    When you purchase tickets at least six months in advance, certain airlines offer discounted pricing on their flights. Discounts let you spend less money than you initially planned to, and preparing ahead will help you find the greatest discounts.

Prepare alternative destinations.    4     When visiting Thailand for instance, you can decide to visit Chiang Mai rather than Phuket or Bangkok.This is due to Chiang Mai’s affordability, cooler climate, and distinctive attractions.

Remember travel insurance. Consider travel insurance as an investment rather than an extra cost.     5    . Being insured allows you to avoid paying for lost or stolen luggage or medical expenses.

Around the world, people love to keep dogs as     1     (pet). However, there is something you might not know about these     2    (love) animals. If your dogs become uneasy or sad around you, it might mean you are sick! This is     3     they may be able     4     (smell) that something is wrong with you.

At     5     research center in England, dogs     6    (teach) to smell cancer in people’s urine samples(尿样). To see if the dogs could     7    (real) smell the cancer, the researchers gave them a special test. They were brought into a room, and in front of them were different urine samples. Only one of them     8    (come) from a person with cancer. Neither the dogs nor the people there knew     9     urine sample had cancer in it. When they smelled cancer in a urine sample, the dogs had to sit down in front of that sample. One dog,     10     (name) Bee, was best at the test. It found the right sample 60% of the given time! So, if your dog smells you too much and looks a bit uneasy, maybe you should visit the doctor just to be on the safe side!

8 . The day had started out as usual for Mrs. Ito until the late afternoon when the news of destructive tsunami came over the radio.

Mrs. Ito felt ______ in her house. Her small home was built on the property that ______ escaped the terrible 1946 wave that destroyed Hilo. Many lost their lives, then. But the waves did not reach her home.

At last, 12:30a.m. came as the radio warning had said but ______ happened. Passers-by said that the tsunami must have ______the islands. Mrs. Ito went into her room and looked down the street. It was ______. Suddenly, a flash- like lighting lit the sky. The first wave of the tsunami burst Hilo’s electric power plant, and all the lights______.

______she knew it, the wave roared into her house. She was ______to the floor as her house begun to spin and finally tore apart.______, Mrs. Ito grasped for anything to stay above water when the floorboards opened up and she became______in what used to be her home. She struggled out of the boards and______to squeeze free. Then she blacked out.

When she woke up, she______herself floating on something in the water. There she was, a 62- year- old widow who couldn’t swim, hung on______to her tiny makeshift raft. At sunrise, she______two boats on the horizon. But it was too far away. She thought that ______was just a matter of time. But anyhow, Mrs. Ito was finally seen and saved.

Over the past few years, scientists     1     (develop) a new artificial intelligence technology that can detect whether someone is lying through analyzing the muscles in his face.

Patches (贴片) placed on a person’s face detect muscle activity and then machine learning technology is used. The machine is able     2     (calculate) whether or not the person has been telling lies.     3     (invent) by Yael Hanein at Tel Aviv University in Israel, the machine showed success rate of 73 percent, implying it can catch liars with ease.

How would our facial expressions give     4     our lies? According to researchers from the University of British Columbia, Canada, some of the muscles in our faces change “behavior” when we are lying. Liars     5     (usual) raise their eyebrows. They also blink a lot and hold     6     (they) eyes closed longer.     7     (close) the eyes is a way to buy time for the liar so that they can better perfect their story.

Liars often blush (脸红). Blood flows into the cheeks as they become nervous about the     8     (true) possibly being revealed.

Liars also have fake smiles.     9     real smile often causes the eyes to light up or become smaller. This is because more muscles are used     10     we are happy. A fake smile is often accompanied by “dead” eyes instead.