3 . In September 2005, the ground suddenly sank 10 feet in a certain area in northern Ethiopia, rapidly separated on both sides, with large holes that could engulf several camels and several goats. In the next three weeks, 160 earthquakes occurred in this area, forming a large crack 25 feet wide and approximately 0.34 miles long.

Tim Wright, a geophysicist at the University of Leeds in England, used satellite radar data to accurately piece together the formation process of this crack. When the African and Arab tectonic plates drift to both sides, the crust between the two plates weakens. Wright said: “The magma (岩浆) formed at the bottom of the crust will drop down regularly, just like the Lava lamp, forming a ‘balloon’, which will gradually expand. When the ‘balloon’ reaches the critical pressure, it will explode.”

According to Wright’s estimate, in the next 1 million years or so, the cracks will continue to expand, and the Horn of Africa will completely detach from the African continent, forming the eighth largest continent on Earth—East Africa. Wright said that this geological process always occurs, but ground separating usually only occur at the bottom of the sea, which is difficult for people to see. He said, “This is the first time we have directly observed this extremely important geological process using modern instruments.”

This discovery caused a shocking in the scientific community. In 2006, inspection teams from the UK, France, Italy, and the United States came to Afar one after another. After analysis and research, they predicted that a new continent would be formed in one million years, the Great Rift Valley in East Africa would be 10 times longer than it is today, and the Cape of Good Hope in East Africa would be separated from the African continent. In response, American geologist Cindy Ebinger said, “Many people believe that violent geological phenomena only occurred in distant ancient times, but we can now see them happening.”

What is the future of the Great Rift Valley? Perhaps our humans can only wait and see.

A punctual person is in the habit of doing things at proper time in a     1     (plan) way and is always keeping his appointment. He knows     2     if he wants to succeed in his work and society he must observe regular or appointed time. The     3     (punctual) man, on the contrary, seldom does what he has to do at the set time. If he has made an appointment with someone, he never cares about the appointed time and is     4     (like) to be late for half an hour.

Unpunctuality is very harmful. Friends sometimes grow cold to wards each other, or even become     5     (enemy), because one of them has been remiss in keeping     6     (appoint). Imagine how it would be if those who are     7     (trust) with important tasks failed to be at their proper place at the appointed time. A man who is known to be habitually unpunctual is never trusted by his friends, his     8     (classmate) or colleagues.

There is a proverb which says, “There is a time     9     everything.” This is true. In fact time is life     10     (it), and the man who really has a great deal to do is very careful of his time and is no doubt fond of punctuality.

6 . The Past and Present Lives of Mineral Water

We are not unfamiliar with mineral water, but do you understand its origin?

In 1992, Zhuhai Jialin Co., Ltd. took the lead in producing the first barrel of bottled water in China: Jialin Mountain Barreled Water.     1    , creating a market and driving the industry’s great development.

    2    , such as the Zhuhai Film Festival, Zhuhai Air Show, Zhuhai Racing, National Games, and other major events and activities. Jialin Mountain is the designated only brand of drinking water. Subsequently, it became the official designated only drinking water for the Asian and Provincial Games, and after shouting at the Asian Games, “Give me a chance to return a miracle to the world,” its development became even more rapid, and its popularity was unmatched.

    3    . At that time, there was a saying that national drinking water enterprises looked at Guangdong, Guangdong drinking water enterprises looked at Zhuhai, and Zhuhai drinking water looked at Jialin Mountain. It can be seen how glorious Jialin Mountain was in the 1990s.

After 2005, the invasion of foreign brand water enterprises, such as Nongfu Spring and Yibao, formed the situation of a hundred flowers blooming in Zhuhai’s drinking water market.     4    .

Until May 2010, Jialin Mountain was 100% purchased by China Resources Beverage, which was once a famous enterprise in Guangdong Province, and then withdrew from the market, while Ipoh, who obtained the mining right of Jialin Mountain mineral water, jumped to the first place in Guangdong Province in drinking water.

    5    .

7 . Metal self-healing refers to the ability of a metal material to recover its original structure and performance after being damaged or destroyed. This self-healing capability can reduce the cost of repairing and replacing metal materials, extend their service life, and improve the sustainability of materials.

In July 20, 2023, scientists have witnessed for the first time that metal fragments rupture without human intervention and then re-melt together. The team found that disappearing cracks are nano-sized, small but important. If the newly discovered phenomenon can be exploited, it may lead to an engineering revolution. In this revolution, self-healing engines, bridges, and aircraft can remove wear and tear damage, making it safer and more durable.

The Sandia National Laboratory and Texas A & M University team described the discovery in Nature on the 20th.

In the science fiction movie “The Terminator 2,” the robot T1000, made of liquid metal, left a deep impression because it could change its shape at will and repair itself after hitting. However, at the 2019 International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, the JSK Lab at the University of Tokyo showed a prototype of a robotic leg with a tendon “fuse” made of metal that can repair a fracture, and by automatically fusing and transforming into a single part, a movie is about to come true.

Insiders pointed out that if metal self-repairing can be utilized, it will improve the competitiveness of industrial products and promote the development of relevant industries, which is of great significance to achieve the two goals of sustainable human development, energy conservation and environmental protection.

In terms of transportation, the internal wear and fuel consumption rate of engines of vehicles and vessels powered by fuel increase gradually. Self-repair engines can reduce the wear of parts, improve the service life of engines, improve the operation rate, and save huge amounts of funds every year, thus improving the comprehensive benefits.

In addition, self-healing bridges and aircraft eliminate wear and tear damage, making them safer and more durable. The crowd said it was amazing!

8 . Should we hide in the “Triangle (三角) of Life” when the earthquake comes?

At 1:39 on June 15, a magnitude (里氏) 3.1 earthquake occurred in Qingpu District, Shanghai, with a focal depth of 8 kilometers. Earthquakes are one of the major natural disasters, so how to avoid danger and self rescue during earthquakes has become a topic of great concern.

There has always been a saying on the Internet that when an earthquake comes, collapsed objects and solid large objects will form a triangular space around them(the “Triangle of Life area”), and hiding in this area will have a greater probability of survival, which many people believe deeply.

In this regard, the China Earthquake Administration said that although observing the ruins after the earthquake, we can find that there are similar triangular spaces in some places.

However, when an earthquake occurs, people cannot know in advance the way of the earthquake, the direction of the collapse of buildings or objects, and it is difficult to know where there will be the so-called “Triangle of Life”.

The “Triangle of Life area” was proposed by an American disaster relief worker named Kupp, who believed that traditional self-help methods such as drilling tables were no longer suitable for people living in modern buildings. The collapsed floor structure would crush the tables or beds for refuge, and only hiding in the triangle area could survive.

Although the “Triangle of Life area” self-help method has been popular for more than ten years. However, the American Red Cross, the California State Emergency Service Office and earthquake experts have all pointed out the irrationality of the “Triangle of Life”. The Chinese Ministry of Emergency Management has also provided a refutation explanation.

In fact, after an earthquake, the internationally recognized most reliable method of self rescue is ‘lying on the ground, blocking, and holding onto your hands’. You should lie down, squat down, or sit down, try to lower the center of gravity of the body, and protect important parts such as the head, neck, eyes, and mouth and nose.

9 . Enrollment Regulations of Taiyuan University of Science and Technology in 2023

Welcome to apply to our school. In 2023, our school will mainly recruit students majoring in Machinery, Materials, and Computer Science. In addition, we will also recruit new students majoring in English, Engineering, Law, and more. The following is a brief introduction to our school’s characteristic majors.

Mechanical Design, Manufacturing and Automation

This major belongs to the School of Mechanical Engineering and is a characteristic specialty construction point of national higher education institutions. It includes six original major categories (类别) and two new professional directions. Its major courses are Advanced Mathematics, Mechanical Design, etc.

Material Science & Engineering

This major is a major that attaches importance to foundation and is a talent training and scientific research base for China’s heavy machinery industry. Its major courses are Advanced Mathematics, Theoretical Mechanics, etc.

Computer Science and Technology

This major is an advantageous specialty in Shanxi and admits doctoral students. It mainly cultivates (创造) senior specialized talents engaged in the research, design, development, application, and teaching of computer software, hardware, and application systems. The main courses include Advanced Mathematics, C Language, etc.

If you want to learn more, you can go to our school’s official website or call the admissions office for consultation.