1 . If a pancake could dream, it might long for legs so it could jump off your breakfast plate in pursuit of a better, unchewed life. But legs aren’t necessary for something as flat as a pancake to jump around. A group of scientists have designed a pancake-shaped robot that can jump several times per second and higher than seven times its body height. The new robot named Hop, which swiftly jumps without feet, is an important contribution to the soft robotics.

Many ground robots move by rolling or walking. But it’s more efficient for robots to jump over obstacles (障碍物) than to go around them. Although jumping can offer some robots a competitive edge, engineering that ability has been a challenge for robotics researchers. Some soft robots that store energy can perform a single impressive jump very infrequently. Some lightweight soft robots that don’t store energy can jump frequently but can’t jump high or far enough to successfully cross an obstacle.

For inspiration, the researchers looked to gall midge larvae (瘿蚊幼虫) that miraculously throw themselves across distances 30 times as long as their loglike bodies. A gall midge larva bends its body and squeezes the liquid in its body to one end, making it rigid (僵硬的). The accumulation of liquid builds up pressure, and releasing the pressure sends it soaring (飙升). The robot’s body doesn’t resemble (像) that of a gall midge larva, but it jumps like one. Its body is made of two small plastic bags printed with electrodes; the front bag is filled with liquid and the back one is filled with the same volume of air. The robot uses electricity to drive the flow of liquid, which causes the body to bend and generate force with the ground, resulting in a jump. And the air bag imitates the function of an animal’s tail, helping the robot keep a stable position.

While the robot is currently restricted to Earth, it might be right at home exploring another planet. If this is true, the researchers robot might jump over dusty rocks and large holes on the moon or Mars, going where no pancake has gone before.

2 . When you think of a map, is north on the top or the bottom? Usually, maps are designed with north on top, though when we think about it, there is no logical reason for this bias (偏见). After all, there is no up or down in space. So what is wrong with south, east or west being on the top of the map? The answer is: nothing at all. In fact, north-up maps only became the norm in the last few hundred years.

Ancient Egyptian maps had south at the top because the Nile River flows downhill from mountains in the south to the Mediterranean Sea in the north. Mecca was to the south of most early Muslim civilizations, and south-up maps were designed so that viewers would look up to see Mecca. Medieval Christian maps had east at the top, as they believed the Garden of Eden was in the east. The only early maps that had north at the top were those of early China because the emperor lived in the north.

North seems to have settled at the top of maps during the 16th century, largely thanks to a Flemish mapmaker, Mercator. Mercator was a great admirer of an early Greek mapmaker, who, for reasons now unknown, put north at the top of maps, so Mercator did, too. When Mercator’s world map became the standard map to navigate the oceans, north up became standard as well.

What is the implication of this north-view of the world? Psychologically, people tend to think of up as good and down as bad. Just think of words and phrases like “upmarket”, “upbeat” and “moving up in the world”, and how they contrast with their opposites. Because north is so consistently put at the top of maps, people now think of north as good, too.

Several attempts have been made in recent years by introducing south-up maps to the market. These maps not only give us a chance to see the world differently, but also give everyone the chance to see themselves on top.

3 . Small children are easy to throw up in the air and catch — and they ________ it. “Again, Daddy, again!” Jacky shouts as I throw him skywards and catch him on the way back down again. He throws his arms and legs out   ________ he were flying, his eyes wide with ________. His trust in me is ________, which is quite a nice feeling, but at the same time gives me a huge sense of ________.

I hope Jacky will always trust me fully, but I know that, as he gets older, it will need more effort and sound judgment ________. Trust is such an important part of a parent-child relationship that it’s something that I can’t ________to lose. Every time I ________ Jacky to something new, he’ll do it only because he trusts me and feels ________ in the knowledge that he won’t get hurt.________，teaching Jacky to swim means he has to believe that, when he’s swimming in the big pool, I’ll come to his rescue if his doggy paddle lets him down.

________, in the workplace, trust is important for strong ________. It is something that every manager should work hard to ________ among their team. If people don’t trust you, they’re unlikely to follow your directions and willingly become a loyal (忠诚) team member. A ________of trust can make people work against you rather than for you. At the very least, it means that people are not going to be giving you their best. Good ________, like good parenting, is a long-term commitment.

5 . Many English learners have difficulty deciding what kind of English accent they want to have. A US accent, perhaps imitates (模仿) a Hollywood star speaker? Or maybe you want to imitate the British accent of a BBC news reader?

Young British people find the US accent attractive while young US people like a British accent. Especially when the person speaking is of the opposite sex (异性)! Let’s listen to what they have to say.

Stephen Yang, 17, from London, UK

A US accent is cute, especially when a girl speaks it. Whether it’s Jessia Alba speaking or the girl-next-door, the way US girls speak has a sweet tingle (感觉) that is really fashionable. A girl from Texas recently moved into our neighborhood. Her Texan twang (鼻音) had all the boys here on their knees within seconds of meeting her.

To me, accents reflect the attitudes, characteristics (特征) and lifestyles of the people.

Jennifer Sun, 16, from New Jersey, US

From watching English actors like Daniel Radcliffe, my friends and I have developed a soft spot (好感) for British men. Some are attracted to the qualities of English males, while others admire their sense of style.

Everyone, however, agrees that the most appealing aspect of an English man is his accent. For example, many American girls watch Harry Potter movies over and over again just to listen to the actors speak.

The English accent seems almost like art.