Light the Cities of the Future
A previously unlit cycle path in the Netherlands has recently drawn our attention. It has been resurfaced with a material that consists of thousands of shining stones in order to create a well-lit route. The Van Gogh Path, so called after the artist who lived in the town of Nuenen in 1883, combines the traditional with the contemporary in a gesture that acknowledge ledges Van Gingh’ masterpiece The Starry Night, but also shows the way ahead for city lighting. The Van Gogh Path is not a single case; it is not difficult to foresee a time when natural materials could help light the cities of the future.
Why should we care about city lighting? What’s wrong with current electrical city lighting anyway? Well, the problem that it causes is two-fold. First, of course, electrical lighting in most cities comes from non-renewable resources. According to the International Energy Agency, almost 20% of global electricity is consumed for lighting, which is responsible for high levels of carbon emissions. But there’s also the belief that electrical light itself is a form of pollution by destroying our view of the night sky.
From the above reasons, then, it seems wise to investigate other approaches. The city of Glasgow is attempting to use intelligent street lighting to monitor how citizens interact with the urban landscape and minimize electrical consumption and thus emissions. This “Smart City approach” is seen by many as the way of the future, but some designers aren’t convinced. They are pioneering the altogether more original approach of using materials from the natural world in order to replace electrical light entirely. They believe that this new “technology” can one day completely replace microchips and digital systems as we find better ways of making use of the light-producing mechanisms (制) that already exist in the natural world.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________4 . We all have friends that need a little advice, but one of the problems with those types of conversations is that it’s really easy to come off as a know-it-all when you’re offering help. When you do that, nobody’s going to listen.
Obviously not everyone is looking for your advice. Before you go offering up your point of view, make sure they’re interested in hearing it. As Roger Gil points out, often friends aren’t looking for you to solve a problem. They just want you to listen and maybe ask some questions. So, ask if they’d like to hear your input or insights on a problem, but also ask questions about why thee feel a certain way. If they say “no”, let them finish their story and listen politely.
Speaking of listening. It’s also a good idea to figure out right away what your friends want from you. Gil describes this as differentiating between opinions, expert advice, and being a “sounding board”. Essentially, don’t pretend like you know something you don’t.
Now that you know whether or not your friends or family actually want your advice, it’s time to learn how to advise without sounding like a know-it-all. This is a lot harder than you might think. As Gil points out, one way to offer advice without sounding pretentious (自以为是的) is to avoid “You should” statements.
A.Definitely don’t act like you’ve been in a situation you haven’t been in. |
B.Different situations require different approaches so we need to know what we should contribute. |
C.Gil also adds that even when you know the answer to something, you might want to keep your mouth shut. |
D.Gil’s advice, seems obvious, but it’s incredibly easy to get on your high-horse and use “You should” if you’re not careful. |
E.When you have a friend who’s stuck in trouble, it’s normal to want to provide some type of insight to get them out of it. |
F.However, the key is to make sure you stay in “listening mode” for as long as possible, and you don’t push your advice when it isn’t wanted. |
5 . DON’T FORGET
POSTCODE YOUR PROPERTY
In only 9% of cases where something has been stolen is property returned.
Marked property can stop burglars because it’s harder for a thief to sell and can help the police to return it if found.
Mark items with some understandable information-showing your postcode and the number of your house or flat or the first two letters of its name-using a permanent etching tool or an ultraviolent marker pen. Only use UV marking when other methods would reduce the value of the object — because the mark can fade.
1. The first half of the postcode indicates your town and district, such as: NT 42 9.2. The last 2 letters pinpoint one strect or part of a street, such as: NT 42 9WA
3. Mark your valuables using the postcode followed by your house number such as NT 42 9WA7
Take pictures of all valuable items like jewellery and silverware and write down the serial numbers of your TV, video, hi-fi, home computer and camera equipment, to help the police identify them should they be recovered. If you have many valuable items, fit a safe.
Ask your local police station for postcode property stickers to display in the front and back windows of your house.
BE A GOOD NEIGHBOURIf you see anyone acting strangely in your neighborhood, call the police. There are now over 130,000 Neighborhood Watch Schemes in this country — why not join one? Anyone can start up a Watch — call your police for details.
IF YOU ARE BURGLED
A secure home will reduce the chance of you getting burgled. But, if you get home and notice is of a break-in:
●Don’t go in or call out — the intruder could still be inside Go to a neighbors’ house to call the police CRIME PREVENTION ADVICEAll police forces have offices trained in crime prevention-contact your local station for advice. Some forces can arrange surveys of your home or workplace and recommend security improvements. This is a popular service — if there’s a waiting list, you may be sent an information pack so that you can do your own survey.
1. The passage talks mainly about .A.how to beat the burglar |
B.how to keep your valuables safe |
C.how to live happily in a neighborhood |
D.how to deal with police forces properly |
A.Part of a street name. | B.Her house number. |
C.Postcode of acity. | D.Her car plate number. |
A.Attach “postcode property” stickers to your valuables. |
B.Keep silent if you sense your house has been broken into. |
C.Tell your neighbor about anyone who behave strangely. |
D.Design a survey to find out if your home needs improving. |
6 . On March 16th I left the offices of The Economist to head home. That was the last day when all editorial staff assembled in our London office. And, at the time of writing, no date for a return to the office is in
It is remarkable how quickly we have adapted. The newspaper has been written, edited and produced from couches and kitchen tables. January and February seem like an ancient era — the BC (before coronavirus) to the new AD (after
The shift may
Not only that, it has made remote work seem both normal and acceptable. In the past employees who stayed home had to overcome the
Things are
Yet
Another aspect of the AD era may be the disappearance of the five-day working week. Even before the pandemic many workers became used to taking phone calls or answering emails at the weekend. In the AD era, the
In future employees may work and take breaks when they please, with the company video call the only
A.doubt | B.sight | C.mind | D.hope |
A.domestication | B.transition | C.isolation | D.pandemic |
A.affect | B.shape | C.arouse | D.rival |
A.on | B.off | C.over | D.down |
A.suspicion | B.difficulty | C.prejudice | D.disadvantage |
A.advancing | B.reversing | C.interfering | D.missing |
A.remote | B.intense | C.casual | D.novel |
A.now that | B.in case | C.even though | D.as long as |
A.Commuters | B.Legislators | C.Executives | D.Employers |
A.in demand | B.beyond reach | C.at issue | D.on top |
A.balance | B.barrier | C.connection | D.conflict |
A.fixture | B.engagement | C.priority | D.interaction |
A.perspectives | B.routines | C.regulations | D.equivalents |
A.better | B.harder | C.more | D.fewer |
A.access | B.progress | C.return | D.contrast |
We Britons have about 60 words for happiness: blissfulness, ecstasy, pleasure, delight...The list is as varied as it is surprising, given that we only just scraped into the top 20 happiest countries in the world this year. Finns, who
In the decade
For the fourth year running, the UK has slipped down the global happiness rankings,
In many ways, though, my admittedly luxurious stay revealed to me
A.She is enjoying her language study. |
B.She is enjoying her management study. |
C.She is not feeling very well at the moment. |
D.She is not happy about her study pressure. |
A.They are challenging. |
B.They are interesting. |
C.They are useful. |
D.They are difficult. |
A.She dislikes the food she eats. |
B.She is unable to sleep well. |
C.She finds the rent high. |
D.She has no chance to make friends. |
A.To try to make more friends. |
B.To try to change accommodation. |
C.To drop the English course. |
D.To stop attending language classes. |
A.They support human lives. |
B.They cure human discases. |
C.They estimate species. |
D.They stop plant extinction. |
A.Polluting the environment. |
B.Destroying wildlife habitat. |
C.Organizing activities. |
D.Introducing new species. |
A.To analyze the main causes of the disappearing of some wild animals. |
B.To appeal to people to protect wildlife. |
C.To emphasize the importance of the earth. |
D.To describe different ways to stop pollution. |
A.Because she wasn’t taken seriously. |
B.Because she deserved respect from others. |
C.Because she dressed improperly. |
D.Because she was not capable enough. |
A.Answering questions readily. |
B.Rewarding others generously. |
C.Respecting others highly. |
D.Expressing opinions frankly. |
A.How to speak your mind. |
B.How to be honest. |
C.What to do to become popular. |
D.Whom to talk to when you have complaints. |