Disposing(处理) of waste has been a problem since humans started producing it. As more and more people choose to live close together in cities, the waste-disposal problem becomes increasingly difficult.

    During the eighteenth century, it was usual for several neighboring towns to get together to select a faraway spot as a dumpsite. Residents or trash haulers(垃圾托运者) would transport household rubbish, rotted wood, and old possessions to the site. Periodically(定期的) some of the trash was burned and the rest was buried. The unpleasant sights and smells caused no problem because nobody lived close by.

    Factories, mills, and other industrial sites also had waste to be disposed of. Those located on rivers often just dumped the unwanted remains into the water. Others built huge burners with chimneys to deal with the problem.

    Several facts make these choices unacceptable to modern society. The first problem is space. Dumps, which are now called landfills, are most needed in heavily populated areas. Such areas rarely have empty land suitable for this purpose. Property is either too expensive or too close to residential(住宅区的)neighborhoods. Long-distance trash hauling has been a common practice, but once farm areas are refusing to accept rubbish from elsewhere, cheap land within trucking distance of major city areas is almost nonexistent.

    Awareness of pollution dangers has resulted in more strict rules of waste disposal. Pollution of rivers, ground water, land and air is a price people can no longer pay to get rid of waste. The amount of waste, however, continues to grow.

    Recycling efforts have become commonplace, and many towns require their people to take part. Even the most efficient recycling programs, however, can hope to deal with only about 50 percent of a city's reusable waste.

Top 5 Must See Places in Beijing

    Beijing is an old capital city with a lot of tourists attractions. What is the most representative place in Beijing? The answers are various. Here are the Top 5 Must See Places in Beijing.

1）. Forbidden City

    The Forbidden City is the ideal place for you to begin your exploration of Beijing. Make sure to wear comfortable shoes as you have to walk a lot! A multilingual guide recorder is recommended, as it can tell you the stories behind the palace.

Opening Hour: 8:30-17:00

Entrance Fee: RMB 60

2）. Tian'anmen Square

    Lying in the heart of Beijing City, it is the place for massive parades and gathering. It boasts of the largest square of such kind in the world. At sunrise and sunset the raising and lowering ceremony of the Chinese National Flag is well worth seeing.

Ticket fees: Free

Opening Time: Whole Day

3）. Great Wall

    Most of the sections of the Great Wall in Beijing are well-preserved, and the most famous section is Badaling. For the Great Wall hiking, get ready for strong footwear. For hot weather, please also prepare sunblock, sunglasses and water.

Badaling Great Wall:

Ticket Fees: RMB40 (Nov. 01 to Mar. 31); RMB 45 (Apr. 01 to Oct. 31)

Open Hours: 6:40 to 18:30

4）. Summer Palace

    Regarded as the largest imperial garden in China, the Summer Palace is in fact a park-styled royal retreat. With masterly design and artistic architecture integrating the highlight of Chinese garden arts, it has earned a title of "Royal Garden Museum".

Open Time: 6:30-20:30

Ticket Fee: RMB 40 (low season) / RMB 50 (peak season during the holidays)

5）. Temple of Heaven

    The Temple of Heaven worked as sacrificial compound buildings for the Ming and Qing emperors. What's the intriguing by-production of the temple is that if you enter the Temple of Heaven in the early morning, you can find many people doing all types of Kungfu, Taiji, dancing and other morning exercises.

Open Time: 6:00-21:00

Ticket Fee: RMB 35

    Minutes after the last movie ended yesterday at the Plaza Theater, employees were busy sweeping up popcorns and gathering coke cups. It was a scene that had been repeated many times in the theater's 75-year history. This time, however, the cleanup was a little different. As one group of workers carried out the rubbish, another group began removing seats and other theater equipment in preparation for the building's end.

    The film classic The Last Picture Show was the last movie shown in the old theater. Though the movie is 30 years old, most of the 250 seats were filled with teary-eyed audience wanting to say good-bye to the old building. Theater owner Ed Bradford said he chose the movie because it seemed proper. The movie is set in a small town where the only movie theater is preparing to close down.

    Bradford said that large modem theaters in the city made it impossible for the Plaza to compete. He added that the theater's location (位置) was also a reason. “This used to be the center of town,” he said. “Now the area is mostly office buildings and warehouses.”

    Last week some city officials suggested the city might be interested in turning the old theater into a museum and public meeting place. However, these plans were given up because of financial problems. Bradford sold the building and land to a local development firm, which plans to build a shopping complex on the land where the theater is located.

    The theater audience said good-bye as Bradford locked the doors for the last time. After 75 years the Plaza Theater has shown its last movie. The theater will be missed.

    It may appear strange to hear that crops are making headlines.But this is no ordinary produce—these fruits and vegetables have been grown in simulated（模拟的）Martian and lunar soils!

    Though the possibility of growing crops in outer space only gained widespread interest after Matt Damon grew potatoes in the movie "The Martian",scientists have been testing the idea for many years.Fresh produce will after all be the key to setting up space colonies（殖民地）.

    Among the pioneers in this effort is a team led by Wieger Wamelink,a scientist at Netherland's Wageningen University.In 2013,they planted fourteen varieties of plants in simulated Martian and lunar soils.Though the "Mars" plants did not bear any produce,they grew better than the "lunar" plants,most of which died shortly after being planted.Lack of vapor in the soil,according to the scientists,might have accounted for the failure.

    The second experiment began in late 2015.The researchers selected the same crops,while this time they used larger containers and added grass to them.In March 2016,their efforts were rewarded with a variety of produce including the vegetable that kept "The Martian" alive: potatoes.

    However,the researchers were still not sure if the produce was safe to eat.That's because the Martian and lunar soils contain heavy metals like lead and arsenic,which do not affect plants but are poisonous to humans.

    After months of testing,earlier this week,the team finally confirmed that the produce was safe for human consumption.Some of the crops even contained lower levels of heavy metals than plants grown in the "ordinary" earth soil.

    To celebrate the success,the scientists held a dinner party that centered ground the crops.While there is no word on how the food tasted,it sure looks delicious.

    Michael Faraday was the son of a blacksmith. There were four children in his family and, with his father often ill and unable to work, Michael Faraday had to earn his living from an early age. This meant little or no schooling. However, the family belonged to a religious group, and Faraday learnt to read and write at Sunday School.

    When he was only fourteen, Faraday found a job as a bookbinder（装订工）.He used to read the books he was given to bind and he became very interested in the scientific books, particularly the ones about electricity. His interest soon took a practical path and he began conducting his own experiments. These were very basic because Faraday had to make all of his equipment himself. However, he was very careful and kept a clear written record of all his findings.

    One day he was given an entrance ticket to the Royal Institute chemistry lecture, given by Humphry Davy. Determined to work for this great scientist, he sent Davy a job application and included his laboratory reports on the experiments he had carried out. In 1813 Davy offered Faraday a job as one of his laboratory assistants. Faraday learnt quickly and soon was recognized as a very able analytical chemist. Later he went to work at the Royal Institute.

    Michael Faraday was, perhaps, the greatest practical scientist of the 19th century. As a chemist, he discovered the benzene（苯）,which is now the focal point of chemical study. He also proved the relationship between electricity and chemical bonding（化学键合）.As a physicist, he invented the dynamo, which led to the later invention of the electric motor. He also discovered the effect of magnetism（磁）on light rays.

    We work with Cambridge County Council's Participation Team to create opportunities for young people to visit the University and learn more about it. The following events are scheduled for the 2019/2020 academic year.

    SuperStar workshops

    12 workshops are planned for young people aged 7 to 11. These half-day visits will be held throughout the year, at times when young people are not at school. If participants complete 8 of the 12 workshops, they will be awarded the nationally recognized SuperStar Crest Award.

    Please note, workshops will only run if we have a sufficient number of attendees (usually around 3+ participants).

    Explore University Days

    Explore University Days are for young people aged 12-15. Participants visit the University for two days and take part in a variety of university-related workshops, and other fun activities.

    Previous participants have joined in the following:

    • Visited the Sports Centre

    • Took part in a Neuroscience workshop

    • Enjoyed a two-course meal at a University College

    Dates will be confirmed in early December 2019, and a schedule for event will follow in the New Year.

    Events for post-16 students

    If you are studying for your post-16 qualifications and are considering applying for Cambridge or would like to find out more about a specific subject, the following events might be for you:

    • University and College Open Days

    • Subject Masterclasses

    • Cambridge Science Festival