Technology is the application of knowledge to production. Thanks to modern technology, we have been able to increase greatly the efficiency of our work force. New machines and new methods have helped cut down time and expense while increasing overall output. This has meant more production and a higher standard of living. For most of us in America, modern technology is thought of as the reason why we can have cars and television sets. However, technology has also increased the amount of food available to us, by means of modern farming machinery and animal breeding techniques, and has made our life span longer via medical technology.

    Will mankind continue to live longer and have a higher quality of life? In large measure, the answer depends on technology and our ability to use it widely. If we keep making progress as we have over the past fifty years, the answer is definitely yes. The advancement of technology depends on research and development, and the latest surveys show that the united States is continuing to put billions of dollars annually(每年) into such efforts. So while we are running out of some limited resources, we may well find technological substitutes (代用品) for many of them through our research programs.

    Therefore, in the final analysis, the three major factors of production (land, labor and capital) are all influenced by technology. When we need new skills or techniques in medicine, people will start developing new technology to meet those needs. As equipment proves to be slow or inefficient, new machines will be invented. Technology responds to our needs in helping us improve our standard of living.

    The tough economy is bringing new shoppers to the secondhand market.Plato's Closet in Charlotte,NC is a private company,which mainly buys and sells used clothes.While Charlotte has outstanding secondhand stores offering high-end and graceful brands for women,most of their stock applies to adults.Plato's closet targets teens and those in their 20s.

    Plato's Closet,with stores in Matthews and the university area,sells clothes and accessories（装饰品）that are currently popular at about one third the retail（零售）prices.

    The two hottest brands,for buying and selling,are Hollister and Abercrombie & Fitch.Even though the offerings tend to be suitable for young people,there are a variety of shoppers at Plato's Closet of varying ages.Women in their 30s,40s,and older could easily find a purse,jacket or piece of jewelry they like.

    If you are selling

    Unlike higher-end resale stores which usually work on consignment（寄售）,Plato's Closet buys on the spot.

    Items can be gently used,but must be in very good condition.

    Clothes should be less than two years old and styles should be the same as those still being sold at the shopping center.

    There is no negotiation;prices are set company-wide.If what you sell amounts to $30 or less,they'll give you cash.More than that,you'll get a Visa cash card.

    Secondhand success

    Don't get discouraged if you can't find something on your first trip.Resale shops are always getting new lists of goods and change their styles with each season.

    Be sure to check each piece carefully before buying.

    Price comparison

    Jackets: New York & Company black blazer,$12; retail: $37.

    Pants: Express Editor-style pants,$12; retail: $69.90.

    Shoes: Nine West black peep-toe pumps,$12; retail: $89.

    Jewelry: Necklaces,$3-$5; retail: $18-$30.

    In the coming months, we are bringing together artists from all over the globe, to enjoy speaking Shakespeare's plays in their own language, in our Globe, within the architecture Shakespeare wrote for. Please come and join us.

    National Theatre of China   Beijing︱Chinese

    This great occasion will be the National Theatre of China's first visit to the UK. The company's productions show the new face of 21st century Chinese theatre. This production of Shakespeare's Richard III will be directed by the National's Associate Director, Wang Xiaoying.

    Date & Time: Saturday 28 April, 2:30pm & Sunday 29 April, 1:30pm & 6:30pm

    Marjanishvili Theatre   Tbilisi | Georgian

    One of the most famous theatres in Georgia, the Marjanishvili, founded in 1928, appears regularly at theatre festivals all over the world. This new production of As You Like It is helmed (指导) by the company's Artistic Director

    LevanTsuladze.

    Date & Time: Friday 18 May, 2:30pm & Saturday 19 May, 7:30pm

    DeafinitelyTheatre London | British Sign Language (BSL)

    By translating the rich and humorous text of Love's Labor's Lost into the physical language of BSL, Deafinitely Theatre creates a new interpretation of Shakespeare's comedy and aims to build a bridge between deaf and hearing worlds by performing to both groups as one audience.

    Date & Time: Tuesday 22 May, 2:30pm & Wednesday 23 May, 7:30pm

    Habima National Theatre Tel Aviv | Hebrew

    The Habima is the centre of Hebrew-language theatre worldwide. Founded in Moscow after the 1905 revolution, the company eventually settled in Tel Aviv in the late 1920s. Since 1958, they have been recognized as the national theatre of Israel. This production of Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice marks their first visit to the UK.

    Date & Time: Monday 28 May, 7:30pm & Tuesday 29 May,7:30pm

    We walked in so quietly that the nurse at the desk didn't even lift her eyes from the book. Mum pointed at a big chair by the door and I knew she wanted me to sit down. While I watched, mouth open in surprise, Mum took off her hat and coat and gave them to me to hold. She walked quietly to the small room by the lift and took out a wet mop (拖把). She pushed the mop past the desk and as the nurse looked up, Mum nodded and said, "Very dirty floors."

    "Yes, I'm glad they've finally decided to clean them," the nurse answered. She looked at Mum strangely and said, "But aren't you working late?"

    Mum just pushed harder, each swipe of the mop taking her farther and farther down the hall. I watched until she was out of sight and the nurse had turned back to writing in the big book.

    After a long time Mum came back. Her eyes were shining. She quickly put the mop back and took my hand. As we turned to go out of the door, Mum nodded politely to the nurse and said, "Thank you."

    Outside, Mum told me, "Dagma is fine. No fever. "

    "You see her, Mum?"

    "Of course. I told her about the hospital rules, and she will not expect us until tomorrow. Dad will stop worrying as well. It's a fine hospital. But the floors! A mop is no good. You need a brush. "

    Fish have different personalities which change as they experience life's highs and lows, according to British biologists.

    Researchers identified different "personalities" in their fish by observing the boldness(大胆) or shyness of individuals, according to The Nature. Like people, some fish are very confident in the face of novelty or conflict, while others are silent and fearful.

    The scientists selected particularly bold and shy rainbow trout(虹鳟鱼), and tested whether they changed their outlook depending on what life threw at them. They arranged some fish to fight and others to watch to see how both the participants and observers responded to victories and defeats. Winning or losing a fight, or even watching fellow fish overcome the difficulties influenced the future behavior of the creatures studied in the lab.

    The researchers made fish compete with much larger or smaller opponents(对手), to ensure that they would win or lose their fights. These bold fish that won their fights tended to be even bolder when later presented with a novel food item; losing their fight caused them to be much more cautious.

    Fish also learn by watching others. Bold fish watching a shy fish exploring a mystery object were much more nervous when later given a novel item for themselves.

    Predictably, shy fish that won a fight also gained more confidence, but surprisingly, shy fish that lost their fights also grew bolder when exploring strange new food, Sneddon said, adding that this could be due to what she calls a "desperado effect"(亡命徒效应).

    The new research suggests that animals can gradually adapt(使适应) their personalities. The results agree with the effects that life experience can have on humans.

    The sun was shining and Clare felt like doing something active. She'd had enough of the moment of living in the past. What she really wanted was some skiing if she could get herself organized. She walked into the ski school office and within ten minutes had arranged a private class for the whole afternoon. One of the ski teacher would meet her at the ski lift station at the end of the village at midday. The ski hire shop next door rented her some skis and boots and she carried them back to the hotel. There she changed into some more or less suitable clothes and took the hotel's electric taxi down to the lift station. She was a bit early and had time to look around, and get nervous. She hadn't skied for about ten years, though she'd been quite good at that time. Everyone said it was liking riding a bike-you didn't forget how to do it. She stood there looking up at the mountains, trying to remember what to do.

    Madam Newton?" Yes," she said. And there was her ski teacher, looking exactly like all the other ski teachers she remembered sun-tanned, handsome and totally self-confident. Half an hour later all thoughts of the unhappy days had disappeared as she skied behind Bruno and concentrated on staying on her feet.

    "Upper body still, make your legs do the work, Madame", shouted Bruno over his shoulder. "Call me Clare, please" she said. "OK. Lean forward a bit more, Clare. That's it. Good. You are remembering now, en?" "Yeah, I am ... slowly. It's great. I'd forgotten what an amazing buzz skiing gives you".

    They skied down some different runs with Bruno being wonderfully encouraging, and she really did begin to feel confident on the skis. Going up in the lifts, Clare and Bruno chatted — just the usual "where are you from, what do you do" sort of chat, but it was pleasantly relaxing. In the middle of the afternoon, they stopped at an old farmhouse for coffee and apple cake. There were lots of other skiers doing the same. Clare felt as if she belonged - something about being part of a group, all with a shared interest, she supposed. It was a feeling she'd not had for a long time.

    Bruno said hello to a few people, and went over to talk to one of the waiters. Clare took the opportunity to study him a bit. Up until now, she'd just been skiing behind a man in a red ski suit, so it was interesting to see that he was quite tall, with curly brown hair and eyes to match. From the colour of his face he looked as if he'd spent his whole life in the open air. She guessed he was about forty.

    "Are you in Zermatt for long, Clare?" asked Bruno, after he'd been sitting with her a few minutes, "No, only a few days probably. Just a short break to get away from everything at home", replied Clare. She didn't feel like explaining the real reason. People looked at her differently when they knew. "But I'd like to do some more skiing. Would you be able to do anything tomorrow?"

    "I think so. But you'll have to book it through the ski school office. I can't arrange anything with you directly", said Bruno, putting on his gloves and standing up. "Come on. Let's do a bit more now." "Great," replied Clare. After another hour, Clare said, "Time to stop, I think," Bruno agreed. "You should have a sauna tonight. It'll help your body relax. Not so stiff (僵硬的）tomorrow, you know." Clare didn't care about stiff she was going to be tomorrow. She hadn't felt quite as good as this for months — full of fresh air, physically tired but in her mind — alive. Happy! Yes, that was how she felt.