If you think texting(发短信) while walking is dangerous, just wait until everyone starts wearing Google's smart, Internet-connected glasses. These glasses can do anything you now need a smartphone or tablet computer(平板电脑) to do —and then some.
    In Google's video, a guy wearing the "Project Glass" is shown getting subway information, making an appointment with a friend for coffee and showing the directions in a bookstore, all with the help of the glass. It ends with him playing an instrument for a woman and showing her the sunset through a video chat.
    The "Project Glass" Google displayed have a sleek(光滑的) wrap-around look and appear nothing like 3-D glasses. In development for a few years, the project is the idea of Google X, the online search-leader's secret department that produced the self-driving car and could one day send elevators into space.
    Google posted the video and short blog post about “Project Glass” on April 4^th, asking people to offer feedback(反馈) through its Google Plus social network. By April 5^th, about 500 people did, voicing a mix of amazement and concern about the new technology. What if people used it in cars and could not concentrate on driving? What about the effect on(对……有影响) your sight of having a screen so close to your eye?
    Some asked for the glass, but Google isn't giving those out just yet. The company didn't say when normal people can expect to get their hands on a piece of Project Glass, but going by how quickly Google will come out with new products, it may not be long. Enderle said that it could be about six months to a year before wide tests are coming, and a year or more for the first version(版本) of the product.

    This is a home of the future, a "smart home", where technology can do almost everything. Imagine we are in the year 2050, ①the computer wakes Tom up in themorning as usual. In front of him is a to-do list of the important events for the day, and it is provided by the computer too. According to Tom's request, the computer serves a list of possible dishes. All the dishes are nice.

    As Tom eats breakfast, the computer reminds him to reply to Lucy. Before Tom finishes his next bite, Lucy's computer receives the message. Then Tom goes to the supermarket. The store's system checks his car when he drives to the pickup area and greets him by name. "Good morning, Tom! Your order is in Case4. Thank you for shopping.'' When Tom removes his order from Case 4, all trades are completed automatically(自动地)over the information superhighway. That is, the money is electronically paid into the bank. Soon after arriving at the office, Tom reads another message from Lucy, telling him that she will go to dinner with him.

    The smart home can also do many other things:

    ◆Find things like keys and mobile phones.

    ◆②        (打开或关闭)machines and lights with your voice.

    ◆Clean your home from clothes to buildings automatically.

    ◆Record everything and everyone entering and leaving the house.

    ◆Take care of each member of the family, young or old.

    ③With the development of technology, the smart home will come true in the future. It is sure to play an important part in our life.

    One American university uses a robot as a teacher to help students with their problems. And none of the students knew that was a robot at the beginning!

    Jill Watson, a robot made in that university, helps the students a lot. When answering their questions, Jill seems to be an excellent teacher. She can give wonderful answers quickly. She sounds natural and usually says good words.

    When someone told the students that their "teacher" was a robot, they all got very surprised.

    "How was it possible? I was talking to a robot?" said Bailey, "She sounds like a common teacher." Another student Jennifer told the newspaper, "We are thinking about choosing Jill Watson to be our best teacher. She is really helpful,"

    Now many students like to ask questions on their school's website. It usually takes teachers too much time to answer them. So the university had such an idea of making Jill Watson. It's a faster way to help the students with their problems.

    Jill can quickly find possible answers in her own computer to the questions and make sure they are all right. After that, she tells the students in an electronic voice that sounds like a famous actress.

Most people have heard of the Great Wall of China, but not many people outside of China know about the Grand Canal.

This man-made waterway — known in China as Da Yunhe — is more than 1,700 kilometres long and some parts of it are more than 2,000 years old. It connects the north of China with Hangzhou, a city in the southern part of the country. It's the longest man-made waterway in the world.

It was built as a way to transport grain(谷物) from the rich agricultural land in China's south to cities in the north. In fact, it's not one canal, but a system of canals and rivers connected together. It's still an important part of the transport system in China. Thousands of boats use it every day to transport grain and many other types of cargo(货物).

Now the Chinese government is doing new work on the Grand Canal. It is making parts of it deeper, so bigger ships can use it. The canal will also help to move water. There is a lot of rain in the south of China, but not as much in the north. The canal will carry millions of litres of water from the south to the north.

The Grand Canal is much less famous than the Great Wall, and not very many tourists visit it. But it's possible to go on a cruise(乘船游览)along some of the oldest parts of the canal. Passengers on these cruises see beautiful parts of China that other visitors don't see.

Winter is the best season of the year. During the winter, months, temperatures are usually colder and there are fewer hours of daylight. The winter months in most of China are November, December, and January. 

Cold winter temperatures are caused by the tilting (倾斜) of the Earth. When Earth's Northern Hemisphere (半球) is tilted away from the sun, there are fewer hours of daylight and the temperature is colder. When the Northern Hemisphere tilts towards the sun, there is more daylight time and the temperatures are warmer. The tilting of the Earth as it spins causes the seasons to change. 

Animals have special ways of preparing themselves for winter. Some animals, like birds and butter- flies fly long distances, or migrate, to warmer places during the winter months. Other animals such as bears, gophers, snakes go to sleep through the winter. Squirrels and raccoons (浣熊) don't migrate or hibernate. Instead, they gather enough food during the fall months, so they have plenty to eat during the winter. 

In some areas, winter is a time when snow falls and gathers on the ground. People who live in these places can enjoy special winter activities like skiing or snowboarding. They can also build snow- men. When the water in lakes and rivers freeze, people can ice skate or go ice fishing!

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