One talented father created the tag “Dadfact” in an effort to persuade his child into eating their sandwiches using information that might not be completely reliable.

Flying is fine if you want to save time, but nothing beats the railway for a relaxing and down-to-earth journey. The Zhengzhou—Xuzhou and Xi'an—Fuzhou high-speed railways put into operation in September mark a connection of high-speed railways in China's eastern and middle-western regions, and they have brought out some of the country's best landscapes and cuisines.

    Here are four signature dishes(招牌菜) that you shouldn't miss as you travel along the railways.

Yangrou Paomo, Xi'an

    If one dish could represent Xi'an, the capital of Shaanxi, locals would tell you without doubt that it's Yangrou Paomo. It is a bowl of lamb soup served with hard flour “bread”, which is broken up and added to the soup. The soup is topped with slices of mutton, scallion(葱) and coriander(香菜). Then it is usually eaten with picked sweet garlic.

Soup Dumpling, Kaifeng

    A popular snack in Kaifeng, Henan, the dish is made up of three things: skin, meat and soup. The skin is made from flour, while the filling is usually pork. And just as its name suggests, the soup dumplings are filled with tasty soup. But how does the steaming hot soup get into the dumplings? It's actually been cooled and cut into cubes, which fit easily into the dough(面团). Along with the pork, the cubes become liquid soup once they're steamed.

Smelly Mandarin Fish, Huangshan

    Despite its name, Smelly Mandarin Fish(臭鳜鱼) is known for its good taste. A lot of travelers who visit Huangshan in Anhui want to taste it because they have heard of its reputation. Once the skin has been removed, the fresh is preserved in salty water for six to seven days, then fried and cooked in soy sauce. Although salting gives the fish its special smell, the original tender flesh is preserved well and given a delicious and unique taste.

Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, Fuzhou

    The dish has enjoyed an over 100-year-long worldwide reputation since it was invented in Fuzhou, Fujian in the late Qing Dynasty(1644-1911). Fotiaoqiang, or Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, got its interesting name from a poem a customer wrote. The poem said the dish was so delicious that upon smelling it, monks in the neighboring temple would jump over the wall to come and get some. Buddha Jumps Over the Wall is made up of many ingredients, including sea cucumber(海参), chicken, pork and mushroom. Because of these ingredients, it tastes extremely delicious while being highly nutritious at the same time.

    Every so often, mankind comes up with really good inventions that have changed our daily lives. However, the U.S. Patent Office has issued over 7. 5 million patents, and not all of them are quite so celebrated. Some good, some bad, and some crazy! The following lists some of the more unusual ideas that have come along.

    Snake Leash

    In 2002, a patent was issued for a snake-walking leash. There are at least two major problems with this idea.  1) Dog leashes fit securely between the head and shoulders. A snake does not have shoulders; so it might slither away. 2) Dogs are OK for public places because they are social animals, and people like them. Snakes are not OK for public places because they are not social, and some people are terrified of them.

    Stadium Helmet

    Americans are known for our love of sports. Unfortunately, good tickets to games are expensive, and some fans have to sit in the nosebleed sections. This invention, patented in 2000, is designed for these fans.  Featuring a built-in radio, binoculars(望远镜) , a cooling fan,  and a helmet for falling litter, this design transforms the stadium experience.

    Bacon Alarm Clock

    When you think about it, waking to the dreadful, blaring noise of an alarm clock is a terrible way to start the day. However; this clock could change that. You simply put a piece of frozen bacon in the alarm clock, set the alarm, and go to sleep. The clock gently wakes you up with the mouthwatering smell of bacon the next morning, just like waking up on a Sunday morning to the smell of Mom cooking breakfast. Who said there's no time to eat breakfast?

    Toilet Lock

    In 1969, a patent was issued for a really bad idea – the toilet seat lock. First of all, fishing for your keys when you have to go seems very unpleasant. Then there is the possibility of losing the key altogether. What about guests? Just think that you would have to ask permission for the bathroom. Of course, there is the ultimate question: Why would you lock it in the first place?

    Humana Bird Feeder

    People have always admired the gracefulness and beauty of birds, and bird watching is a popular hobby. Unfortunately, getting up close and personal is a challenge. That is, until now.  In 1999, a patent was issued for a helmet with birdfeeders attached to it. Although there may be a design flaw (缺陷) (turning the head to see the birds would probably frighten them), this invention could change the way of bird watching.

阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。

    There are many useful suggestions that can help one to improve English. Here are some of them to increase one's English language vocabulary.

    Learning English vocabulary is about much more than just learning the right words. It is based on understanding important words and expressions.

    Learning a word will not help very much if you quickly forget it. Researches show that it takes from 10 to 20 repetitions(重复) to really make a word part of your vocabulary. Since most words are learned from how they are used in context (上下文), the more words one is shown, the better vocabulary one will have. Keep a piece of paper close to you. When you read, pay close attention to the word you do not know, write the word down and try to understand its meaning from the context. Then look up the word in a dictionary. 

    Remember that if you do not use English words that you have just learned in conversation or writing, you will forget them very quickly. So the best way to learn new words effectively is just by trying to use them in conversation and writing. Remember also that practice is the key to fluent spoken English.

    Building vocabulary is a life-long task. Remember: ＂In the beginning was the word.＂ Your future could depend on how rich your vocabulary is. It will also determine the quality of your communication.

    A new web standard is expected to kill passwords, meaning users will no longer have to remember difficult logins(登录) for each and every website or service they use.

    The Web Authentication (WebAuthn网络认证) standard is designed to replace the password with tools that users already own, such as a security key, a smart phone, a fingerprint scanner or webcam. Instead of having to remember long characters, users can authenticate their login with their body or something they have, communicating directly with the website through Bluetooth, USB or NFC.

    "WebAuthn will change the way that people access the Web," said Jeff Jaffe, CEO of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), the body that controls web standards. One example of how WebAuthn will work is that when a user visits a site, they put in a user name and then get a message on their smart phone. Tapping on the message on their phone then logs them into the website without the need for a password.

    WebAuthn promises to protect users against phishing attacks(钓鱼攻击) and the use of stolen information as there will be nothing to steal, the authentication sign is produced and used once by their special tool each time the user enters.

    "After years of increasingly serious data and password being stolen, now it is the time for service providers to end their dependency on easily-attacked passwords and use phishing-resistant FIDO Authentication(快速身份认证联盟) for all websites and apps," said Brett McDowell, CEO of the FIDO Alliance, one of the bodies pushing the new standard.

    WebAuthn should also help people use special login details for each and every service they use, instead of using the same login and password for every site, which many people still do, leaving them further attacked if one site is hacked(黑客攻击).

    The W3C has moved WebAuthn to what's called the "candidate recommendation" stage – the last-but-one step before it becomes an approved web standard – inviting sites and services to begin using it. The web standards body announced that Google, Microsoft and Mozilla had been devoted to supporting WebAuthn, meaning that all major web explorers except Apple's Safari will use the new standard.

    "While there are many web security problems and we can't fix them all, relying on passwords is one of the weakest links. With WebAuthn's solutions we are removing this weak link," said Jaffe.

    Several sites and services already use similar methods to enter, including Google and Facebook, which can both be entered using a USB security key. But a single cross-platform, cross-service standard approved by the W3C will mean that many more sites and services will be able to kill the password as the login method.

    WebAuthn is the top of many years of work and the change will not happen overnight. But as it increasingly seems unavoidably that our email or other online services will get hacked into, removing the password is an important step in improving online security and making using sites and services easier.

    Kung fu is one of the most popular topics of discussion among foreigners talking about China. As a discipline of kung fu with the largest number of practitioners in China, Tai Chi is gaining popularity worldwide. Tai Chi is sweeping the world thanks to its deep cultural roots and the health benefits coming from practicing it.

    The philosophy of Tai Chi features the concept of yin and yang, which is typical of Confucianism and Taoism. Tai Chi also takes in ideas from traditional Chinese medicine, including anatomy (解剖学) and physiology (生理学). It is a practice that couples hardness with softness, and it is a perfect example of traditional Chinese culture.

    Through lasting practice, learners begin to feel the positive impact (影响) of Tai Chi on their health. Unlike kung fu practices that focus on attacking and defending against enemies, Tai Chi focuses more on shaping good characters and keeping fit. By practicing Tai Chi, people will feel an improvement in their physical and psychological health by promoting a balance between yin and yang within their bodies. This is similar to Western medicine's improving people's self-healing ability and immune system.

    Tai Chi is playing an important role in presenting Chinese culture to the rest of the world, acting like a bridge between China and other countries. Recent years have seen a lot of international communication on Tai Chi. In provinces like Hebei, Henan, Shanxi and Shaanxi, where Tai Chi teaching and learning are particularly active, local governments and non-governmental institutions often organize activities and competitions for learners and fans to attend and participate in. Large sporting events hosted by China such as the Asian Games and Olympics have featured Tai Chi performances or contests. These activities have opened a window for the outside world to know more about Tai Chi, paving the way for its overseas wide spread.

    Today, Tai Chi not only belongs to China, but also to the whole world and to everyone who loves it.

    The following are four famous malls in the world where you can not only purchase things but also enjoy entertainment.

    Mall of America (Minnesota, USA)

    This Mall has a theme park and a wedding church, where more than 5,000 couples have been married since its opening. The mall of America opened in 1992 and is the third largest mall in North America.

    The mall of America is the most visited shopping mall in the world, with more than 40 million visitors annually. Spending 10 minutes in every store would take shopper more than 86 hours to complete their visit to the Mall of America.

    Mall of the Emirates (Dubai)

    The mall of the Emirates is an entertainment and shopping resort located in Dubai. It offers a full range of shopping, leisure and entertainment facilities.

    This shopping center is home to over 450 retailers（零售商）and also features a complete range of entertainment options, including Ski Dubai, the first indoor ski destination in the middle East.

    West Edmonton Mall (Alberta, Canada)

    The fifth largest mall in the world and the largest in North America, it has the largest indoor water park, which has the biggest wave pool in the world.

    The mall has a theme park called Galaxyland, with a number of attractions, including a roller coaster. In addition, the mall has an indoor lake, which is home to four sea lions.

    The Dubai Mall (Dubai)

    The Dubai Mall is the world's largest mall in total area.

    The mall has 1,200 shops and houses an aquarium（水族馆）which earned the Guinness World Record for the world's "largest Acrylic Panel". The mall is also home to an ice rink（溜冰场）, a 250-room luxury hotel and 22 cinema screens, plus 120 restaurants and cafes. It's also famous for the unique "malls-within-a-mall" concept, with themed shopping area like Gold Souk, Fashion Island and The Grove, an indoor-outdoor streetscape with a fully retractable（可缩回的）roof.