Do you know some great inventors and their inventions?

    What factors (因素) are needed for their success?

    Well, good timing for a start. You can have a great idea which the public simply doesn't want … yet. The Italian Giovanni Caselli invented the first fax（传真）machine in the 1860s. Although the quality is excellent, his invention quickly died a commercial(商业的) death. It was not until the 1980s that the fax became very common in every office… too late for Giovanni Caselli.

    Money also helps. The Frenchman Denis Papin (1647-1712) had the idea for a steam engine （蒸汽机）almost a hundred years before the better-remembered Scotsman James Watt was even born… but he never had enough money to build one.

    You also need to be patient (it took scientists nearly eighty years to develop a light bulb which actually worked)… but not too patient. In the 1870s, Elisha Gray, a professional inventor from Chicago, developed plans for a telephone. Gray saw it as no more than “a beautiful toy”. However, when he finally sent details of his invention to the Patent Office(专利局) in February，1876, it was too late. Almost the same invention had arrived two hours earlier and the young man who sent it , Alexander Graham Bell, will always be remembered as the inventor of the telephone.

    Of course what you really need is a great idea—but if you haven't got one, a walk in the country and a careful look at nature can help. The Swiss scientist, George de Mestral, had the idea for Velcro(魔术贴) when he found his clothes covered in sticky seed pods after a walk in the country. During a similar walk in the French countryside some 250 years earlier, Rene Antoine Ferchault de Reaumur had the idea that paper could be made from wood when he found an abandoned wasps' nest(蜂巢).

    You also need good commercial sense. Willy Higinbotham was a scientist doing nuclear (核能的)research in the Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, USA. In 1958 the public were invited to an exhibition in the Laboratory to see their work, but both parents and children were more interested in a tiny 120cm screen with a white dot which could be hit back and forth over a “net” using a button and a knob. Soon hundreds of people were ignoring the other exhibits to play the first ever computer game—made from a simple laboratory instrument called an “oscilloscope”. Higinbotham, however, never made money from his invention: he thought people were only interested in the game because the other exhibits were so boring!

    We want to explore and try to better understand the world in which we live; Space exploration is one of the ways. Through the exploration of space, we can begin to unravel the mysteries of our universe, and to better know our living environment.

    Space exploration provides us with knowledge about the beginning of our solar system, our own planet and ourselves. It also helps answer the questions that have puzzled us for many years. Solar system exploration is important because it is good for us.

    Space technology has become an important part of our daily lives. Some technology uses satellites to communicate. Satellites are also used to examine the changes in the Earth's climate and seas, for weather report and for military. We also use satellites in food production. Because of the use of space technology in crops, fewer and fewer people will suffer hunger.

    The space program provides a chance for nations to work together. The cooperation(合作) promotes peace and understanding between governments and their people. Many governments have taken part in the space technology, including the United States, Russia, Japan, the European nations and India. In the near future, other nations will take part in it. In fact, the United States remains the leader in new space technology.

    A new rubbish sorting system (垃圾分类系统) has been put into use in Fangchengyuan Community in Beijing. Local people not only sort their rubbish, but also put QR codes (二维码) on it.

    "When the rubbish is collected and the codes are scanned (扫描), I will get reward points to exchange for small gifts and even some money," one of the local people told reporters. "It's really creative and encouraging."

    This smart system has been carried out in 350 communities in Beijing. The capital of China has joined a list of cities in the country that take action to support rubbish sorting. For example, Shenzhen and Shanghai have made laws to punish people and organizations for not sorting rubbish correctly.

    China produces quite a lot of rubbish every year. Much of the rubbish is buried (填埋) in soil or burned without being sorted. Landfills (填埋场) take up a lot of land and have a risk of polluting the soil and water nearby. And burning rubbish can produce harmful gases. Through rubbish sorting, we can reduce the use of landfills and air pollution.

    What's more, rubbish sorting saves resources, which could bring economic benefits (经济利益). For example, a ton of waste paper can be reused to make about 850kg of paper, saving 17 trees and 50 percent of water. Because of their benefits, some countries have developed successfully sorting systems.

    In Australia, every family is provided with three rubbish bins—the red lid (盖子) bin for "general waste" like food and plastic bags, the yellow lid bin for "recyclable (可回收利用的) waste" like steel and glass, and the green lid bin for "green waste", such as grass and leaves. On the street, the bins are printed with pictures of the things that are allowed inside. It makes recycling quite easy.

Be a Good Sport!

Sports are more fun for everyone when the players show good, sportsmanship. How to be a good sport? Here are some ways to help you to do it.

{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Good sportsmanship is about more than just doing your best. It also means encouraging others on your team and celebrating their success when they do well. If a teammate does not do well, do not criticize. Instead, say something supportive like "Good effort!"

{#blank#}2{#/blank#}Sports area form of competition. It is easy to decide you do not like the people on the other team just because you are playing against them. Remember that you would not be able to play if you did not have opponents(对手) to play against

{#blank#}3{#/blank#}Getting angry at the referee(裁判), one of the players, or yourself will not help you or your team. Show respect for everyone, and do not speak disrespectfully to anyone.

{#blank#}4{#/blank#}Remember that playing sports is mostly about having fun. You can enjoy playing even if your team does not win. Show that you are a good sport by congratulating the other team when they win.

List one more way to help you be a good sport.(10词以内) {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

What club is right for you? Do the quiz(测验) to find out.