New App Helps People Remember Faces

    Large gatherings such as weddings and meetings can be socially Q flooded with people. Learning people's names only adds to the stress. A new facial-recognition app could come to the rescue, but experts suggest people should be careful while using it.

    The app, called SocialRecall, connects names with faces through smartphone cameras and facial recognition, avoiding the need for formal introductions. "It breaks down these social barriers we all have when meeting somebody, "says Barry Sandrew, who created the app and tested it at an event attended by about 1, 000 people.

    After receiving an invitation to download SocialRecall from an event organizer, the user is asked to take two selfies and sign in through social media. At the event, the app is active within a previously set geographical area. When a user points his or her phone camera at an attendee's face, the app identifies the person, displays the person's name, and links to his or her social media information. To protect Privacy, it recognizes only those who have agreed to use. And the app's creators say it automatically removes users' data after an event.

    Ann Cavoukian, a expert who runs the Privacy by Design Center of Excellence praises the app's creators for these protective measures. She added, however, that when people choose to share their personal information with the app, they should know that "there may be unexpected results down the road with that information being used in another situation that might come back to bite you."

    The start-up project has developed the app for people who suffer from prosopagnosia, or "face blindness, "a condition that prevents people from recognizing people they have met. To use this app, a person first receives an image of someone's face, from either the smartphone's camera or a photograph, and then tags it with a name. When the camera spots or recognizes that same face in real life, the previously entered information is displayed. The collected data are stored only on a user's phone, according to the team behind the app.

Sadness hits every person living on this planet.If you haven't yet experienced this emotion（情绪），then consider yourself as a truly different person.Do you know what you should do when you are sad？{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

Write.You can write down your sad stories in your notebook or on your Weibo.If you're brave enough，make your Weibo public and let people read it. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

Listen to music.Not the sad type.Just listen to the type of music that can heal（治愈） your soul and put you in a better mood.Lots of people agree that listening to music can make them forget sadness.

{#blank#}3{#/blank#}If you have a pet，it's a great idea to play with it!If not，then go to the local animal shelter and spend some time with those cute animals.Dogs especially make humans happy，so go ahead and play with them.

Do chores.Finish all those chores you' ve been putting off for a while. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Go and buy some new bowls，plates，forks and other tools.These small things are just excuses to make you forget your sadness.

{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Volunteer at your local children 's hospitals and old people 's homes.If you can 't help yourself，at least you can help someone who needs your help，right？Lots of people say that helping others can make them happy.

All over the world，men and women，boys and girls play sports because they're important for everyone.If you have time to do sports

People think running is easy and cool now.Many people don't have enough time to play sports，so they start running in the morning or evening.In the past，running in the street was a little silly，keep fit or relax themselves.

Running was not popular at school in the past.In some schools，when it rained，the playground became too wet and children couldn't play football，running becomes popular now.Good sports clothes，comfortable shoes and your favorite music are helpful for running.

Every year in April，the London Marathon（马拉松） comes.People from all over the world run in it.Interestingly，but now even people who are unfit come to join in it.It's not because marathons become easier，but people become more interested in running.

So what are you waiting for？Just run from today.

According to Chinese history, sky lanterns were first used by Zhuge Kongming. He sent them out to ask for help when in trouble. Today, sky lanterns are used at festivals and other{#blank#}1{#/blank#}. They are made of bamboo and covered with paper. When the lanterns are {#blank#}2{#/blank#}, they slowly rise into the air like small hot—air balloons for all to see. They are {#blank#}3{#/blank#}as bright symbols of happiness and good wishes. 

Paper cutting has been around for over 1,500 years. Paper cutting {#blank#}4{#/blank#}very easy but it can be difficult to do. The paper, usually red, is folded before it is cut with scissors. The most common pictures are flowers, animals, and things about {#blank#}5{#/blank#}history. During the Spring Festival, they are put on windows, doors and walls as symbols of wishes for good luck and a happy new year. 

Chinese clay art is famous because the clay pieces are so small but they look very 61. {#blank#}6{#/blank#}. The pieces are usually cute children or lively {#blank#}7{#/blank#}from a Chinese fairy tale or historical story. The pieces are{#blank#}8{#/blank#} shaped by hand from a very special kind of clay and then allowed to air-dry. After drying, they are fired at a very high heat. {#blank#}9{#/blank#}are then polished and painted. It takes several weeks to complete everything. These small pieces of clay art show the love that all Chinese people have for life and {#blank#}10{#/blank#}

The Lantern Festival is an important festival in China. It began 2, 000 years ago during the Han dynasty. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} It also means the end of the Spring Festival celebrations. 

People celebrate the festival in many ways. The lantern show is the most important part of the festival. On the night of the festival, many lanterns are hung in the streets and parks. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} People often go out and watch the lantern show with their family and friends. 

Lantern riddle（字谜） games are also popular during the Lantern Festival. Riddles are written on colourful lanterns. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

Tangyuan is the traditional food of the Lantern Festival. It can have many different fillings and tastes. Shaped like a round ball, tangyuan is delicious. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} On the other hand, the shape of tangyuan means family reunion. 

{#blank#}5{#/blank#} In the daytime, people can enjoy the performances such as a dragon lantern dance, a lion dance, a Yangge dance and beating drums. At night, except for the beautiful lanterns, fireworks form a beautiful scene. Some local governments usually organize a fireworks party. People enjoy themselves during the Lantern Festival. 

A. Shows are everywhere all day. 

B. If someone gets the right answer, he or she will get a gift. 

C. It is on the 15th day of the first lunar month. 

D. These lanterns light up the night during the festival. 

E. On the one hand, people eat tangyuan for good luck. 

Many students have problems in listening to English. Read the information below and learn more about how to improve your listening skills（技能）. 

Listen to the English radio.

One of the best ways to improve your English listening skills is to listen to the English radio on your mobile phone. 

●You should listen to the radio shows for more than 30 minutes a day. 

●Try to understand. Don't just let the English wash over you. If you find it too fast, try to pick out the key words to get a main idea of it. 

●You can also make notes when you hear some new words or phrases（短语）. Look them up in the dictionary and then listen to the show again. 

Watch English movies and TV shows.

Another fun way to improve your listening is to watch English movies and TV shows. 

●Try to choose films or TV shows that you will enjoy. This will make the listening more interesting. If you like the film or TV show, you may forget your job is to practise listening. You just enjoy it. 

●However, you should not watch movies or TV shows with Chinese. It will be difficult for you to focus on English. 

If you have any other questions, please send emails to us and we will give you the best answers.