Urban swans might be born with a daredevil gene that makes them less fearful of humans, compared with their rural colleagues.

    A study has found swans living in cities tend to be bolder and it is at least partly determined by a gene called DRD4. Birds with this gene could therefore be better adapted to settling in more populated areas, while more timid（胆怯的）swans would escape to less inhabited regions.

    It could help to explain why swans in public parks and on urban rivers have a reputation for being so aggressive towards humans - they are simply not afraid of us.

    Biologists from some universities in Australia, tracked and collected blood samples from black swans living in two wetlands near cities. One group of swans lived in a recreational urban park, while the other occupied a waste-water processing site out of town. The two areas were less than 20 miles apart. Later, from 2011 through 2013, the researchers started systematically scaring the swans at both sites. The researchers approached the birds and calculated how close they could get before they flew away. As expected, they noticed that while rural swans started flying away if a human was closer than 119 meters, the scientists could come as close to urban swans as 39 meters before taking off.

    Analyses of the blood samples, in fact, showed that 83 per cent of the less cautious swans presented the same genetic DRD4 variation（变异)while rural swans have different genetic makeups resulting in more wariness(谨慎，小心）.

The researchers conclude that swans with the bold variation of the gene might choose to live in urban environments, as they tend to be less bothered by human presence.

    How fit are your teeth? Are you lazy about brushing them? Never fear: An inventor is on the case. An electric toothbrush senses how long and how well you brush, and it lets you track your performance on your phone.

    The Kolibree toothbrush was exhibited at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week. It senses how it is moved and can send the information to an Android phone or iPhone via a Bluetooth wireless connection.

    The toothbrush will be able to teach you to brush right (don't forget the insides of the teeth!) and make sure you're brushing long enough. “It's kind of like having a doctor actually watch your brushing on a day-to-day basis,” says Thomas Serval, the French inventor.

    The toothbrush will also be able to talk to other applications(应用) on your phone, so developers could, for example, create a game controlled by your toothbrush. You could score points for beating monsters(怪物) among your teeth. “We try to make it smart but also fun,” Serval says.

    Serval says he was inspired by his experience as a father. He would come home from work and ask his kids if they had brushed their teeth. They said “yes,” but Serval would find their toothbrush heads dry. He decided he needed a brush that really told him how well his children brushed.

    The company says the Kolibree will go on sale this summer, for $99 to $199, depending on features. The U.S. is the first target market.

    Serval says that one day, it'll be possible to replace the brush on the handle with a brushing unit that also has a camera. The camera can even examine holes in your teeth while you brush.

    In most languages, a greeting is usually followed by "small talk". Small talk means the little things we talk about at the start of a conversation. In English-speaking countries people often make small talk about the weather: "Nice day isn't it?" "Terrible weather, isn't it?" But there is something special about small talk. It must be about something that both people have the same opinion about. The purpose of small talk is to let both people agree on something. This makes meeting people easier and more comfortable. People usually agree about the weather, so it is a safe topic for small talk. But people often disagree about religion or politics so these are not suitable topics for small talk in English. The topics for small talk also depend on where the conversation is taking place. At football matches, people make small talk about the game they are watching, "Great game, isn't it?" At bus-stops, people may comment about the transport system, "The bus service is terrible, isn't it?"

    Greetings and small talk are an important part of conversation in any language. The way people greet each other and the things they talk about, however, may be different from one language to another. This shows that there is much more to learn when we learn a language than just the vocabulary and the grammar of the language. We also have to learn the social behavior of the people who speak it.

    Singapore Flyer was launched in 2008 and states to hold the current title for the world's biggest observation wheel, full 30 meters taller than the London Eye observation wheel in London! Soaring 165 meters, Singapore Flyer offers a whole view of Singapore's important tourist attractions including the scenic Marina Bay.

      Singapore Flyer is also popular for providing an attractive range of shopping and dining choices. Among its greatest dining choices is the Singapore Flyer Sky Dining, one of the most exciting dining experiences you will ever come across.

    Singapore Flyer Sky Dining is the first ever in the world to offer a full service in the sky. To top it all you are presented with best menus created by award-winning cooks from all over the world.

    The sky dining doesn't stop from there. You will gain fast boarding flights, in other words, no more waiting in line to board an observation capsule (机舱). You can enjoy the service of an in-flight host along with a nice three-course fine dining menu.

    Be ready to enjoy yourself in the air-conditioned glass capsule where you will be served a welcome drink, an appetizer (开胃品) along with the main course. From the capsule you will see the night skyline of Marina Bay, Merlion Park, Raffles Place, Empress Place and Padang, bathed in exciting colors. And not just once but you will get to see these very interesting sights twice, during your almost one hour long special dining experience.

    Up to five couples can book a small room and there are even choices to book an entire room for you and your partner. The sky dining experience begins from the VIP waiting room where you will be served with tasty desserts and drinks of your choice. You can see the Singapore Flyer conveniently from one of the top hotels in Singapore like M Hotel Singapore.

    When he was young, Louis Armstrong was taking what was called “Creole jazz”, which was also called dance music, and combining it with trumpeter (小号手) Buddy Bolden, to create what would eventually become today's jazz.

    Armstrong accomplished that with almost no formal training. He received little training before he was placed in the New Orleans Colored Waif's Home at the age of 12, after a run-in (小争执) with the police. The punishment turned out to be a mixed blessing, for he also had the opportunity to play in a real band.

    While at the Waif's, Armstrong also got the chance to hear some of the city's finest musicians. Cornetist Freddie Keppard performed in a nearby club. So did trumpeter and bandleader, King Joe Oliver, who took the boy under his wing and taught him how to read music and work on his playing technique.

    When Oliver left for Chicago, Armstrong chose to stay in New Orleans and work with some of the other top musicians of the day. In Chicago, King Oliver offered him a place in his band in 1922. It became Armstrong's biggest challenge yet — the band had no parts written for trumpet, so he was forced to listen to King Oliver and improvise (即兴创作).

    Soon, Armstrong's undeniable talent was getting notice. Even classically trained musicians would come to hear the incredible sounds this young man created.

    Lil Hardin, the bands piano player and the future Mrs. Armstrong, explains that Oliver kept Armstrong in the second trumpet-chair so that Oliver would still be “King”. Hardin convinced him to leave the band.

    Armstrong moved to New York City in 1924 to join Fletcher Henderson's band and then flew solo. In 1925, Armstrong put together the Hot Five, expanding his popularity even more. Armstrong recorded his first composition, Cornet Chop Suey, one of the most copied jazz solos of all time. This monumental 1928 recording blends (混合) artistry, endurance and showmanship that has rarely, if ever, been matched in Jazz.

Throughout human history, there is a bottomless well of people who made great contributions so that we can now enjoy a better life. The following are, just four of those great minds.

Joseph Lister(1827—1912)

English surgeon(外科医生) Lister pioneered the use of antiseptic(防腐的)and antiseptic surgery which greatly improved survival rates from major surgery. For this, he is often referred to as the father of modern surgery as his use of antiseptic greatly increased the kinds of operations that could be carried out.

Maximilian Bircher-Benner(1867—1939)

Bircher-Benner was a pioneering Swiss physician and nutritionist. He advocated the eating of raw fruit and vegetables and discouraged eating meat and heavily processed foods. Although he was questioned by the scientific establishment, his healthy eating ideas took off and helped create a diet of processed bread, meat and carbs (碳水化合物). The healthy eating trends he established have continued to grow in popularity with more scientific research showing the health benefits of such a diet.

Paracelsus(1493—1541)

Swiss-German physician and leading health reformer. Paracelsus founded the discipline of toxicology(毒理学)and pioneered the use of chemicals in treating patients. He emphasized practical experience. He was also one of the first doctors to note illness can be psychological in nature.

Peter Mansfield(1933—2017)

English physicist who with Peter Lauterbur helped to develop magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)which gets doctors to see inside a patient's body without needing to cut it open. With MRI, doctors can see far more than with x-ray, which is limited to bones. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2003.