While watching movies, it's getting hard to tell what is and isn't real. Thanks to computers, movie makers can now use their full imaginations. There's even a new type of character--made entirely by computers—which is getting more and more screen time.
    Making the impossible look easy has always been a part of movie magic. As far back as 1895, filmmakers used special effects in movies. Over the years, many few techniques（技术） were developed. Then, starting in the 1970s, computers took their place at the center of the process.
    One of the first movies to widely use 3D computer generated（生成的，产生的） imagery (CGI) was Tron(1982). In the following years, more CGI characters were brought to life, one by one. Then, Jurassic park (1993) brought us an island full of man-eating dinosaurs. Shortly afterwards, Toy Story (1995) became the first cartoon made entirely with 3D CGI effects. It was a big hit, and audiences loved the characters.
    By using “motion capture” technology, filmmakers can make the movements of CGI humans even more lifelike. With this technique, a real actor wears sensors（感受器，传感器） on his face and body. The sensors record the actor's movements and send the information to a computer. Then the movements are given to a CGI character. This technique was used to make the creature（生物，有生命的东西） Gollum in the second and third The Lord of the Rings movies (2002, 2003). Other films, like Beowulf (2007), have also used motion capture to help create CGI humans.
    It is still rather easy to tell that a CGI human is not real. But the technology is improving every year. Over time, many problems ( like the teeth and eyes looking fake) will be solved. We will certainly see more CGI animals, monsters, and people in movies and TV shows. The question is – in the future, how many real actors will be put out of work by computer actors?

    Autistic (患自闭症的) children may learn better from robots than from human beings, according to a study at a school in Birmingham.   Two robots like humans, Max and Ben, have been helping teach autistic children at Topcliffe Primary School since March last year. The school is the first in the UK to try the new way.Ian Lowe, the head teacher, said, “The robots have no feelings, so autistic children find that they are less terrible than their teachers.” He added, “They are really cute-looking. Autistic children are hard to communicate with adults and other children, but for some reasons they like these robots. Some children are not able to communicate with others. But they come into school and start to communicate through the robots.”

    The robots are knee-high and move like children. The school is using them to teach phonics (声学) and play cards or memory and imitation (模仿) games with children from five to ten.Dr Guldberg said, “We do many different activities with the robots acting as a model for the children's behavior. It is amazing to see how interested and concentrated the children can be when they are working with the robots. It can be very difficult to get autistic children to concentrate.” He added, “If you can meet the needs of autistic children, you can meet the needs of all children. And you know, when people feel safe and interested, they learn much better.”

    Most of us spend a third of our lives sleeping. Scientists have been studying the brain to learn what happens while we sleep. Scientists tell us that there are four stages(阶段)of sleep. During each stage our brain behaves differently, and so does our body. Each stage is marked by changes in the pattern of brain waves, which can be recorded by machines.

    In the first stage, we drift off to sleep. Our muscles(肌肉)begin to relax. Our heartbeat and breathing slow down. Body temperature and blood pressure(压力)begin to drop. Stage-two sleep is a time of small, fast brain waves. Our eyes move quickly from side to side as if watching a movie. This is known as rapid eye movement, or REM sleep. During REM sleep, dreaming takes place. In stage three the brain wave becomes slower again.

    Within about 45 minutes after falling sleep, we progress into the fourth stage – deep sleep. As this happens, our brain sends out slower but larger brain waves. This is the most restful kind of sleep, but it is also the time when sleepers are most likely to change positions or sleepwalk. After deep sleep we return to stage two. As the hours pass, we repeat the sleep cycle four or five times. Then we wake up.

Need 40 hours of volunteering experience（志愿者经历）

Student volunteers needed in Tiffany Village

Main work：Share a story，have a laugh and take better care of the old people.

Student volunteers are a basic（基本的） part of the volunteer team.Taking part in Community（社区） is a rule of a middle school.Learn more and join in volunteering in seniors（长者）

Volunteering in Tiffany Village is a very meaningful way to get your community service hours.Your time and hard work will have a long influence（影响） on the lives of the community members.If you are looking for a way to improve yourself？Don't miss this chance.

TIFFANY VILLAGE

—Retirement Living

Chen Beier, a TV host, was going to make a programme about Atule'er, the small village in Sichuan that sits on a cliff(悬崖). People could only get to the top by climbing a 2, 556-step metal ladder(金属爬梯). 

China has reached an important goal(目标). It eradicated extreme poverty(消除绝对贫困). And life has greatly changed in Atule'er too. Years ago, there was no schools for kids to get an education. Many people died because of poor medical condition. There are no more sad facts like these in Atule'er now. Government built schools and hospitals. People can go to school and see a doctor as easily as those in town. 

Now Chen was on her way to Atule'er but it wasn't easy to complete the trip. When Chen was halfway up the ladder, she felt so tired that she could hardly go any further. But the woman set her teeth and continued her climb. Thanks to Chen, people can easily see how life in China's countryside has improved. 

China has changed a lot. Many people outside China, however, couldn't believe it. Now, Chen has shown us what can be done about that: Don't just tell them, show them.