Have you seen some machines that eat used plastic bottles and give some coins to the users(用户) ?

     Recently, such machines have appeared at universities in Chongqing. They can turn rubbish into treasure and encourage the public to recycle rubbish. The machine is as large as a fridge. Users put an empty bottle in the machine, It is identified(识别) by a  small camera. Then it is put into a built-in bin. The users can get some coins. They can also give away the money.

     When the machine is filled with bottles. it will tell the company's(公司) head office. Nearby stations will send workers to have bottles collected . packed and send to the company.

     The bottle recycling machines could greatly encourage the public to recycle rubbish and save natural resources(资源) . Now the machine only eats plastic bottles. At sometimes in the future it will also cover others, such as glass bottles, to turn more rubbish into treasure and make full use of the natural resources.

     People can also see similar machines in Shanghai. In the future, more such machines will appear at some large stations. Bus stops, neighborhoods and schools.

阅读理解。

   Your brain controls everything you do. It makes it possible for you to think,

Learn, create and feel; to blink(眨眼) and breathe and for your heart to heat –this fantastic control center is your brain. It is so amazing that a famous scientist once called it "the most complex(复杂) thing we have yet discovered in our universe".

Can this small grey organ(器官) , which weighs less than one and a half kilos, really do so much? Amazingly , your brain contains about 100 billion neurons(神经元) -it would take you over 3, 000 years to count them all. Believe it or not, the activity in your brain never stops. Your neurons create and send more messages than all the phones in the world. And although one neuron creates only a little electricity, all your neurons together can produce enough electricity to power a light bulb (灯泡).

    So exactly how fast does your brain work? Well, imagine this: a bee lands on your foot. Neurons in your skin send this information to your brain at a speed of more than 240 kilometers per hour. Your brain then uses other neurons to send the message back to your foot to shake the bee off quickly. These neurons can send this information at more than 320 kilometers per hour. No computer has your brain's unbelievable ability to deal with the amount of information coming from your eyes, ears and other sensory organs.

    But how does your brain allow you to learn things that you will use in the future? The structure (结构) of your brain changes every time you have a new thought, remember or learn something. For example, riding a bike seems impossible at first, but soon you are able to do it. How? As you practice, your brain sends "bike riding" messages again and again soon, the actions are learnt and you are able to ride a bike easily from then on.

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    People often think of the North Pole(北极) and the South Pole as similar frozen(冰冻的) wastelands. They are both places with very cold temperatures and few people live there. However, the North and South Poles are not much alike as people may imagine.

    The North Pole has no land, only thick ice. Temperatures seldom go above 32°F, at which water turns into ice. Most of the time, it stays below zero. In winter temperatures are usually as low as -30°F.

    Although conditions were very poor, people tried for many centuries to reach the North Pole. About 100 years ago, two men, Robert Peary and Mathew Henson, were able to get to this environment full of troubles and difficulties. They reached the North Pole on March 8th, 1909. It was really a hard trip for them.

    There are few things more dangerous than crossing the Arctic(北极圈) on foot. People who stayed there may face many problems: very cold temperatures, sudden storms, and even hunger. Most of the area is uninhabited. Few people can live in such a difficult place.

    People might think that with such low temperatures for most of the year, the ice would be thick and hard. However, this is not true in the Arctic. The movement of the ocean water under the ice may often cause many different changes on the surface. Sometimes the ice breaks into two opening lanes of water(水道) called “leads”. Anyone who falls into a lead can be frozen to death in a few minutes.

    Traveling can be expensive. But there are some ways to save money when traveling.

Look for city tourism cards. With the card, you can pay less at restaurants and shops. You don't have to wait for a long time at busy attractions. You might even get free tickets to top tourist attractions.

    Don't get the best room. How long will you stay in your room? Will you just be sleeping there? Do you really need a bigger room with a good view? （景色）

Find a hotel outside a city. It can help you save money by choosing a hotel away from big tourist attractions.

    Book(预定) a room with a kitchen. Although some people might not like to cook while on vacation, I don't mind making breakfast in my room. I'd rather eat breakfast and lunch at the hotel and then spend much money on a delicious supper.

    A British company has made a new product to help us save money. The product is a wristband that gives us an electric shock if we spend too much money. The wristband is called Pavlok. It is linked to our bank account. It knows how much money we have in the bank. If we go shopping and there is not enough money in our bank account, the wristband makes an electric shock on our wrists. This warns us not to overspend. The company is called Intelligent Environments. It wants to work with banks to help customers with their money. So far, no banks in Britain have said they would ask their customers to wear Pavlok. They could start doing this in the future.

    The Pavlok wristband is part of the Internet of Things. This is the idea that everything in our life will be connected to the Internet. The CEO of Intelligent Environments, David Webber, said people liked the idea of the Pavlok. Shoppers would rather get a small electric shock in the store from the wristband than get a big shock later when they see their bank account. Mr. Webber said the Pavlok would be great for people who cannot stop spending because they have no power or their power is weak. He added that many young people have the "ostrich effect". This is when people put their heads in the sand and buy things rather than look at how much money they have in their bank accounts.

    When people talk about pigs, they always have the same idea — pigs are ugly, lazy and silly However, pigs have some good qualities. They are as smart as dogs and elephants. 2019 is the Year of the Pig. Here are four popular cartoon pigs.