When was the last time you relied on an old-fashioned map to figure out the route to an unfamiliar place? For many, the GPS has revolutionized navigation, making a paper map almost obsolete? So how has this piece of technology developed over its 26 years of existence? On February 14,1989,the first satellite in the US Global Positioning System was sent into space from Cape Canaveral, beginning the start of one of the wonders of the modern world.

    GPS stands for Global Positioning System, which is made of a network of around 30 satellites that move around the earth. The system uses a process called trilateration to find out one's position. By measuring the time it takes for the signal to reach one satellite, the GPS can determine your distance from the satellite, creating a sphere(范围) of possible locations. Measuring your distance from at least three satellites will narrow your location to the place where the three spheres cross one another, to the accuracy(精确) of about less than 1 meter!

    The GPS was first invented during the Cold War by the United States Department of Defense. In 1960, the first system, which was made of just five satellites, was put into place. It was initially created for strictly military(军事的) use; however, in 1983, as a result of faulty navigation technology, a Korean passenger plane mistakenly flew into USSR territory(苏联领土) and was shot down. In order to prevent such bad events, American President Ronald Reagan allowed civilian(民用的) use of the GPS.

    Over the next ten years, the system's accuracy improved as the network was increased to 24 satellites. And during the first Persian Gulf War, the new GPS was finally used by the military. Now scientists use the technology to track animals to better understand their movement and behavior. Parents who may be worried about their children can also use GPS technology to track them.

    Wolves are important animals in the traditions and stories of most Native American tribes. To Native Americans, wolves often represent bravery. The animals also are signs of strength, loyalty, and success at hunting. Other cultures--such as the ancient Celtic and Nordic peoples-also placed high value on wolves.

    However, from the wolves in horror films to the wolves in children's stories, wolves get a bum rap(不公正的惩罚) in both literature and English expressions.

    To begin with, there is the term lone wolf. The lone wolf isn't a bad person. But they like to do things on their own. However, the term can mean something less than desirable. Lone wolf makes you think the person doesn't want to be around people because he or she dislikes them.

    Now, let's move on to the home.

    Parents might criticize their children for wolfing down their food. In other words, the child eats very quickly and without care. And if someone says a child was raised by wolves, that child has bad manners and is behaving like a wild animal. A wolf at the door means someone to whom you owe money is waiting just outside your door.

By the way, there are two popular wolf-related expressions that come from Aesop, the ancient Greek storyteller.

    The first is a wolf in sheep's clothing. A wolf in sheep's clothing describes someone who acts and looks nice on the outside but is bad on the inside.

    Aesop's other wolf fable also involves a shepherd, but not a hardworking one. He is known as the boy who cried wolf. People who cry wolf are not trusted. People are so familiar with this story, you simply have to say cry wolf for them to know what you mean.

    The European Parliament has approved a law banning a wide-range of single-use plastic items, such as straws and cotton buds by 2021. "Europe is setting new standards, paving the way(铺路) for the rest of the world," the European Commission's vice-president Frans Timmermans, who is responsible for sustainable development, said in a statement.

    The new plans come after the EC found that plastics make up more than 80% of marine litter, which has disastrous effects on wildlife and habitats. The EU parliament notes that because of its slow rate of breaking down, plastic residue(残余) has been found in marine species as well as fish and shellfish - and therefore also makes its way into the human food chain.

    Under the new European law, tobacco companies will be required to cover the costs for the collection of cigarette butts. Manufacturers of fishing tools will also have to pay for the retrieval(找回) of any plastic nets that have been left at sea. There's also a new focus on further raising public awareness, where producers of items such as tobacco filters(滤嘴), plastic cups, and wet wipes will be required to clearly explain to users how to appropriately dispose of them.

    The European Commission first suggested the ban in May, which was approved by member states in October. China last year banned the import of 24 varieties of solid waste, including types of plastic and unsorted paper, putting pressure on Europe to deal with its own waste.

    The World Economic Forum estimates that there are about 150 million tons of plastic in the world's seas. A study published in Science in 2015 suggested that between 5 and 13 million tons more are flowing into them every year. Research shows there will be more plastic than fish by weight in the world's oceans by 2050, which has encouraged policymakers, individuals and companies into action.

    Donna Strickland is a professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy. Professor Strickland is one of the recipients( 受领者) of the Nobel Prize in Physics 2018 with Gérard Mourou, her PhD supervisor at the time. They published this Nobel-winning research in 1985 when Strickland was a PhD student at the University of Rochester in New York state. Together they paved the way toward the most intense laser pulses ever created.

    Professor Donna Strickland is only the third woman ever to have won a Nobel Prize in physics. She and her fellow winners were honored for what the Nobel Committee called ground-breaking inventions in laser physics. Professor Strickland devised a way to use lasers as very precise drilling or cutting tools. Millions of eye operations are performed every year with these sharpest of laser beams.

—"How surprising do you think it is that you're the third woman to win this prize? "

—"Well, that is surprising, isn't it? I think that's the story of Maria that people want to talk about — that why should it take 60 years? There are so many women out there doing fantastic research, so why does it take so long to get recognized? "

    Physics still has one of the largest gender gaps in science. One recent study concluded that at the current rates it would be more than two centuries until there were equal numbers of senior male and female researchers in the field.

    The last woman to win a physics Nobel was German-born Maria Goeppert-Mayer for her discoveries about the nuclei of atoms. Before that it was Marie Curie, who shared the 1903 prize with her husband, Pierre. This year's winners hope that breaking this half century hiatus will mean the focus in future will be on the research, rather than the gender of the researcher.

    Proudly reading my words, I glanced around the room, only to find my classmates bearing big smiles on their faces and tears in their eyes. Confused, I glanced toward my stone-faced teacher. Having no choice, I slowly raised the report I had slaved over, hoping to hide myself. "What could be causing everyone to act this way?"

    Quickly, I flashed back to the day Miss Lancelot gave me the task. This was the first real task I received in my new school. It seemed simple: go on the Internet and find information about a man named George Washington. Since my idea of history came from an ancient teacher in my home country, I had never heard of that name before. As I searched the name of this fellow, it became evident that there were two people bearing the same name who looked completely different! One invented hundreds of uses for peanuts, while the other led some sort of army across America. I stared at the screen, wondering which one my teacher meant. I called my grandfather for a golden piece of advice: flip (掷) a coin. Heads—the commander, and tails—the peanuts guy. Ah! Tails, my report would be about the great man who invented peanut butter, George Washington Carver.

    Weeks later, standing before this unfriendly mass, I was totally lost. Oh well, I lowered the paper and sat down at my desk, burning to find out what I had done wrong. As a classmate began his report, it all became clear, "My report is on George Washington, the man who started the American Revolution." The whole world became quiet! How could I know that she meant that George Washington?

    Obviously, my grade was awful. Heartbroken but fearless, I decided to turn this around. I talked to Miss Lancelot, but she insisted: No re-dos; no new grade. I felt that the punishment was not justified, and I believed I deserved a second chance. Consequently, I threw myself heartily into my work for the rest of the school year. Ten months later, that chance unfolded as I found myself sitting in the headmaster's office with my grandfather, now having an entirely different conversation. I smiled and flashed back to the embarrassing moment at the beginning of the year as the headmaster informed me of my option to skip the sixth grade. Justice is sweet!

    I used to be crazy about the hunting season. The excitement of waiting for a prey(猎物)and the pride of showing off the kill fascinated me. However, everything changed after that cold morning.

    Early on that day of the late fall, I set off alone for the woods, packing a gun, a bottle of hot coffee and three thick sandwiches. After finding the fresh deer's tracks in the snow, I settled down behind a little bush.

I sat there for about an hour. It was then that I saw him. A deer, a big beautiful deer! There was no cover nearer to him than 30 yards. Surely I couldn't miss! I waited for him to realize I was there. I waited for him to be shocked and run away. But he fooled me completely. He came towards me! He was curious, I suppose, or maybe he was stupid—how else can you explain it? Well, that deer walked right up to where I was sitting. Then he stopped and looked at me!

    What happened next is hard to believe, but it's true. And it all seemed quite natural. Just as when a friendly young deer comes near you, I reached up and scratched his head. And he liked to be scratched. In fact, he practically asked for more. Then, I fed him my sandwich! Yes, I know what a deer eats, but that deer ate my sandwich. Well, he finally went his way, down the hill and up the deer trail. Shoot him? Not me. You wouldn't have either, not after that. I just watched him go.

    When I was about half way back, I heard two shots, followed by a dull slam(撞击)a few seconds later. Those two shots usually mean a kill. I had forgotten there were other hunters that day.

    Those hunters would never know they could have scratched his head.