Have you ever imagined traveling to a foreign country without having to worry about the headache of communicating in a different language?

    In a recent Wall Street Journal article, technology policy expert Alec Ross argued that, within a decade or so, we'll be able to communicate with one another via small earpieces with built - in microphones. That's because technological progress is extremely rapid. It's only a matter of time. Indeed, some parents firmly hold the idea that this technology is approaching and they're wondering if their kids should even learn a second language.

    It's true that an increase in the quantity and accuracy of the data loaded into computers will make them cleverer at translating “No es bueno dormir mucho” as “It's not good to sleep too much.” Replacing a word with its equivalent (同义词) in the target language is actually the “easy part” of a translator's job. But even this seems to be a discouraging task for computers.

    It's so difficult for computers because translation doesn't--or shouldn't--involve simply translating words, sentences or paragraphs. Rather, it's about translating meaning. And in order to infer meaning from a specific expression, humans have to interpret a mass of information at the same time.

    Think about all the related clues that go into understanding an expression：volume，gesture, situation, and even your culture. All are likely to convey as much meaning as the words you use.

    Therefore, we should be very skeptical of a machine that is unable to interpret the world around us. If people from different cultures can offend each other without realizing it, how can we expect a machine to do better? Unless engineers actually find a way to breathe a soul into a computer, undoubtedly when it comes to conveying and interpreting meaning using a natural language, a machine will never fully take our place.

    I travel a lot, and I find out different "styles" of directions every time I ask "How can I get to the post office?"

    Foreign tourists are often confused in Japan because most streets there don't have names; in Japan, people use landmarks in their directions instead of street names. For example, the Japanese will say to travelers, "Go straight down to the corner. Turn left at the big hotel and go past a fruit market. The post office is across from the bus stop."

    In the countryside of the American Midwest, there are not usually many landmarks. There are no mountains, so the land is very flat; in many places there are no towns or buildings within miles. Instead of landmarks, people will tell you directions and distances. In Kansas or Iowa, for example, people will say, "Go north two miles. Turn east, and then go another mile."

    People in Los Angeles, California, have no idea of distance on the map; they measure distance in time, not miles. "How far away is the post office?" you ask. "Oh," they answer, "it's about five minutes from here." You say, "Yes, but how many miles away is it?" They don't know.

    It's true that a person doesn't know the answer to your question sometimes. What happens in such a situation? A New Yorker might say, 'Sorry, I have no idea." But in Yucatan, Mexico, no one answers "I don't know." People in Yucatan believe that "I don't know" is impolite, they usually give an answer, often a wrong one. A tourist can get very, very lost in Yucatan!

    When we think of holidays, we think of traveling, beaches, fun, and adventure. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Smartphones have taken the world by storm, influencing the manner we interact with each other. Does this sound like you? If so, it sounds like you need a digital detox (数码产品戒毒期).

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Whether you are a businessman or a student, everyone needs some time away from technology.

    Having a tech-free holiday is becoming increasingly popular especially among families. The reason is obvious. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} While it may seem that sending a quick text message or uploading a photo to WeChat doesn't take so much time, these things eventually add up without us even knowing it.

    Whether to give yourself a digital detox is a difficult decision to make. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} To help you along, it is probably a good idea to choose a remote area, somewhere close to nature, where you can truly immerse (沉浸其中) yourself.

    Taking a tech-free holiday would be a good time to pick up something new, or return to hobbies which you never had time for. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} If you're going with friends or family,  perhaps bring along some board games to spend time rekindling (重新点燃) tired relationships.

In today's fast paced world, it's important to find time to stop and smell the roses — without taking a selfie at the same time, that is.

A. You could sketch (描述) the view of the coast, or take photos with your old film camera.

B. One of the best things about a digital detox is the fact that anyone can do it.

C. But the reality is, we spend most of our holidays on our personal digital products.

D. Nothing in this world can compare a holiday like this.

E. However, it may be just the thing you need to cleanse (清洗) your mind, body, and soul.

F. It enables them to spend quality time with together without being distracted by social media.

G People tend to keep connected with smartphones and never feel bored with them.

    For those concerned about wrinkly old skin, it might be a creative solution: an elastic(有弹性的) “second skin” that can be smoothed on to make aged tissue look more youthful.

    The wearable film, developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), has shown promise in a series of small experiments where it was applied to wrinkles, under-eye bags and areas of dry skin. When applied to the face or body, the thin, transparent layer sticks to the skin and supports the tissue, making it look and behave like younger skin, its producers claim.

    “What we've been able to do is create a cream that you can put on the skin, and then when it's on the skin it can actually form, essentially, an elastic second skin,” said Bob Langer, who led the research. Tests in the lab found that the polymer film (高分子膜), which is only 70 thousandths of a millimeter thick, reduced the appearance of wrinkles and under-eye bags, and helped keep moisture (水分) in areas of dry skin.

    The layer is designed to be applied in the morning, then peeled off at night, In previous studies, the second skin withstood normal daily wear, and the stresses and strains of exercise and swimming, without falling off or causing irritation. It also survived exposure to rain.

    “It's something you can wear for a whole day or longer, depending on the physical forces that get applied to the area where it is worn, "said Daniel Anderson, who helped develop the product at MIT. “You can't tell you're wearing it.”

    While normal cosmetics can mask imperfections on the skin, the new coating changes the way skin behaves by giving it the elasticity of young skin. It was developed with help from two companies.

    For several months, Cara has been working up the courage to approach her mom about what she saw on Instagram. Not long ago, the 11-year-old girl, like all the other kids in this story, discovered that her mom had been posting her photos for much of her life." I've wanted to bring it up. It's strange to see myself up there，and sometimes there are pictures I don't like of myself," she said.

    Like most other modem kids, Cara grew up immersed in social media. While many kids may not yet have accounts themselves, their parents, schools, sports teams, and organizations have been organizing an online presence for them since birth. The shock of realizing that details about your life have been shared online without your permission or knowledge has become an important experience in the lives of many teenagers. Recently a parenting blogger (博主)wrote in a Washington Post essay that despite (不顾)her 14-year-old daughter's horror at discovering that her mother had shared years of highly personal stories and information about her online, she simply could not stop posting on her blog and social media. The writer said that promising her daughter that she would stop posting about her publicly on the Internet would mean shutting down a vital part of myself, which isn't necessarily good for me or her." average parents do the same. There's even a special word for it: sharenting. Almost a quarter of children begin their digital lives when parents upload their photos to the Internet, according to a study conducted by the Internet-security firm AVG. The study also found that 92 percent of kids under the age of 2 already have their own unique digital identity.