A few things to do during weekends to improve your life

    Weekend at last! Something you're so looking forward to after a tiring week at work. Here are several tips on how to make the most of your weekends.

    Spend time with loved ones. Reconnect with family members or friends you neglected(疏忽) lately. Don't do it out of guilt or because you have to. Do it because you want to. Reach out to them to see how they are doing. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Return their calls if you were busy when they last tried to reach you. Talk to them. Listen to them. Be there for them.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Stay away from TV, iPad, iPhone and any other electronic devices. Unplug! Your brain needs to clear up from all the stress you've put on yourself during the week. Why not read a book instead? A paper one. Seriously, when was the last time you did that?

    Laugh, laugh and laugh again. You can never have enough of it. Laugh is the best medicine ever. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} For example, it helps you manage stress, strengthen your immune system and you are 40 percent less likely to suffer a heart attack.

    Express appreciation. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Be grateful for your family, friends, health, the food you put on the table, the clothes you wear and the air that you breathe.

    There you are. Doing a few things during weekends will have a positive long-term effect on your life. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}.

A. Apply the “no technology” rule.

B. Pause and pay attention to your thoughts.

C. Friendship is the best source of happiness.

D. Don't call them only when you need them.

E. Put them into practice and you'll beat the Monday Blues.

F. It benefits your mental and physical health in so many ways.

G. This is something you should be doing every day, not only on weekends.

    At the end of every year, Time picks the best 25 inventions that are “making the world better and smarter”. Here we have picked three of this year's inventions that could be a part of your life in the near future.

The levitating(悬浮的) lightbulb

    This special lightbulb was invented by US artist and scientist Simon Morris. He got the idea of making a lightbulb float from hoverboards(悬浮滑板)，which he used to dream of having as a kid.

    But the floating is not the most amazing part. The rejection force between the opposite ends of the magnets(磁铁)，which were put in the bottom of the bulb and in the wooden base, does the job. What's new here is a technology called induction (电磁感应). It allows the lightbulb to get power from the base even they are not in contact.

Shoes that tie themselves

    They're not what you think-shoelaces that tie themselves in the way we tie them. Instead, the new shoes have small motors that control their laces. When you step in them, your feet will hit a sensor（传感器）in the shoes and the motor will automatically tighten the laces.

    But the shoes weren't just designed for lazy people's needs. They could actually give athletes an advantage during competition. They are also useful for people who cannot move their arms or fingers easily.

The no-touch thermometer

    Taking your body temperature usually means putting a thermometer (体温计) in your armpits (腋窝) and staying still for minutes. It may be easy for you, but it's an impossible task for little kids.

    Now, with the new thermometer, users can simply put it 2.5 centimeters from a patient's forechead and press the button, and it can get the reading in two seconds.

    Admission & Opening Times

    Museum Opening Times

    The museum is open daily: 10 am—5 pm

    Collections Centre opens daily: 11 am—5 pm

    Last admission to the museum and Collections Centre is 4:30 pm.

    Closed: December 24, 2017—January 1, 2018 inclusive

    Museum Admission

    Your entry fee will be treated as a donation to our charity on which we may also be able to claim Gift Aid. In return you will receive FREE admission to the museum for a year with our Annual Pass (this excludes 5 Special Show Days per year).

    Tickets for today's date are only available to buy at the museum.

Museum Tours

    An optional tour of the museum is included in your entry fee. The tours are available between 11:15 am and 2 :15 pm every day. They do not have to be pre-booked but have time limits.

Collections Centre

    Access to the Collections Centre is included in your entry fee, so you will just need to show your museum admission ticket at the door to gain entry. The Collections Centre is open from 11 am to 5 pm with last entry at 4:30 pm.

Show Days

    On most show days the normal museum entry prices are applied. There are, however, five Special Show Days per year when the admission price varies, including entry both into the show and the museum. On these days, Gift Aid tickets and promotional vouchers(促销券) are not valid. Advance discounted Show Day tickets are available online or via our Ticket Hotline 019-266 45033.

For more information about the British Motor Museum, please click here.

    A Swiss airplane powered only by energy from the sun left from Abu Dhabi early on March 9. Its creators hope the plane will make the first around-the-world journey without any fuel. The plane is called Solar Impulse 2. It has one seat and is made from carbon fiber. The plane weighs only as much as a car but its wings are wider than a Boeing 747. The plane's wings stretch 72 meters across. Those wings include 17,000 solar units, or cells, which capture the sun's energy. The energy allows the plane to fly day and night.

    Two Swiss scientists built the plane. Bertrand Piccard is also an explorer who made the first non-stop flight around the world in a balloon. Andre Borschberg is an engineer and trained fighter pilot. The scientists say they are not trying to alter the airplane industry. Instead, they want to show that new energy sources and technologies can achieve what some say is impossible. “We want to show we can fly day and night in an aircraft without a drop of fuel.” Mr. Piccard said.

    Some parts of the trip will require the pilots to be in the tiny plane for five to six days and nights in a row. So it is good that the pilot's seat is also a toilet.

    The plane's route begins in the United Arab Emirates. The pilots also plan stops in Oman, India, and China. They will cross the Pacific Ocean, stop in the United States, and continue over southern Europe or North Africa. They plan to arrive back in the United Arab Emirates in late July or early August.

    Internet viewers can go to the Solar Impulse website to see the plane's location and listen to broadcasts from the pilots.

I used to roll my eyes many times before I could get up. Recently, things have changed after I read stories like this one, "Getting up early changed my life". Here are the benefits I've seen so far from changing my workout routine.

    I have more energy

    As I said, I've been a sleepy person while I still love sleeping. I now have an extra burst of energy. I'm less weak in the office, and my brain is more attentive and ready to work. Once, {#blank#}1{#/blank#}, not even coffee could get me ready for the day. But now a good workout can.

I have more confidence

    The enough energy rolled into more confidence. I feel better after a workout. Also, after getting especially sweaty, I have to take time to shower, of course. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}.

    Getting up earlier and using my energy earlier make me so unbelievably ready for bed by the end of the day. My old routine would consist of getting up at the last possible minute before work and being absolutely exhausted to try to fall asleep. Have you ever felt so tired that you can't fall asleep? {#blank#}4{#/blank#}.

    I have more time

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. Now that I've shifted my schedule, I have a little more time after work to take care of myself, whether that's spending time with friends, cooking a healthier meal, reading and studying, or even just watching a movie.

A. I sleep better

B. I'm more consistent

C. It sound ridiculous, but it happens

D. I'd have to skip my workout -in favor of a social life

E. I had a hard time to try to wake up physically and mentally

F. Speaking of that old routine, my days used to consist of work and sleep

G. This means I go through my full morning routine instead of just rolling out of bed

    People generally desire to age gracefully(优雅地)and live a long and healthy life filled with good friends, family, and plenty of activity {#blank#}1{#/blank#}, it's far from being a fantasy. The fact is, many seniors do it. So what are their secrets?

    ●Avoid stress. Studies show that people who are under lots of stress are at a 20% increased risk of heart attack and stroke. Because of this, avoiding stress as much as possible is one of the best ways to live a happy and healthy life for many years. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. it's quite useful to learn stress-management techniques to deal with it better.

    ●{#blank#}3{#/blank#}. You must know that your friends can make you feel happy, but are you aware that they can help you live longer, too? Many studies have found that being alone as you age is a great risk in everything from early death to heart disease and stroke.

    ●Set daily goals. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. And purposeful living can reduce chances of being depressed. In places like Japan where there are many centenarians(people who live beyond 100 years), there is a lot of emphasis on living a life of purpose. Try to plan what you will do the next day before going to bed.

    ●Exercise. Studies show again and again that exercise is one of the best ways to keep your body and mind fit as you age. In addition to helping you avoid physical diseases like heart disease and diabetes, daily exercise can also help you stay away from mental diseases and will contribute to keeping your body fit, healthy and capable throughout your golden years. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}.

A. Find someone to love

B. Keep a healthy social life

C. While it's impossible to cut stress out of life entirely

D. Although this is something that many people dream of

E. Though these tools help reduce the stress of modern-day living

F. Besides, it's a great way to meet new people and learn new things

G. Having something to look forward to every day will keep you motivated