China became the first country to clone a monkey using non-reproductive cells, scientists said on Thursday. By December 2017 , the Chinese Academy of Sciences had created two clone macaques(猕猴) named“Zhong Zhong” and “Hua Hua”by nuclear transferring of body cells—any cell in the organism other than reproductive cells. This was the similar technology used to create the famous clone sheep Dolly in 1996.

    Telra, a monkey born in 1999 , is the world's first ever-cloned monkey, but it was done using a simpler method called embryo splitting(胚胎分裂)，and cannot be genetically modified to suit experimental needs, said Pu Muming, a leading researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Cloning a monkey using body cells has been a world-class challenge because it is a primate(灵长类)that shares its genetic makeup, therefore all of its complexity, with humans, he said.

    For drug and other lab tests, scientists have to purchase monkeys from all over the world, which is costly, bad for the environment and produces inaccurate results because each monkey might have different genes, Pu said.

    By cloning monkey using body cells, we can mass reproduce a large number of genetically identical monkeys in a short amount of time, and we can even change their genes to suit our needs, he added. “This can save time, cut down experiment costs, and produce more accurate results, leading to more effective medicine.”

    Sun Qiang, director of the non-human primate research facility at the institute, said most of the drug trials are currently done on lab mice. However, drugs that work on mice might not work or even have severe side effects on humans because the two species are so different.

    Monkeys and humans are both primates, so they are much closely related and testing on monkeys is supposed to be as effective as testing on humans. This achievement will help China lead the world research in an international science project related to study of primate brains.

    Calorie(卡路里)counts are everywhere. They appear on restaurant menus, milk boxes and bags of baby carrots. Grocery stores display lots of foods packaged with bright and colorful “low-calorie” claims.

A calorie is the measure of stored energy in something—energy that can be released as heat when burned. The term calorie on food labels is short for kilocalorie. A kilocalorie is the amount of energy it takes to raise the temperature of one kilogram of water by 1 degree Celsius. But what does boiling water have to do with your body's release of energy from food? After all, your body doesn't start boiling after eating. It does, however, chemically break down food into sugars. The body then releases the energy to fuel processes and activities throughout each hour of the day.

    Food contains three main types of nutrients that deliver energy: fats, proteins and carbs(碳水化合物). A process called metabolism(新陈代谢) first cuts these into small pieces; Proteins break down into amino acids(氨基酸), fats into fatty acids and carbs into simple sugars. Then, the body uses oxygen to break down these materials to release heat.

Most of this energy goes toward powering the heart, lungs, brain and other vital processes. Exercise and other activities also use energy. If energy-rich nutrients aren't used right away, your body will hoard them—first in the liver(肝脏), and then later as body fat.

    In general, someone should eat the same amount of energy each day as his or her body will use. If the balance is off, they will win lose or gain weight. It's very easy to eat more calories than the body needs. Having two 200-calorie donuts in addition to regular meals could easily put teens over their daily needs. At the same time, it's nearly impossible to balance overeating with extra exercise. Running a mile burns just 100 calories. Knowing how many calories are in the food we eat can help keep the energy in and out balanced.

    We know the famous ones — the Thomas Edisons and the Alexander Graham Bells — but what about the less famous inventors? What about the people who invented the traffic light and the windshield wiper（雨刮器）? Shouldn't we know who they are?

    Joan Mclean think so. In fact, Mclean, a professor of physics at Mountain University in Range, feels so strongly about this matter that she's developed a course on the topic. In addition to learning “who” invented “what”, however, Mclean also likes her students to learn the answers to the “why” and “how” questions. According to Mclean, “When students learn the answers to these questions, they are better prepared to recognize opportunities for inventing and more motivated to give inventing a try.”

    Her students agree. One young man with a patent for an unbreakable umbrella is walking proof of Mclean' statement. “If I had not heard the story of the windshield wiper's invention,” said Tommy Lee, a senior physics major, “I never would have dreamed of turning my bad experience during a rainstorm into something so constructive.” Lee is currently negociating to sell his patent to an umbrella producer.

    So, just what is the story behind the windshield wiper? Well, Mary Anderson came up with the idea in 1902 after a visit to New York City. The day was cold and stormy, but Anderson still wanted to see the sights, so she jumped aboard a streetcar. Noticing that the driver was struggling to see through the snow covering the windshield, she found herself wondering why there couldn't be a built-in device for cleaning the window. Still wondering about this when she returned home to Birmingham, Alabama, Anderson started drafting out solutions. One of her ideas, a lever（操作杆）on the inside of a vehicle that would control an arm on the outside, became the first windshield wiper.

    Today we benefit from countless inventions and innovations. It's hard to imagine driving without Garrett A. Morgan's traffic light. It's equally impossible to picture a world without Katherine J. Blodgett's innovation that makes glass invisible. Can you picture life without clear windows and eyeglasses?

    When I was sixteen years old, I made my first visit to the United States. It wasn't the first time I had been abroad. Like most English children I learned French at school. And I had often been to France, so I was used to speaking a foreign language to people who didn't understand English. But when I went to America I was really looking forward to having a nice easy holiday without any language problems.

How wrong I was! The misunderstandings began at the airport. I was looking for a public telephone to give my American friend Danny a call and tell her that I had arrived. A friendly old man saw me looking lost and asked if he could help me.

    “Yes,” I said, “I want to give my friend a ring.”

    “Well, that's nice,” he said, “Are you getting married? But aren't you a bit young?”

    “Who is talking about marriage?” I replied, “I only want to give my friend a ring to tell her I've arrived. Can you tell me where there's a phone box?”

    “Oh!” he said, “There's a phone downstairs.”

    When at last we met, Danny explained the misunderstandings to me.

    “Don't worry,” she said to me. "I had so many difficulties at first. There are lots of words which the Americans use differently in meaning from the British. You'll soon get used to all the funny things they say. Most of the time, British and American people understand each other!”

In a time when a dangerous number of people are overweight, many people seem to have forgotten the most important way to keep healthy and slim—exercise. And as a new study carried out on mice in the lab has shown, exercise done early in life can reward you in your adult years.

    A team of researchers at the University of California studied the effects of early exercise on adult physical activity, body mass and eating. They found that early-age exercise in mice has positive effects on adult levels of voluntary exercise in addition to reducing body mass.

    "These results may have an effect on the importance of regular physical education in elementary and middle schools," said Theodore Garland, a professor of biology, who led the research project. "If kids exercise regularly through their school years, then they may be more likely to exercise as adults, which could have far-reaching positive effects on human health and well-being."

    Although the positive effects of early-life exercise lasted for only one week, it is important to note that one week in the life of a mouse is the same as about nine months for humans. "Our results suggest that any positive effects of early-life exercise on adult exercise will need to be kept up if they are to be long-lasting."

    His team of researchers found, too, that all mice that had access to early exercise were lighter in weight than non-exercised mice.

    Garland explained that, in general, exercise will stimulate appetite sooner or later. However, it is possible that certain types of exercise, done for certain periods of time or at certain light levels, might not stimulate appetite much, if at all, at least in some individuals.

    "If we could understand what sorts of exercise these might be, then we might be able to tailor exercise recommendations in a way that would bring the benefits of exercise without increase in appetite, leading to a better chance of weight loss," he said.

    LEADING INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS 2019

    Jerudong International School(JIS) , Brunei

    “Achieving Excellence” is the motto of JIS, Brunei. A developing boarding school of 1,700 students, 40% Bruneian, JIS has made itself a leading school in Asia. With almost 200 highly qualified teachers primarily from the UK, the 120-acre single campus (校园) close to both coast and rainforest offers a unique educational environment. There is a Performing Arts Centre, 27 science laboratories, libraries and classrooms.

    The American International School (AIS), Austria

Founded in 1959, AIS is the oldest English-language school in Austria. School programs focus on academics, but also on the development of students' creative and leadership abilities and emotional intelligence. The school recognizes students' special learning styles, trying to make instruction different and allowing students to reach their full potential in different areas.

    Singapore American School (SAS), Singapore

    Founded in 1956, it is one of only a few good non-profit schools in Singapore. For over six decades, SAS has provided students from preschool to Grade 12 a good American education with an international view. The school supports professional development financially and continually sends teachers across the globe to discover new ideas and best practices from influential educational institutions.

    Santa Clara International School (SCIS), Spain

    In the school, when you walk into a classroom, you'll see hands raised, small groups assembled (集合), and presentations underway. You'll find teachers creating cooperative partnerships with students, encouraging them to discover and connect. You'll observe children working on meaningful hands-on projects that build skills and excite creativity. The teaching philosophy is that learning happens everywhere: in the classrooms, in the city, in a museum, on a farm, or just a walk around the neighborhood.