My First Day of School

    Fear started taking over, I was walking into my first school in America. I had traveled a long distance from India in order to join my parents, who had been for three years, hoping America would help my future. My father decided that I would be better off going to school here, so I enrolled(登记)in the local high school in my new town.

    I was afraid how I would do. On the first day, I went to my second period class after I had missed my first. With anxiety, I reached for the door, opening it slowly. Without paying attention to my classmates, I went straight to the teacher and asked if this was the right class. With a soft voice he answered. "Yes." His voice comforted me a little. He gave me a sheet called Course Requirements, which I would never get in India because we didn't have anything like that. Then he asked me to choose where I would sit. I didn't actually want to pick a seat. In India we had fixed seats, so I never needed to worry about that. I spent the rest of the class taking notes from the image produced by the overhead projector. In Indian schools, we didn't use the technology we had. We had to take notes as the teacher spoke.

    It was noon. I was very confused about when I would have lunch. I went to my next class and the bell rang as I entered. I went through the regular process of asking the teacher if I was in the right class. She said, "It's still fourth period."

    "But the bell just rang," I said.

    Changing from a gentle tone to a harsher(刺耳的)one, she said, "That is the lunch bell, young man."

    I apologized. Without another word I headed for the cafeteria. I felt lucky because we didn't have this in India. Every confusion seemed like a barrier I had to get through to reach my goal. At the end of the day, I was on my way to the bus which we didn't have in India either. I spotted my bus and sat down inside happily. I was thinking, today wasn't so bad.

    Nowadays six Amazon Scout delivery robots rolled out in a pilot program in Snohomish County, Wash. The robots carry meals, groceries and packages to homes and offices in this region just north of Seattle. They have appeared on the sidewalks of London, Beijing and other cities and communities worldwide. These machines must overcome pedestrian legs, naughty dogs and broken pavement, which raises some questions.

    These services are gaining attraction as a growing number of city residents expect immediate or scheduled delivery for just about everything. Between 2017 and 2018 online retail sales in the U.S. increased by 16 percent. On the final step of all these deliveries, called the last mile, humans on bicycles, motorized scooters (电动车) or large delivery trucks typically deliver packages. All the vehicles compete for space on busy urban streets. "Deliveries are trending upwards in all crowded city centers, and if city and state leaders don't start thinking about creative solutions like robot deliveries, we can expect even worse traffic jams," says Paul Mackie, director of a transportation policy research center in Arlington.

    A study by this center found 73 percent of delivery vehicles in Arlington were parked outside of authorized areas, often blocking bike lanes and crosswalks. By moving the last step of deliveries from the road to the sidewalk, cities could reduce traffic jams and solve the parking problem entirely, Mackie says.

    Companies such as Amazon are not developing this delivery technology simply to clear up urban traffic. Self-driving vehicles and sidewalk robots could cut down last-mile delivery costs in cities by as much as 40 percent, according to a 2018 report by a consultancy firm. A delivery robot can cost thousands of dollars to manufacture, and most currently require human management and conservation. But in the long run companies that use autonomous delivery vehicles in the next several years could end up saving billions of dollars, the report stated.

    LEGO(乐高) recently announced that they will start producing pieces from sustainable (可持续的) sugar cane. The toys, which will be closely similar to classic ones, will also feature "botanical elements" like leaves, bushes, and trees.

    The pieces will be included in LEGO'S box sets from this year onwards. The move is part of the Danish company's campaign to use sustainable materials in its products by 2030.

    However, Tim Brooks, the firm's vice-president, said, "We want to make a positive influence on the world around us, and are working hard to make great play products for children using sustainable materials. This is a great first step in our goal to make all LEGO pieces using sustainable materials."

    The new line of production has reportedly already started with pieces being produced from polyethylene, which is a soft and durable plastic (耐用的塑料). LEGO says that we needn't worry about the quality of the new products, as they've tested the plant-based plastic to ensure that it meets the high standards for quality and safety that consumers (消费者) expect from the company.

    "LEGO products have always been about providing high quality play experiences and giving every child the chance to shape their own world through inventive play. Children and parents will not notice any difference in the quality or appearance of the new pieces, because plant-based polyethylene has the same qualities as traditional polyethylene," said Tim Brooks.

    "It is important that companies in each industry find ways to help ensure a future where people, nature, and the economy grow healthily," said Alix Grabowski, an officer at WWF. "The LEGO Group's decision to use sustainable plastics represents a great opportunity to reduce dependence on finite (有限的) resources, and their work with the Bioplastic Feedstock Alliance will allow them to connect with other companies to continue to think creatively about sustainability."

    A popular TV host has reportedly invested about US$ 740,000 in a project to research, preserve and promote the Hunan provincial dialect (方言). Chinese TV presenters are required to speak Mandarin, or Putonghua, as part of their work, but should dialects be allowed on air?

    Bcnu (China): TV and radio stations have the right to decide whether dialects or Mandarin will be used in their programs. The popularity of some dialects in some areas will not challenge the leading role of Mandarin in the whole country.

    Rick N (US): TV and radio broadcasters should take the lead in popularizing Mandarin. To require hosts to speak standard Mandarin is not to oppress (压制) dialects, but it only aims to restrict irresponsible use of language. I think it is unprofessional for some hosts particularly to imitate the pronunciation of dialects.

    Cooper (UK): Dialects are an important part of local culture and now many kids even don't know how to speak their dialects because of the main use of Mandarin around them. It would be a pity if future generations were unable to understand the local dialects. It would be a terrible break in cultural traditions.

    Steve (France): To attract viewers or make more money, some hosts casually use dialects. Demanding TV and radio programs use Mandarin is a move to limit strange and irresponsible use of language, whether it is Mandarin or other dialects. In this way, the decision is also a form of protection for dialects. Hearing standard Mandarin on TV and radio programs is also a basic right of audiences around the country.

    An earthquake is one of the most common natural disasters. It may cause great damage. So it is wise to learn some simple safety tips to protect yourself or your family members.

    Fragile items like those made of glass are easily broken and should usually be placed on a lower surface, near the ground instead of placing them in the cupboards higher up. Never place them near your bed, sofas and other furniture where you would be sitting or lying down. When there is a strong movement, these pieces will fall on the floor directly and not on you.

    There is a strong chance of short circuits (短路) and fire during an earthquake. Make sure you turn off electrical connections and gas immediately when an earthquake happens.

    During an earthquake, lie beneath an object that is not easily damaged. Do not go near objects that could directly fall on you. Never use the elevator to go down. Stay inside until the shaking stops and it is safe to go outside. Research has shown that most injuries happen when people inside buildings try to go out. Use the staircases at all times.

    If you are outdoors, do not take shelter under a tree, streetlights, electric poles or tall buildings. If you are driving, stop your car and stay in a safe place. Do not park your car under a tree or any tall object.

    If trapped in debris (瓦砾堆), cover your mouth with a handkerchief or clothing. Tap on a pipe or the wall so that rescuers (营救人员) can find you. Use a whistle (哨子) if one is available. Never shout for help. Shouting can cause you to breathe in dangerous amounts of dust. Do not light a match because you may burn yourself. Do not move about or kick up dust.

    People think of cats as cute. But research published in a psychology journal calls them neurotic (神经质的) and unstable. Researchers from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland and the Bronx Zoo in New York compared the personalities of domestic house cats with those of four different types of wildcats.

    To better understand their personalities, the researchers rated a number of animals behaviors on what psychologists call the Big Five human personality traits (特征).

    Domestic house cats have similar personality structures to African lions. "It's what cats do pretty much on a daily basis, things like being anxious, being timid, being excitable, being aggressive toward humans, being aggressive toward each other, "said Max Wachtel, a Denver psychologist who didn't participate in the study. "All of those are characteristics you see in those cute little house cats, and you also see them in lions."

    If you ever thought your cat was anxious, insecure, tense, suspicious or aggressive toward you, you aren't making it up, he said. If they were bigger, they probably would consider killing you.

    But the news isn't all bad: Just like lions, house cats are also playful, excitable and impulsively funny. They just aren't very predictable. One moment cats will be enjoying bell scratches, and the next they will be biting you to make you stop.

    "It is good to understand the personality characteristics of our pets," Wachtel said "Different cats have different personalities, but as a species, there are a lot of commonalities."

    The researchers also studied personality traits of Scottish wildcats and some other animals “Across the five species we assessed, personality structure was strikingly similar and also seemed to be related to other studies' findings, such as in tigers, "the researchers wrote in their study in the November 2014 issue of the Journal of Comparative Psychology. But house cats were most like lions, potentially because they live in semi-social surroundings and lions are the most social of cats.

    “They're cute and furry, but we need to remember when we have cats as pets, we are inviting little predators into our house," Wachtel said. "Cats can be fantastic, sweet companions -until they turn on you.”