In some science fiction movies, evil robots refuse to die, no matter how hard people fight back.

    Now science fiction has become science fact. For the first time, scientists have made a robot that can take a beating (挨打) and keep on going. Scientists from Cornell University made the robot, which looks like a spider with four legs.

    Until now, even the most advanced (先进的) robot was almost certain to break down when it was damaged. That is because its computer inside simply doesn't know how to make the machine work after its shape has changed.

    To deal with this problem, the scientists put eight motors (发动机) and two sensors (传感器) that read how the machine is working. They all give signals to the machine's software. Using this information, the computer can then figure out the machine's shape at any moment.

    The new technology is a big advance in robot-making, scientists say, and it's far from scary. It may someday help scientists create better artificial (假的) arms and legs and give new freedom to people who lose them. It might also help scientists understand how people and animals figure out their own sense of place in space.

    “It has been difficult to design robots that can work well when the environment changes or when it's damaged,” says Olaf Sporns of Indiana University in US. “With this work, we are nearer to solving this problem.”

    A TALKING HANDBAG

    It's 8:00 am and you are running out of the door. You walk outside and your handbag suddenly says, "Wait! You forgot your keys!" A talking handbag? Yes, it's true. This "smart bag" can "talk" to the things you often bring with. If you forgot your keys or drop your purse, for example, the bag will tell you.

    How does it work? There is a "smart chip（芯片）" in the bag. You put other chips on your phone, purse or keys. Then the bag and the others can "talk" to each other and you!

    SMART CLOTHES

    These clothes change（改变）color  — when you are wearing them! Is it hot outside? Watch your jacket change from dark blue to a lighter color to stop you from the sun. Did you spill（泼洒） coffee on your white pants or shirt? No problem. These smart clothes never get dirty!

    I'm Andy. I study at a school in Beijing. There are lots of rules(条例) in my school. We have to wear school uniforms every day, and we can't wear rings. We can't arrive late for school. We can't talk in class. After class, we can't run in the hallways. I can follow most of them, but I can't follow some.

    My cousin Mike is in a school in the USA. In his school, students can't bring alcohol(酒) to school Students can't smoke. Students can't colour their hair, and boys can't have long hair. It's easy for Mike to follow them.

    My e-friend Julie studies in a school in Canada. In her school, students can't eat in the classroom. They can't listen to music in class. Julie thinks she can obey these rules.

    We don't like some of the rules, but most of the rules can help us and we have to follow the rules.

    As our closest neighbor in space, the moon has been the subject of popular legends, songs and poems since ancient times. And it also attracts scientists deeply.

    But even after centuries of research, many questions remain to be answered about the Earth's only satellite.

    Perhaps the Chang'e-4 lunar probe will be able to find out more of its secrets. On Dec 8, 2018 the probe lifted off from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan province. It is the first probe to the far side of moon in human history.

    The Earth's gravity slows the moon's rotation, matching it to the speed of its orbit. Thus, the far side of the moon is always dark and has never been seen.

    It's this sense of the unknown that makes the far side of the moon such an interesting place for scientific and space exploration. Long exposed to solar winds, the far side may have the special soil and minerals in its upper mantle.

    For this reason, Chang'e-4 will study the effect of solar winds on the lunar surface and any minerals found beneath the probe. Chang'e-4 is also carrying flower seeds and potato and silkworm eggs to see whether life is possible on the moon. If it is, then the moon will become a more likely destination for space travel in the future.

    However, because of communication problems, exploring the dark side will not be easy. As the far side is blocked off from us, radio noise coming off Earth is also blocked. This is why China launched the relay satellite Queqiao in May, 2018, so that communication between Earth and the probe could go ahead.

    Power supply is also a challenge to the mission. Chang'e-4 gets energy from the sun through its solar panels. However, a lunar day has the length of 28 Earth days. It means that the probe will need to orbit the moon for over 20 days to be in a position to be able to land in moon daylight and so use its solar panels.

    According to Xinhua, theChang'e-4 lunarprobe landed on the far side of the moon on Jan 3, 2019 successfully, and everything goes well.

    The New York Times described the journey as "groundbreaking", and wrote that it would "give clues to the history and development of the moon".

    It was a fine day. Sherlock Holmes invited his best friend Doctor Watson to go camping with him. They found a nice hill and put up their tent. Then they went fishing and climbed the hill. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} They began to chat (聊天) happily.

    "Watson, look up into the sky and tell me what you can see." said Holmes.

    "{#blank#}2{#/blank#}"Watson replied.

    Holmes asked again, "What does that tell you?"

    Watson thought for a while, "It tells me that there are tons of galaxies (星系) and planets."

    Holmes continued asking, "{#blank#}3{#/blank#}"

    Watson smiled. "It tells me that God is great and powerful. At the same time, {#blank#}4{#/blank#}"

    "Oh, I think so. Is that all?" asked Holmes.

    "No, as for the weather, {#blank#}5{#/blank#} What does it tell you?" Watson said.

    Holmes laughed. "Someone has stolen our tent."