You can't always predict a heavy rain or remember your umbrella. But designer Mikhail Belvaev doesn't think that forgetting to check the weather forecast before heading out should result in you getting wet. That's why he created Lampbrella, a lamp post with its own rain sensing umbrella.

    The designer says he came up with the idea after watching people get wet on streets in Russia. “Once, I was driving on a central Saint Petersburg street and saw the street lamps lighting up people trying to hide from the rain. I thought it would be appropriate to have a canopy(伞蓬)built into a street lamp,” he said.

    The Lampbrella is a standard-looking street lamp fitted with an umbrella canopy. It has a built-in electric motor which can open or close the umbrella on demand. Sensors(传感器)then ensure that the umbrella offers pedestrians(行人) shelter whenever it starts raining.

    In addition to the rain sensor, there's also a 360° motion sensor on the fiberglass street lamp which detects whether anyone's using the Lampbrella. After three minutes of not being used, the canopy is closed.

    According to the designer, the Lampbrella would move at a relatively low speed, so as not to cause harm to the pedestrians. Besides, it would be grounded(埋地线) to protect from possible lightning strike. Each Lampbrella would offer enough shelter for several people. Being installed(安装) at 2 meters off the ground, it would only be a danger for the tallest of pedestrians.

    While there are no plans to take the Lampbrella into production, Belyaev says he recently introduced his creation to one Moscow Department, and insists his creation could be installed on any street where a lot of people walk but there are no canopies to provide shelter.

    Arguments happen in every healthy relationship—we know it sounds contradictory, but it's true—but they can still have a negative impact if they aren't handled properly. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Take a breath. We know that it can be hard to think clearly when you are angry, so we would first like to encourage you to try to take a second to collect your thoughts before engaging in a dialogue with your partner. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} If you are not careful you could potentially say what might damage your relationship.

    Take the situation as it is. Even though you are angry and it can be hard to be objective, try to see the situation for what it is. Do not escalate (不断恶化) the argument. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Try to understand the purpose behind the action—if something happened accidentally, you should not treat as if it were done intentionally.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} If you have done something wrong, the best possible option for you is to admit it. Denying something only makes it more hurtful and often your partner will be able to forgive you much more quickly if you are honest.

    Set ground rules. After a fight you and your partner can have a heart-to-heart talk of what happened. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} At this point you can set some ground rules for future fights, like not cursing each other or calling each other's names, which might help reduce the intensity of your fights.

    Fighting with someone is never easy. And it's especially difficult when you are arguing with someone that you care about. Thinking carefully and controlling yourself during an argument can help you avoid saying something that could permanently hurt your relationship.

A. Take positive action.

B. Avoid making excuses.

C. Anger can be poisonous.

D. Here is how to maintain good relationship.

E. You can discuss what hurts each of you and how you can move forward.

F. The trick to prevent an argument from destroying your relationship is learning how to fight fair.

G. Ask yourself if this situation is worth arguing about.

    All animals produce waste. We call it "waste," but we all know it can be very useful. In some parts of the world, animal waste, or poop, is collected, dried, and burned for cooking and heating. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} 

    The Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Center has an unusual way of using animal "waste." The center's 40 pandas produce about two tons of poop a day. This material is being turned into a new product called Panda Poop Paper. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} After all, paper is made from plant fiber, which cannot be digested and simply goes through the body as waste.

    Since pandas eat nothing but bamboo, their "waste" is perfect paper material. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} 

    Their stomachs haven't fully developed for their vegetarian diet, so their bodies make use of just 20% of what they eat. The other 80% comes out as poop: very high in fiber and perfect for paper.

    Once the poop is collected, it is cleaned with chemicals, crushed(碾碎), and put into frames(框架) to dry. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Because of its good quality as well as the worldwide popularity of the panda, gift products made from the paper sell well.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} They got the idea from the elephant dung(大象粪) paper made at Elephant Conservation Center in Chiang Mai, Thailand. And Creative Paper Wales in the U.K. sell paper gifts made from sheep waste.

A. But do you know some paper from poop?

B. Where does the paper come from?

C. After these steps, good, strong paper comes into being.

D. Moreover, there is more special about pandas.

E. It's not really that strange!

F. Yet, the Chinese weren't the first people producing paper from animal waste.

G. Farmers have been using animal and human waste for a long time.

    Parents who help their children with homework may actually be bringing down their school grades. Other forms of parental involvement, including volunteering at school and observing a child's class, also fail to help, according to the most recent study on the topic.

    The findings challenge a key principle of modern parenting where schools expect them to act as partners in their children's education. Previous generations concentrated on getting children to school on time, fed, dressed and ready to learn.

    Keith Robinson, the author of the study, said, "I really don't know if the public is ready for this but there are some ways parents can be involved in their kids' education that leads to declines in their academic performance. One of the things that was consistently negative was their parents' help with homework." Robinson suggested that may be because parents themselves struggle to understand the tasks."They may either not remember the material their kids are studying now, or in some cases never learnt it themselves, but they're still offering advice."

    Robinson assessed parental involvement performance and found one of the most damaging things a parent could do was to punish their children for poor marks. In general, about 20% of parental involvement was positive,  about 45% negative and the rest statistically insignificant.

    Common sense suggests it was a good thing for parents to get involved because "children with good academic success do have involved parents", admitted Robinson. But he argued that this did not prove parental involvement was the root cause of that success. "A big surprise was that Asian-American parents whose kids are doing so well in school hardly involved. They took a more reasonable approach, conveying to their children how success at school could improve their lives."

    Food Parts You Should Never Throw Away in the Garbage

    Pineapple Core (果心)

    When you carve out the core of t pineapple, don't throw it in the garbage. You can use the pineapple core for all kinds of recipes, and there are tons of vitamins and  minerals hiding within.To use the pineapple core: cut it and add it to fruit salad, put it into smoothies (水果雪泥), cut it into cubes and freeze for law use, or simply add it to water or even tea to improve flavor.

    Kiwi Skln

    If you never thought you could eat kiwi in the way you eat a peach, think again. That skin really is good for you and contains a lot of vitamin C, and in fact, it's also higher hi fiber than the rest of the fruit. Of course, that rough, ugly skin isn't for everyone, so if you don't like it, try adding a whole kiwi to a smoothie to hide the taste of the skin.

    Banana Peel

    Most of us eat the banana without giving the soft peel a second thought. Here's why that's a mistake: banana peel contains tryptophan (色氨酸), which increases "the happiness hormone" to help with mood regulation and nerve system. There are a few creative ways to use the peel. Cook or boil for at least 10 minutes to soften. You can add it to smoothies, stir-fries, or soups. And, for a treat, simply slice and bake a banana with the skin on.

    Water melon Skin and Seeds

    The delicious, red inside makes for a refreshing snack or juice, but you're able to get some powerful nutrients in the skin and seeds as well. Cut out the white part under the green outside and use it in your cooking. It has vitamin C and B6, to keep you healthy. As for the seeds, you can roast them in the oven. Then add them to salads or to nut snacks.

The Greatest show on Earth

    The Olympic Games are the greatest festival of sports in the world. Every four years, many countries send their best sportsmen to compete for the highest honour in sport. As many as 6, 000 people take part in over 20 sports. For the winners, there are gold medals and glory. But there is honour, too, for all who compete, win or lose. That is in the spirit of the Olympics—to take part is what matters.

    The Olympic Games always start in a bright colour and action. The teams of all the nations parade in the opening ceremony and march round the track. The custom is for the Greek team to march in first, for it was in Greece that the Olympics began. The team of the country where the Games are being held—the host country—marches in last.

    The runner with the Olympic torch (火炬) then enters the stadium and lights the flame. A sportsman from the host country takes the Olympic oath (宣誓) on behalf of all the competitors. The judges and officials also take an oath. After the sportsmen march out of the stadium, the host country puts on a wonderful display.

    The competitions begin the next day. There are usually more than twenty sports in the Games. The rule is that there must be at least fifteen. The main events are in track and field, but there are a few days before these sports start. Each day the competitors take part in different sports, like riding, shooting, swimming, and cross-country running. Points are gained for each event. Medals are awarded for the individual winners and for national teams.

    More and more women are taking part in the Games. They first competed in 1900, in tennis and golf. Women's swimming events were introduced in 1912. But it was not until 1928 that there were any track and field events for women. Now they compete in all but half a dozen of the sports. In horse riding, shooting, and boat racing, they may compete in the same events as men.