Science has a lot of uses. It can reveal (揭示) laws of nature, cure diseases, make bombs, and help bridges to stand up. Indeed science is so good at what it does that there's always a temptation (诱惑) to drag it into problems where it may not be helpful. David Brooks, author of The Social Animal, The Hidden Sources of Love, Character, and Achievement, appears to be the latest in a long line of writers who have failed to resist the temptation.

    Brooks gained fame for several books. His latest book The Social Animal, however, is more ambitious and serious than his earlier books. It is an attempt to deal with a set of weighty topics. The book focuses on big questions: What has science revealed about human nature? What are the sources of character? And why are some people happy and successful while others aren't?

    To answer these questions, Brooks surveys a wide range of subjects. Because of this, you might expect the book to cover a variety of facts. But Brooks has structured his book in an unusual, and perhaps unfortunate way. Instead of introducing scientific theories, he tells a story, within which he tries to make his points, perhaps in order to keep the reader's attention. So as Harold and Erica, the hero and heroine in his story, live through childhood, we hear about the science of child development and as they begin to date we hear about the theory of sexual attraction. Brooks carries this through to the death of one of his characters.

    On the whole, Brooks's story is acceptable if uninspired. As one would expect, his writing is mostly clear and, to be fair, some chapters stand out above the rest. I enjoyed, for instance, the chapter in which Harold discovers how to think on his own. While Harold and Erica are certainly not strong characters, the more serious problems with The Social Animal lie elsewhere. These problems partly involve Brooks's attempt to translate his tale into science.

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    Deserts are found where there is little rainfall or where rain for a whole year falls in only a few weeks' time. Ten inches of rain may be enough for many plants to survive if the rain is spread throughout the year. If it falls within one or two months and the rest of the year is dry, those plants may die and a desert may form.

    Sand begins as tiny pieces of rock that get smaller and smaller as wind and weather wear them down. Sand dunes (沙丘) are formed as winds move the sand across the desert. Bit by bit, the dunes grow over the years, always moving with the winds and changing the shape. Most of them are only a few feet tall, but they can grow to be several hundred feet high.

There is, however, much more to a desert than sand. In the deserts of the southwestern United States, cliffs (悬崖) and deep valleys were formed from thick mud that once lay under a sea more than millions of years ago. Over the centuries, the water dried up. Wind, sand, rain, heat and cold all wore away at the remaining rocks. The faces of the desert mountains are always changing –-very, very slowly —as these forces of nature continue to work on the rock.

    Most deserts have a surprising variety of life. There are plants, animals and insects that have adapted to life in the desert. During the heat of the day a visitor may see very few signs of living things, but as the air begins to cool in the evening, the desert comes to life. As the sun begins to rise again in the sky, the desert once again becomes quiet and lonely.

    Whether in the home or the workplace, social robots are going to become a lot more common in the next few years. Social robots are about to bring technology to the everyday world in a more humanized way, said Cynthia Breazeal, chief scientist at the robot company Jibo.

    While household robots today do the normal housework, social robots will be much more like companions than mere tools. For example, these robots will be able to distinguish when someone is happy or sad. This allows them to respond more appropriately to the user.

    The Jibo robot, arranged to ship later this year, is designed to be a personalized assistant. You can talk to the robot, ask it questions, and make requests for it to perform different tasks. The robot doesn't just deliver general answers to questions; it responds based on what it learns about each individual in the household. It can do things such as reminding an elderly family member to take medicine or taking family photos.

    Social robots are not just finding their way into the home. They have potential applications in everything from education to health care and are already finding their way into some of these spaces.

Fellow Robots is one company bringing social robots to the market. The company's “Oshbot” robot is built to assist customers in a store, which can help the customers find items and help guide them to the product's location in the store. It can also speak different languages and make recommendations for different items based on what the customer is shopping for.

    The more interaction the robot has with humans, the more it learns. But Oshbot, like other social robots, is not intended to replace workers, but to work alongside other employees.“We have technologies to train social robots to do things not for us, but with us,” said Breazeal.

    First aid is emergency care for a victim of sudden illness or injury until more skillful medical treatment is available. It may save a life or improve certain vital signs including pulse, temperature，a clear airway(气道), and breathing. In minor emergencies，first aid may prevent a victim's condition from turning worse and provide relief from pain. First aid must be   administered as quickly as possible. In the case of the Critically injured, a few minutes can make a difference between complete recovery and loss of life.

    First­aid measures depend upon a victim's needs and the provider's level of knowledge and skill. Knowing what not to do in an emergency is as important as knowing what to do. Improperly moving a person with a neck injury, for example，can lead to permanent spinal (脊柱的) injury and  paralysis (瘫痪)．

    Despite the variety of injuries possible, several principles of first aid apply to all emergencies. The first step is to call for professional medical help. The victim, if conscious（有意识的）, should be reassured that medical aid has been requested，and asked for permission to provide any first aid.  Next，assess the scene, asking other people or the injured  person's family or friends about details of the injury or illness，any care that may have already been given, and preexisting conditions such as diabetes (糖尿病) or heart trouble. The victim should be checked for a medical bracelet (手镯) or card that describes special medical conditions. Unless the accident scene becomes unsafe or the victim may suffer further injury，do not move the victim.

    First aid requires rapid assessment of victims to determine whether life­threatening conditions exist. One method for evaluating a victim's condition is known by the acronym(首字母缩写词)ABC，which stands for：

    A—Airway: Is it open and clear?

    B—Breathing: Is the person breathing? Look, listen, and feel for breathing.

    C—Circulation: Is there a pulse? Is the person bleeding externally? Check skin color and temperature for additional indications of circulation problems.

    They train four hours a day, often waking up at 4:30 or 5:00 for before-school practices. Their evenings and weekends are eaten up by twice-weekly travel games. Every day is the same; there's no break. No, these aren't Olympic athletes; they're kids.

    The benefits of sports are obvious. So, it's not surprising that, according to CNN, 41 million American children play competitive sports. But when does this become too much of a good thing?

    Seven years ago, a survey in Sporting Kid magazine found 84 percent of athletes' parents had observed belligerent behavior in other parents at games and that 80 percent had been targets of this behavior. What does this say about sports culture, and our culture as a whole? Some parents have become so crazy about their children's winning that they don't stop to think about what example they are setting.

    If athletes are constantly surrounded by adults who scream at coaches and attack sports officials, they may think that this is acceptable behavior. They'll try to win at all costs. In other words, they won't know how to accept defeat, and learn from it.

    The amount of time some athletes spend practicing can be dangerous. According to Sports Illustrated, over 3.5 million athletes younger that 15 suffered from a sports-related injury—that's nearly one in ten! Many injuries cause permanent（永久的）damage if not treated.

    So what can we do about this situation? Some argue that there is no problem, because sports has always been and will always be competitive. But did your grandparents spend hours each day practicing tennis or volleyball? No, they probably played with the neighborhood kids after school, not worrying about winning. All they wanted was to have fun. And that's what we need to change in youth sports—focus on enjoyment.

As we all know, the United States is full of cars. There are still many families without cars, {#blank#}1{#/blank#} some families have two or more. However, cars are used for more than {#blank#}2{#/blank#}（pleasant）. They are a necessary part of life.

Cars are also used for business. They are driven to offices and factories by workers {#blank#}3{#/blank#} have no other way to get to their jobs. When salesmen {#blank#}4{#/blank#}（send）to different parts of the city, they have to drive in order to carry their products. Farmers have to drive into the city in order to get {#blank#}5{#/blank#}（supply）.

Sometimes small children must be driven to school. In some cities, school buses are used only {#blank#}6{#/blank#} children live more than a mile away from the school. If the children are too young to walk too far, their mothers take turns {#blank#}7{#/blank#}（drive）them to school. One mother drives on Mondays taking her own children and the neighbors' as well. Another mother drives on Tuesdays, another on Wednesday, and so {#blank#}8{#/blank#}. This is called forming a car pool. Men also form car pools, with three or four men taking turns driving to {#blank#}9{#/blank#} place where they work.

In spite of this, more car pools should be formed in order to put fewer cars on the road and use {#blank#}10{#/blank#}（little）gas.