Some people seem to have extraordinary (非凡的）memories. Zheng Aiqiang, a “memory athlete” on TV show Super Brain, can remember 2,660 numbers in just one hour!

    You would think people like this have special brains. But according to a recent study by researchers from the US and the Netherlands, the brain structures（结构）of ordinary people and 23 of the world's leading memory athletes show no difference.

    That's because good memories can be trained. New research in the journal Neuron (神经元期刊) suggests that you can become a super memorizer with just six weeks of hard training.

    Researchers found that technique (技巧）called loci, invented by ancient Greeks, can greatly help improve memory. By using loci, you are using your imagination to improve the brain's memory networks. You can link（关联）something you need to remember with a place that you know very well. For example, to remember a list of numbers, imagine yourself walking through your house. Each thing is linked to a number. For example, zero could be handle（把手）on the door and five could be the painting on the wall.

    In one study, some ordinary people were given 20 minutes to remember 72 words. First they could only remember 26 of them. But when they were taught loci, they could remember 62 words.

    “Not everyone can become a memory champion. But everyone using the technique can improve a lot from the level they're at,” said Boris Konrad, one of the researchers in the study.

    ① {#blank#}1{#/blank#} It's on the fourth Thursday of November. And it is also a time for tradition and sharing. Even if they live far away, family members gather for a reunion at the house of an older relative. All give thanks together for the good things that they have.

    ② {#blank#}2{#/blank#} It is on the first Sunday after the full moon which falls on or after March 21st. It is said that on that day Jesus Christ comes back to life. But now for most people, it is a spring holiday, while for children, it means, more than anything else, Easter eggs or chocolate eggs!

    ③ {#blank#}3{#/blank#} It's also called Double Fifth Festival, is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth moon of the lunar calendar. It is one of the most important Chinese festivals with a history of more than 2,000years. It was originally designed in memory of ancient poet called Qu Yuan.

    ④ {#blank#}4{#/blank#} It is a very important Chinese festival. There will be a big family dinner. People who work far away from home will try to come back. At night, people can enjoy the moon while eating moon cakes. They are the special food for this festival.

    ⑤ {#blank#}5{#/blank#} It falls on the ninth day of the ninth month of the lunar calendar in China. The aim is to promote respect for the elderly. According to centuries-old customs, people climb mountains to admire the view.

A. The Double Ninth Festival    

B. The Mid-autumn Festival C. Easter Day     

D. The Dragon Boat Festival   

E. Thanksgiving Day

    Today taxis are very common in cities all around the world. While London is world- famous for its special back taxis, New York's yellow taxis are also well- known all over the world. How about the taxis in Mumbai, India? Before a project (项目)named Taxi Fabric, taxis got little public attention. But now things are different because some of them have changed their common looks. Artist Sanket Avlani started the project last year with some other artists. He said," Taxi drivers here try hard to decorate(装饰）their taxis and make them stand out from others, but they usually pay little attention to the insides of their taxis. "He hopes to use his art project to connect young designers(设计师）with taxi drivers." The designs that cover the taxi seats are often boring and forgettable ,but they can be improved with the help of designers in Mumbai.

    Last summer the project raised over £l1, 000, and they invited local designers to create different designs inside the taxis. All the designs are about Mumbai. The designers are local but they got their ideas from all around the world. So far they've created 26 different designs, which make the insides of Mumbai's taxis as colorful as the views from their windows. Taxi Fabric is now hoping to spread to other cities in India. They are also inviting designers from all over India to take part in the project and planning to redesign buses, trains and subways besides taxis.

Taohuayuan

    It lies in Taoyuan County and is about 34 km away from Changde. The temples here were built in the 10th century. During the reign(统治) of Guangxu (1875-1908) of the Qing Dynasty, a scenic spot(景点) appeared according to an article written by Tao Yuanming, a famous writer of the Jin Dynasty. The tour area today is made up of four parts- the Taohua Mountain, the Taoxianling, the Taoyuan Mountain and the Qinren Village.

Changde Poem Wall

    Changde Poem Wall is a 4-kilometre-long riverbank alongside the Yuanjiang, which is engraved(雕刻) with poems, handwriting and paintings and it is listed as the longest wall with engraved arts in Guinness Record.

    Here is some information about {#blank#}1{#/blank#} in Changde. There are {#blank#}2{#/blank#} famous places that you can enjoy. Taohuayuan is about 34 kilometres away from Changde. In Taoyuan County, you can visit {#blank#}3{#/blank#}, the Taoxianling, the Taoyuan Mountain and the Qinren Village, Changde Poem Wall is about {#blank#}4{#/blank#} long and it's famous for its poems, handwriting and {#blank#}5{#/blank#}.

    On the second Sunday in May is Mother' Day, American children of all ages give their mothers to something special. It is the one day children, young and old, try to show their love to mothers. It is the day to celebrate motherhood and to thank her for all small and big things she has done for her children. However, did you know that Mother's Day celebration is no recent thing?

    In the United States, Mother's Day became an official holiday in1910. An American girl, Anna, asked her governor to set a festival for mothers for their love. And they set the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day and a year later all the other states celebrated it.

    On Mother's Day morning some American children serve their mothers breakfast in bed. Other children will give their mothers presents which they have made themselves or bought in stores. Adults give their mothers red carnations(康乃馨), the official Mother's Day flower. If their mothers left the world they may bring white carnations to their grave sites(墓地). This is the busiest day of the year for American restaurants. On her special day, family members do not want Mom to cook dinner!