There are two kinds of robots. The first type is the industrial robot. The second type of robots help us in our everyday lives. Robots of the later type are being used widely in Japan these days, helping people out in many areas—in hospitals, at homes and in schools.

Recently professor Tomomasa Sato and others developed a “robotic room”. This room is a robot itself, and they let the robot help the people inside. It has ten video cameras on the top of the room and walls. The robot can help the doctors and nurses do a lot of work with the help of its arms and nine computers. The robot's arms can lift and carry things needed by sick persons and nurses, and can throw waste things away.

   In the future, we may have robots at home to help out with the chores. Many people think these robots should look and move like humans. At Honda Motor Company, people made a robot that has two arms and two legs and can walk by itself, just like a person. This robot can walk freely by checking the road it walks on, and use its arms to do different things. The robot is 180 centimeters tall and weighs 210 kilograms. It can not only walk around flat places but go up and down stairs as well. It can also do such things as moving a bag. Not too far in the future, robots that look like movie characters may lend us a hand in our everyday jobs.

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    It is important for each child to get enough sleep every day．Here．we'll learn more about that．{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    It usually depends on their age．Newborns (新生儿)of 0 to 3 months should sleep for about 18 hours a day．Babies of 4 to 11 months should start to sleep through the night，for 9 to 12 hours at a time．{#blank#}2{#/blank#}Children of 3 to 5 years should get 11 to 13 hours a day．Children of 6 to 13 need 9 to 11 hours of sleep．Teenagers of 14 and up need 8 to 10 hours of sleep．{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Set a strict nap timetable(小睡时间表)．Younger children should take a short sleep during the day．Even older children can benefit(得益于)from late—afternoon naps if they don't get enough steep at night．{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Pay attention to(注意)screen time．Remember to ask children to tum off the television and the computer an hour before they go to bed．If possible，get them out of their bedrooms since the light(光)from the screens can make sleep a difficult job．

Get children movin9．{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Running around and playing sports are great, but children can move in other ways．too．They can take a dog for a walk or go to the park—just get them out of the house and get them moving．

    A different way of teaching is widely used in our English study.

    Before class. we make study plans first. Then we look up the new words. listen to the recording and read the text. When we meet problems. we can t solve by ourselves. We always write them down in our notebooks.

    In class, we sit in groups to discuss the problems freely. The teacher always offers help when we need. After discussion, It's time for us to give a report to the class. We also make conversations in pairs and practise a lot. It's really good for our listening and speaking.

    After class, we have less homework now so we can go to the library to read English books, magazines and newspapers. We can also surf the Internet for useful information.

    In a word, we enjoy the new way of studying. We can make more progress in our study.

    'Who needs a shopping mall if you have Taobao?' says Wang Lin, 28, a writer in Beijing.

    Taobao, China's largest online shopping site(网站), has become an important part of Wang Lin's life. She spends lots of money on Taobao.

    A growing number of Chinese Internet users like Wang have found the joy of online shopping. Most online shoppers are students or young workers. More women shop online than men. Clothing and home use products (产品) are the most popular online.

    It was reported that more than 250 billion yuan was spent on online shopping last year, 80% through Taobao.

    Taobao means ‘looking for treasure' in Chinese. People can find almost everything they need on Taobao, from clothes to books, from candies to DVD players.

    You may question the security (安全) online shopping. Wang Lin said, ‘It is very safe and convenient (便利). Unless you receive the products from the sellers and are satisfied with them, the shop owner will not get the money. You can also get your money back if you want to return the product.'

    Taobao: China's .{#blank#}1{#/blank#} online shopping center

    What is DIY? Why do many people like it? Yang Chen works for a computer business in Beijing. He enjoys his work, but it is not easy for him to relax(放松) after work. One day when he saw many toy dogs in a toy shop, he had an idea. "Why not make them myself?" Then he began to make model planes, model ships and something else. He was interested in it because it brings him lots of fun and makes life colourful. So what is DIY? Yes, it is making or creating (创造) things by yourselves, with your own hands.

    It may take much time, but some people, now known as DIYers—do-it-yourselfers, enjoy doing it very much. They enjoy it because it is fun. And they also say it helps them save money, too. What's more, they think it is a good way to protect the environment (环境). It is a kind of green life. In fact, DIY is not a modern thing in China. Many people remember when it was once a way of life in the past. During the 1960s and 1970s, when there were not enough living things for people to live on, they had to use their own hands to do many things. If you wanted something, you had to do it yourself, and if you needed something, you made it yourself.

    Times have changed and DIY also has different meanings.

    Do you often throw away things you don't need anymore? Have you ever thought about how these things can actually be put to good use? Nothing is a waste if you have a creative mind.

    You have probably never heard of Amy Hayes, but she is a most unusual woman. She lives in a house in the UK that she built herself out of rubbish. The windows and doors come from old buildings around her town that were pulled down. The top of the house is an old boat turned upside down. And the gate in front of her house is made of rocks and old glass bottles. Amy recently won a prize from the Help Save Our Planet Society. The president said, "Amy is an inspiration to us all."

    Amy isn't the only one who is good at recycling. Jessica Wong from Hong Kong uses old clothes that people don't wear anymore to make bags. She has been doing this for a few years now. She opened a small shop where she sells her bags, and she has also set up a website to sell them online. She especially likes to use old jeans to make handbags. Her bags are cute and useful. "I plan to write a book about new ways to use old clothes," she said. "I hope people can read my book and enjoy it!"

    Wang Tao set up a small business in Shanghai four years ago. He is known for using iron and other materials from old cars to make beautiful art pieces. Some are large pieces that look like animals or humans, and some are smaller pieces you can put at home. The more popular works can even been seen in art shops around the city. Wang Tao hopes to set up a "metal art" theme park to show people the importance of environmental protection. Not only can the art bring happiness to others, but it also shows that even cold, and iron can be brought back to life with a little creativity.