“Mirror (镜子) mirror on the wall, what film is on in the cinema?”

    Now with this new mirror, you can brush your teeth and read news at the same time in your bathroom. Now not many people have this kind of mirror, but it will be popular very soon.

    The mirror works with new software (软件). You can use it to get news. You can also make your calendar (日程表) on it. It can also tell you what to wear because it knows the weather (天气). The mirror is very clever. You can write notes on it for family members.

    There's another kind of new mirror, too. It can get much information from the user's clothes. It tells the user what clothes make him or her look good. Going shopping or eating out? Wait a minute! The mirror can give you coupons (优惠券), too.

C

Why Are They Left-handed（左撇的）?

What do Napoleon, Clinton and Wang Nan have in common(共同的)? They are all left-handed. Today about 15% of the number of people is left-handed. But why are people left-handed? The answer is the way the brain(大脑) works. The brain has two halves—the right half and the left half. The right half controls(控制) the left side of the body and the left controls the right half of the body.

    So right-handed people have a strong left brain, and left-handed have a strong right brain. The two halves of the brain are about the same size. But each side controls different things. The left side controls language, maths and logic(逻辑). When you remember new words or when you put things in order, you use your left side. The right side of the brain controls your love of art, colour and music. It is also good at recognizing(认出) faces. This does not mean(意思是) that all artists are left-handed and all accountants(会计师) are right-handed. Some right-handed have a strong right brain, and some left-handed have a strong left brain.

    Have you ever paid attention to the Air Quality Index (空气质量指标) or AQI reported in the newspaper? The AQI helps us understand what the air quality around us means to our health. The AQI uses colors, numbers and words to tell us about the air. Let's see what these colors and numbers mean.

    There are some easy things you can do to protect the earth:

    •Plant flowers, grass or trees.

    •Whenever you visit a park or beach, take away what you take there. Keep rubbish in a bag until you can put it in a dustbin (垃圾桶).

    •Turn off the lights and TV set when you leave the room. This can save a lot of electricity.

    •Turn off the tap when you brush your teeth. You can save some water by not letting it run. Also, use a glass cup instead of a paper cup because this saves paper.

    •Give your old books and magazines to a library instead of throwing them away.

    •Give your old clothes to poor children you know instead of throwing them away.

    •Use both sides of paper.

    •Stop pouring dirty water into the rivers or lakes nearby.

    •Encourage all your friends to do the same things you do to help protect the earth.

    You don't have to wait until Earth Day to do these things. Make every day Earth Day. If everyone makes a contribution (贡献) to protecting the environment, the earth will become much more beautiful.

The Giraffe

    The giraffe is the tallest modern land animal. It can be over 5. 5 meters tall. Its neck bone may be 1. 9 meters long. Yet the giraffe has only seven bones in its neck, the same number as in the human. Even a small bird has many more bones in its neck than in a tall giraffe. Each bone in a giraffe's neck is very long, while the bones in a human's neck are small. That makes the difference. A female giraffe gives birth to one baby at a time. The baby, called a calf, is about 1. 9 meters tall at birth. By the age of eight it is full-grown. The giraffe can live for 30 years; the giraffe is good at running; it can run 30 kilometers per hour. The giraffe likes to live together, usually 7~10 a group. The giraffe eats mostly leaves. Because it has a long neck, it can reach the leaves high up on the trees.

    What is the best way to help control air pollution in our towns and cities? Choose public transportation instead of private cars, or reduce the total amount of cars on the street. These can be useful. But here is a more creative way—write a poem.

    "I write in praise of air. I was six or five, when a magician opened my fist(拳头), and I held in my hand the whole of the sky."

    Professor Tony Ryan (the science expert) and Professor Simon Armitage(the words expert), from the University of Sheffield, UK, came up with the idea.

    But in fact, the poem is not the key part. It is the poster that the poem was written on that plays the biggest part. The poster is 10 meters by 20 meters. It is coated with nanoparticles(纳米粒) of titanium dioxide (二氧化钛). It can absorb the waste from around 20 cars each day if you put it by a busy road. The poster is now displayed on one of the University of Sheffield's buildings.

    It doesn't get rid of all the pollutants from traffic, but it will eat up things called nitrogen oxides (氧化氮). These play a part in breathing problems, including asthma(哮喘).

    The technology is cheap. "It would add less than £100 to the cost of a poster and would turn advertisements into catalysts(催化剂) in more ways than one," Ryan told the BBC.

    He's also working on another idea, which is to add the nanoparticles to washing powder, so that your clothes soak up these poisons while you walk along. And you wouldn't be able to see or feel anything different.