Tea，the most typical English drink，became established in Britain because of the influence of a foreign princess，Catherine of Braganza，the queen of Charles II．As a lover of tea since her childhood in Portugal，she brought tea-drinking to the English royal court and set a trend for the beverage in the 17th century．The fashion soon spread beyond the circle of the nobility to the middle classes，and tea became a popular drink at the London coffee houses where people met to do business and discuss events of the day．Many employers served a cup of tea to their workers in the middle of the morning，thus inventing a lasting British institution，the“tea break”. However，drinking tea in social settings outside the workplace was beyond the means of the majority of British people．It came with a high price tag and tea was taxed as well．

    Around 1 800，the seventh Duchess of Bedford，Anne Maria，began the popular practice of“afternoon tea，”a ceremony taking place at about four o'clock．Until then，people did not usually eat or drink anything between lunch and dinner．At approximately the same time，the Earl of Sandwich popularized a new way of eating bread—in thin slices，with something like jam or cucumbers between them．Before long，a small meal at the end of the afternoon，involving tea and sandwiches，had become part of the British way of life．

    As tea became much cheaper during the 19th century，its popularity spread right through all corners of the British society．Thus，tea became Britain's favorite drink．In working-class households，it was served with the main meal of the day，eaten when workers returned home after a day's labor．This meal has become known as“high tea”．Today，tea can be drunk at any time of the day，and accounts for over two-fifths of all drinks consumed in Britain-with the exception of water．

A few months after we moved to a small city in France, I wanted to meet my husband for lunch at the university where he worked. I got lost. I had to call him for help. One of his friends said to him later, "How could she get lost? She just needed to go straight."

Well, no. That's the problem. You never "just go straight", because France is the land of roundabouts (弯道). Highways, major streets, little village lanes – if you go straight long enough, you'll end up going in circles.

    Even after a year here, I'd still get lost going to the grocery store, or just about anywhere that wasn't within a hundred yards of my house.

I admit I have a horrible sense of direction, can't read a map, and am not such a good driver. Plus, I've been spoiled (宠坏) by living in American cities, where you just indeed need to "go straight". But in France, driving became my nightmare — the roads are roundabouts within roundabouts.

    Finally I found a solution: a GPS program on my smart phone. I rely on it to get anywhere, even places I've been.

    But it does leave me feeling very bad and helpless when, often, the program doesn't work, can't find a GPS signal, or gives wrong information. I'd have to wait until my GPS gets recovered, or else I use my old solution: I call my husband. Is the GPS making us more stupid, or helping us going around more? In my case, it's probably both.

    China has recently published its first artificial intelligence (AI) textbook for high school students, following a plan by central government last year to include AI courses in primary and secondary school.

    Under the joint efforts by the research center for MOOC at East Normal University and AI startup Sense Time Group, the nine-chapter textbook, named Fundamentals of Artificial Intelligence, was written by eminent scholars from well-known schools nationwide, Xinhua reported on Sunday.

    It includes the history of AI and how the technology can be applied in areas such as facial recognition, auto driving and public security.

    “The textbook focuses not only on basics of AI, also on practical use of AI in daily life,” said Chen Yukun, a professor at East China Normal University, who is also a contributor to the book. At present, about 40 high schools across the country have joined the first batch（批）of AI high education pilot program, by introducing the textbook in curriculum（全部课程）.

    “The AI sector is facing a talent shortage globally. The publication of the book is a breakthrough as it takes AI technology out of the 'ivory tower' and makes it part of high school learning,” said Lin Dahua, a professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

    As early as 2016, the governments had estimated that demand for AI professionals may suddenly increase to 5 million in the coming years.

    “Many industries in the future will benefits from AI technology, so the aim of the related courses should be to let students learn the basic idea and methods of AI,” Lin said.

    China has made significant progress in technological research and development in recent years. According to a report released by US-based venture capital（风险资本）database CB Insights in March, China has for the first time surpassed the United States in equity funding（股权融资）to AI startups.

    I remember the first time I got on a horse. When I was a little boy aged two, my mom agreed to let me take a short ride and that was it! From then on, I drove my parents crazy begging for a horse.

    When I was four, I had mutism, in which children stop speaking in certain social situations. I went days, weeks, months without a sound at school. At most, I might quietly whisper to a friend. I suffered silently through school until I was ten when a psychologist had an idea. He asked me what I wanted more than anything else in the world. He explained I was going to be given an opportunity to work for that. And I was permitted to whisper the answer in my mother's ear, “A horse.”

    I was to get a horse, but I had to finish many weekly tasks. I had to answer the phone five times per week, something I had never done before. I had to say one word to my teacher at school and the list went on. For a child with mutism, saying one word to someone can be like climbing Mount Qomolangma. I did everything that was asked of me and the day came. His name was Sequoia, whom I fell in love with immediately. When I was with Sequoia, I forgot all about my problems and felt strong and secure.

    I am participating in society these days. My horse and I made it through a master's degree. I feel I owe my life to the horse and I try to give it back to him every day. He has given me the best gift I could ever imagine, my life.

    Which kind of diamond is better for the environment and the world we live in: a diamond from a traditional mine or one made in a laboratory?

    Some recent reports suggest the answer may not be so clear. At the very least, these reports provide evidence of tensions between two different sectors of the diamond industry.

    Lab -grown diamond companies say they are more ethical and cause less harm to Earth's environment. The traditional diamond sector notes that its businesses help the communities where they operate mines. It says they provide jobs, help build roads and other infrastructure and make investments in conservation.

    Some companies, such as De Beers, work on both sides. De Beers sells natural and man-made diamonds. In the United States, the Federal Trade Commission(FTC) investigates reports of deceptive, or misleading, advertising. In April, the commission sent warning letters to eight lab-grown diamond companies. One of the FTC's concerns was the use of the word 'eco-friendly', and similar terms, to describe diamonds made in a laboratory. The lab-grown process requires very high temperatures and uses a lot of energy. Trucost is a company that estimates the costs of using natural resources. Asked by the Diamond Producers Association to study the issue, Trucost found the carbon intensity of natural diamonds was lower than lab-grown diamonds.

    The Trucost report did note that diamond miners should reduce their effect on the environment by using more renewable energy, such as wind power and sunlight.

    A new study has found the amount of antibiotics(抗生素)given to farm animals is expected to increase by two-thirds over the next 15 years. Researchers are linking the growing dependence on the drugs to the increasing need for meat, milk and eggs. However, the drugs could quicken the development of antibiotic-resistant infections(感染). Such infections are already a major public, health concern in the United States.

    The World Health Organization notes when people stop living in poverty(贫困), the first thing they want to do is eat better, rather than earn more money. For most people, that means their diet should contain more meat. With the rapid development of Asia, people there are eating nearly four times as much meat, milk and other milk products as they did 50 year ago.

    To meet the need, farmers have put many animals into smaller spaces. As the animals are crowded together, the easiest way to deal with some of the problems of crowding is to give them antibiotics. It's clear that antibiotics help animals stay healthy in a crowded environment and grow faster. But bacteria can develop resistance to the drugs gradually.

    Nowadays, doctors find antibiotics that once worked against the infections no longer work. The bacteria have learned ways to fight against the drugs. The heavy use of antibiotics in animals is responsible for the growth of antibiotic resistance worldwide. In the United States, at least two million people get drug-resistant infections each year and at least 23,000 die from an infection.

    Europe has banned the use of antibiotics to increase animal growth. And the United States is hoping to persuade farmers to stop using antibiotics for that purpose.