I have many wonderful memories of my days as a circus clown(小丑), but there is one day that I would rather forget: July 6, 1944. We were playing a two-day stand in Hartford, Connecticut, and the big top caught fire.
I could hear grandstand chairs slamming inside the tent as people headed toward the exits. Some were jumping twelve feet from the top rows of the grandstand and seats to the ground outside. Most of the crowd was pouring through the regular exits and it soon became a panic.
In the midst of this scene the musicians had kept on playing until the tent was on fire over-head because they knew music sometimes might work wonder; they had jumped off the bandstand just before a flaming quarter-pole fell into their stand.
City fire equipment had arrived by now and was pouring streams of water onto the big top area to cool it enough for firemen to enter. In the smoke and confusion, it was impossible to tell whether or not anyone might have been left in the tent. We circus people were ordered away from the smoking ruins that, only a few minutes before, had been the biggest spread of canvas in the world.
I went outside; doctors, and first-aid workers were everywhere, carrying bodies from where the grandstands and seats had been. The toll(伤亡人数) of dead and dying increased so fast that emergency crews were called in from surrounding cities.
Later it was found that 168 people had died in the fire — the worst circus disaster in history, and an afternoon of horror I can never forget.
The race to introduce the first commercial flying taxi is officially on. Google, Boeing and Porsche are among 20 companies testing their machines, laying the groundwork for wider production and starting to encourage government officials to bring autonomous all-electric vehicles into the skies in just a few years. Lilium, a German start-up company, has raised more than US $100 million from investors. Its prototype (雏形) jet—which is still seeking certification from European regulators (欧洲监管机构) —is able to take off and land like a helicopter, and is quiet enough "to land in some areas that are traditionally off-limits to aircraft"—even midtown Manhattan.
However, the possibility of air vehicles over New York already represents a clear and present danger to public safety. New York skies are already filled with helicopters. Since 1983, there have been at least 30 helicopter crashes in the city. "There are several challenges to overcome before commuters (上下班往返的人) are flying through the air," said Dalvin Brown in USA Today. Many of the vehicles now being imagined require "magical electric batteries that doesn't exist—yet." The best that anyone can do right now with an electric battery is 20 minutes of flight. An even bigger obstacle (障碍) is gaining approval (批准) from the FAA (American Federal Aviation Administration), which has strict rules and guidelines for small aircraft, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
That's why the first practical commercial tests of autonomous taxis are likely to be outside the US, said Jeremy Bogaisky on Forbes.com. "EHang became the first company to receive approval from Chinese aviation regulators to establish an autonomous air-taxi service in Guangzhou." To succeed in the US, air taxi companies will need much more than that. Taking a small aircraft through the regulatory forest of safety certification to production can cost US $75 to US $100 million.
Loneliness is a widespread problem with complex roots.
There has been a quiet pandemic developing while most people's attention has been on covid-19. The lockdown has worsened a problem that has been spreading in many developed nations for decades: loneliness.
It is a complex issue which covers not only social lives, but the way you work and the way you vote. Noreena Hertz, an academic, deals with the subject in an important new book, "The Lonely Century". Loneliness increases the risk of heart disease, strokes and dementia(痴呆症). Those who say they are lonely are likelier to be depressed five years later. In addition, lonely people can become more hostile towards others and more attracted to extremist politics.
Part of the problem stems from contemporary employment. Globally, two in five office workers feel lonely at work. This rises to three in five in Britain. Gig-economy(零工经济)jobs can leave people with insecure incomes and without the companionship of colleagues. The pandemic has made it more difficult to make, and maintain friendships, particularly for new employees.
Ms. Hertz points her finger at other recent developments. One of them is social media. The internet has led to much cyber-bullying (although it has also been a source of companionship during the lockdown). And people glued to their smartphones spend less time interacting socially.
Some changes in behavior are caused by individual choice Before the pandemic no one was stopping people going to church or taking part in sports. They simply preferred to do other things. American fathers spend three times as much time with their children as they did in the 1960s. That is surely a welcome development.
So recreating a communal society may be difficult. When the pandemic ends, people may enjoy the chance to be with their neighbors and colleagues for a while. But the trend is clear. Technology means that people can get their entertainment at home, and work there, too. It is convenient but it also leads to loneliness.
Everyone has moments of forgetfulness (健忘) from time to time, especially when life gets busy. , having a poor memory can be frustrating. However, research has shown that there are ways to improve your memory.
Get enough sleep
Sleeping well helps make episodic memories stronger. , especially about learning motor skills, such as learning to play a musical instrument or ride a bike. Having a full night's sleep soon after gaining a new skill helps strengthen the processes involved.
Believe to remember
Positive thinking appears to improve memory performance. Researchers found they could improve the performance of people aged 60 and above in memory tests by presenting them with positive agerelated words such as "wise", and "sharpwitted".
. Brain scans have shown differences in activity levels in brain regions, according to whether individuals believe they have good recall abilities or not.
Memories can be weakened if the brain doesn't have enough downtime to strengthen them. More than a century ago, German scientists showed that people performed almost twice as well in memory tests if they took breaks.
Stay social
. US scientists who asked people in their 50s and 60s to do memory tests every other year found there is a slower decline in recall abilities of the most sociable persons. Having good friends, volunteering and other forms of social engagement also protect memory.
A. Take a break
B. Stay mentally active
C. Having an active social life delays memory loss as we age
D. Poor sleep is thought to have a significant effect on memory
E. Giving others words such as "forgettable" and "confused" weakened their performance
F. While this can be a completely normal phenomenon
G. There is evidence that sleep plays an important role in strengthening memories
The day before my daughter Norah's fourth birthday, something she said predicted an amazing event that happened later.
I had just 1 my little girl from preschool when she reminded me to 2 the elderly person walking across the parking lot at a snail's pace. She went on to explain: "I like old people the best because they walk 3 like I do and they have soft skin like I have soft skin. But they may die soon, so I will love them all before they die." I was 4 by her thoughtfulness and sympathy, but I had 5 how much my little girl really 6 it.
The following day-her birthday-again on the way home from school, she asked if we could 7 at the supermarket to buy some 8 for her and her six brothers and sisters to enjoy after dinner. Then we headed forward. While I was picking up the cupcakes, Norah was 9 waving and saying loudly: "Hi, old person! It's my birthday today!"
The man was elderly. stone-faced and furrow-browed. 10, before I could quiet her for calling him an old person, he stopped and turned to her. His facial expression 11 as he replied, "Hello, little lady! How old are you today?"
After 12 for a few minutes, the man wished her a happy birthday. Then, Norah asked: "Can I take a 13 with you?" Hearing this, he took a step back, and placed his free hand on his chest, "A photo? With me?" he asked in a surprised but 14 tone. "Yes, for my birthday!" Norah begged. And so he did. They 15 together. Norah placed her soft hand on top of his soft hand. The man wordlessly 16 at her with twinkling eyes as she kept his hand in hers and studied his skinny veins curiously. She kissed the top of his hand and then placed it on her cheek. He smiled sweetly.
There was 17 happening in the supermarket that day, and we could all feel it. After a few minutes, I 18 Mr. Dan for spending a bit of his day with us. With tears welling up, he said, "No, thank you. This has been the best day I've had in a long time." He 19 my daughter. "You've made me so 20, Miss Norah."
I started playing the piano when I (be) five years old and still really enjoy it now. It is a perfect way to relax and it cheers me up I'm feeling down.
When I lived at home with my parents, we had lovely piano in the house. Besides, I attended piano (lesson) every week. However, when I went to university, I had to leave my family, my home and my piano behind.
I missed playing the piano so much that I spent all the money I saved on a new electric piano. I had (difficult) taking it from the music shop to my house by myself, so I took a friend with me (get) it home. When I felt tired after studying or writing a research paper, I would take a break to play something energetic, really helped remove my great stress. When I was feeling homesick, playing music made me feel much (good).
Now I'm on my year abroad and I don't have a piano any more, I still listen to a lot of classical music (write) by my favorite composers like Beethoven and Chopin. I think that, when I get home next time, I'll drive my family mad because I'll play the piano all the time.
