When was the last time you told someone they inspire you to go to work each morning?

    Teachers at Oak Park High School in Kansas City, Missouri, did just that this September, when they pulled individual students out of class to tell them just how much they appreciated them.

    The students' reactions, which were captured (捕捉) on video and shared on YouTube in a now-viral video, ranged from shy thanks to hugs and tears.

    “I have been challenged to find a student who makes me want to come to school every day,” says one teacher in the video, “and that's you.”

    Jamie McSparin, a teacher in charge of the school's academy program for at-risk sophomores （二年级学生）and juniors, posed the challenge, writes ABC News.

    “Initially when we pulled the kids out, they all thought they were in trouble,” McSparin told ABC News. “Any teacher-student interaction always seems to be negative (消极的), and that was something that bothered me, too. No matter if they're a good kid or a trouble maker or anything, they always thought they were in trouble,” she says.

    McSparin says she got the idea for the project after attending a professional development workshop this summer called the power of positivity.

    “I like the idea of letting students know they are appreciated, because we do appreciate them, I just don't think we say it enough,” she told local news outlet WDAF-TV.

    It's safe to say the challenge was effective.

    “I feel special,” said one of the boys in the video. “You should,” said his teacher. “You are special.”

    You know the feeling that you have left your phone at home and feel anxious, as if you have lost your connection to the world. “Nomophobia” (无手机恐惧症) affects teenagers and adults alike. You can even do an online test to see if you have it. Last week, researchers from Hong Kong warned that nomophobia is infecting everyone. Their study found that people who use their phones to store, share and access personal memories suffer most. When users were asked to describe how they felt about their phones, words such as “hurt” (neck pain was often reported) and “alone” predicted higher levels of nomophobia.

    “The findings of our study suggest that users regard smartphones as their extended selves and get attached to the devices,” said Dr. Kim Ki Joon. “People experience feelings of anxiety and unpleasantness when separated from their phones.” Meanwhile, an American study shows that smartphone separation can lead to an increase in heart rate and blood pressure.

    So can being without your phone really give you separation anxiety? Professor Mark Griffiths, psychologist and director of the International Gaming Research Unit at Nottingham Trent University, says it is what is on the phone that counts-the social networking that creates Fomo (fear of missing out).

    “We are talking about an internet-connected device that allows people to deal with lots of aspects of their lives,” says Griffiths. “You would have to surgically remove a phone from a teenager because their whole life is rooted in this device.”

Griffiths thinks attachment theory, where we develop emotional dependency on the phone because it holds details of our lives, is a small part of nomophobia. For “screenagers”, it is Fomo that creates the most separation anxiety. If they can't see what's happening on Snapchat or Instagram, they become panic-stricken about not knowing what's going on socially. “But they adapt very quickly if you take them on holiday and there's no internet,” says Griffiths.

    Not sure what gift to get your loved ones? Think technology! You may even find something special for yourself!

    Mini Quadcopter

    Would you like to have a flying toy, but lack space to fly one? Consider a Mini Quadcopter that is small enough to fit inside your hand. This Mini Quadcopter can be controlled to fly in any direction with its remote control. The Mini Quadcopter is available from Hammacher Schlemmer for $39.95.

    Selfie Toaster

    Does your sweetie like taking selfies and eating toast? Well, why not combine the two with the Selfie Toaster? The Selfie Toaster crates an image on the piece of toast so you can smile at yourself every morning. The Selfie Toaster is available from Etsy for $10.95.

    Amazon Echo

    Give the knowledge of the world with the Amazon Echo.

    The advice can answer questions, tell you about weather conditions, tell jokes, play music and more. The Echo also acts as a Bluetooth speaker so you can connect your phone and listen to your favorite songs. The Echo is available from Amazon for $179.

    Indoor Snowfall Light

    Get into the spirit of the holiday season in your home with the Indoor Snowfall Light. The light shows snowflake shapes in your room to give you the feeling of a winter snowfall. You can control the speed of the snowfall, unlike the real whether. The Indoor Snowfall Light is available from Sharper Image for $59.99.

    Humans make mistakes. Even surgeons with years of experience are not infallible. But what if these doctors could pool their knowledge and experience together and create a surgical standard of care, to be carried out by machines?

    That's the idea behind surgical robots, which may soon perform most surgeries, from sewing up tiny wounds to performing heart procedures. Many of these operations are, in fact, already completed with the assistance of robots. But a recent test suggests that robots in the operating room may soon go a step further, performing on soft tissue completely on their own, from start to finish.

    The Smart Tissue Autonomous Robot（STAR）, successfully completed surgeries on pigs. "We're the first group to develop autonomous robotic surgery with soft-tissue surgery, and when compared to standard operation, it's better, "says Peter Kim, professor of surgery. "The idea is not to replace surgeons；it will make the surgeons better and make the procedures safer. "

    A recent Mayo Clinic study found that major surgical errors-including operating on the wrong site or side of the body, or even leaving tools or objects inside the patient-occur every one out of 22, 000 procedures. That's rare, but robots like STAR would aim to lower the number even further.

    In the da Vinci surgical system, surgeons place their arms inside instruments and use their hands to control the movement of robotic tools on the operating table from afar. The robot's every major move is controlled by surgeons, and thus its results may vary based on the surgeon's training or experience.

    STAR, on the other hand, is entirely autonomous. It's not only able to work on its own and perform surgeries with a more flexible "hand", but it's able to react to the unexpected incidents. Cutting into hard tissue like bones is one thing, but operating on moving soft tissue is far more complex. STAR reacts to a changing environment, similar to how self-driving cars are programmed to not only drive on the highway, but also react to another driver making a mistake and getting in your way.

Steps for a Successful College Application

    When it comes to getting into the college of your choice, your college application is the most important tool you have in your hands.       , while a bad one can land you at the bottom. Keep the following tips in mind when you are going through the college application process and you'll be on the road to admission.

    Be Prepared

          , carefully look over all the questions and requirements. Dedicate a page to each college with a checklist of everything you'll need to submit, such as transcripts, recommendations, the essay, copies of awards/certificates, etc.

          .

    Former Records Technician, Carmen Huff, says the best thing students do is to get their applications early—or at least by the deadline. Colleges and universities receive so many applications that they don't have the time to accept late ones. The more time you give the college or university to process your application, the more time you'll have to deal with any problems that might arise, Huff says.

    Watch Your GPA and Test Scores

    This is the first thing that most universities look at. For example, most four- year colleges don't have a GPA requirement, but top Ivy Leagues(常春藤联盟) usually only accept students with a 3.5 or higher GPA. However, if your GPA is weak, don't give up applying.       .

    Write an Amazing Essay

    A great essay can help tip the balance in your favor.       . Many colleges require two essays, one short and one long. What you write not only shows how literate you are, but also provides the reader with an impression of your values and beliefs.

A. Be On Time

B. Be Patient and Determined

C. When you have a test or an exam

D. When you first receive the application

E. A great application can zip you to the front of the line

F. So, take the time to think your essay through carefully

G. Instead, be sure to emphasize your other good qualities such as any awards or community involvement

    It was my first year of graduate school and my professor was standing on the platform. He was telling us about a 1he made years ago.

    About a decade earlier, my professor had been a sales manager at a large company. They were 2a national campaign and preparing for a major brand launch. My professor was3the operation.

    For almost two months before the launch day, he was 4all over the country to talk with major partners.5crossing the country on flights, he was also trying to 6his department. For weeks he would have meetings all day, answer7and phone calls all night, and8three or four hours of sleep.

    The week before the big launch day, his body9. He had to be rushed to the hospital. Major organs had started to10from the long-term stress. He spent the next eight days in hospital, 11to do anything as the launch day came and went.

    Imagine that your 12and energy are a bucket of water. In your daily life, there are things that 13your bucket up. These are inputs like sleep, nutrition, laughter, and other forms of 14. There are also forces that drain(使排出) the water from your bucket. These are15like stress from work or school, relationship problems, or other forms of anxiety.

    The forces that drain your bucket aren't all 16. To live a productive life, it can be important to have some things17out of your bucket. Working hard in the gym, at school, or at the office allows you to produce something 18. But positive outputs are still outputs and they drain your energy 19. These outputs are gradual. Even a little leak can result in significant water loss20 time.

    China has splendid culture with a long history. Chinese opera is one of the      (old) dramatic art forms in the world. During the Tang Dynasty, the Emperor Taizong established an opera school       the poetic name Liyuan (Pear Garden).Since the Yuan Dynasty, encouraged by court officials and emperors, it      (become)a traditional art form. During the Qing Dynasty,       became fashionable among ordinary people. Performances      (watch) in tearooms, restaurants, and even on temporary stages.

    It developed from folk songs, dance, talking, antimasque（滑稽戏）and especially distinctive dialectical music. Gradually it combined music, art and literature into one performance on the stage.      (accompany) by traditional musical instruments, actors present unique melodies which may sound strange to      (foreign)as well as beautifully written dialogues, which are of high literary      (valuable).These dialogues also promoted the development of distinct literary styles, such as Zaju in the Yuan Dynasty. For Chinese, especially older folks,      (listen) to this kind of opera occasionally is       real pleasure.

增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（︿），并在其下面写出该加的词。

删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。

修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。

注意：1．每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；

2．只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。

    In recent years, there have been more and more Confucius Institutes being built all over the world, that shows our Chinese culture has been become much more popular than ever. As one of four ancient civilizations, China creates many splendid cultures within its long history. The ancient Chinese culture once had great influences in the world's civilization, especially in Japan, South Korea and other Asian country. The Chinese culture is slow accumulated in the whole Chinese history, made it colorful and brilliant. If one want to know or study Chinese culture more deeply, he or she must spend much time. Therefore he or she can only get the tip of an iceberg.

注意：1）词数100左右；

2）可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。