Give yourself a test. Which way is the wind blowing? How many kinds of wildflowers can be seen from your front door? If your awareness is as sharp as it could be, you’ll have no trouble answering these questions.

Most of us observed much more as children than we do as adults. A child’s day is filled with fascination, newness and wonder. Curiosity gave us all a natural awareness. But distinctions that were sharp to us as children become unclear; we are numb(麻木的）to new stimulation(刺激), new ideas. Relearning the art of seeing the world around us is quite simple, although it takes practice and requires breaking some bad habits.

The first step in awakening senses is to stop predicting what we are going to see and feel before it occurs. This blocks awareness. One chilly night when I was hiking in the Rocky Mountains with some students, I mentioned that we were going to cross a mountain stream. The students began complaining about how cold it would be. We reached the stream, and they unwillingly walked ahead. They were almost knee-deep when they realized it was a hot spring. Later they all admitted they’d felt cold water at first.

Another block to awareness is the obsession(痴迷) many of us have with naming things. I saw bird watchers who spotted a bird, immediately looked it up in field guides, and said, a "ruby-crowned kinglet" and checked it off. They no longer paid attention to the bird and never learned what it was doing.

The pressures of "time" and "destination" are further blocks to awareness. I encountered many hikers who were headed to a distant camp-ground with just enough time to get there before dark. It seldom occurred to them to wander a bit, to take a moment to see what’s around them. I asked them what they’d seen. "Oh, a few birds," they said. They seemed bent on their destinations.

Nature seems to unfold to people who watch and wait. Next time you take a walk, no matter where it is, take in all the sights, sounds and sensations. Wander in this frame of mind and you will open a new dimension to your life.z.xxk

If you want to disturb the car industry， you'd better have a few billion dollars： Mom﹣and﹣pop carmakers are unlikely to beat the biggest car companies． But in agriculture， small farmers can get the best of the major players． By connecting directly with customers， and by responding quickly to changes in the markets as well as in the ecosystems（生态系统）， small farmers can keep one step ahead of the big guys． As the co﹣founder of the National Young Farmers Coalition （NYFC， 美国青年农会）and a family farmer myself， I have a front﹣row seat to the innovations among small farmers that are transforming the industry．

    For example， take the Quick Cut Greens Harvester， a tool developed just a couple of years ago by a young farmer， Jonathan Dysinger， in Tennessee， with a small loan from a local Slow Money group． It enables small﹣scale farmers to harvest 175 pounds of green vegetables per hour﹣a huge improvement over harvesting just a few dozen pounds by hand﹣suddenly making it possible for the little guys to compete with large farms of California． Before the tool came out， small farmers couldn't touch the price per pound offered by California farms． But now， with the combination of a better price point and a generally fresher product， they can stay in business．

    The sustainable success of small farmers， though， won't happen without fundamental changes to the industry． One crucial factor is secure access to land． Competition from investors，developers， and established large farmers makes owning one's own land unattainable for many new farmers．From 2004 to 2013， agricultural land values doubled， and they continue to rise in many regions．

    Another challenge for more than a million of the most qualified farm workers and managers is a non﹣existent path to citizenship ﹣ the greatest barrier to building a farm of their own． With farmers over the age of 65 outnumbering（多于）farmers younger than 35 by six to one， and with two﹣thirds of the nation's farmland in need of a new farmer， we must clear the path for talented people willing to grow the nation's food．

    There are solutions that could light a path toward a more sustainable and fair farm economy，but farmers can't clumsily put them together before us． We at the NYFC need broad support as we urge Congress to increase farmland conservation， as we push for immigration reform， and as we seek policies that will ensure the success of a diverse and ambitious next generation of farmers from all backgrounds． With a new farm bill to be debated in Congress， consumers must take a stand with young farmers．

TIANJIN, Feb. 6 - The computer viruses known as "Kompu" and "Happytime" will attack China next week, but damage will be limited, predicted the Tianjin-based National Computer Virus Emergency Response Center on Sunday.

The center - the only anti-virus products testing and certification center authorized by the Chinese Ministry of Public Security - raised the alert about the two viruses, which are expected to hit the country from Feb. 6 to 12.

The experts explained that the Wm_Kumpu virus originated in Estonia and appears on the computer screens with the messages "Mul on paha tuju!" and "Tahan kommi", which mean "I am in bad mood" and "Give me some candy".

The Vbs_Happytime, a virus in e-mail attachments, can eliminate.exe and .dll files in the computer hard disks.

Experts warned computer users who may log on to the Internet to receive mail or visit Internet chat rooms when they finish the week-long Spring Festival vacation and return to work on Monday.

The center advised computer system maintenance technicians to scrutinize their systems and upgrade anti-viral software as precautions against the viruses, before the routine working week starts on Monday.

Experts with the center said that there is no need to immediately format computer hard drives stricken with the viruses, since the viruses can not possibly damage all data on the hard disk in a short period of time. Computer users can use software and tools to restore the lost data.

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Researchers say current exercise guidelines are unrealistic and argue that doctors should sometimes advise small increases in activity instead. They warn the 150-minute weekly target is beyond the reach of some people — particularly older individuals. And striving to reach these goals could mean the benefits of lighter exercise are overlooked. But public health officials say current recommendations have proven benefits in lowering the risk of heart disease.

There is increasing evidence that inactivity is linked to heart disease, Type 2 diabetes(糖尿病) and some types of cancer. UK guidelines for adults recommend at least two-and-a-half hours of moderate activity a week, in short periods of 10 minutes or more.

But in two separate articles in the BMJ, experts argue the message needs to change, with greater emphasis on making inactive people move more. Prof Philipe de Souto Barreto at the University Hospital of Toulouse, advises people who are sedentary(久坐的) to make small incremental increases in their activity levels — rather than pushing to achieve current goals. He points to previous studies which show even short periods of walking or just 20 minutes of vigorous activity a few times a month can reduce the risk of death, compared to people who do no exercise.

In the second article, Prof Phillip Sparking of the Georgia Institute of Technology, says doctors should tailor their advice — particularly for older patients. He suggests using GP visits for people over 60 to discuss "realistic options" to increase activity — such as getting people to stand up and move during TV commercial breaks.

Prof Kevin Fenton at Public Health England, says: "Everyone needs to be active every day — short periods of 10 or more minutes of physical activity have proven health benefits, but getting 150 minutes or more of moderate activity every week is the amount we need to positively impact on a wide range of health conditions. "This includes reducing the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes."

The Powermat Wireless Charging System for iPhone LXA claims to wirelessly charge your iPhone in three，easy steps—plug in the Powermat，place the receiver case onto your iPhone，set your iPhone on the mat and let it charge away.

In theory，itˈs a good idea.No more looking around for your Apple charger，just drop your iPhone on the mat and walk away while it juices up your battery.

But to be perfectly honest，thereˈs no difference，or any more convenience，to just using a plug socket charger.

Firstly，it claims to be wireless，but you still have to find a socket to plug Powermat into.And，as it turns out，you canˈt just “drop”your iPhone on to it to charge.You have to put your device(装备)into the receiver case，which connects the Powermat with your phone so it can charge.

But I had two problems with that.Firstly，the receiver is a bit stiff and took a few seconds to pull apart and then put on my iPhone.And this would be a process you would have to go through every time you want to use the Powermat because the receiver is too big and heavy to permanently keep on your phone.And if you have a case for your iPhone，this has to be removed first as it wonˈt fit inside the receiver.

Secondly，by the time youˈve remembered where you plugged the Powermat in，seized the receiver in order to put your iPhone inside it and then placed it on the mat，it probably would have taken less time to connect your device to the Apple plug it came with. So whereˈs the convenience?

It_would_suit_someone_who_works_at_home_and_only_uses_their_iPhone_there，but_the_likelihood_of_that_is_very_slim.Powermat should also consider bringing out a battery-powered mat too，for extra convenience and to make it mobile and properly wireless.

At the beginning of this century, medical scientists made an interesting discovery; we are built not just of flesh and blood but also of time. They were  (1)  to show that we all have “a body clock”  (2)  us, which controls the  (3)  and fall of our body energies,  (4)  us different from one day one to the next.

The   (5)  of “a body clock” should not be too  (6)  since the lives of most living things are controlled  (7)   the 24 hour night-and-day cycle. We feel  (8)  and fall asleep at night and become   (9)  and energetic during the day. If the 24 hour-cycle is  (10)  , most people experience unpleasant  (11)   . For example, people who are not  (12)   to working at night can find that  (13)   of sleep causes them to  (14)  badly at work.

  (15)   the daily cycle of sleeping and  (16)  , we also have other cycles which  (17)  longer than one day. Most of us would   (18)  that we feel good on some days and not so good on  (19)   ; sometimes our ideas seem to flow and at other times, they  (20)  ​do not exist.

   Books are for reading, but man must bring to their reading a desire to learn and a power of alisorbing. Reading should be active, not passive.

       When students first go to a library, they may be at a loss as to what to read of all the different subjects. Well, Bacon tells you to “Look at weak places in your armour（盔甲）”, and shows you how to fill up the blanks in your knowledge. On the other hand, it is no good just trying to fill your mind with knowledge. Knowledge in itself is often useless. A mind filled with too much knowledge is like a room too full of fumiture; a man cannot walk about freely in it, and look out of the windows. It is much better to collect a few subjects which interest you and to deal lightly with the others than to march heavily through the whole range（范围）of learning, like a silly tourist going through a museum and not missing a single object. If you try to master every subject you may become very wise, but you will be very lonely and you will probably lose all your friends. So you must learn to pick and choose, and you must also learn to look here and there in a library like a camel eating grass on the grassland. If you watch it eating, you will see that although he is supposed to be one of the most stupid animals in the world, he has at least one of the qualities（品质）of the cultured（有修养的）man, the power to pick and choose. A student looking for mental food in a library should take the camel as his model.

       Those who doubt TV’s influence on our lives might consider the effect of automobile on American society. When the automobile first appeared on the highways, most Americans saw it as a horseless carriage, not as an important symbol of a new way of life. Similarly, those of us who grew up before television tend to think of it as just another medium in a series of 20th-century mass-communication systems, such as movies and radio. But television is not just another medium.

       If you were born before 1950, television came into your life after your formative years. Even if you are now a TV fan, it will be difficult for you to understand the changes it has brought. For example, imagine spending six hours a day at the local cinema when you were 12 years old. No parent would have allowed it. Yet, among the children we asked, nearly half the 12-year-olds watch an average of six or more hours of television per day. For many of them the habit continues into adulthood（成年）. From our surveys（调查）,we estimate（估计）that about one third of all American adults（成年人）watch an average of four more hours of television per day.

       None of us is totally dependent upon television for our view of the world. However, many of us have not had the opportunity to observe the reality of police station, courtrooms（法庭）, corporate board rooms（法人会议室）; or hospital operating rooms. Critics（评论家）complain about the stercotyped（不变的）characters and plots of TV dreams. But many viewers look on them as representative（代表）of the real world.

       If adults can so easily accept the reality of television, imagine: its effect on children. By the time the average American child reaches public school, he has already spent several years in an electronic nursery school. At the age of 10, the average child spend more hours a week in front of the TV screen than in the classroom. Given continuous exposure（暴露）to the world of TV, it’s not surprising that the children we tested seemed to be more strongly influenced by TV than the adults.

       At the other end of the life cycle, television becomes the steady and often the only companion of the elderly. As failing eyesight makes reading difficult, and getting around becomes it problem, many old people spend much of the day watching TV. Here the action of fictional drama helps make up for the inaction of their lives.

Reserve seats on any 2017 Rick Steves tour today, and you’ll save $ 100 per person! To receive your early booking discount, you must reserve a 2017 tour by midnight on November 30, 2016. Discounts are for new bookings only and must be secured with a $400 per person deposit(订金).

See our Conditions:

   Tour price guarantee: our tour prices do not include air tickets, and may be adjusted without notice due to possible changes in currency rates and trip costs. However, your price for the tour you’ve selected will be guaranteed the moment we receive your deposit.

   Included in the price of each tour: Sightseeing tours by a Rick Steves’ Europe(RSE) guide, and local guides when appropriate, including all admission to sights seen as a group; all breakfasts and half of your dinners; accommodation each night; all transportation from the first hotel to the last hotel of the tour; all RSE guide, local guide and driver tips.

   The plans of the trip may be changed: Europe is full of surprise, and we need to be flexible enough to take advantage of whatever comes along so that we may provide you with the best possible tour.

   Tour payments: Your final tour payment must be paid at least 60 days before the departure. Missing the final payment deadline may result in your being removed from the tour! If you sign up for a tour less than 60 days before its departure, the entire tour price must be paid.

   Transferring(改签) to another tour: Up to 60 days before your departure, you can transfer to any other tour in the same calendar year with seats available, applying your existing deposit and with no transfer fee. If you transfer to a different tour, the price of that tour will be applied, effective on the date we confirm your transfer. Transfers less than 60 days before your tour’s departure may not be possible.

There’s a new frontier in 3D printing that’s beginning to come into focus: food. Recent development has made possible machines that print, cook, and serve foods on a mass scale. And the industry isn’t stopping there.

Food production

With a 3D printer, a cook can print complicated chocolate sculptures and beautiful pieces for decoration on a wedding cake. Not everybody can do that — it takes years of experience, but a printer makes it easy. A restaurant in Spain uses a Foodini to “re-create forms and pieces” of food that are “exactly the same,” freeing cooks to complete other tasks. In another restaurant, all of the dishes and desserts it serves are 3D-printed,rather than farm to table.

Sustainability(可持续性）

The global population is expected to grow to 9.6 billion by 2050, and some analysts estimate that food production will need to be raised by 50 percent to maintain current levels. Sustainability is becoming a necessity. 3D food printing could probably contribute to the solution. Some experts believe printers could use hydrocolloids(水解胶体) from plentiful renewables like algae(藻类) and grass to replace the familiar ingredients(烹饪原料). 3D printing can reduce fuel use and emissions. Grocery stores of the future might stock "food" that lasts years on end, freeing up shelf space and reducing transportation and storage requirements.

Nutrition

Future 3D food printers could make processed food healthier. Hod Lipson, a professor at Columbia University, said, “Food printing could allow consumers to print food with customized nutritional content, like vitamins. So instead of eating a piece of yesterday’s bread from the supermarket, you’d eat something baked just for you on demand.”

Challenges

Despite recent advancements in 3D food printing, the industry has many challenges to overcome. Currently, most ingredients must be changed to a paste(糊状物) before a printer can use them, and the printing process is quite time-consuming, because ingredients interact with each other in very complex ways. On top of that, most of the 3D food printers now are restricted to dry ingredients, because meat and milk products may easily go bad. Some experts are skeptical about 3D food printers, believing they are better suited for fast food restaurants than homes and high-end restaurants.