Health Care by Robot

Taking personal health care to the next level

Many people who saw the movie Big Hero 6 immediately fell in love with Baymax. He's a big, friendly robot that takes care of people's health. Imagine a robot like Baymax as a personal health care companion in real life!

He would be especially useful in caring for the growing elderly population. The health of senior citizens needs greater monitoring and care -- as well as a softer touch.

At Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania, scientists are working to make Baymax a reality. Chris Atkeson, a professor in the field of robotics, leads the research. He and his team actually inspired Disney filmmakers to create the soft, lovable robot.

Health care robots aren't quite as advanced as Baymax yet. But people can still personally manage their health at home through convenient apps.

Existing apps can check a person's heart rate and remind them to take their medicine. Some apps can monitor a person's blood pressure and perform other valuable functions. The information collected by the apps can make a diagnosis faster and more accurate. Like Baymax, these apps may end up saving lives.

Language Lab
elderly n. adj.
old or rather old : past middle age
- The restaurant is thoughtfully designed for the elderly.
- Elderly people need companionship with loved ones.
elder adj.
of greater age : older
- My elder sister, Jade lives in the States.

monitor v.
to watch, observe, listen to, or check (something) for a special purpose over a period of time
- The doctor suggested that the patient get his cholesterol monitored periodically.
- The FBI is monitoring the gang's activities.
n. a device that is used for showing, watching, or listening to something: such as a : a device that shows information or images on a screen
- The monitor in the parking lot had been tampered with.

advanced adj.
beyond the basic level
- The engineer used advanced technology to create this virtual reality device.
- The advanced English class only has 15 openings.

diagnosis n.
the act of identifying a disease, illness, or problem by examining someone or something
- The doctor's diagnosis is that the patient has diabetes.
- Early diagnosis can reduce the risk of cancer.
diagnose v.
diagnose with
- The patient was diagnosed with arthritis.

To Tip or Not to Tip (2)

Info Cloud
Americans are tip crazy, every year they spent 40 billion dollars tipping people.

70 percent of those tips go to restaurant servers. So with so much money being spent, it makes sense that people will study this custom to understand exactly how it works.

Okay, one professor at Cornell University has spent years studying restaurant tipping. One thing he found is that when a small candy comes with the bill, the tip goes up.

Touching the customer on the shoulder when delivering the bill increases tips too, so does drawing a smiley face on the bill.

But, those things only work if the server is a woman. Now, if the server man or woman squats down next to, or sits that table while taking an order, the tip goes up on average of one dollar per table.

And here’s something surprising, by and large, good service does not increase a tip.

That is surprising. As wide spread as tipping is, there is a small growing movement in the US to abolish tipping. Some restaurants are finding it’s easier for customers and fairer to servers to just pay the wait-stuff, a flat wage out of the menu prices.





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Noodles of the World (2)

In Vietnam long, flat rice noodles appear in beef soup. Thin, white rice noodles are rolled in spring rolls. In Singapore rice noodles are eaten with seafood or served in a peanut sauce. In India and Sri Lanka thin noodles are eaten with curry. Examples of tasty noodle dishes in other Southeast Asian countries are far too numerous to list.

Central Asia and the Middle East
In countries throughout Central Asia, including parts of Russia, people eat long noodles called lagman. Lagman can be eaten in a thick stew or in a sauce. In some places, each ingredient is served in a separate bowl. Elsewhere, everything comes already mixed together.

Central Asian countries also have other noodle dishes. For example, one Kazakh dish consists of large, square noodles topped with meat. People eat this dish with their hands, so its name means "five fingers." And in Kyrgyzstan people eat spicy rice noodles served cold.

Info Cloud
Okay, everyone, here’s a geography question. There are seven countries names that have s t a n as their suffix. How many can you name?

Well, there’s, Afghanistan and Pakistan, there in the news a lot, umm, I can only think of one, another one, Kazakhstan.

For more Steve, okay, here they are. Kurdistan, Turkmenistan, Tadzhikistan and Uzbekistan. For the most of these names,the first part refers to a particular ethnic group. Well, the“stan” suffix means land of or place of. So Kazakhstan means land of the Kazakpeople.

Right, besides countries names, the stan suffix is used in the name of the regions all over central Asia.

For instance, within the borders of Russia, there’s a region call Tatarstan where the Tatarpeople live. In the middle of east, the region called Kurdistan which transcends of the borders of the five different countries is the place where the Kurdslive.

Now, you could say stan is the Persian version of the English word land which leads us to the next geography question. How many countries can you think of that have the word land as the suffix? There’re at least ten, that would you help get started with Switzerland.

Language Lab
seafood n.
fish and shellfish that live in the ocean and are used for food
- The island boats a splendid array of seafood.
- The seafood chowder is very fresh and delicious.
- The seafood restaurant serves top-notch lobster and crab.

numerous adj.
existing in large numbers
- Numerous fan letters poured in to support the band's reunion.
- Despite numerous attempts to quit, Frances still smokes.

stew n.
a dish of vegetables and usually meat cooked in hot liquid for a long time
- I miss Grandma's beef stew, especially in winter.
- This famous vegetable stew takes hours to make.
v.
- Stew the prunes for 40 minutes and then add sugar.

elsewhere adv.
in or to another place
- I have to buy this dress right now. You can't find it elsewhere.
- There are too many people here, so we'd better discuss this elsewhere.

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Noodles of the World (1)

This tasty food can take many forms

When were noodles invented? For a long time, no one knew. They have been a popular food in many parts of the world for 2,000 years. References to noodles appear in a book written sometime between A.D. 25 and 220 in China. A fifth-century text from the Middle East also mentions them. But in 2005 a 4,000-year-old bowl of noodles was discovered in China. This earliest known example of the food was made from ground millet. Since that time, noodles have spread around the world.

East and Southeast Asia

Noodles are still popular in China although they have changed a bit. Today most Chinese noodles are made from wheat. But some are made from rice or other things.

Several types of noodles are eaten in Japan. These include thin, round ramen noodles, thick udon noodles and several types of buckwheat noodles. In Korea noodles are sometimes made from acorns. They can be stir-fried or eaten cold.

Info Cloud
Draw Steve’s childhood, he thought the word acorn with spelled e g g c o r n.

Eh, that’s what I thought people were saying, and I’m not the only one. Today so many people think tree nuts have a connection with chicken eggs that linguists now use this made up word egg corn to describe a word or a phrase that results from mishearing another similar sounding word or phrase.

Egg corns are very similar to puns, the main difference being people who make puns do it intentionally to be funny, people who use egg corns however are unaware they’re making mistake.

Another characteristic of egg corns is that they introduce new meanings that are different from the original but are still plausible. For instance, the egg corn old-timer’s disease. We understand why people might say this instead of Alzheimer’s disease, because everyone associates Alzheimer’s with old age.

Here’s another egg corn, like a bowl in a china shop, at first glance nothing seems wrong with this phrase, it’s perfectly normal that there would be bowls for sale in a porcelain shop.

But actually it should be like a bull in a china shop, a phrase that describes a physically or socially clumsy person in a delicate situation.

Language Lab
reference n.
the act of mentioning something in speech or in writing : the act of referring to something or someone
reference to
- Knowing that Bobby had just been laid off, his friends avoided making nay references to their own jobs.
[noncount] : the act of looking at or in something for information
- Eric kept all the files regarding the project for future reference.

grind v.
/ˈgraɪnd/
grinds; ground /ˈgraʊnd/
to crush or break (something) into very small pieces by rubbing it against a rough surface or using a special machine
- The chef ground the corn with a food processor.
adj.
- Add some ground pepper to the top of the salad.

wheat n.
a kind of grain that is used to make flour for breads, cookies, etc
- Wheat is the main resource of food for the people of this region.
- Sam only eats whole-wheat bread. He doesn't like white bread.

stir-fry v.
to fry (something) quickly over high heat while stirring it constantly
- Stir-fry the beef for one to two minutes, and then add the broccoli.
- Tina stir-fried the onion with chicken.
stir-fry n.
a dish made of foods (such as meat or vegetables) that are fried quickly over high heat while being stirred constantly
- The restaurants' stir-fries are famous for their taste and reasonable prices.

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Capitol Records Building

This classic Hollywood sight is still making music

Sixty years of age this month, Los Angeles' Capitol Records Building still retains its personality and confidently gazes to the future.

The Design 
While many believe that the building's design is meant to resemble a stack of records, architect Louis Naidorf denies it. Not knowing his client was a record label, Naidorf planned the world's first circular office building for practical reasons, including giving windows to every office. The building is crowned with a spire that blinks "Hollywood" in Morse code and has echo chambers 30 feet underground for recording.

The Artists
Many legendary singers and bands have re corded in the Capital Records Building, including Frank Sinatra and the Beach Boys. The south wall features a mural of jazz musicians to represent Capital Records' work within the field. Today, Capital has Katy Perry, Sam Smith and 5 Seconds of Summer on their label, to name a few.

The Future
Much of the area surrounding the downtown building has remained underdeveloped -- but that will soon change. If plans for a 38- and a 39-story tower go through, the Capital Records Building will be the center of a new Hollywood destination.

Language Lab
architect n.
a person who designs buildings
- Miho Museum was designed by the famous Chinese architect I.M. Pei.
architecture n.
the art or science of designing and creating buildings;
a method or style of building
- Taipei 101 is an amazing piece of architecture.
- The Colosseum in Rome is an example of Roman architecture.

spire n.
a tall, narrow, pointed structure on the top of a building
- The skyscraper's spire is almost five floor high.
- The bell in the spire of the cathedral rings every hour.
- The building's spire was hit by the airplane that crashed.
- church spires

legendary adj.
/ˈlɛʤənˌderi/
very famous or well-known
- The song What a Wonderful World was sung by the legendary Louis Armstrong.
- The movie was adapted from an ancient legendary story.

mural n.
/ˈmjɚrəl/
a usually large painting that is done directly on the surface of a wall
- The huge mural outside the company's building is decorated with paintings made by the children of our staff.
muralist n.
a person who has strong feelings and opinions about what is right and who tries to control the moral behavior of other people
- This muralist spent a whole year finishing this mural of sea creatures.

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Enchanting Venice (2)

In the square outside the Basilica, lovers of literature can sit at Caffe Florian, regarded as the oldest coffee house in Eurpoe. Charles Dickens, Henry James as well as Lord Byron enjoyed the aromatic drink here.

Venetian Activities 
Art lovers should buy a museum pass and visit some of the city's exceptional museums. They can view works by Venetian masters like Giovanni Bellini, Titian and Tintoretto.

Murano Glass and Burano Lace
In the Venetian Lagoon, the island of Murano has been home to glassmakers since 1291. Tourists can visit factories, studios and the Glass Museum. Glass artists produce everything from simple souvenir pieces to beautiful works of contemporary art.

Only glass works made using traditional methods on Murano Island can be called Murano Glass. The nearby island of Burano is famous for lace making and colorful houses. Looking at the colorful houses and kaleidoscopic streets makes people feel as if they are waling in a fairy tale.


Language Lab
aromatic adj.
/ˌerəˈmætɪk/
having a noticeable and pleasant smell
- The beef turned aromatic after being simmered for 30 minutes.
- The aromatic herb can refresh you in no time.

exceptional adj.
unusually good : much better than average
- The actor has an exceptional ability to attract attention.
- The company's exceptional marketing strategies made them number 1 in the field.

contemporary adj.
happening or beginning now or in recent times
- Samuel doesn't like any classical art; he's more interested in contemporary art.
- Picasso was more famous than many other contemporary artists.

kaleidoscope adj.
/kəˈlaɪdəˌskoʊp/
a mixture of many different things
- The fashion designer used a kaleidoscopic range of fabrics in his winter collection.

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Enchanting Venice (1)

• What is Venice known for?
• St. Mark's Basilica and Square

The City of Water attracts tourists with its history and beauty

Located in northeastern Italy, Venice is known for its cultural treasures, romantic atmosphere and unusual living-on-water experience. The city spreads out over 118 islands, which are linked by more than 400 bridges, in the Venetian Lagoon.

Venice's historical center consists of six regions. San Polo in the middle and San Marco in the south, the busiest main regions, are linked by the Rialto Bridge. The famous stone arch crosses Venice's main waterway -- the Grand Canal. When night falls, many tourists enjoy dinner at the outside tables by the Grand Canal while watching colorfully lit boats glide by.

St. Mark's Basilica and Square

Near the end of the S-shaped Grand Canal lies St. Mark's Basilica, a must-see. Inside, dazzling mosaics tell stories of Bible figures. Nearby are the Doge's Palace and the Bridge of Sighs. These were made famous by Lord Byron, "I stood in Venice on the Bridge of Sighs, a palace and prison on each hand." Legend has it that if a couple passes under the bridge, their love will last forever.


Language Lab
arch n.
a usually curved part of a structure that is over an opening and that supports a wall or other weight above the opening
- A group of noisy tourists just passed by the arch and entered the old city.
- The bride and her father walked through a row of arches and entered the church.
the raised area on the bottom of the foot that is formed by a curved section of bones
- Because Martha has high arches, it's not easy to find shoes that fit her.

glide v.
to move in a smooth way
- The dancers glided on the dance floor effortlessly.
- The swans g gracefully glided across the pond.
— glide noun [singular]
- the graceful glide of the swan
- The plane went into a glide.
- Due to global warming, polar bears are on a fast glide to extinction.

dazzle v.
to cause (someone) to be unable to see for a short time
- I was dazzled by the grand street lights of Vegas.
- Many girls were dazzled by Jack's good looks.
dazzling adj.
- The model's blue eyes and dazzling smile are his trademarks.

mosaic adj.
/moʊˈzejɪk/
a decoration on a surface made by pressing small pieces of colored glass or stone into a soft material that then hardens to make pictures or patterns
- The mosaic fountain was designed and constructed by local art students.
- The mansion houses a beautiful collection of mosaics.

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[Advanced] The Genius of Opposites (2)

Kahnweiler’s fourth step is to destroy the dislike. It’s easy for two people with such clashing personalities to develop deep animosity toward each other. They must work, instead, on learning to respect and like each other as much as possible.

The fifth and final step is that each can’t offer everything. Introvert/extrovert consulting partnerships are often powerful because neither partner could offer clients all they want — but the two partners working together are able to present a much more diverse but complementary product or service.

For each step of her ABCDE methodology, Kahnweiler covers why that particular step is important, the pitfalls that can break down the step and the solutions that ensure success. Bring on the battles, for example, is important because the energy and creativity that emerge from constructive conflicts are best for the organization and lead to better solutions. Also, Kahnweiler writes, a major conflict can actually be a turning point in the relationship, paving the way to a productive collaboration.

Kahnweiler warns, however, that battles can also deal fatal blows to introvert/extrovert collaboration, for example, if one partner considers him- or herself more important. Hiding your concerns is another way that battles can be fatal, according to Kahnweiler. If partners don’t bring out the “elephant in the room,” the result — passive-aggressive behavior from the extrovert and internalized resentment from the introvert — can eventually destroy the partnership.

Battles can be productive, however, with a little work from each partner. Clear communication, bringing in a third party to break through an impasse and taking time-outs will help conflicts from degenerating.

Kahnweiler doesn’t gloss over the difficulties in making extrovert/introvert partnerships work. The Genius of Opposites is filled with stories of conflicts, most resolved through an effort at communication and a foundation of respect. Not all stories have a happy ending. Kahnweiler reports that in his memoir, Lerner believes he and his partner Loewe could have written more wonderful musicals if they could have gotten along. “In the end we were a little like the couple being discussed in one of Noel Coward’s plays. ‘Do they fight?,’ says one. ‘Oh, no, said the other. They’re much too unhappy to fight.”

The Genius of Opposites is an important manual for partners with clashing personalities who never want to become too unhappy to fight.


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[Advanced] The Genius of Opposites (1)

How do extroverts and introverts learn to work together?

Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniack built Apple. Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe brought us iconic musicals, including Camelot and My Fair Lady. These famously productive partnerships had one thing in common: They brought together an introvert and an extrovert.

The common wisdom is that introverts and extroverts do not work well together. The common wisdom, as author Jennifer Kahnweiler makes clear in her new book, The Genius of Opposites, is absolutely correct in the sense that the collaboration is often going to be contentious and difficult, filled with battles and miscommunications and sometimes deliberate sabotage. Somehow, however, the introvert/extrovert partnerships such as those cited above, as well as the many unknown partnerships that fill Kahnweiler’s book, produced extraordinary results. The key to such success, according to Kahnweiler, is the five-step process at the heart of her book.

The first step, Kahnweiler argues, is to accept the alien. If introverted and extroverted people want to partner, they have to realize that they will never change the personality of the other person. Instead, each partner has to make a conscious effort to understand the other.

The second step is that battles don’t have to be avoided. Instead, they can be the means through which each partner is challenged by the other, resulting in solutions that are better than those that might have been developed individually.

The third steps is to cast the character. Because there are two very different personalities in the partnership, partners should take on the roles that best fit their unique personalities.

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The Benefits of Music (1)

Eleven reasons why you should make music a habit

I was born singing! Well, not really. But my mother vows that I sang long before I talked.

Though I'm not sure when I began, I've always loved music because it makes me happy. Researchers have discovered that's true for many people.

Music provides other benefits, as well.
1. Improves memory
Playing a musical instrument increases your memory. It also protects against memory loss that often occurs in old age.

2. Reduces anxiety 
If you're feeling a high level of stress, forget the massage and save your money. Music has been found to be as effective at reducing stress as a relaxing massage.

3. Relieves depression
Music can help lift your mood and relieve feelings of depression.

4. Improves sleep quality
Studies show that college students who listened to classical music experienced a better night's sleep.

5. Soothes pain
Swedish researchers discovered that music helps draw your attention away from your pain.

6. Improves test scores
One study had researchers observe people taking tests. They found that those who were allowed to listen to music had more correct answers.

Language Lab
reduce v.
to make (something) smaller in size, amount, number, etc. : decrease
- Our company has gradually been reducing its product line since last winter.
- The vegetarian diet is said to be able to reduce the risk of heart disease.
reduction n.
the act of making something smaller in size, amount, number, etc. : the act of reducing something
- The reduction of oil prices has boosted the economy temporarily.

massage n.
the action of rubbing or pressing someone's body in a way that helps muscles to relax or reduces pain in muscles and joints
- A back massage is exactly what I need now.
massage v.
- Lisa massaged her sore feet, trying to ease the pain.
masseur n. 男性按摩師
masseuse n.女性按摩師

classical adj.
of a kind that has been respected for a long time
- The dance school specializes in classical ballet.
classic adj.
used to say that something has come to be considered one of the best of its kind
- the classic red lipstick Chanel

soothe v.
/ˈsuːð/
to cause (someone) to be calmer, less angry, etc.
- This essence oil can soothe tense muscles.
- The boy's mommy took him in her arms to soothe him.
soothing adj.
producing feelings of comfort or relief
- This soothing music helps you feel relaxed in an instance.


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