阿不思與他的快樂伙伴

The damaging effects of shift work on the body are well known. This study shows the impact on the mind as well.
Three thousand people performed tests of memory and speed of thought. Those with more than ten years of shift work under their belts had the same results as those who didn't do shifts but were six-and-a-half years older.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/ukchina/trad/elt/english_now/2014/11/141103_tae_538_pay_for_your_bag
 
authorities - 當局，政府
mandatory -required by law or rules; compulsory 強制性

今日短語
To bite someone's head off 的意思是對某人嚴厲斥責、大發脾氣，而且往往是在對方沒有凖備的情況下。
例句
I'm very sorry I lost my temper, I didn't mean to bite your head off.
Don't bite my head off, it wasn't my fault, I was just explaining the situation.
請注意
另一個短語 to bite your tongue 的意思是強忍住不說出、保持緘默的意思。
例句：
I had to bite my tongue to stop me from telling her what I really thought.

Jean-Claude Juncker's dismissive assessment of David Cameron's promise to fix EU migration proved the issue will be an uphill battle for the prime minister. Yesterday, the incoming Commission president said rules around the free movement of people could not be changed.
But the Conservative MP Edward Leigh said he thought the EU is desperate to keep Britain in, and there was a very good chance EU migration could be renegotiated. Responding to Mr Juncker's remarks, a Downing Street source said proposals would be brought forward before Christmas and deserved and would get a fair hearing.
At today's summit, EU leaders will try and agree a target of cutting greenhouse gases by 40% by 2030. The prime minister is also expected to raise the issue of EU expenditure.
This week, the European Parliament asked for a budget of 146bn euros next year, 6bn more than EU leaders agreed at an earlier summit. The final deal will be hammered out next month, but the government sources said the MEPs' bid was too high and unrealistic.
 

It might be difficult to find anyone who hasn't seen one of these ice bucket challenge videos or pictures. And every day there's a new one with a celebrity in it. Justin Bieber's(小賈斯汀) video got more than one million 'likes'. Former US President George W Bush took part in one and so did actor Tom Cruise, internet billionaires, footballers and my neighbour Sophie. But has it achieved anything?
The challenge's objective was fundraising and bringing awareness to the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Association in the US. The figures say it did. During the month of August, when the campaign was in full swing, ALS received over $98m – a big jump compared to the $2.7m donated during the same period last year.
Other charities have benefitted from it too, including the UK's Water Aid. It seems to have got money from some people who thought the ice bucket challenge was a waste of precious liquid.
But the initiative has its critics. Shannon Murray, a British writer who campaigns for disability rights says: "It's been very celebrity-orientated and it plays into our culture of putting everything about ourselves out there on social media. Some people have obviously done it to raise their profile and that's up to them. Personally it makes me a bit uncomfortable."
Veteran BBC radio presenter John Humphrys isn't happy either. "I have mixed feelings about persuading people to support a charity with stunts," he says. Humphrys believes charity should be about giving because it's a worthwhile cause that we want to help.
The ice bucket challenge isn't the first initiative to get benefactors through social media. In March, Cancer Research UK raised millions when women posted pictures of themselves online wearing no makeup while donating to charity.
The days of just relying on people's goodwill and social conscience might be over. As Humphreys puts it: "Charity has become big business, and fundraising is all about clever marketing. Pity they can't let the cause speak for itself."

 
Optical Illusions - 錯覺 幻覺
perceive - become aware or conscious of (something); come to realize or understand. 感知
sharp - 分明的

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-W_rB9xWfYk#t=38
 
throw
(vt.)投,擲,拋,發射,摔下,匆匆穿,拋棄,擺脫,施加(vi.)丟,擲,拋投擲,擲骰子
sarcastic
(a.)諷刺的,譏諷的,辛辣的
lubricant
(a.)潤滑的潤滑物,潤滑油,潤滑劑
liquid
液體,流體,流音(a.)液體的,透明的,明亮的,流動的,易變的
pack
包裹,一群,一副,背包,包裝(vt.)包裝,捆紮,塞滿,壓緊,挑選(vi.)包裝貨物,擠
directions
c方向,方位;用法說明,說明書;u管理,指導,指揮
guarantee
擔保,抵押品,保証書(vt.)保証,擔保
comprehend
(vt.)理解,包括
couple
對,夫婦,數個(vt.)加倍,使成雙,連結,使成婚(vi.)結合,成婚
shyness
羞怯,膽怯
overcome
(vt.)戰勝,克服,勝過(vi.)得勝
force
力量,武力,勢力,影響力,軍隊,力,效力(vt.)強迫,強奪,推動,加壓力,提高
accent
腔調,地方口音;重音(v.)著重,強調
pronounce
(vt.)宣佈;宣稱,宣告;發…的音(vi.)發表意見;發音
lisp
(vt.)(vi.)咬著舌兒說口齒不清
impediment
妨礙,阻礙,阻止,口吃,行李
speech
u言語,說話,說話方式;c演說,講話
through
穿過,通過;從頭到尾經過;經由,以;由於,因為;完…(ad.)對穿;從頭到尾
outgoing
外出,開支,流出(a.)喜歡外出的
naturally
(ad.)自然地,以自然力,天生地
nervous
(a.)神經的;緊張不安的,神經過敏的
whether
(conj.)是否…,是不是…;是否…,是不是…

http://goo.gl/U5D2Zb
Can science fiction help us?  
What will the future be like? Good or bad? A lot of science-fiction writing imagines a world which is dark and scary. In Blade Runner, Harrison Ford hunts robots in a chaotic Los Angeles. Planet of the Apes shows a bleak future for humankind. And what about The Hunger Games? Don't get me started.
There's a word to describe the kind of future world which often appears in science fiction: dystopia. It means an imagined place where things are unpleasant or bad. The opposite is utopia. But does tomorrow's world have to be so depressing?
No. A new project wants to use the power of science fiction to inspire people to create a better future. Project Hieroglyph brings together writers, scientists, engineers and artists to create optimistic stories about things which really could happen in the next 50 years.
It's just a matter of making an effort. Experts say it's easier to create a dystopia than write a feel-good story. There's more conflict in a world full of problems, and stories are interesting when there are a lot of problems to resolve. No challenge, no story!
But the project produced a book with some promising plots. One of them is about environmentalists who fight to stop entrepreneurs from building the first hotel in Antarctica. Well, there's conflict there and it's plausible, so it could be a good story.
But will these stories actually change anything or just keep us entertained? Ed Finn, the book's editor, thinks the former. He says: "A good science-fiction story can be very powerful. It can inspire hundreds, thousands, millions of people to rally around something that they want to do."
The influence of science fiction can already be seen in modern research, says Braden Allenby, Project Hieroglyph participant and Professor of Engineering, Ethics and Law at Arizona State University. He asks: "Why are people working on, for example, invisibility cloaks? Well, it's Harry Potter, right?"
Time will tell how far we can go. Let's dream big and think outside the box. Who knows the wonderful things we can come up with.

 
Now here's something worth making a song and dance about...
At 13 metres long, this is the world's biggest playable guitar.
It's taking centre stage in an exhibition in the US about the instrument.
Who can resist strumming it?
This model's got eight necks. You'd have to be an octopus to make full use of it, though the exhibition's curator makes a good effort.
And like all true rockers, the exhibition is on the road - travelling the world for all guitar fans to see.

 
Climate-the weather conditions prevailing in an area in general or over a long period.   氣候
Gravity-萬有引力