Traditionally, robots have been hard, made of metal and other rigid material. But a team of scientists at Harvard University in the US has managed to build an 【小题1】 (entire) soft robot —the “Octobot”.

【小题2】 (describe)   in science journal Nature,   the “Octobot” could pave the way for 【小题3】 (effective) autonomous robots that could be used in search, rescue and exploration than the traditional ones. “The Octobot is a minimal system which may serve 【小题4】a foundation for a new generation of completely soft, autonomous robots,” the study’s authors wrote.

Researchers 【小题5】 (work) on building soft robots for decades. They’ve taken【小题6】(inspire) from nature, looking to animals from jellyfish to cockroaches, which are often made up of more flexible matter.

However, creating a completely soft robot 【小题7】 (remain) a challenge. Even if engineers build a silicone(硅酮) body, 【小题8】 is still a grand challenge to construct flexible versions of essential parts, such as a source of power.

“【小题9】 soft robotics is still in its early stage, it holds a great promise for several applications, such as search-rescue operations and explorations,” Barbara Mazzolai of Technology’ Center for Micro-BioRobotics, wrote in a comment. “Soft robots might also open up new approaches to 【小题10】(improve) wellness and quality of life.”

The Changxin Palace Lamp from 2000 years ago is most likely the oldest eco-friendly light in the world, which is 【小题1】 invaluable treasure considered as “the first lamp of China”.

The gold-plated bronze lamp bears the shape of a maid on her knees 【小题2】 (hold) a lamp. The lamp plate is on her left hand, while the right hand, covered by her sleeve, 【小题3】 (carry) the lampshade. The brightness of the lamp and direction of the light can be adjusted with a handle which controls two moveable shades.

【小题4】 (amazing), the lamp makes use of the siphon principle, with the ash flowing through the maid’s right arm into her body 【小题5】 the water is stored. Such unique design can reduce dust and prevent the lamp 【小题6】 polluting the indoor air. Apart from that, the six-component lamp can all be taken apart and it is easy 【小题7】 (clean).

The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Flame Lantern 【小题8】 (inspire) by the Changxin Palace Lamp. It used transparent double glass and a hidden channel to reduce carbon deposition (沉积物), which was a perfect 【小题9】 (combine) of green initiative and the Olympic spirit.

The delicate Changxin Palace Lamp provided an insight into China’s glorious past, displaying the wisdom of ancient Chinese craftsmen, as well as China’s remarkable 【小题10】 (achievement) in science and technology 2,000 years ago. The sculpture, vivid and elegant beauty work, still glitters now.

Some consumers still tend to focus on labels, 【小题1】 (feel) proud that they have a product made in Italy. They don’t know that a growing number of Italian products come from Chinese-owned factories. The products 【小题2】 were marked “Made in China” gave buyers an 【小题3】 (impress) of “low pride and low costs, low technology and development”. The statement used to be true, 【小题4】 now it has changed. “Made in China” is becoming a leading part in the world market. China’s garment (衣服) industry has been investing in producing technology and training for 【小题5】 (decade), and its workforce has gotten better at sewing garments. As a result, the quality of Chinese-made clothes is rising fast. It has been home 【小题6】 a highly-skilled, highly-specialized garment industry, one that supplies even some high-end labels and offers the 【小题7】 (good) mix of price, speed, and quality in the world.

Nowadays, products made in China 【小题8】 (recognize) by luxury fashion brands. Despite the rising wages and costs of doing business in China, many luxury brands, such as Burberry, Armani, and Prada 【小题9】 (produce) many things here so far, because they’ re still able to get good workmanship at a 【小题10】 (relative) low price.