Our world may【小题1】(fill) with driverless cars in the near future. But【小题2】will we communicate with them if there’s nobody in the driver’s seat?

Now drivers can make gestures like【小题3】(nod) when they let us cross the street.【小题4】, self-driving cars don’t have this ability.

US carmaker Ford and its partner Virginia Tech【小题5】(try) to find a【小题6】(solve) to this problem. The team is testing a method【小题7】uses light signals. For example, a slow blinking (闪烁的) light shows the car is coming to【小题8】stop, and a rapidly flashing light tells passers-by that the car is about to speed up.

【小题9】(test) the method on real roads, the team has designed a special suit that looks like a car seat. When a driver wears it, it appears as if the car is driverless.

The team successfully collected more than 1,500 hours of data, recording how people interacted (互动) with a “driverless” car. Ford says it plans to share the data【小题10】11 other carmakers, which should lead to a signaling system to be used in every driverless car.

It’s a harvest that’s almost magical: growing rice in saline (含盐的) soil and making a fortune at the same time.

Wu Zaizhou is 【小题1】 local farmer in Da’an, Jilin Province. He says his secret for success is following a 【小题2】 (science) recipe that really transforms the saline soil, a kind of soil even the scientists 【小题3】 (them) called “problematic”. But by 【小题4】 (pull) in opinions from some 1,400 scientists, a way was found to transform that unwanted soil. It’s a comprehensive 【小题5】 (solve) that involves treating and improving the soil itself, screening salt-tolerant crop varieties, and employing special planning techniques as well as caring for the overall environment.

“We call it Da’an Model, 【小题6】 improves the soil, the seed and the technique in agriculture. It’s proven cost-effective, easily repeatable, and 【小题7】 (wide) applicable and good for Jilin’s saline oil area,” said Wu.

Since 2021, lots of land (almost 5,000 square kilometers) in the province 【小题8】 (transform). That was previously almost impossible for agriculture, including Wu’s cropland.

Wu said he’s not only expanding his field, but his experience has convinced some of his 【小题9】 (neighbor) to join him. “In the new year, we will continue to work 【小题10】 (change) the saline land into fertile (肥沃的) land, and we may have a good harvest of rice from here,” he said.

A Digital Return Gift of Time

On one of my visits back home, my father told me the story about my grandma wanting a mouse because she had to deal with the language of the digital era. We were amazed at and also proud of her.

According to the World Health Organization, the proportion of people over 60 years 【小题1】(double) between 2015 and 2050. Obviously, we live in glorious time of greater longevity. However, we also live in a glorious time when technology keeps changing fast. It seems 【小题2】we have a million passwords to remember, and numerous settings to navigate. People who lose memory ability as they grow old may be disadvantaged. Digital citizenship is a real skill. Mobile apps are like an appendage (附属品) to everything 【小题3】 we get out of bed. Our basic needs 【小题4】(meet) at a click of a button. This is a real struggle for old folks who didn’t grow up 【小题5】(glue粘，盯) to their screen.

My grandma said, “At a click of button, I wish to call, read and watch —【小题6】having to spend much time navigating.” Phone manufacturers and mobile developers should take note. If 【小题7】 (make) more self-explanatory, the settings will be easier to understand by the old folks.

My grandma’s trouble might jog your memory. Remember when you had your grandparents take you on a long winding walk? They couldn’t but 【小题8】(stop) at every flower, butterfly, puppy, or creepy-crawly (可怕的虫子) under the rock, patiently listening to your countless questions along the way. They gave you the gift of their patience and time in your childhood. Now it is time for you to give yours in return when they scroll, click and navigate in a digital world 【小题9】they are curious. It is the old folks’ turn to get you 【小题10】(answer) the questions.