Evaporative cooler

Before refrigerators, homes usually had ice boxes. But another way to keep food cool without the need for electricity is to use an evaporative cooler. This is easy to make and does not even use ice.

A common design is a tall box with food placed on several shelves inside. The shelves are pieces of metal with many small holes through them. The sides of the box are covered with pieces of thick cloth. Containers of water are placed at the top and bottom of the cooler. The ends of each piece of cloth lie in the water so the cloth stays wet.

Put the cooler in the open air but not in the sun. Air will pass through the wet cloth. The inside of the box will stay several degrees cooler than the outside air temperature. And this may be cool enough to keep foods fresh at least for a short time.

Cold storage in a freezer, however, can keep foods in good condition for months after the growing season. Yet foods can be damaged if they are kept too cold. The British development group Practical Action says the best way to prepare foods for storage is at harvest time while still in the field. Use a sharp knife to avoid damage.

Drought-resistant crops

One cause of the current food crisis is drought. Food prices are high in part because of dry weather in places as far distant as Spain and Australia.

Around the world, the amount of land affected by drought has doubled in the past thirty years. So says the National Center for Atmospheric Research in the United States. And scientists concerned about climate change believe it will cause more drought in many areas in the future.

A lot of research is going into efforts to develop drought-resistant crops. One project involves tobacco plants genetically engineered to keep their leaves during water shortages.Eduardo Blumwald and Rosa Rivero at the University of California, Davis, led a team from the United States, Japan and Israel. Rosa Rivero says they chose tobacco because it has big leaves. Also, it grows fast and has structural similarities with some other plants.

The researchers did an experiment with two groups of tobacco plants. They worked with a set of normal plants and a set of transgenic plants. These had a gene added to interfere with the biological causes of leaf loss during drought.

complaint exersize

Letters complaint agency:

I’m worrying about the drinking and driving. Last week, the XinMing Journey reported that: In the Golden week, the number of drunk driver rose by 15%. It’s a dangerous sign which describe the rise of injured rate these days.

This phenomenon is originally due to the ignorance of the drivers. They just hide behind wheel and never consider the benefit of other road users. But the government still has the responsibility. In other Asian countries, the legal limit is much lower than us. So I strongly recommend a lower alcohol limit. It will help drivers think twice on the drinking and driving.

Please give me an acknowledgement. I’ll concentrate on the progress of the action.

A citizen

Direction

cab: pick up / drop

corner / intersection / interstate / roundabout /pedstrain crossing

We are short of drivers ourselves right now.

In that case, I reckon I may by able to help.

You go straight till you get to the first intersection(till you see a sign that says "freeway"). than you take the freeway, going north bend.

Then you pass the second intersection.

And you take the fourth exit after that.

Then you follow the signs for the New Camford freeway.

runs a garage

on the bypass

take a right at the next set of lights

Don't mention it.

I'll have 20 dollars' worth of unleaded, please.

stop him for speeding

I can drop you off at the hairdresser's on my way home.

You should never overtake on a bend.

Will you pull over immediately and let me out.