Oanh was in my computer class last semester, but she didn’t look like a student at all. She often wore t-shirts to school that had words on them such as “Love me” and “Kiss me,” and she used a lot of cosmetics. She colored her fingernails with violet fingernail polish. When she walked in the classroom, every student could smell her perfume. Her hair stuck out and was dyed with different colors every week. I thought I didn’t have anything in common with her, but I was wrong. I found out she was Vietnamese one night in the

computer lab.

First, we talked about class and homework, and I watched her try to debug a program. Then I began to talk to her about more personal subjects. The more I talked to her, the more I admired her. Oanh’s mother had abandoned the family, and Oanh’s father had become sad and useless. Oanh took care of her whole family. Although her appearance was like a Vietnamese punk rocker, Oanh was a strong and responsible person. I have learned not to judge others from their appearance. I hope that in the future I can convince Oanh to give up her rock and roll hairstyle.

   A Japanese firm has developed what it claims is the world’s first technology to enable users to display their spoken words on a tablet or a smartphone by dragging their finger on the screen. 

   Mitsubishi Electric claims to have combined touch-technology and 41 recognition to develop an application that helps to “overcome hearing disabilities and linguistic barriers.” 

   To use this technology, which is supported on Android platforms, one needs to press down on the screen for a while before running a 42 along the surface while speaking. Then the spoken words appear on screen just behind the moving fingertip, tracing the same 43 , whether straight or a curve. When the screen is pressed twice, the system analyses the 44 text, and can read it aloud or even translate it in 10 different languages. 

   The company expects this 45 will help those with hearing disabilities as well as tourists. Those who travel to unfamiliar cultures can understand the locals via this application.

   If you took off your skin and laid it flat, it would cover an area of about 1.9 square meters, making it by far the body’s largest organ. Covering almost the entire body, skin protects us from a variety of external forces, such as extremes of temperature, damaging sunlight, harmful chemicals, and dangerous infections. Skin is also packed with nerves, which keeps the brain in touch with the outside world. 

   The health of our skin and its ability to perform its protective functions are crucial to our well-being. However, the appearance of our skin is equally – if not more – important to many people on this planet. Take skin color for example. Your genes determine your skin’s color, but for centuries, humans have tried to lighten or darken their skin in an attempt to be more attractive. In the 1800s, white skin was desirable for many Europeans. This color meant that its owner was a member of the upper class and did not have to work in the sun. Among darker-skinned people in some parts of the world, products used to lighten skin color are still popular today. In other cultures during the 20th century, as cities grew and work moved indoors, attitudes toward light skin shifted in the opposite direction. Tanned skin began to represent leisure time and health. In many places today, sun tanning on the beach or in a salon remains popular, even though people are more aware of the dangers of UV rays.     Just as people have altered their skin color to show wealth or beauty, some cultures around the globe marked their skin to indicate cultural identity or community status. Tattooing, for instance, has been carried out for thousands of years. Leaders in ancient Egypt, Britain, Peru and other places wore tattoos to demonstrate their social importance or bravery. Today, among the Maori people of New Zealand as well as cultures in Samoa, Tahiti, and Borneo, full-facial tattoos are still used to identify the wearer as a member of a certain family and to symbolize the person’s achievements.