Even though it is just a few years old, the comic strip, Cul de Sac, has already won many fans through its characters. So when cartoonist, Richard Thompson, announced that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, his fans sat up and took notice.
One of the fans was Chris Sparks, a designer and web developer in North Carolina. Sparks was building a website for Thompson when the cartoonist announced his disease. He started reading more about Parkinson's disease through books and websites. There he found that people could form public fund-raising teams to raise money for Parkinson's research. He quickly decided to form his own team: Team Cul de Sac.
However, Sparks decided to take a different path. He has contacted dozens of cartoonists around the world, who will contribute artworks inspired by the Cul de Sac strip. Thompson's publisher, Andrews Mcmeel, has agreed to release them in a book next year. Some of the profits from the book will go to the research. And after the book is released, the artworks will be auctioned off. All profits will go to the research team. The aim is to raise $450,000 for the foundation. "We've already had around 80 people who say they are interested in contributing", says Sparks.
Although many people with Parkinson's disease are private about their condition, Thompson is not one of them. He's happy to put his support behind the project. "I think we can make a difference," says Sparks, who points out that his love of comics inspired him. "I've been reading comics since I was 5 years old, and most of the cartoonists I've met have been wonderful human beings,"he says. "They've made a difference in my life, and I hope to make a difference as well."
When you take to the seas on a cruise(游船度假), you usually think you are leaving solid ground behind, but the Celebrity Solstice brings a whole new experience to its passengers. Aboard the 317m-long ship is a half-acre lawn(草坪). The Celebrity Solstice is the first cruise ship ever to house live grass.
Nikolas Asproudas, the ship's environmental officer told New Zealand Neus, It was a crazy idea to start with. For five years now, they have been saying that this lawn is the most walked lawn in the world. It's a symbol of honor, particularly because the lawn on the top deck of the ship has special challenges with growth at sea, including "burns" from the salt water, which must be washed off immediately and clearance checks before the ship can pull in to shore.
The lawn is grown in silica(二氧化硅)sand rather than soil, which not only reduces weight, helping the ship's stability, but also agrees with restrictions and helps control pests that may otherwise stay on the grass.
Asproudas sends the Captain of the ship a weekly report on the status of the lawn. "We know that the Australian and New Zealand, authorities are very strict with the grass, and of course, they have to check before we come if, everything's OK," said the Captain.
The lawn is a source of pride for Asproudas, so. when there are problems with it, he says, "It brings me some sad feelings, but I need to be strong, because I know that it will recover within one week." All of the crew's hard work to maintain the "backyard" is appreciated by its many guests, including some that say the: Celebrity Solstice's lawn is better than theirs at home. Two recent passengers aboard said, "We're having a drought at home so…it was brilliant!"
Though the option of walking barefoot through a grassy field on a moving cruise ship seems terrific, there are many other ships that are trying to outdo one another with even more surprising guest options.
Earthworms don't move fast. But humans can accelerate the worms' spread. Fishermen often use invasive(蔓延性的) earthworms to catch fish. Many have introduced invasive earthworms to rivers, streams and lakes previously unexposed to these animals. Gardeners who use earthworms to make their soil rich may unknowingly introduce invasive ones. The worms even give rides in the mud on wheels, potted plants and road materials shipped around the nation.
But they're not everywhere yet. In the Great Lakes region, "20 percent of the land is earthworm-free," says Cindy Hale, a research biologist. Of the remaining 80 percent of land, half of the land has fewer than two earthworm species-meaning there isn't yet too much impact on the ecosystem, she explains. For these regions, she says, now is the time to take action. According to Hale, educating the public, especially fishermen, is one approach to stopping the spread of invasive earthworms. Identifying which lands are currently earthworm-free is another.
Ryan Huefimeier, a program coordinator for Great Lakes Wom Watch, has been working on a model that will help create large maps of areas with minimal(最小的) or no damage from earthworms. Ultimately, landowners can use it to identify earthworm activity on their property. once identified, lands with minimal or no earthworm damage should be protected.
But scientists suspect that once invasive earthworms arrive they can't be removed. And even if all could be, affected forests might never return to the way they were. "It's very much a story of learning to live with them," concludes Lee Frelich of the University of Minnesota's Center for Forest Ecology.
Forest ecologists have called earthworms "ecosystem engineers" because they can change or create habitats that otherwise would not be present. Whether this is a good thing depends on the situation.
"What the earthworms do and how we value it is what really matters." said Hale. "In one place-farm fields or gardens-we really like European earthworms and what they do, so we consider them good. In native hardwood forests, we really don't like what they do-so we consider them bad. You really have to understand how an organism(微生物) affects an ecosystem. Things aren't black and white."
When the moon passes between the Sun and the Earth, the resulting view of the Sun is called a solar eclipse(日食). Solar eclipses are beautiful astronomical events and many people across the world travel to faraway places to get a clear view of the phenomenon. Others choose special eyewear.
It is believed that a pregnant woman with a baby should not view a solar eclipse. They are often told that their child will be badly formed if they view a solar eclipse. However, various scientific authorities have stated over and over again that there is no harm at all in viewing a solar eclipse with the right eye gear.
It is important, however, that you view a solar eclipse with the right eye gear. Staring right at the sun could permanently damage the eyes. It is wrong to assume that the sun can be looked at after the moon blocks out a majority of it.
If you want to view the eclipse, you have to get special glasses. As opposed to popular belief, sunglasses and dark films do NOT protect our eyes. You can do this by fixing a telescope and focusing the image onto a sheet of paper. You can clearly see the eclipse on the sheet of paper. You should never look directly at the eclipse through the telescope.
Similarly, you can make a tiny hole on an opaque(不透明的) sheet of paper and let the light passing through fall on a sheet of paper. Alternatively, you can watch it live on TV which is the safest way of viewing a solar eclipse!
A. It is best if you purchase eye wear.
B. So they need not worry to view a solar eclipse.
C. Viewing a solar eclipse directly is a strict no-no.
D. Some of them watch the event through special, telescopes.
E. This method is an effective way to watch an eclipse as well.
F. To safely watch a solar eclipse, wear protective eclipse glasses.
G. The best way to see a solar eclipse is by viewing its projected image.
Even 15 years after my grandfather's death, he is still following me around, 1 in my ear on what to do. He is still the British-accented 2 in my head, giving me a nod of 3 for my right choice, and raising an eyebrow 4 he disagrees with something I'm doing. His wise and optimistic views 5 to affect my life.
My grandfather walked 10,000 steps 6 every day, and not because he had a $100 fitness tracker 7 him to do so. Instead of "exercising," he worked in his garden, 8 vegetables that kept our family through many winters and roses that were the joy of many summers.
He was good to the 9 in the way that people used to be before they had to be told it was the 10 thing to do. Actually, he never 11 a car or learned to drive, so he walked everywhere he could and took a bus the rest of the time.
After my grandmother died, I used to go and 12 with him on weekends. We walked around, chatted to the neighbors, and went to the 13 for food and milk. Occasionally I would 14 a little cake for him in his kitchen. At the end of the day, before he 15 the light, he would say, "That was a (a) 16 day. I enjoyed every minute of it." I never doubted for a moment that he 17 it.
In the morning, I'd 18 to his whistling in the kitchen downstairs (usually it was Raindrops Keep Falling on Mr Head). At the time, it 19 me—I am not a morning person—but now I'd give anything to hear that 20 one more time.
Coffee is probably world's least expensive success power tool to increase focus, drive and even the life span. (fortunate) we may not be enjoying its benefits or pleasure too much longer. According to ecologists，there is a good chance the varieties of coffee that we drink today (be) extinct in 20 or 30 years. The problem, of course, is the pace of climate change.
Coffee is a crop that is only grown in a thin band (call) the "coffee belt" close to equator(赤道), which is extremely vulnerable(易受...伤害的) to climate change. If the air is too hot too cold, it prevents the growth of coffee plant. Climate change also creates (environment) stress, which spreads pests and plant diseases. Almost all the coffee grown in the world today is one of two species, arabica or robuasta, both of might be wiped out in this way. There are other species existing only in Ethiopia, country that climate change is happening. In other words, climate change is eating away the root source that we might turn to replacement species.
What to do? Well, take the time (enjoy) each cup of coffee you drink.
1）表示祝贺；
2）提供建议；
3）表达祝愿。
注意事项：
1）词数80左右；
2）可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
It was our tun to open our presents this particular Christmas morning. The living room was already covered with tom wrapping paper. Obviously, the children could hardly wait to discover the hidden treasures, which they had expected for nearly a month. Now we adults sat around the room with our presents at our feet, slowly removing the paper, tying o maintain our dignity in front of the children.
My wife Brenda, and her family have a tradition of getting each other gag(恶作剧) gifts. This day makes me a bit uneasy at Christmas or my birthday, never knowing what form of embarrassment lies waiting for me under the thin borders of the wrapping paper.
Recently, my six-year-old daughter Christy seemed to busy herself with something while I was playing computer video flight games. Now she was standing directly in front of me. The excitement of the moment just beamed across her face. It was everything she could do to keep herself from helping me rip the paper from each present. Finally, I came to the last gift and with my natural Sherlock Holmes ability, I concluded that this had to be the gag gift. With everyone looking on, I decided to go ahead and got it over with—just let them have their laugh—and I tore the paper and there it was…a toy airplane about two inches long. Our holiday guests started giggling to themselves as I looked up to my wife with an unpleasant smile on my face and blurted out, “A toy airplane? Are you kidding me?”
Brenda gave me the look—that look that always tells me I have just said something wrong and should have given it a second thought. I had failed to look at the name tag(标签) before I opened the present to see who it was from. As I picked up the paper from the floor and read the name tag, my heart sank.
注意：
1）所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2）至少使用5个短文中标有下划线的关键词语；
3）续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好；
4）续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。
Paragraph 1:
On the tog were the letters that read, "To Dad, Love Christy".
Paragraph 2:
Storing at the gift, I suddenly thought of a way to lift her up.
