Check out some fun weekend activities from our friends at Arizorza Parenting. Walk in the Wild Walk or run for wildlife at the Phoenix Zoo's Walk in the Wild. Put on your favorite animal dress and take part in the one mile or 5K, enjoying the sights and sounds of the Zoo.
Walk in the Wild includes a morning full of unique activities you won't find at any other valley walk, including all-day zoo admission and a lakeside after-party.
Register online. 6-10 am. Phoenix Zoo, 455 North Galvin Parkway, Phoenix. 602-286-3800.
Free Museum Day It is hosted by Sesame Street and HBO at the Children's Museum of Phoenix. Kids can participate in activities, enjoy a performance by the Sesame Street Muppets and get to join the Everyday Heroes Club. An act of kindness is all it takes to become a member. Performances and activities will take place at 10:30—11:30 am and 1:30—2:30 pm.
9 am—4 pm. Children's Museum of Phoenix, 215 N. 7th Street, Phoenix. 602-253-0501.
Sunday A' Fair Sunday A' Fair features free outdoor concerts in Scottsdale Civic Center Park by top Arizona musicians, along with an arts-and-crafts market, fun activities for children and families, guided tours of the sculptures in the park and free admission to Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art (SMCA). Guests are invited to bring blankets, lawn chairs or picnic baskets, and enjoy a relaxing afternoon of great entertainment. Delicious foods, snacks, beer, wine and soft drinks are also available for purchase.
12-4pm. Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, 7380 E. 2nd St. Scottsdale. 480-994-ARTS (2787).
For many eager readers who hope to find some solutions to life's questions through reading, a newly-published Chinese-English bilingual (双语的) version of How Will You Measure Your Life? might provide a few answers. It has been released as part of a series of books, entitled Harvard Business Review Classics.
In How Will You Measure Your Life?, the book's co-author Clayton M. Christensen, a professor at Harvard Business School in the United States, raises three questions: How can I be sure that I'll be happy in my career? How can I be sure that my relationships with my spouse (配偶) and my family become an enduring source of happiness? How can I be sure I'll stay out of jail?
He then provides his understanding and thoughts in the book by using lessons from some of the world's greatest businesses. Christensen's ideas have inspired a large number of people around the globe. Roan Kang, general manager of marketing and operations of Microsoft's Greater China Region, is one of them. He was lucky to have met the author himself when Christensen delivered a speech to Kang's company a few years ago.
"I agree with Christensen's point that too many people use material wealth or social status as ways to measure success, while in reality, it is doing purposeful work that helps others and improves society that is truly meaningful," Kang says, adding that he hopes the book will inspire more young people.
Kang, 45, also supports Christensen's idea that "your time is the most precious of resources", which he says, is something he learned firsthand while working with Bill Gates.
"After you've figured out what your top priorities (首要事情) are in life and in your work, you have to be strict with yourself and make sure you constantly put your time into those priorities."
SYDNEY —Australian scientists have designed a system which uses microwaves to break down plastic into an environmentally friendly by-product.
Head of Electrical Engineering at Australia's James Cook University, Prof. Mohan Jacob revealed on Thursday that by using microwaves, plastic waste can be converted into biochar (生物炭), charcoal that can be used as a soil conditioner.
"We are developing a processing room, which could process many kinds of plastic materials, up to 5 kilograms of waste," Jacob said. "It will be a typical example system for the development of biochars from different types of plastics under various conditions." Jacob explained that microwave energy is used to heat the plastic waste above 600 degrees centigrade within the custom-made room, where it ends up as a biochar, which can then be used to improve the properties of soil.
Currently underway is step one of the project, testing the room, after which, step two will involve improving the energy efficiency of the system and maximizing the yield of by-products. If all goes to plan, step three will be to construct a medium scale waste processing system which is customizable and can be installed remotely.
Jacob said that with the average person using 130 kg of plastic every year, there is an urgent need for developing better ways of processing it.
"Perhaps contrary to popular opinion, plastic is an indispensable material in modern life. It is cheap, competent, lightweight, and has many benefits like maintaining food quality and safety and preventing waste," he said.
However, "abandoned plastics endanger our marine wildlife, and have begun to enter the food chain. There is an urgent need for developing technologies to recover plastic waste."
Tropical (热带的) rainforests are disappearing at an alarming rate, and according to a new report by Rainforest Foundation Norway, humans are to blame. The world's dependence on coal, farming, beans, palm oil and mining has resulted in two-thirds of Earth's tropical rainforests being completely destroyed, and the remaining ecosystems being put closer to a tipping point.
Tropical rainforests once covered 14. 5 million square kilometers of Earth's surface, but now, just one-third of that remains undamaged. Of the original area tropical rainforests once occupied, 34% is completely gone and 30% is suffering from damage. All that remains is roughly 9. 5 million square kilometers, and 45% of that is in a degraded (恶化) state, the report says.
Researchers blame human consumption for the loss. While agriculture has always been a driving factor of rainforest loss, the report said that energy consumption, international trade and the production of beans and palm oil, logging and mining have been the largest threats (威胁) over the past century. A significant number of US products rely on resources from tropical rainforests. The country heavily relies on palm oil, rubber and cocoa, all of which come from forests around the world. Often, these resources are harvested from illegally destroyed lands.
Tropical rainforests are home to more than half of the Earth's biodiversity and have more carbon in living organisms than any other ecosystem. In addition to supporting significant animal life, tropical rainforests are also necessary for slowing down global warming. These unique ecosystems are suffering from constant abuse, through our bottomless appetite for land and resources, said Anders Krogh, the author of the report. "We expect that upcoming UN climate and biodiversity summits provide specific targets and measures to protect tropical rainforests.
The researchers also believe that the loss of tropical rainforests puts the whole world at the risk of future diseases. "Huge deforestation (毁林) is violating nature's natural virus protection systems," Krogh said." The outbreak of COVID-19 should bring rainforest protection to the top of the agenda of all policy makers and world leaders concerned about preventing the outbreak of new diseases."
According to experts, much of our communication is non-verbal. Every day we respond to thousands of non-verbal signals and behaviors. Here are several common types of non-verbal signals and behaviors.
Facial expressions are responsible for a huge part of non-verbal communication. The look on a person's face is often the first thing we see, even before we hear what they have to sayBut the facial expressions for happiness, sadness, anger and fear are similar throughout the world.
And such things as looking, staring and blinking are important non-verbal behaviors. When people come across people or things that they like, the rate of blinking increases. Looking at another person can indicate a range of emotions, such as interest and attraction.
Normal, steady eye contact is often taken as a sign that a person are telling the truth. Shifty eyes and inability to maintain eye contact, on the other hand, are frequently seen as an indicator that someone is lying.
Our choices of color and other factors affecting appearance are also considered a means of non-verbal communication.Appearance can also alter physiological (生理的) reactions and judgments. Just think of all the subtle judgments you quickly make about someone based on his or her appearance. These first impressions are important.
A. Eyes play an important role in non-verbal communication.
B. Culture has an important influence on how appearances are judged.
C. People also use eye contact as a way to determine if someone is being honest.
D. It plays an important role in how we interpret the actions of those around us.
E. Non-verbal communication and behavior can vary dramatically between cultures.
F. And that's why experts advise job seekers to dress appropriately for interviews.
G. Research on color psychology shows that different colors can lead to different moods.
I've never thought that a fundraiser could have had such a huge influence on my life. Back in 5th grade, our school announced a fundraiser and each class would get a box to fill it up with small1. To make my class to come to the first place in the fundraiser, I took two fifty-dollar bills 2 to school and tossed them into the box.
Two weeks later, my parents asked me about the 3. They said they had discovered the truth and weren't 4, but I must do something to 5 it.
My dad had the perfect idea in mind. The day 6 Christmas, he took me to St. John's Hospice and said we were going to be 7 in the kitchen, making meals for the 300—400 8 men that came in each day.
As the lunch began, I thought I could 9 this by playing with my new toys. But 10 the mealtime went on, I found these men were overjoyed at the 11 food they were receiving, which I couldn't 12. I considered it a fairly common winter meal. I had always heard about giving to the needy, but I never fully 13 it until that day. It was enlightening (富有启发性的) to see how thankful they were for something that I thought was 14. I learned that I didn't 15 need all the materialistic things I initially (最初) desired. On the drive home, my dad 16 McDonald's for lunch and I immediately answered no. I knew that I didn't 17 it.
That day I came to know how 18 the feeling is to help people in need. I now return to St John's Hospice every year, trying to make a 19. This is why I am becoming a doctor. I will make a difference in people's lives just like my father 20 on that December 26th.
The Yangtze River,(know) in China as the Changjiang River, is the longest river in Asia and the longest in the world to flow entirely within one country. Flowing the Qinghai-Tibet to the East China Sea, the Yangtze River is historically, culturally and economically important to China. Driven by the (curious) in my heart, I came to China and took part in a cruise along part of the river last year.
Life on board was relaxing with plenty to occupy the time and mind. We passed Wuhan, in 1966 Chairman Mao, then in his 70s, famously swam across the Yangtze River. Glorious (temple) rise over industrial ports. We also visited the Three Gorges Dam, symbol of Chinese pride and power. As well as enormous hydroelectric (水力发电的) output, (it) increasing shipping ability benefits Chinese people quite a lot.
As a foreigner, I (impress) and charmed by the genuine welcome and unique culture during the trip. (rare), if ever, have I enjoyed such a culturally rich historically interesting trip. Now, I am looking forward to (visit) China again.
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（＼）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1．每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2．只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
One day, I met a foreigner whom asked me the way to the hospital. At the first, I didn't understand him very well. And then he repeated and tried to make him understood. Finally, I knew where he wanted to go but told him the way patient. As a poor English learner, I managed to let him know how get to the hospital. The foreigner thanks me for my help and I felt glad that I got a chance to communicate with others by English. At that time, I realized the importance of learn English well. From now on, I decided to study English well.
1）告知这次篮球赛；
2）说明球队目前存在的问题；
3）请他担任学校篮球队的教练。
注意∶1）词数 100 左右
2）可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Morgan,
……
Yours sincerely,
Li Hua
