I'm running some 3,550 kilometers. To be more precise, this jog is mostly around my neighborhood in Ottawa. It is the distance by air to Vancouver that my friend Louise and I are doing. If we make it, Louise and I will get on a plane to Vancouver and compete in one of the BMO Vancouver Marathon weekend races. We may not win medals, but for sure we'll have cake for my seventy-fifth birthday at the finish line.
The workout for big birthdays represents a big change for me. I used to hate birthdays, especially those milestone ones. No longer feeling young is horrible. As I approached my sixtieth birthday, Louise suggested setting targets to mark milestone birthdays. "That way you are looking forward to something, not dreading it," she pointed out.
By doing those expanding my world or demanding new skills, I feel myself growing, not shrinking. For my sixtieth, I got it into my head that I should do an Olympic distance triathlon (铁人三项赛), which turned out to be a real milestone. After over four hours on the course, I was last among the 95 competitors. But I was the oldest woman competing, so that made me first in my age category. Since then, I've looked on the special days as a call for trying something different. For my sixty-fifth birthday, I went to run a half marathon. And I finished seven activities that took me out of my "comfort zone" at seventy.
I'm fortunate to have celebrated so many birthdays in good health and spirits, so whether I succeed in running to Vancouver or not, I'm grateful for the opportunity. One thing I've learned in taking up these challenges is that there are many possibilities for new adventures and achievements, even as we grow older. So do spend every day of every year with a definite end in view, which will release your energy and make you happy.
Published in 1859, Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species made a number of brave claims about the nature of evolution — including the suggestion that an animal species with greater diversity in its line will produce more subspecies too. This assumption is not as obvious as you might think at first. And it was finally found to be true for birds only a couple of years ago. Now, researchers from the University of Cambridge in the UK have shown that Darwin was right on this point for mammals (哺乳动物), too.
Apart from being an important contribution to our understanding of evolution in general, the findings could also be useful in ongoing conservation efforts — helping experts to figure out which species need to be protected in order to ensure their survival.
"My research investigating the relationship between species and the variety of subspecies proves that subspecies play a vital role in long-term evolutionary dynamics and in future evolution of species," says biological anthropologist Laura van Holstein. There are three subspecies of northern giraffe, for example, and 45 subspecies of the red fox — the highest in the animal kingdom. 36 different species of wild cats have been found and most of these are further divided into subspecies. Human beings, on the other hand, don't have any subspecies.
To test Darwin's assumption, van Holstein looked at a huge database of animal classifications, analysing the collected knowledge we have about mammal species and subspecies to look for patterns. The data showed that habitat (land versus sea, for example) plays an important role in subspecies' form and increase. The findings show that those living in the sea, or spending a lot of time in the air are less affected by physical boundaries like mountains.
The discoveries on subspecies habitat are particularly significant when it comes to conservation, because the habitats of so many animals are under threat from climate change and human activity, and these findings indicate that our actions really are having an effect on the process of evolution.
A Space Age "disaster of the commons" is unfolding right under our nose — or, really, right over our head. For more than half a century, humans have been casting objects into low-Earth orbit in ever growing numbers. And with few meaningful limitations on further launches, the general attitude has been permissive: in orbit, it seems, there is always room for one more.
After so many decades of the build-up of high-speed chaos in the form of spent rocket stages, low-Earth orbit is finally on the edge of becoming too crowded for comfort. And the problem tends to get much worse because of the rise of satellite "mega constellations (大星座)" requiring thousands of aircraft, such as SpaceX's Starlink. Starlink is but one of many similar projects. Another mega constellation from a company called OneWeb is already being stationed. And Amazon's Project Kuiper is seeking to create a mega constellation of up to 3,200 satellites in the near future.
The International Space Station regularly adjusts its orbit to avoid potentially risky debris (碎片). Worse yet, there has been an increase in the threat of full-on collisions. Consider the February 2009 run-in between a dead Russian satellite and a commercial aircraft, which produced a great amount of debris.
Finding ways to remove at least some of all that space rubbish should be a top global priority (优先), says Donald Kessler, a scientist for orbital debris research. In the late 1970s, he foretold the possibility of the Kessler conditions: as the mass of space trash increases, self-protecting runaway cycle of debris-generating collisions can arise, making low-Earth orbit too risky to support most space activities.
"There is now agreement within the community that the debris environment has reached a 'tipping point' where debris would continue to increase even if all launches were stopped," Kessler says. "There are collisions taking place all the time — less noticeable and not in large numbers," Kessler adds.
It is very common nowadays for people to complain about anxiety. The novel coronavirus outbreak, as well as the pressure from day-to-day life, contributes to anxiety, which should not be underestimated as it could lead to depression or other mental disorders.
As a matter of fact, keeping several plants to add some green in your home is a good way to ease anxiety. Researchers from the University of Essex in England investigated the reason, finding out that the secret to why nature could help people to calm down is because of one of its major colors: green.
To people, green usually represents calm, peace, freshness, and safety, because to the ancestors of human beings, green means food and water. This impression was rooted in human's minds during the evolution process, hence the feelings this color generates still have a great effect on people today.
The photosynthesis (光合作用) of plants can absorb the carbon dioxide in the air and release oxygen. However, do not grow too many plants in the bedroom since photosynthesis takes place during the day, so when nighttime comes, plants will do the opposite by absorbing oxygen and releasing carbon dioxide.
The best choice of plants to keep at home and in the office are pothos (石柑属), lucky bamboo, and cactus. That's because they are easy to keep.
A. Different people have different reactions to green.
B. Here are some practical ways to help you get relaxed.
C. Some of them even produce colorful flowers as an extra gift.
D. So, is there anything we can do to relieve some of that pressure?
E. Green is a special color, as it is not cold nor warm in the color spectrum (光谱).
F. Green plants can not only help people ease their anxiety, but also clean the air for them.
G. Studies show that people who like to exercise outdoors will have a mental health boost of 50 percent.
Early last summer I bought some yam (山药) for food. After many a day, one tuber (植物块茎) left in the kitchen was not 1 to eat any longer. Thinking it was a waste of money to throw it away, I 2 the tuber into a flower pot hoping that it might take root and 3something that could be put on the dinner table.
In the following months I watered the tuber regularly. The 4 yam grew very well. Soon it was autumn, and I decided to 5. I pulled out the yam plant and began to dig with my 6. I dug with full attention when suddenly my fingers 7 the yam root.
When almost no 8 was left, I tried to pull the root but I failed. In 9, I pushed the pot over. Half of the yam root had grown through one of three holes 10. The sight filled me with awe (敬畏). Then and there I 11 my opinion of the climbing plant.
The whole tuber, 12 two parts, one in and one out of the pot, was in the 13 of a handwritten L. Unlike ordinary yam roots, the part outside the pot was not round. It was 14, looking like a thick and strong finger of an old farmer who works hard to make a 15.
The very end of the part outside the pot was 16. Obviously, the skin must have been rubbed off during its 17 with the heavy pot. The very tip of the flat part was 18. Needless to say, it was not damaged by me but by the pot.
I came to understand that the tuber, though 19 wounded, had struggled hard. Such was a Chinese yam, an ordinary-looking climbing plant with 20 characteristics.
Hanami, which means "flower viewing" in Japanese, is country's tradition of enjoying the beauty of cherry blossom. Every year, from the end of March to the start of May, families and friends gather (see) cherry blossom (called sakura) bloom all over Japan.
The history of Hanami dates back to around AD 710. Back then, it was plum blossom that people admired rather than cherry blossom. Emperor Saga, who (rule) from 809 to 823, was the first to hold a viewing party for cherry blossom after he saw a tree he liked in Kyoto. In the 16th century, a leader called Hideyoshi Toyotomi brought Hanami to the (mass) by planting hundreds of cherry trees across the country. Once the cherry trees are in bloom it's a race
time to see them because the blossom is soon carried away by the wind. The short life span of the flowers is (center) to Hanami and the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi, which is a (celebrate) of nature and its imperfections.
Today, Hanami involves (gather) underneath trees for picnics and parties. Companies often send out junior members of staff to save a good spot for others. People (advise) not to sit near a pavement because of the large crowds that gather throughout the day. Some people bring heat packs to keep themselves warm. Parks have strict rules about people can sit and when, and everyone is expected to clean up after themselves.
I've been devoted to education for 20 years. For a long time, I'd thought my students' winning competitions and my receiving honors were treasured moments in my career. But for me now, the most valuable moment happened when I was teaching third grade.
That year, I decided to plan something special for the children: afternoon tea with Mother. After all the preparations were made, each child took home an invitation. I was surprised and relieved to see every mother plan to attend. I even invited my own mother. Surprisingly, she was very cooperative.
Finally, the day arrived. That afternoon, each child lined up at the classroom door expecting the arrival of his or her mom. As it got closer to the starting time, I looked around and quickly found Jimmy, a shy boy. His mother hadn't shown up and he was upset. After a consideration, I took my mother by the hand and walked to Jimmy. "Jimmy," I said. "Since I'm going to be really busy today, I am wondering if you could keep my mother company." He nodded, looking excited.
My mom and Jimmy sat at a table with two other pairs. Jimmy served my mom treats, presented her with the gift I had made, and pulled out and pushed in her chair, just as he had practiced the day before. Whenever I looked, my mom and Jimmy were deep in conversation.
Now ten years later, I work with students of all ages, educating them about the environment. Last year, I took a senior class from another city on a field trip. We went to a mountain by bus, where we spent two busy and absorbing days. The class were very easy-going and there was even a boy vaguely familiar. But the trip was over so quickly that I was even unable to put all their names to faces. Before we got on the bus to return school, I had the students complete an evaluation form of their trip. I collected and checked the forms one by one.
注意：
1）所续写短文的词数应为150词左右；
2）应使用5个以上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:
Then a different evaluation page came into view.
Paragraph 2:
Jimmy came to me before getting off, saying "Thanks again, Mrs. Marra" and gave me a big hug.
