Get stuck into chemistry with these fascinating guides.
An Elementary Guide to the Periodic Table by Gill Arbuthnott (Bloomsbury Children's Books)
There are lots of funny stories, fascinating facts and interesting explanations packed into this book, which aims to provide a good introduction to the periodic table. As well as plenty of information, there are lots of eye-catching diagrams and illustrations.
Exploring the Elements by Isabel Thomas. Illustrated by Sara Gillingham (Phaidon Press)
This beautifully designed book provides an introductory guide to the chemical elements — where they are found, their properties and the remarkable ways we've learned to use them. Smart and stylish, the book even comes with an illustrated periodic table.
The Elements in the Room by Mike Barfield. Illustrated by Lauren Humphrey (Laurence King)
As the candidate for lots of awards, this entertaining book invites you to join detective Sherlock Ohms as he tries to solve the mystery of how absolutely everything came to exist. This is a fun way to learn about the basics of chemical elements, from aluminum to zinc.
The Periodic Table Book by Dorling Kindersley, Ltd
If you are just starting your chemistry learning, look no further than this comprehensive visual encyclopedia, which is packed with stunning photographs. It covers all the basics of chemistry, with information about the different elements, and you'll also learn about some of the famous scientists who discovered them.
The space community is taking the orbital debris (碎片) threat increasingly seriously these days. Multiple satellite "mega-constellations (巨型星座)" are in the works, making space traffic management and space-junk removal more pressing issues than they've ever been.
For instance, SpaceX has already launched more than 1,700 satellites for its Starlink broadband constellation. The company ultimately wants to launch around 30,000 Starlink satellites into orbit. One Web has launched more than half of the satellites for its planned 648-member constellation, which may also grow beyond that initial number as time goes on.
In addition, satellite construction costs continue to fall, allowing more and more people to get satellites up and operate them—including folks with very little experience in the field. This opening of the final frontier is generally a good thing, but it further highlights the need for responsible action when it comes to satellite operation. In 2019, for example, the Space Safety Coalition (SSC) laid out a set of proposed voluntary guidelines designed to control space junk over the coming years.
One recommendation is that all satellites operating above 250 miles be equipped with propulsion(推进) systems, allowing them to get away from possible collisions (碰撞). The SSC also recommends operators who control satellites in low Earth orbit should include in their launch contracts a requirement that rocket upper stages should be got rid of in the atmosphere shortly after liftoff.
More active debris-fighting strategies could also be part of the solution. Removing just a handful of rocket bodies or dead satellites every year could help us keep our space-junk problem under control, according to some studies. And researchers around the world are developing and testing ways to do just that, using nets, harpoons(鱼叉) and other methods.
The space-junk issue is a global one, so governments around the world should have conversations about how to deal with it. Let's hope the talks, the decisions and the tech end up outpacing the problem.
The entire country struggled with the unprecedented(前所未有的) heat of the July 2022 heatwave, but for the disabled, the heat hit even harder. The climate crisis is a threat to everyone's health, but according to a report in 2021, people with disabilities are more vulnerable to the extreme weather events and natural disasters that result from the climate crisis.
Professor Kristie Ebi of the Centre for Health and the Global at the University of Washington, described the topic of heatwaves and disabled people as being an important issue. "Groups at higher risk during periods of high temperature include people with chronic(慢性的) medical conditions, people who take certain medications that can reduce the ability of the body to sweat, and the disabled", notes Ebi, going on to describe the different threats that heatwaves pose for different types of disabilities. Ebi notes the difficulty people with mobility issues or blindness may have with accessing services, such as cooling shelters. Ebi also comments on the importance of making messaging on the dangers of high temperatures accessible to those with learning disabilities or to deaf people. "Some studies suggest higher rates of suicide and other mental health issues during heatwaves, requiring targeted help for those with mental disabilities," she added.
Ailsa Speak, a disability and lifestyle blogger, experiences uncontrollable movements in the heat due to her cerebral palsy (脑瘫). "As you can imagine, when my involuntary movements increase, I get even hotter. It's just a painful circle really."
In the absence of a concrete set of plans for people with disabilities during the climate crisis and extreme weather events, people with disabilities continue to be at increased risk of heat-related disease.
To prevent future death and destruction, the Climate Change Committee CCC), an independent organization handling climate change, advocates for adaptation planning, as the temperature is set to rise further due to the climate crisis and global warming. The CCC's 2022 report on the health risks of overheating offers adaptation options to the government to ensure that buildings are fit for future climate change. Nevertheless, the publication does not offer specific advice about people with disabilities and overheating, which thus remains to be discussed immediately and thoroughly.
Someday, shadows and light could team up to provide power. A new device uses the contrast between bright spots and shade to create an electric current. That current can power small electronics, such as a watch or LED lights.
Swee Ching Tan and his team call their new device a shadow-effect energy generator. They made it by coating silicon(硅) with a thin layer of gold. Silicon is often used in solar cells that produce electricity from sunlight.
As in a solar cell, light shining on this generator energizes electrons(电子)in the silicon. Those electrons then jump into the gold. The difference in light levels creates an electric current. Sending electrons makes a flow of current that can power small electronics.
Tan's team described the new device in Energy &Environmental Science. Each device measures 4 cm long and 2 cm wide. That makes its area slightly larger than a stamp. In low light, eight generators power an electronic watch. These devices can also serve as self-powered motion sensors. For instance, when a toy car passed by, its shadow fell on a generator. That created enough electricity to light an LED.
The team compared its generators to commercial solar cells that are typically used under full sunlight. With half of each device in shadow, the generators produced roughly twice as much power per surface area as the solar cells. "But it would be better to compare them to solar cells meant to work in low light, such as the silicon solar cells in classroom calculators. These are designed to use indoor light," said Emily Warren, a chemical engineer at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Warren also would like to see the team measure the power the devices make over a longer time, such as a whole day.
Increasing how much light the generators can absorb would allow them to make better use of shadows.
So the team is working to improve the device's performance with strategies that solar cells use to gather light.
I know that facing uncertainty at work can be stressful, particularly in the current economic climate. While I don't know the particulars of your situation, I can provide some general advice to help reduce the chance of being laid off.
Start by demonstrating your skills and value to your company. Meanwhile, show your talents on high-priority assignments. Provide regular progress updates on the financial impact directly related to your work. And share your accomplishments with your directors.
Next, take steps to make sure you are seen as vital to your clients. Often employers consider the impact layoffs will have on customer relations. However, it may leave a lasting impression on management and colleagues who may be very helpful in your future career.
To prepare for a layoff, take practical steps, such as updating your resume (简历) and
LinkedIn profile to highlight any promotions, new skills, projects, and educational achievements. Make use of your network on LinkedIn and other virtual platforms to connect with people in your field.
Financial preparations are also strongly advised. Review your budget and cut it where you can. Make sure you know the requirements for unemployment in your state as well as the anticipated benefit amount so that you can work that into any budget plans. And if possible, consider applying for new opportunities.
A. It will allow you to increase your savings.
B. They may not be aware of all that you've done.
C. A layoff may come as a shock to any employer.
D. While you plan for the best, prepare for the worst.
E. Of course, these steps may not always prevent a layoff.
F. One of the best ways to do that is by growing your skills.
G. This may mean volunteering for tasks that others don't want to do.
In the sport of track and field, athletes compete not only with one another but against themselves to achieve a new personal best. Aiming to 1 his own record, Cerveny pushed himself hard. However, his legs cramped(抽筋)and 2 him with only 200 meters to go. Determined to 3, Cerveny rose from the ground and continued on, only to fall again after another 50 meters.
4, his coach asked Cerveny if he wanted to stop. He didn't. With great 5 Cerveny pulled himself up and with a(n) 6 pace, moved forward for one final push. 7, it wasn't enough. 100 meters from the finish line, his legs simply 8 .
Before his coach could 9 him, another runner- Brandon-was at his side to help. His first attempt to get Cerveny up failed, but he 10 to quit too. With a second pull, Cerveny was 11. At a measured jog, the two completed the final 100 meters of the course, with Cerveny holding Brandon for 12 Brandon even made sure Cerveny crossed the finish line first, securing his 13 a faster time
In today's 14 world in which the emphasis in athletics is so often put on breaking records, it was 15 to see that for an athlete like Brandon, the value of true sportsmanship still had legs.
In June, the world's biggest trial of a four-day work week kicked off in the UK. More than 3, 300 workers, based throughout the UK and(represent) more than 30 sectors of the UK economy, began receiving 100% of the pay for 80% of the time. Similar programs(choose) as a solution to the low-productivity in the workplace by several countries up to now, including the United Arab Emirates, Belgium, etc.
The campaign is aimed at enhancing employees' willingness(adjust) the work-life balance and stimulating higher work(efficient). For many workers, Mondays —or, more typically, Fridays —are transformed into something other thanregular workday. It may be as simple as making it a day of no meetings, which allows employees to catch up on projects they haven't finished, or as (extend) as a company wide move to a 32-hour week. For some companies, the four-day work week is a new recruiting tool that sides with a younger generation laying great emphasiswork-life balance. Besides， the ongoing pandemic (流行病) (speed) up the four-day trend currently.
carried out in some sectors, this work mode is by no means the mainstream, with potential negative effects. When Japan cut down working hours from 48 to 40 per week in the late 1980s and 1990s, their hardworking residents(remarkable)watched more TV and spent more time on personal grooming (仪容).
内容包括： 1）栏目介绍； 2）稿件内容； 3）稿件长度：约 300 词；
4）交稿日期：12月25日前。
注意：1）写作词数应为 80 左右； 2）可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3）文章开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。
Dear Mary,
……
Yours, Li Hua
When my husband Randy died in late fall, deciding what to do with his garden was way down on the list of necessary tasks. During the first few months, I cried with our daughters, planned a memorial, cried with my family, celebrated a quiet Thanksgiving, and panicked over not having bought Christmas presents.
As the calendar turned to a new year, the often rainy days and long nights deepened my sorrow. I found myself exhausted at the end of February, both physically and mentally.
Then the daffodils bloomed (开花) in the garden.
Years before, Randy had planted dozens of these lemon-yellow flowers. To him, they served as a reminder of hope, a promise that light and warmth would soon replace cold and dark. Looking at those dauffodils, I thought about how Randy had considered our garden a living work of art, carefully choosing plants so we'd see new blooms every month.
Then I noticed all the weeds that had taken root and spread everywhere. The neglect (疏于打理) showed, for Randy's illness had lasted a couple of years, a time when he didn't have energy for yard work the way he had before.
Faced with the neglected garden, I felt overwhelmed in the beginning. My daughters suggested I hire a service to clean everything up. I didn't respond.
Every time I sat in the garden alone, the memories of the lively garden came flooding, like the numerous scenes in an unforgettable film. Many days Randy came home from work, changed into old clothes, and headed out the door to mow or prune (修剪). Orange dragonflies followed him around the yard as he worked. Honeybees buzzed among the flowers, birds sang beautiful songs, and gentle breezes carried the sweet smell of dirt. No matter how cold or wet it was, the fresh air and physical activity made him energized and refreshed. For Randy, the work was quiet and comforting, which was a relief, as well as a pleasure.
注意：
1）续写词数应为150左右;
2）请在答题卡的相应位置作答。
The days grew warmer and lighter, and I started the work myself.
……
Weeks later, my daughters returned to visit me.
