What's UP? Here, let's take a look at some excellent book review s for this month.
Dead Good Detectives Jenny McLachlan This is the story of a 12-year-old girl called Sid who loves playing horror games with her friends. But when she accidentally releases the ancient ghost pirate, Bones, Sid is launched into an adventure! However, there is someone hiding in the shadows, intended to send Bones back into the mysterious inn that he came from. This is a funny, exciting book that I would recommend to people who love lots of laughs.
| Totty Shirley Galligan To find his home, Totty the turtle goes on an impressive adventure with the help of his friends, and has different obstacles to overcome. He wakes up with a plastic bag stuck around his neck, swims through an oil spill and gets caught in a fishing net. My favourite part was when his friend, the whale, helped him out of the garbage mountain, and he was rescued by the Sea Turtle Rescue Centre. If you like sea animals and care for the environment then this is a good book for you!
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Fact Book of The Month: Aliens Joalda Morancy Ever wondered what incredible creatures might live beyond our planet? This mind- blowing book teaches you everything about the search for alien lifeforms in our solar system and beyond. Meet the robots sent to Mars to look for Martians, find out how to spot an advanced alien civilization and discover what really goes on at Area 51! Do alien s exist? And is it only a matter of time before we find them?!
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For a long time, I kept a selection of books on a shelf next to my bed that I called my. "heart books". To qualify for a place on the shelf, a book had to be not only one I loved, but one that mattered. There was one book that never made it onto that shelf, though I read it in high school: Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg.
I can still remember the day I bought it. It was summer and I must have been 14 or 15. Desperate to get out of my house, I rode my bike into town and walked into the bookstore. I was going through the shelf of books on writing and it caught my eye. I picked it up, read a few pages, and bought it. Then I took it with me to a park, read the first few chapters, and opened my notebook to write.
It's a fairly straightforward writing book. Goldberg's method is simple: you choose a topic, set a timer, and write for 10, 15, or 20 minutes without picking up your pen. Free writing, timed writing, writing topics: anyone who has taken a creative writing class may have encountered these things. There was nothing particularly new or unusual about the book so I can't say why it attracted me so much. But it changed everything. I went from being someone who enjoyed writing to being a writer.
During my teen years and early twenties, following Goldberg's method was at the core of my identity. No matter where I was or what I was doing, I filled notebooks. When I eventually started writing fiction, I did the same thing. The "I" in my notebooks became someone else, but I held to the same practice.
This writing practice led me to a writing group in Boston. It led me to my current career. It led me, in so many ways, to myself. Becoming a writer allowed me to become so many other things: an activist, a business owner, a farmer, a baker... Writing is where I found my confidence. It was where I became curious about the world. From that, everything else has followed.
Thomas Bogle has worked in the footwear industry for years. He also loves to run. He runs every day in the forest near his home in Colorado. But while training for a race, he couldn't stop thinking about the bits of plastic and rubber that his shoes were shedding on the forest floor.
With every step we take, our shoes leave behind an invisible trail of contaminants(污染物). These contaminants can potentially harm the soil, water and animal health.
Shoes contain different types of plastics. Every year, about 500,000 tons of microplastics seep into the world's oceans. Microplastics are tiny pieces of plastic. They form as larger plastic objects break down. They can harm living things and the environment.
Now, several companies are starting to develop plant-based soles (鞋底). They don't leave plastics behind when they break down. Plant-based soles address some of these issues. They won't shed plastic into the environment. Plus, they generate fewer toxic chemicals. But shoes made with natural materials face some of the same challenges as plastic-based shoes once they're thrown out. Taking the shoes apart is still hard. Recycling shoes will require setting up new systems.
Bogle had an idea to create an entirely plastic-free shoe outsole. He got some help from Gene Kelly. He is a professor of soil science at Colorado State University and a fellow runner. Together, Bogle and Kelly developed a shoe sole. It is made of beeswax, vegetable oils and plant products such as leaves and husks from corn and other crops.
Bogle's company, Solum, partners with farmers across the country. The farmers grow and harvest the plant materials. Then, the materials are transformed into little plant balls and blended with natural rubber to create the sole. Solum's shoes don't shed toxic chemicals. Instead, the soles put nutrients back into the soil as they naturally wear down over time.
These days, Bogle runs, hikes and golfs in shoes with his company's plant-based soles. "Footwear is a very hard product to fix," he said. "It really requires completely shifting how we think about footwear and how we make footwear and the materials we use."
During Yang Zhongkai's early years, a 500-year-old majestic ginkgo(银杏) tree that did not sprout leaves for two to three years at a stretch used to be a daily sight for him on his way to and from high school. Since villagers widely regarded the tree as having the power to make their wishes come true, they used to kneel down in front of the "lucky" tree and burn offerings under it, which led to prolonged heat exposure at its roots, stunting its growth.
"Millions of such old trees are in urgent need of protection given their importance as vital biological resources and symbols of ecological civilization," said Yang, who started the team—Zhiyue—dedicated to protecting ancient trees. "But the recording and management of ancient and famous trees nationwide commonly rely on Excel spreadsheets (电子表格), which present issues such as information silos, lack of real-time updates and incomplete content," he said.
However, things have changed of late. Yang and his team now use the artificial intelligence technology developed by Tencent Cloud to identify and register trees accurately based on individual traits and GPS tracking. "With the acceleration of a new generation of technological revolution and industrial transformation, new technologies bring more excitement to the protection of ancient trees," Yang said. "We can now collect data on the trees' growth, health and environment in real time, which helps us make informed decisions on how to better protect them."
"In addition to applying cutting-edge technologies such as AI and large models to assist in the development of traditional industries, the company also makes great efforts to promote the development of charitable causes through technological and platform advantages," Wu. Yunsheng said, vice-president of Tencent Cloud, adding that "the power of technology can change the world".
How to Keep Personal Art Journals
You might have heard that keeping a journal is a great way to record your thoughts and understand your emotions. Typical journaling involves only writing. . And because there are so many ways to express yourself in an art journal, it's a wonderful creative outlet for both beginners and more experienced creatives.
. It combines elements of writing, drawing, painting, collage(拼贴画), and even graffiti to express yourself. This includes your everyday life, as well as your hopes, dreams, and fears. A single page will often have both words and illustrations to offer a look at what's going on inside your head.
Art journaling is a way to practice self-care. It encourages you to take a little time for yourself—even if it's just for 15 minutes a day. When you look back at what you've written or drawn, you can gain valuable insight into the challenges in your life. The point of creating a visual journal is not to make every page a masterpiece. .
Art journaling is completely customizable (可定制的) depending on your skills and interests. Many people choose to use mixed media and decorate their pages with drawing and painting materials. . The most important thing when beginning your art journal, however, is selecting the right book.
There are many considerations when it comes to picking your journal book. Size is one. If you enjoy making large drawings, for instance, then a bigger book might be best. . Since it's a good chance you'll be using mixed media, select a journal whose paper can handle both drawing and painting.
A. An art journal is a visual diary.
B. Besides, you become aware of your style.
C. Another characteristic to think about is the type of pages in the book.
D. This way, you can not only express yourself, but also influence others.
E. Others prefer sticking with a single medium that they're comfortable with.
F. But for those who are more visually-minded, an art journal is a great alternative.
G. You simply need to enjoy the act of creating something without worrying how it looks.
On a Saturday morning, Tara and her new bridegroom, Sam, were drinking coffee when their doorbell rang. She exchanged a curious glance with her husband, 1 who could be visiting at this early hour.
Upon opening the door, Tara found Tina, her closest 2 since childhood, standing there and smiling. In her arms, she held a 3 young creature with beautiful eyes. At the sight of the little cat, Tara was 4 drawn to its innocence.
"Surprise!" Tina cried, and 5 the kitten for her to see. "I thought this little one could 6 a loving home, and who's better than you and Sam?" This 7 gift was unlike anything Tara had ever imagined, and she was deeply moved by her friend's gesture. "Thank you, Tina," Tara managed to say, her voice 8 with emotion and his heart full of appreciation, "This means the world to us."
Tara and Sam named the kitten Charles, who quickly became the centre of their universe, bringing 9 joy and laughter to their home. As days passed, Tara's 10 with Charles deepened. Charles was very 11 to her moods, curling up beside her when she was lost in thought or sank into sadness. Its company became a constant source of 12 to her. It was the uncondition al love of the furry friend that could heal the deepest wounds and comfort her 13 heart.
Their home was now filled with the 14 of playful meows and soft steps of the little cat, who had woven a beautiful thread into their life and 15 it with warmth and love.
A special popular dance "Subject Three" or Kemusan has attracted attention widely. In the popular dance style, performers show off some dance moves, such as swinging their knees sideways as they perform series of fast hand actions, including fast wrist-twisting moves. The dance (accompany) by music that sounds like a mix of Western disco beats and (tradition) Chinese folk songs.
There are two (story) about its origin. One story traces the dance's roots to a wedding in Wuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, guests dance as part of the celebrations. The other story suggests Guangxi local people undergo three tests in (they) life: singing folk songs ("Subject One"), slurping(出声地吃) rice noodles ("Subject Two"), and dancing ("Subject Three").
But "Subject Three" does not fall within Guangxi alone; it belongs the world. The popular culture that is loved by the common people is always (universal) appealing. (root) in Chinese grassroots culture, "Subject Three" represents the warmth and reality of the Chinese people's well-being, (provide) a deeper understanding of the inner world and living conditions of the Chinese people for the international community.
内容包括：1.图表内容；2.你的看法。
注意：1.写作词数应为80左右，标题已给出，不算在总字数内；2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Survey on Sleep Time among Senior 2
There was a beaver(河狸) living in the forest, who had a big flat tail and large teeth. Beaver went grocery shopping for food every day. The Animal Grocery Store was a big hole in the biggest tree of the forest, where many animals went to get food that they needed. There were three store assistants serving customers: Goat, Squirrel and Rabbit.
One day Beaver came into the Animal Grocery Store. "What should I eat today, Goat?" Beaver asked Goat, who was sweeping the floor.
Goat stopped and answered, "I recommend that you should buy some big, red apples and a pear. They are fresh."
Beaver bought two red apples and a pear. When Beaver got home, he ate the apples and pear. But he was not happy. He was sad but he did not know why. He felt like something was missing.
Beaver went to the grocery store the next day.
"Hello, Beaver. How are you?" asked Squirrel, another shop assistant who was working behind the counter that day.
"I'm good now, but when I got home from your store last time, I was sad. I don't know why," said Beaver, "I just felt very depressed."
Squirrel was worried about the food that Goat had sold to Beaver the day before. He asked, "Did you buy any bad food last time?"
"No. The food was good. I like apples and pears, but I just wanted something different. I don't know why. What do you recommend?"
Squirrel smiled and said, "Oh, I recommend that you should buy a bag of nuts and some corn. They are healthy."
Beaver bought a bag of nuts and some corn. When he got home, he ate all of the nuts and corn. But he was not very happy again. Beaver did not know what was wrong. Why was he always sad when he came home from grocery shopping? He had bought good fruits, nuts and corn, but he felt like something was missing.
注意：1.所续写短文的词数应为150左右；2.续写部分分为两段，每段的开头句已为你写好。
Paragraph 1:
The next day, Beaver went to the grocery store again.
Paragraph 2:
The next day, Beaver went to the grocery store, feeling very happy.
