More than one million single-use straws (吸管), most of them plastic, are used in the United States each day. They end up in waterways, harm sea animals, and break down into micro-plastics. Quantities of places have passed plastic-straw bans as a way to start handling the global plastic waste problem.

Straw materials: advantages and disadvantages

1. Metal

Made of stainless steel, aluminum, or even titanium, metal straws have become popular. They draw some criticism for having a metallic taste and conducting heat from a hot drink, but they’re strong and can be reused.

2. Paper

Paper drinking straws, which date from the late 1800s, often absorb liquid over time and can leave a taste or fibers in drinks. They’re the most popular throwaway choice in places with plastic-straw bans.

3. Glass

Though glass straws may be more breakable and thus less portable than reusable straws of other materials, they hold up well to washing and reuse. Some straws are made to look artistic, with colors and blown-glass designs.

4. Bamboo

This natural material can be sustainably produced and is a plant-based replacement of plastic straws. Bamboo straws are easily disposed of and turned into fertilizer. They are reusable but can be hard to clean completely and may absorb flavors.

My love for libraries blossomed when I joined the public library. From the age of 8 I was allowed to walk from my home to the downtown library, housed above the police station. Once the librarian gave me my first membership card, I could enjoy a range of books, which started with Little House in the Big Woods. I was addicted instantly, and this love of libraries and reading would change my life, allowing me to one day create a safe space for high-school kids, too.

By the time I was in high school, I could read the authors that we were studying in class, including Charles Dickens, Mark Twain and Emily Bronte. During the summer months, I got caught up in Gone with the Wind.

When I studied English literature at university, I thought it was time to build my own library. For the next 40 years, I continued to collect books. Until one day, I realized that all my books had become a part of the house, like wallpaper.

Toward the end of my teaching career, I became a teacher-librarian at my old high school, where I had first learned English literature. This position enabled me to regain my love and appreciation for libraries. I had a generous budget for my classes, so I searched for novels that would interest my teenage audience and hopefully spark a love of books. Fantasy, science-fiction, graphic novels -I bought almost any type of books that my students wanted to read. I bought sofas and comfortable chairs, turning the library into a safe public space, for everyone.

In doing so, I realized that the library isn’t just a place to do research. They are, in fact, places that offer an opportunity to connect with the past, present and future. All that is required is a tiny bit of curiosity. Libraries are places that should be full of life. They help us adjust to the world, and their doors must be kept open to everyone for free!

When baby turtles first come out of eggs, they head to the sea by nature. The beach surface goes down, which is one directional clue they follow. Another is light: The horizon (地平线) over the sea is brighter than the horizon over land.

But lights from towns and beach developments can confuse the baby turtles. The sky shining above a city can mislead them to wander. And particularly bright lights can draw them away from the sea.

You’d think the extra time crawling (爬行) might wear out baby turtles, which need energy   once they get in the water to swim for about a day to get to their destination in the sea. In a normal trip from nests to waves, the babies build up chemicals that show they have been pushing themselves.

Some researchers took the baby turtles to a lab, where they ran on a treadmill and swam in a tank while their blood and breathing were monitored. The finding is surprising: even after hours of crawling, the turtles were fine by all measures and swam as well as turtles that didn't have an extra crawling period.

The reason is that they often stop while crawling if they are doing U for a long time, unlike the disturbed trip they make when heading straight to the water. So misled turtles are not worn out.

But the misleading lights are still a problem for the babies. The longer they spend on the beach wandering, the more they are exposed to natural enemies. They can also end up losing their lives in the heat of the sun.

Technology has become so advanced that the previously impossible seems to occur on a daily basis. And yet — we still have no cure for the common cold.

According to Peter Barlow, a scientist at Edinburgh Napier University in the UK, the main challenge lies in the many different types of cold viruses. There are at least 160 types. They changed so easily that they quickly become resistant to drugs, or learn to hide from our immune systems. In other words, a single cure isn’t likely to work on every type of cold.

However, researchers from Stanford University have found a possible answer. They discovered a protein that the viruses need. Without it, they can’t spread inside your body. To   identify the gene(基因) which produces the specific protein needed by the viruses, researchers used a gene-editing technique to test all genes. These modified (改变的) cells were then exposed to a range of viruses, including ones causing the common cold. All the viruses were unable to replicate (复制) inside cells without a gene that produces that specific protein.

Then, they tested genetically modified mice, which were completely unable to produce the protein. The mice were able to live normal lives without the protein. “Lacking that gene protected the mice completely from viral infection,” associate professor Jan Carette, from Stanford, told the BBC. “These mice would always die, but they lived through and we saw a very strong reduction in copying viruses and very strong protection. We have identified a fantastic target that all cold viruses require and depend on. Take that away and the virus really has no chance. ”

Carette said the plan is to find a drug which can temporarily control the protein, instead of producing genetically modified humans.

Are you doing it right? Writing a thank-you note

I have always been a big advocate of thank-you notes. People will always think better of you for saying thank you properly.     16     For example, we can all send a WhatsApp message. However, it is not the same as sitting down, putting pen to paper, getting a first-class stamp and sending it off in the post.     17     A thank-you note like this is less likely to get lost in the digital noise.

    18     You are supposed to send your thank-you note as soon as possible after the event has taken place, or after you have received your gift. Christmas is the only occasion where you have a week or so to respond. Princess Diana supposedly started her thank-you letters before the event.     19    

Don’t start with “thank you”, though: it is dull and predictable.     20     And then go on to the thank you. The more kindness you have received, the longer the message should be. Try to make sure the stationery (文具) is fairly nice; some people use postcard-sized cards, so their notes are only a couple of lines long. If you are using paper, go for A5 and write a maximum of two separate pieces of paper. Never write on the back.

Cassidy and his friends were waiting for other members of their running group. They met_______ every Thursday but on this day last January, it would not be their _______ run.

The first _______ that something was unusual was the man who ran _______ past them.

“Running at such a fast pace,” Cassidy said to his friends in_______.

Cassidy _______ why the man was so swift when another man ran by, _______, “Help! He took my phone!”

At that, they ran, tracking the _______ down the streets _______ he disappeared in a construction site. Cassidy ran around to the far side of the site to cut the thief off while the others ____________ the neighborhood hoping he had thrown away the phone in a backyard.

No ____________ So they decided to ask the citizens whether they’d seen the guy. They knocked   on one door after another. To their ____________, as one owner opened the door, the suspect rushed out and right ____________ the arms of the police, who’d already joined the search.

“Running is typically a useless sport where you turn fat cells into heat, but occasionally it can be____________,” Cassidy told the Philadelphia Inquirer, “and here was one of those ____________.”

In Lanzhou, a group of scientists from China     36     other countries are working together to help increase knowledge and appreciation of China’s ancient heritage. They are recording and collecting digital images of cultural relics from the Mogao Caves, a key stop along the Silk Road throughout China’s ancient history. Nearly 500,000 high quality digital photographs have been produced since they     37    (start) the international project in 1994.

The Mogao Caves have long been a meeting point for different     38    (culture) and are   part of the history of many countries. Today, the caves are just as international     39    they were at the time when people travelled the Silk Road.     40    (attract) by the beauty of these   caves,tourists from all over the world visited Dunhuang. The Getty Museum in Los Angeles has even reproduced a copy of the caves and paintings for people    41    (admire) in America.

By     42     (share) so many digital photos over     43     Internet, the group hopes to promote even    44     (wide) interest around the world in China’s ancient history,culture,and traditions. They also hope to further educate people about the     45     (important) of safeguarding historic relics for future generations to understand and appreciate.

We were three thousand miles away from home on a Random Acts of Kindness and Volunteerism Road Trip. We were short of money, so we had two goals today:

1. Try out our new “Smile!” signs and see how much kindness and joy we could spread in Pike Place Market.

2. Raise at least $80 by doing street performances. Singing, drawing or storytelling. This would be enough for gas to Portland and a small hotel room.

We weren’t sure how people would react to our signs. It’s so easy to walk past a busy crowd, lost in your own world, refusing to make eye-contact with strangers, and feeling alone despite being surrounded by hundreds of people just like you. Finally, I gathered courage to raise our signs and shouted, “Hi here!” to a young couple. They looked over, confused for a moment,read my sign and broke into smiles. Then we saw more smiling faces in the crowd.

Before long, our signs were wildly popular. Tourists wanted photos with us. Strangers stopped to ask us about our signs. We told them the story of our acts of kindness road trip and listened to their stories,too.

Sometimes I’d see unfriendly faces and feel particularly nervous to show them my bright sign. But I was always rewarded with a big smile whenever I did so. Suddenly they were no longer faces of strangers but those of neighbors and friends. This world is full of good people we just don’t know yet. We got so wrapped up in our wonderful “Smile! ” project that we forgot the other goal. Before we knew it,the sun was setting,and we had no money for our trip to Portland.