Nine years ago, Catrina Davies, a Cambridge graduate, was living in a houseshare in Bristol.Constant worrying about paying the rent was making her ill with stress and she longed to get back to the Cornwall’s Penwith peninsula (半岛) where she grew up.Priced out of the housing market, she took the final decision to go to live in a shabby, stand-alone shed which her father once used as his office.

“It was full of mice and spiders and there was no electricity, toilet, heating or shower,” Catrina remembers.She survived the first year without electricity and still only uses ten pounds-worth a month.

Over the years, Catrina has upgraded her modest shed with second-hand windows and doors and had a wood burner installed.Her oven is a camping stove outdoors and she does without a fridge by keeping easily spoiled food outside in a Tupperware box.She buys milk from a local farm to make yogurt and grows fresh herbs, salad and vegetables.

Having such an outdoor lifestyle, she’s painfully aware of climate change.“I’ve noticed fewer songbirds and owls.Winters are warmer and weather patterns seem to be changed.The fishermen say there are fewer mackerel (鲭鱼) too.”

“Plastic pollution in the sea fills me with extreme sadness and anger,” she continues.“And the Amazon rainforest is being burned to the ground because of our desire for an endless supply of cheap burgers and cheap leather.Our ecology and housing crises are both symptoms of human greed.”

“To save the planet, we all need to fundamentally change the way we live.Although giving up meat, lots of cheap goods, driving and flying may seem like a sacrifice, it could actually make us all a lot happier in the long run.Many studies show that materialistic tendencies are linked to decreased life satisfaction.When I first moved here, it was only meant to be a stopgap.Six years later, I can’t imagine living any other way.”

The central authorities have published the first comprehensive document guiding the governments of various levels to deal with challenges of one of the largest and fastest aging populations in the world.

It is predicted that by 2035, the number of people above 60 years old will account for more than one-fourth of the country’s population, which is already the case in some big cities.By 2050, China’s aging population will approach its peak, with the percentage of the people aged beyond 60 making up 27.4 percent of the total.

International experience shows that it is the social security and public service system that bears the main pressure from an aging population.However, if policymakers carefully take the trend into consideration to make the social management and national development policies as well as take enough and effective forward-looking measures, the aging population will not necessarily become a problem.

As the experience of many developed economies shows, it is essential that the country transforms its growth model from one driven by production elements to one driven by innovation (创新) before the coming of the aging society, so as to minimize the impact of the loss of labor on the economy.So while increasing the social investment and inputs for the elderly, improving elder care, retirement services and strengthening legal and social protections, the government must also build a high quality work force and introduce advanced and innovative technologies to improve productivity.

The plan therefore provides a guideline for local governments to change their view so that rather than seeing senior citizens as simply a financial burden, they should view them as motivation for providing high-quality services and a better social environment.Treating the elderly well is a traditional virtue of the Chinese nation, and building a policy system for pensions, respect for the elderly and a healthy social environment is also a must.

Therefore, the aging of the population itself is not a problem.It is an important trend showing the country’s social development.

Ecotourism has become increasingly popular in recent years.Travelers visit natural environments funding conservation efforts or promoting local economies.In many cases, ecotourism involves close interaction with wildlife.

Now, scientists have analyzed more than 100 research studies on how ecotourism affects wild animals.They find the presence of humans changes the way animals behave, and those changes may put them at risk.Therefore, they have concluded that such trips can be harmful to the animals.

When animals interact in seemingly kind ways with humans, they may let down their guard.As animals learn to relax in the presence of humans, they may become bolder in other situations.If this transfers to their interactions with predators (捕食者), they are more likely to be injured or killed.

The presence of humans can also discourage natural predators.It creates a kind of safe place for smaller animals that may make them bolder.For example, in Grand Teton National Park, elk and pronghorns in areas with more tourists are less watchful and spend more time eating.

Interacting with people can cause great changes in the characteristics of various species over time.“If animals become accustomed to tourists, we might create unintended consequences — affecting the behavior or population of a species and influencing the species’ function in its community,” the researchers write.

Ecotourism has effects similar to those of animal domestication (驯养) and urbanization.Research has shown that domesticated silver foxes become more obedient and less fearful.Fox squirrels and birds that live in urbanized areas are slower to flee from danger.The phenomena result from evolutionary changes, but also from regular interactions with humans.

Scientists hope the new analysis will encourage more research into the interactions between people and wildlife.It is essential to develop further understanding of how various species in various situations respond to human interaction and under what conditions human exposure may place them at risk.

Every year, students across the U.K.engage in the annual ritual (仪式) of telling college and university admissions officers why they deserve a seat at the school of their choice.However, this task is filled with anxiety and fear.    11     This, of course, leads many to ask the question: How should I write an essay about myself for college? Here are tips to keep in mind.

    12     For example, if all your friends are writing application essays about covid-19, that may be a good reason why you should avoid it.Unless, of course, you’ve had a vivid, life-changing experience that you are burning to share.Admissions counselors say that the best essays help them learn something about the candidate that they would never know from reading the rest of the application.

Keep your individuality in the spotlight.    13     What sets you apart from others? Tell your extraordinary story but remember not to oversell yourself.Your reader wants to see something personal about you, something that makes you stand out among others.Imagine how many applications the admissions committee reads per day, and think twice before writing some general information that doesn’t show your individuality.

Committees value authenticity.They want to hear your voice.This essay may give you the time and space to explain why a particular achievement means too much to you.But resist the urge to exaggerate: admission counselors read thousands of essays each year.    14              

Sound like yourself.Don’t use words you wouldn’t normally use.Don’t use fancy language you wouldn’t use in real life.Imagine yourself reading this essay out loud to a classroom full of people who have never met you.    15     Be on the lookout for words and phrases like ‘maybe’ ‘sort of’ ‘I think’ or anything else.