【推荐1】Scientists have recreated a 1985 study of birds in Peru that shows climate change is pushing them from their natural environment. Thirty years ago, researchers studied more than 400 kinds of birds living on a mountainside in Peru. In 2017, researchers looked again at the bird populations. They found that almost all had moved to higher places in the mountain. Almost all had decreased in size. And, the scientists say at least eight bird groups that move to the higher altitude had died out completely.

Mark Urban, director of the Center of Biological Risk at the University of Connecticut, said this recent study was the first to prove that rising temperatures and moving to avoid them can lead to extinction.

In 1985, Fitzpatrick, director of the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, and a team of scientists established a camp alongside a river running down a mountainside in southeastern Peru. He wanted to document where tropical bird groups lived. His team spent several weeks using nets to catch and release birds. They kept detailed notes of birds they caught, saw or heard. In 2016, Fitzpatrick passed his notes, photos and other records to Benjamin Freeman. Freeman who has been researching tropical birds for more than 10 years set out in August and September of 2017 to copy Fitzpatrick’s study. His team used the same methods, searching the same places in the same time of year.

Freeman said that the birds moved an average of 98 meters further up the mountain, believing that temperature is the main cause of the birds’ movement. Fitzpatrick noted that birds used to living in areas with little temperature change might be especially at risk because of climate change. He said, “We should expect that what’s happening on this mountain top is happening more generally in the Andes, and other tropical mountain ranges.”

【推荐3】Global warming does more than just kill plant species-it also changes the way plants grow. Researchers at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) joined forces with the Leibniz Institute for Plant Biochemistry (IPB) to discover the molecular processes of plant growth. In Current Biology, a scientific journal, they presented their findings on high-temperature plant growth. This could lead to developing plants that can survive global warming.

Plants react to even small temperature changes, but they are unable to move to new locations. “When temperatures rise, plants grow taller... to cool themselves off. Their stalks become taller, and their leaves become narrower and grow farther apart. Yet, this makes the plant more unstable overall,” explains Professor Marcel Quint, an agricultural scientist at MLU. Unstable plants bend faster in the rain and produce less food that’s also less nutritious.

There’s still lots to learn about plant reactions to temperatures. “We are just starting to understand how plants detect the changes in temperature...,” Quint says. Earlier studies have shown that the protein PIF4 directly controls plant growth and is also dependent on temperature. When it’s cold, PIF4 is less active, meaning the plant doesn’t grow. At higher temperatures, PIF4 activates growth-promoting genes, and the plant grows taller. This is new information, says Quint.

To understand it, they investigated the growth of thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana,) seedlings. Normally, its seedlings form short stems at 20℃. These stems become considerably longer at 28℃. They discovered a hormone   that activates the PIF4 at high temperatures, thus producing the protein. The findings of the Halle group may help to breed plants that remain stable even at high temperatures and produce many crops.

【推荐1】Masks that helped save lives are proving a deadly danger for wildlife, with birds and sea creatures trapped in the shocking number of thrown-away facial coverings. Single-use masks have been found around pavements, waterways and beaches worldwide. Worn once, the thin protective materials can take hundreds of years to decompose. “Face masks aren't going away any time soon—but when we throw them away, these items can harm the environment and the animals,” Ashley Fruno of animal rights group PETA said.

In Britain, a gull was rescued by the RSPCA after its legs became tangled in the straps of a mask for up to a week. The animal welfare charity took it to a wildlife hospital for treatment before its release.

The biggest impact may be in the water. More than 1.5 billion masks made their way into the world's oceans last year, accounting for around 6,200 extra tonnes of ocean plastic pollution, according to environmental group Oceans Asia.

Conservationists in Brazil found one mask inside the stomach of a penguin after its body was washed up on a beach, while a dead pufferfish was discovered caught inside another off the coast of Miami. French campaigners found a dead crab trapped in a mask near the Mediterranean. Masks and gloves are “particularly problematic” for sea creatures, says George Leonard, chief scientist from NGO Ocean Conservancy. “When those plastics break down in the environment, they then enter the food chain and impact entire ecosystems.” he added.

There has been a shift towards greater use of reusable cloth masks as the pandemic has worn on, but many are still using the lighter single-use varieties. Campaigners have urged people to bin them properly and cut the straps to reduce the risk of animals becoming trapped. Oceans Asia has also called on governments to increase fines for littering and encourage the use of washable masks.

【推荐2】Thanks to its cold environment, Antarctica (南极洲) remained largely untouched by humans for thousands of years. However, since the 1990s, the last true wilderness on the planet is becoming an increasingly popular destination for tourists. Now, a new study shows that the visitors may be bringing harmful bacteria (细菌) which could reduce the area’s native bird population.

Researchers believed that the Antarctic creatures were not affected by the danger due to the continent’s extreme weather. However, microbiologist Martà Cerdà-Cuéllar didn’t believe this was true. She and some colleagues decided to examine samples from Antarctic birds for evidence of human bacteria. To ensure the waste was not polluted, the scientists had to collect it from the birds themselves. This was no easy task. If they missed catching a skua at first go, the bird never came close again.

It took the scientists four years, from 2008 to 2011, to collect fecal (粪便) samples of 666 adult birds from 24 local species. The results of their study showed the presence of several types of human bacteria in the bird waste.

“While we should do as much as possible to reduce transmission (传播), it’s hard to believe that we can stop tourism and science at these sites, and so it is hard to believe that humans won’t continue to transmit pathogens (病原体),” said Kyle Elliott.

Experts, including González-Solís, believe the only way to prevent the destruction of the birds, is to introduce stricter regulations or, at least, obey the ones already in place. For example, while the Antarctica Treaty states clearly visitors carry their waste back home to protect the original environment, the regulation is rarely obeyed. Hopefully, officials will take steps to protect the easily injured birds as soon as possible.

【推荐3】Jadav Payeng lives on Majuli in Assam, India—the world's largest river island. In 1979, flooding(洪水) took away a large part of forest along the Brahmaputra River. Wildlife were left without enough shade(荫), and Payeng watched helpless animals begin to die off from the heat.

Deeply saddened, then the 16-year-old decided he would plant a young tree in the barren(贫瘠的) land every day for the foreseeable future and now, 39 years later, his woodland covers 1, 360 acres and it is home to Bengal tigers, rhinos, vultures and 115 elephants.

Amazingly, the work didn’t come to light until the autumn of 2007, when he was accidentally discovered seeding(播种) his forest by wildlife lover Jitu Kalita.

Kalita had borrowed a boat to take pictures of birds around the Brahmaputra River, which runs around Majuli Island, and while travelling through the waters he saw something unusual. Kalita recalls: “I saw something strange ... it looked like a forest far in the distance. I began walking towards it. When I reached it, I couldn’t believe my eyes. I had found a forest in the middle of a barren wasteland.” He was amazed by Payeng’s story and spent time learning about his lifetime’s work.

Payeng, who makes money with his wife selling cows’ milk to local villages, still works hard taking care of his forest and says he will continue to plant young trees and seeds until the last moment of his life. He said at first that planting was very time－consuming(耗时的) but now it’s much easier because the trees seed themselves.

Payeng’s work has been recognised far and wide and in 2015 he received one of India’s highest civilian awards, the Padma Shri.

Payeng says his dream is to fill up Majuli Island with forest again. Standing next to the first tree that he planted, he said: “People from around the world come here now because this forest amazes them.”

【推荐1】Taking photos of your food and posting them online is becoming more and more popular. However, not everyone thinks it’s a good idea.

Food photos are popular on social networking sites. Many of the pictures are of delicious-looking food from top-class restaurants. Some people even find it addictive (上瘾的). “I couldn’t get enough of it. I had to share every single meal,” one food poster wrote.

However, not all food photos are so attractive. There are now sites where you can post pictures of terrible-looking food. One such website is saddesklunch.com. Users send pictures of their depressing meals, which include things such as half-eaten bits of chicken and leftover (剩余的) pizza.

saddesklunch.com. was created by office worker Kira in 2012. At the time, she was working as a video editor. “I was staring at my rather terrible vegetable soup, which I was eating at my desk, and just thought, I can’t believe I’m eating this soup, let alone eating it alone at my desk’,”she said.

Some chefs are trying to stop people photographing food in their restaurants. Gilles runs a three-star restaurant in southern France. He told a news website that every time his food appears on social networks it “takes away the surprise, and a little bit of my intellectual property(知识产权)”.

Alexander is the chef at a restaurant. He has included a “no cameras” logo on his menu. “Before, people took pictures of their family in the restaurant; now they take pictures of food... They put them on the Internet, others ‘like’, they respond to comments, and the dish is cold,” he explained.

Will you take your camera next time you eat out?

【推荐3】Some of us like to spend money as soon as we have it, while others like to hold on to money and spend it carefully. But for people who are very smart about their cash, there are a number of interesting ways to invest (投资) it and, if things go well, make a big financial profit (经济收益).

Buying stamps, wine, coins and books are all different ways of investing your money. It comes with risks but can be thrilling as, hopefully, you watch the value of your investment rise. However, you need to know what you’re doing and making a lot of money is not guaranteed (保证).

If you’re happy to take a risk, then one of the most well-known ways of investing is by buying artwork. By buying a painting and holding on to it, its value can increase greatly, but of course, only when you sell it do you feel the profit. Some people get quite lucky particularly when they don’t expect to make any money. There are stories of people buying a painting at an exhibition for peanuts only to find out it’s actually worth thousands of dollars.

Of course, investing in artwork is not a guarantee to make you a millionaire. Patrick Connolly, a financial adviser, says investing in art is too risky and he advises his customers not to invest in it because the downside is greater than the upside.

But if you’re still interested in it, there are art fairs (博览会), such as The Affordable Art Fair, and websites provide buyers with their affordable artwork. Patrick Connolly says the best way here is to buy something you like and can afford and “if it goes up in value, that should be just an added award.”

If this has destroyed your plans for your investment, maybe there’s more chance of winning big money by buying a lottery ticket (彩票)!

【推荐1】One feature of a successful business is its ability to employ creativity to push into new territory （领域）. Those with staying power, however, have mastered an often-ignored factor that allows them to focus on the future: empathy（共情）. While that may surprise many, I am certain that the ability to connect with and relate to others is the force that moves business forward.

Though the concept of empathy might go against the modern concept a traditional workplace—competitive, the reality is that for business leaders to experience success, they need to not just see or hear the activity around them, but also relate to the people around.

Some may think they can achieve their goals without much thought for other people. This attitude works for some, but at some point-often sooner rather than later—everyone needs to depend on their relationships and build personal and professional connections. Successful people do not operate alone; each of us needs the support of others to achieve positive results that push us forward our goals.

Effectively understanding empathy involves regarding it as each person’s connection to the people and marketplace. A biological principle（原理） known as co-evolution （共同进化）explains that the adaptation of an organism （有机体）is caused by the change of a related object. Similarly, business and their leaders participate in co-evolution-type relationships. Business success depends on empathetic leaders who are able to adapt, build on the strengths around them, and relate to their environment. When businesses fail, it is often because leaders have stopped focusing on understanding their environment and instead stay separated in their own operations.

To develop an effective workforce, we must be willing to give in and meet people where they are. This can be uncomfortable, particularly when you feel like your position makes more sense or offers a better solution. A significant part of developing empathy, however, is learning to understand, respect and adopt another person’s point of view rather forcing your own.

【推荐2】Oxford English Dictionary（OED） announced on November 23 for the first time that it has chosen not to name one single word of the year, but many words for the “special” year 2020. Describing 2020 as “a year which cannot be neatly summarized in one single word”. OED said on Monday that there were too many words to sum up the events of 2020. From more than 11 billion words found in web-based news, blogs and other text sources, its lexicographers(词典编纂者)revealed what the dictionary described as “great shifts in language data and frequency rises in new words” over the past 12 months.

Most words of the year are coronavirus-related, including coronavirus, lockdown, circuit-breaker, keyworkers and face masks. The report said the word "coronavirus" dates back to the 1960s and was previously "mainly used by scientific and medical specialists". But by April this year it had become one of the most frequently used nouns in the English language, beyond even the usage of the word "time". It said use of the word “pandemic” has increased by more than 57,000 percent this year.

The revolution in working habits during the pandemic has also affected language, with both “remote” and “remotely” seeing more than 300 percent growth in use since March. “On mute(静音)”and “unmute” have seen 500 percent rises since March, while the words “workation” and “staycation” also increased drastically.

Casper Grathwohl, the president of Oxford Dictionaries, said. “I've never witnessed a year in language like the one we've just had. The Oxford team was identifying hundreds of significant new words and usages as the year unfolded.” “2020 has been filled with new words unlike any other,” Grathwohl added.

The OED's announcement mirrored the huge influence of the COVID-19 on the people from all walks of life. To bring life back to normal, countries such as Britain, China, Germany, Russia and the United States are racing against time to develop coronavirus vaccines.

【推荐3】Big Brothers Big Sisters is based on the simplicity and power of friendship. It is a program which provides friendship and fun by matching vulnerable young people(ages7-17)with a volunteer adult who can be both a role model and a supportive friend.

Volunteer tutors come from all walks of life — married, single, with or without children. Big Brothers and Big Sisters are not replacement parents or social workers. They are tutors: someone to trust, to have fun with, to talk and go to when needed.

A Big Sister and Little Sister will generally spend between one and four hours together three or four times each month for at least twelve months. They enjoy simple activities such as a picnic at a park, cooking, playing sport or going to a football match. These activities improve the friendship and help the young person develop positive self-respect, confidence and life direction.

Big Brothers Big Sisters organizations exist throughout the world. It is the largest and most well-known provider of tutor services internationally and has been operating for 25 years.

Emily and Sarah have been matched since 2008. Emily is a 10-year-old girl who has experienced some difficulties being accepted by her schoolmates at school. "I was pretty sure there was something wrong with me."

Emily's mum came across Big Brothers Big Sisters and thought it would be of benefit to Emily by "providing different feedback (反馈) about herself other than just relying on schoolmates to measure her self-worth."

Sarah wanted to get involved in a volunteer program. "I googled it and found out how to be a part of it. I thought it would be fun for me to get involved in making time to do something because sometimes it is all work   and no play."

Big Brothers Big Sisters has been of great benefit and enjoyment to both Emily and Sarah. They love and look forward to their time together and the partnership has certainly helped Emily be more comfortable in being the wonderful, happy and unique girl she is!