【推荐1】When you open your closet (壁橱), chances are that you will see some unwanted clothes lying in the corner. But instead of throwing them away, wouldn’t you rather give them a second chance to shine? Well, people around the world are doing just that.

This spring, upcycled denim (牛仔布) and sustainable (可持续的) lace are gaining popularity. They are part of the “ethical” (合乎道德的) and “sustainable” trends that have become the biggest buzzwords in fashion in recent years, the Guardian reported.

Upcycling, according to sustainability website TriplePundit, is a way to process an old item to make it just as good, or even better, than it was originally. For example, you could turn some old pajamas (睡衣) into a new summer dress.

Among upcyclable fabrics (面料), denim is one of the most comfortable and fashionable. That’s why many people like to create their own unique upcycled denim items, such as cutting a headband (头带) from a denim shirt.

Many fashion companies have also joined the trend. For example, there are upcycled denim companies that combine the spirit of vintage (复古的) denim with the principles of sustainability. “For as long as denim has been around, we have found ways to reuse it and upcycle it,” US stylist Kelly Nagel told fashion website sulky.com. “Denim is such a great fabric for so many things, and I especially love it when it has been ‘worn-in’ (磨平的). That is when denim has the most character.”

Lace is another timeless fabric that can be repurposed. According to the Guardian, it can be created from recycled fishing nets and other nylon (尼龙) waste products and used for making elegant dresses or beautiful decorations.

Indeed, fashion holds up a mirror to society. Now, the fashion industry cares not only about creating new looks, but also about its impact on the environment. “Choosing better fabrics is essential to us transforming this industry for the better,” Clara Vuletich, a Sydney-based sustainability expert, told the Guardian. “If you consciously decide to purchase clothes made using a recycled material or an exciting new fiber (纤维), such as cruelty-free leather (皮革) made in a lab, you are supporting companies creating new markets, and avoiding the negative impacts associated with conventional textiles (纺织品).”

【推荐2】Differences in land usage, building height, tree cover, rooftop color, and even how orderly the streets are all have an effect on temperature. Taken together, these factors can result in hyper-localized differences in the heat felt throughout a city, which in turn can have a big effect on who's most threatened by heatwaves. That is why citizen scientists are starting to map the urban heat island effect.

Later this month, a team of researchers and about 20 volunteers will spread out across Washington D.C. and Baltimore to take the cities’ temperatures. Equipped with instruments that record temperature data every second, they’ll drive or bike the same route three times to create a snapshot(快照) of how temperatures vary throughout the day. Those snapshots will then be collected to produce detailed maps of heat differences.

“If similar research conducted in Richmond, Virginia last July is any guide, those differences can be quite large. Temperatures in more industrial parts of Richmond reached 102°F (38.9°C) on the same day that a nearby shade-filled park topped out at 87°F (30.6°C)”, said Jeremy Hoffman, a researcher with the Science Museum of Virginia.

Based on the data collected throughout Richmond last year, project member Vivek Shandas at Portland State University and his colleagues were able to produce maps of urban heat across the city as well as heat vulnerability(脆弱性), which takes socioeconomic differences into account. Those maps are now being used to inform a citywide master plan update and a climate resilience(复原) plan.

Shandas and Hoffman plan to produce similar maps from this month's campaigns in D.C. and Baltimore. Finally, the two are hoping to scale up this effort even further. Shandas said he wish to create an off-the-shelf set of guidelines that any city can use to launch its own heat island campaign and generate citywide temperature maps.

Hoffman sees this as a way to help people to relate climate change to their own lives, and then actually do something about it. "The volunteers serve as a feedback mechanism to spread the findings," he said. "We can do heat island assessments using satellites, but we want a team of volunteers measuring temperatures in their neighborhoods to gain a better understanding of where they live."

【推荐3】For animals that spend most of their lives in the high trees, gaps in the forest might as well be the Grand Canyon. These gaps are especially hard on gibbons (长臂猴); although larger males can leap across some gaps, females and the young can be cut off from food, companions, and even potential mates. Now, a new study suggests a couple of strong ropes could really help bridge the gap.

Gibbons are at risk of extinction across Southeast Asia, largely because of habitat loss. With about 30 individuals left, the Hainan gibbon is considered the rarest primate (灵长类) on Earth. All of these animals live on the Hainan Baw angling National Nature Reserve. In July 2014, a typhoon caused landslides across the reserve, creating gaps in the forest that were difficult for these primates to cross.

To help reconnect the habitats, professional tree climbers set up an artificial “bridge” made of two mountaineering-grade ropes across a 15-meter-wide valley. Nearly 6 months later, the gibbons started to use the bridge to cross the gap, researchers report today in Scientific Reports. The team documented 52 crossings of a group of eight gibbons, with most walking along one rope while holding on to the second rope for support, which the scientists named “handrail”. The gibbons also shimmied underneath the ropes using all arms and legs to the opposite side.

Conservationists previously built artificial bridges to help other species such as the Bornean orangutan and the Javan slow loris. But this is the first example of the rare Hainan gibbon using them. The rope bridges could be a short-term solution to reconnect disjointed (脱节的) habitats, the researchers argue. Combined with efforts to provide enough natural forest cover.

【推荐1】If US software(软件) companies don’t pay more attention to quality, they could kiss their business good-bye. Both India and Brazil are developing a world-class software industry. Their weapon is quality and one of their jobs is to attract the top US quality specialists whose voices are not listened to in their country.

Already, of the world’s 12 software houses that have earned the highest position in the world, seven are in India. That’s largely because they have used new methods American software specialists refused to use.   For example, for years, quality specialists, W. Edwards Deming and J.M. Juran had tried to persuade US software companies to change their attitudes to quality. But their quality call mainly fell on deaf ears in the US--but not in Japan. By the 1970s and 1980s, Japan was taking its market share with better, cheaper products. They used Deming’s and Juran’s ideas to bring down the cost of good quality to as little as 5% of total production costs. In US factories, the cost of quality then was 10 times as high: 50%. In software, it still is.

Watts S. Humphrey spent 27 years at IBM heading up software production and then quality assurance(保证). But his advice was seldom paid attention to. He retired from IBM in 1986. In 1987, he worked out a system for assessing(评估) and improving software quality. It has proved its value time and again. For example, in 1990 the cost of quality at Raytheon Electronics Systems was almost 60 % of total software production costs. It fell to 15% in 1996 and has since further dropped to below 10 %.

Like Deming and Juran, Humphrey seems to be winning more praises overseas than at home. The Indian government and several companies have just founded the Watts Humphrey Software Quality Institute at the Software Technology Park in Chennai, India. Let’s hope that US lead in software will not be eaten up by its quality problems.

【推荐1】It’s generally agreed that heroes are great and always admired by common people. However, most of us have no clear idea about heroes. At some point, we all wonder if we need a hero and what a hero really is.

Although there are a lot of differences in cultures, heroes around the world generally share a number of characteristics (特点) which give us courage and make us want to learn from them. A hero does something worth talking about. A hero usually put others before and does his/her best to help people in need. A hero has a special story to tell and is thought highly of by people.

But a hero is not just the person with great fame (名声). A hero has powers larger than himself/herself. Some people want to live like a hero, and they have to experience life with new and further meaning. A sure test for would-be heroes is what or whom they serve. What do they want to live and die for? If the answer suggests they serve only their own fame, they may be famous persons but not heroes.

A hero has a vision (视野) from the mountaintop. He/She has the power to move people. He/She creates new possibilities. Without Gandhi, India might still be part of Britain. Without Martin Luther King, Jr., Americans might take different buses, eat in different restaurants, go for walks in different parks, and shop in different stores because of the different colors of their skin.

There might be changes in society without a hero, but the speed of change would be rather slow. Thanks to heroes in history, they make the society develop so rapidly.

【推荐2】I was talking recently with my mom when our conversation reminded me of a funny story.

"This is extremely funny," I said. "One time I was driving with my friend Rudy. "

My mom cut me off impatiently.

"I've heard this one before, honey," she said. "You don't need to tell it again. "

Storytelling is supposed to be a bonding experience. When we share our personal narratives, we disclose something about our values, our history, our outlook on life. The self-disclosure builds closeness and is a signal of faith in the relationship.

But the bonding benefits of storytelling only work if you' re good at it. Many of us, even those who tell stories for a living, are not. We repeat stories we've told before. We tell tales that don't have a point. We fail to pay attention to our audience, choosing stories that are inappropriate or ignoring clues that our listener is bored, annoyed or confused. And we don't know how to edit ourselves, throwing in every detail we find fascinating, no matter how irrelevant.

"People can't become engaged with a story that is incoherent," says Melanie Green, a professor of communication at the University at Buffalo, who has been studying storytelling for 20 years.

"They' re too busy trying to figure out what is going on. "

Dr. Green's new research, which is yet to be published, shows that people who tell stories-as opposed to just delivering facts or opinion are judged by others to be more warm and likable. And her previous research has shown that women find men who are good storytellers to be more attractive and desirable as long-term partners, most likely because storytelling shows a man knows how to connect, to share emotions and, maybe, to be vulnerable.

But 10 new studies by researchers at Washington University in St. Louis and the University of Georgia found that people who repeat the same stories over and over are viewed as less sincere and less authentic. In other words, they' re seen as not presenting their true self to the listener. The research also found that listeners are less interested in engaging with someone retelling a story they've heard him or her tell before.

Scientists now know that a well-told story boosts the release of two key neurochemicals in the brain: dopamine, which focuses our attention, and oxytocin, which helps us bond. This produces a state called immersion, in which a listener is both absorbed by a story and willing to be persuaded, says Paul Zak, a neturoeconomist and professor of economic sciences, psychology and management at Claremont Gradtutate University, in Claremont, Calif, who studies the neurobiology of storytelling. To get listeners to enter a state of immersion, the storyteller needs them to pay attention and to become emotionally engaged in the outcome of the story. This emotional engagement is what increases the listener's attachment to the storyteller.

Dr. Zak, who is also the CEO of Immersion Neuroscience, a technology company that measures the neurological changes of people going through immersive experiences such as listening to stories or watching movies, says his research has found that all compelling plots share certain elements. They have an exciting start-"It has to be a James Bond opening, some reason for me to want to listen to the story and become absorbed by it," Dr. Zak says -and then build both emotion and tension quickly. They have characters that are interesting and likable enough that people care about them. And they have action and a satisfying resolution to the tension.

Good storytellers use their voice to convey emotion, passion, drama-all cues that show they really care about the story. Emotional stories -ones that make people laugh or feel moved, touched, angry or outraged-have the most impact, says the University at Buffalo's Dr. Green. "If it sparks an emotion in you, there's a good chance it will spark an emotion in your audience," she says.

【推荐3】This year’s flu season is pretty scary. To try to minimize the effects, public officials are still urging anyone who hasn’t yet gotten their flu shot to get one as soon as possible. However, even if every single person got a shot in the arm, the vaccine(疫 苗)—with its excellent 36 percent effectiveness—would not prevent everyone from getting infected with the annoying virus. Knowledge is power, so here's what goes on in your body when you come down with the flu.

The influenza virus primarily attacks your nose, throat, and the tubes that lead to your lungs. But the flu is so much more than that. Your muscles ache, your head hurts, and your appetite goes down, among other things. To our surprise, almost all of these symptoms   have   less   to   do   with   the   virus   itself   than   with   your   immune( 免 疫 的)response to them. Unfortunately, the very defense you have in place to get rid of the flu is the reason you feel so painful when you recover.

The virus usually enters through your mouth, typically by way of your hands . But it takes a few days for symptoms to set in. While this process might cause some harm to your nose and throat, it's nothing major, and nothing like the symptoms that typically accompany a bad or even mild case of the flu.

The real fun starts when your immune system begins to fight. Your immune system comes in two parts: the innate system and the adaptive. The innate immune system is essentially an all-purpose tool. As soon as your body senses the presence of any injury or invader , the innate immune system launches into action by producing tiny proteins called cytokines and chemokines. The cytokines reproduce almost immediately and start to attack the virus. This increase in immune cells creates a serious inflammation( 炎 症 ) throughout the body. But the worst is still to come.

Meanwhile, the chemokines work with the adaptive immune system to help create T cells. These cells are a special type of white blood cell that works in a much more specific way: They find the influenza virus, identify what's special about it, and create something unique on their surface that finds and destroys similar invaders.

【推荐1】Many of us spend part of each day surrounded by strangers, whether on our daily commute(上下班往返), or sitting in park or cafe. But most of them remain just that-strangers. However, new evidence has shown that plucking up(鼓起) the courage to strike up conversation might be good for our health.

Nicholas Epley from the University of Chicago and Juliana Schroeder from the University of California are behavioral(行为的) scientists. They wanted to know whether solitude is a more positive experience than interacting with strangers, or if people misunderstand the consequences of distant social connections. They found that many people feel uncomfortable and frightened talking to others and their research suggested that when we make an initial conversation “we consistently underestimate(低估) how much a new person likes us.” It seems we think that all the things could go wrong and why someone wouldn't want to talk with us.

Their research involved an experiment with a group of Chicago commuters and found that"every participant in our experiment who actually tried to talk to a stranger found the person sitting next to them was happy to chat."From this and other research,the conclusion is that connecting with strangers is surprisingly pleasant and it has a positive impact on our well-being.It's true that talking can make you feel happier and happiness can lead to better mental health.

However, if you're an introvert(性格内向者），the thought of speaking to someone new might make you anxious. But the American research found “both extroverts(性格外向者) and introverts are happier when they are asked to behave in an extroverted manner.” So maybe, if you're a loner, it’s time to come out of your shell and make some small talk with a stranger-it could be the beginning of a new friendship.

【推荐2】Raised in a motherless home，my father was extremely tightfisted towards us children. His attitude didn’t soften as I grew into adulthood and went to college. I had to ride the bus whenever I came home. Though the bus stopped about two miles from home，Dad never met me，even in severe weather. If I grumbled，he’d say in his loudest father-voice，“That’s what your legs are for！”

The walk didn’t bother me as much as the fear of walking alone along the highway and country roads. I also felt less than valued that my father didn’t seem concerned about my safety. But that feeling was canceled one spring evening.

It had been a particularly difficult week at college after long hours in labs. I longed for home. When the bus reached the stop，I stepped off and dragged my suitcase to begin the long journey home.

A row of hedge(树篱)edged the driveway that climbed the hill to our house. Once I had turned off the highway to start the last lap of my journey，I always had a sense of relief to see the hedge because it meant that I was almost home. On that particular evening，the hedge had just come into view when I saw something gray moving along the top of the hedge，moving toward the house. Upon closer observation，I realized it was the top of my father’s head. Then I knew，each time I’d come home，he had stood behind the hedge，watching，until he knew I had arrived safely. I swallowed hard against the tears. He did care，after all.

On later visits，that spot of gray became my watchtower. I could hardly wait until I was close enough to watch for its secret movement above the greenery. Upon reaching home，I would find my father sitting innocently in his chair.“ So！My son，it’s you！”he’d say，his face lengthening into pretended surprise.

I replied，“Yes，Dad，it’s me.I’m home.”

【推荐3】A chance meeting between two men who realized they had both been abused in the same Surrey children’s care home has led to a campaign that has seen hundreds of former residents claiming they were also victims of physical, emotional and sexual abuse.

Music producer Raymond Stevenson, physically abused during his time at the Shirley Oaks home in the 70s, met a childhood friend last year who revealed he’d been abused in the institution. Within a few months, the Shirley Oaks Survivors Association(SOSA) was hundreds strong.

“We have been in contact with over 300 people and the stories we are getting are just terrible,” Stevenson says. “Every time we interview someone and hear about what happened to them, it brings tears to our eyes. Reliving(再现) some of the horrors they went through hasn't been easy.”

There have been two major police investigations into abuse at children’s homes in South London and three people including a swimming instructor, William Hook, have been condemned for offences relating to Shirley Oaks.

Another operation is currently on-going, but SOSA has lost faith in the authorities who they claim have covered up the whole picture of abuse in Shirley Oaks. “We don’t trust them and that’s why we have decided to do this campaign ourselves,” Stevenson explains.

A couple of weeks ago, dozens of former Shirley Oaks residents crowded into a Lambeth council(议会）meeting-the authority which ran the show until its closure the mid-1980s. Councilor after councilor spoke of their shame at what had been allowed to happen to children in their care.

Among the crowd was the award-winning author Alex Wheatle who has written about the abuse he suffered as a child at Shirley Oaks. “We have not come here to go to war with the council；we have come here to gain your support, ” Wheatle told the meeting.

The Shirley Oaks association is doing more than compiling evidence. It is using music to press its case. A song entitled “Don’t Touch It—It’s Mine” includes personal testimony(证词) from victims. “I was abused mentally, physically, emotionally and violently,” the track begins. “Of the original 16 of us, 12 have killed themselves...”

“We’re not going to be told lies anymore,” Stevenson explains. “We are not going to leave it in the hands of lawyers, politicians or council officials to tell us what happened to us. We want to discover it ourselves and we know music and dance and poetry are ways that can tell a greater story.”