【推荐1】At this time of year, with the nights closing in spring can seem very far away. For hill farmers, the call of the Eurasian curlew(白腰杓鹬) will be a reminder that winter is nearly over for another year. However, there are some parts of the UK and Ireland where farmers are no longer hearing their call.

Around early March, the curlew moves inland to breed, remaining obviously faithful to the sites where they have bred before. Their preferred nesting sites are rough grassland and moorland , which provide a mix of both open areas to feed and low bushes in which to hide their nests.

So why should we be concerned? The curlew is in serious trouble. The number of breeding curlews across the UK has dropped by 48% since the mid-90s. There are less than 150 pairs remaining in Ireland, down from 3, 750—4, 000 pairs in the late '80s, which is a disastrous decline of 96%. In southern and eastern England, recent surveys have shown there are fewer than 300 pairs remaining. Consequently, the curlews in Ireland and southern and eastern England are thought to be at the risk of upcoming extinction, while declines in the UK are also of serious concern. This is a potential disaster, not only for the UK and Ireland, but also the world as we are home to up to 27% of the global breeding population。.

What is driving the decline? What seems to be the problem? Firstly, the curlew is long-lived and should be able to keep stable numbers if each pair raises one baby bird every couple of months. Unfortunately, in many areas their breeding success rate is much lower. The main cause of this lack of production is loss of suitable living places due to land use change, such as agricultural practices and forestry. Secondly, their enemies, including foxes and crows, have multiplied rapidly over the last few decades

The challenge of responding to the problem is huge particularly as the curlews widely spread all over the lands. We cannot lose the curlew so how can we make a difference?

【推荐3】In Australia, the bilby (兔耳袋狸) project is seen as an important part in protecting the nation’s wildlife. Bilbies are known for their long ears and large back legs. They usually sleep during the day, and are awake at night. They look a lot like rabbits and grow to about 2.5 kilograms.

For the first time in 2018, bilbies are running wild in Southeastern Australia. The small animals were once widespread across much of Australia, but were last observed in the wild in New South Wales state in 1912. Every year bilby populations continue to decrease. Wildlife experts are afraid that the bilby, a small marsupial, could eventually disappear forever, either because of land clearing or fires. Another reason is a threat from cats and foxes, which hunt down and kill bilbies.

In northern New South Wales state, environmentalists are celebrating what they are calling a historic moment. Thirty bilbies from a captive breeding program have been released into a large predator-free enclosed area north of Sydney. Without the protection of a 32-kilometer fence, experts say the animals probably would not survive.

Tim Allard heads the Australian Wildlife Conservancy, which is involved in the project. He says the release of these beloved animals is a big deal. “There are some remaining wild bilby populations, but they get predated upon heavily by feral cats and foxes. Bilbies only really survive behind fenced areas.” Allard said the point of doing this project is to return the countryside to what it used to be before Europeans arrived. “So in the not-too-distant future, you will be able to go inside the fenced areas and it will be like stepping back before Europeans turned up,” he said.

【推荐2】We have to admit that many cities around the world today are heavily polluted. Careless methods of production and lack of consumer demand for environment friendly products have actually contributed to the pollution problem. One result is that millions of tons of glass, paper, plastic, and metal containers are produced and these are difficult to get rid of.

However, today, more and more consumers are choosing “green” and demanding that the products they buy should be safe for the environment. Before they take action to buy a product, they ask questions like these “Will this shampoo add damage to the environment?” “Can this metal container be reused or can it only be used once?”

A recent study showed that two out of five adults now take the environmental safety of a product into account before they buy it. This means that companies must now adjust the way they make and sell their products to make sure that they are “green” that is, friendly to the environment

Only a few years ago, it was impossible to find green products in supermarkets, but now there are hundreds of them advocating green. In addition, some supermarket products carry labels (标签) to show that the product is green. Some companies have adopted the manufacturing (生产) of clean and safe products as their main selling point and emphasize it in their advertising.

The concern for a safer and cleaner environment is making companies rethink how they do business. No longer will the public accept the old attitude of “Buy it, use it, throw it away, and forget it.”   The public pressure is on, and gradually business is cleaning up its act.

【推荐3】A new batch of young women—members of the so-called Millennial (千禧的) generation — has been entering the workforce for the past decade. At the starting line of their careers, they are better educated than their mothers and grandmothers had been — or than their young male counterparts are now. But when they look ahead, they see roadblocks to their success. They believe that women are paid less than men for doing the same job. They think it’s easier for men to get top executive jobs than it is for them. And they assume that if and when they have children, it will be even harder for them to advance in their careers.

While the public sees greater workplace equality between men and women now than it did 20-30 years ago, most believe more change is needed. Among Millennial women, 75% say this country needs to continue making changes to achieve gender equality in the workplace, compared with 57% of Millennial men. Even so, relatively few young women (15%) say they have been discriminated against at work because of their gender.

As Millennial women come of age, they share many of the same views and values about work as their male counterparts. They want jobs that provide security and flexibility, and they place relatively little importance on high pay. At the same time, however, young working women are less likely than men to aim at top management jobs: 34% say they’re not interested in becoming a boss or top manager; only 24% of young men say the same. The gender gap on this question is even wider among working adults in their 30s and 40s, when many women face the trade-offs that go with work and motherhood.

These findings are based on a new Pew Research Center survey of 2,002 adults, including 810 Millennials, conducted Oct. 7-27, 2019. The survey finds that, in spite of the dramatic gains women have made in educational attainment and labor force participation in recent decades, young women view this as a man’s world — just as middle-aged and older women do.

【推荐1】We are surrounded every day by thousands of chemicals. These chemicals have been found to be safe－on their own.   But are they still “safe” if mixed with other chemicals? That's the big question.

On its own, each chemical seems harmless. But in combination with other chemicals, they may become deadly. That is the finding of a two－year study by a high－profile task force of scientists. The task force was told to investigate the cancer－causing possibility of chemical mixtures.

Linda Gulliver was one of 174 scientists on the task force. Their job was to study the cancer－causing potential of 85 chemicals. All 85 are said to be common in the environment.

Ms Gulliver explains that chemicals have the potential to form dangerous mixtures. Even simple minerals can become dangerous when mixed with chemicals found in plastics or beauty products. While the chemicals are safe on their own. She says, the researchers found that many chemical compound cause cancer in human cells.

Working in groups, the scientists explored how different chemical mixtures could lead to cancer. Ms Gulliver's team looked at the ability of different combinations to support the increase of malignant (恶性的) human cells.

She says the big issue－what she calls “the $ 64 million dollar question”－is, “Which common, everyday chemicals do people need to avoid？”

“The $ 64 million dollar question that everybody wants to ask is, ‘Which chemicals should we be looking out for？’ And the answer to that is, ‘We don't know yet.’”

She says the current way to identify whether chemicals cause cancer is to test them one at a time. This method leads, she adds, to a long list of supposedly “safe” chemicals. She and her team say that approach needs to change.

“We definitely need certain research ... to find out what mixtures of chemicals would be more harmful than others; what groups of chemicals, when together, would produce more harmful effects. And at the moment, that is not known.”

【推荐3】A car needs gas to run and your body also needs food to work for you. Eating the right kind of food is very important. It can help your body grow strong，so take care of what you eat.

There are four main food groups altogether. The dairy group has food like milk，cheese and sour milk. The other three groups are the meat and fish group，the fruit and vegetable group，and the bread and rice group. Each meal should have at least one food from all four main groups. With all these food together，you will be given enough energy during the day.

It is easy to get into bad eating habits. You may eat your breakfast in a hurry to get to school on time. Or you may not have time for a good lunch. It may seem easy to finish your supper with fish and chips all the time. But you will find yourself fatigue in these days and you can not think quickly.

Watching what you eat will help keep your body healthy and strong. It is also good to take some exercise. It will help you eat more if you take a walk or play games in the open air. Having a good eating habit with some exercise is the key to your health.

【推荐1】We’ve all heard the same warning: looking at your phone or another screen before bed is very bad for you. It may make it harder for you to fall asleep and prevent you from getting a good night’s rest. Most sleep doctors suggest turning off screens an hour before bedtime. The reality is that, for the majority of us, cellphones, tablets, or TVs are the last things we look at before we close our eyes. Our smartphones can sometimes feel like an extension of our bodies because we’re so physically connected to them. Screens in general have become such a prominent part of our lives that it can feel completely unrealistic to put them   away earlier in the evening. But according to sleep doctors, it’s a smart idea to at least give it a try.

At night, your brain starts to produce a hormone called melatonin（褪黑素）which keeps your circadian rhythm（生理节律）on track and helps you fall asleep, according to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Being exposed to bright light suppresses( 抑 制 ) melatonin production, says Philip Richard Gehrman, a behavioral sleep specialist and associate professor of clinical psychology in psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. “Blue light has the strongest impact,” he adds, “and the types of LED lights used in most electronic devices are strongest in the blue part of the spectrum.”

Why is blue light particularly bad? Dr. Gehrman explains that the very specialized cells in the eyes that fed into our sleep system and circadian rhythms, called retinal ganglion（ 视网膜神经节） cells, respond strongly to blue light in comparison to other types of light.

“Beyond the light you’re exposing yourself to, there’s also the simple truth that it’s easy to get caught up in what you’re reading or watching, which leads to staying awake a lot later than you should,” says Shelby Harris, clinical psychologist in private practice in New York. Even if you’ve got the self-control to switch off Netflix after a reasonable number of episodes, depending on what you just watched or read, you may be too mentally stimulated to fall asleep anyway.”

【推荐2】Jason had been watching the X Games on TV. Athletes from all over the world were competing in the most amazing sports. Just then his grandmother walked into the room. "I want to be extreme. Would you really let me do that? You always worry about my safety!" said Jason.

"You will have to follow some rules, said his grandmother. "You can only ride in the park--never on the streets. You have to promise to wear a helmet (头盔). If you hurt yourself too much, I have the right to take your skateboard away Is it a deal?"

"You bet!" Jason was so excited that he jumped off the sofa. A week later he had a board and a helmet.

On Saturday, his grandmother dropped him off near the park. He was happy to have a grandmother who let him try new things.

Kids in the park were moving quickly up and down the ramps (坡道). They flew into the air and landed as easily as birds. When he watched the X games, Jason felt like he was doing the tricks himself. But watching these kids up close, he knew that none of it was going to be easy. He felt a little bit scared.

Very slowly he carried his board to the ramp. Taking a deep breath, he put his right foot on the board. He kicked off with his left foot. For a few seconds he glided (滑行) along, just waiting to fall. Then he came to a stop Kicking off again, he waited for the worst to happen. Again, he stayed up. The third time he kicked, lost his balance and fell hard on his left knee.

It hurt, but it was no big deal! Why had he been so scared? Now he felt calm because things had gone wrong and he was fine!

Next time he kicked off harder and went fast and farther. " Excellent! "said a girl as she passed him "Extreme!" laughed Jason to himself. "Not quite."

【推荐3】We’ve all heard exercise helps you live longer. But a new study goes one step further, finding that a sedentary(久坐不动的) lifestyle is worse for your health than smoking and heart disease.

Dr. Wael Jaber, a doctor at the Cleveland Clinic and senior author of the study, called the results "extremely surprising."

"Being unfit in an exercise stress test has a worse prognosis(预后), as far as death, than being a smoker," Jaber told CNN. "We've never seen something as noticeable as this and as objective as this. "

"It should be treated almost as a disease that has a prescription, which is called exercise," he said.

Researchers studied 122,007 patients who took exercise stress tests at Cleveland Clinic between January 1, 1991 and December 31, 2020 to measure death rate relating to the benefits of exercise and fitness. Comparing those with a sedentary lifestyle to the top exercise performers, he said, the risk associated with death is "500% higher. "

What made the study so unique, beyond the number of people studied, he said was that researchers weren't relying on patients self-reporting their exercise. "This is not the patients telling us what they do," Jaber said. "This is our testing them and figuring out objectively the real measure of what they do. "

Researchers have always been concerned that "ultra(高强度的)" exercisers might be at a higher risk of death, but the study found that not to be the case.

The benefits of exercise were seen across all ages and in both men and women, "probably a little more noticeable in females," Jaber said. "Whether you’re in your 40s or your 80s, you will benefit in the same way. "