【推荐1】More than two thirds of the world's polar bears will be wiped out by 2050, according to a shocking new study. By then, scientists say, global warming will have melted 42 percent of the Arctic sea ice. By 2100, only a very few of these important creatures will be left.

The report has been produced by the US Geological Survey. The scientists have publicized their findings in the hope of influencing US Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne, who has been asked to put polar bears on the US endangered species list.

Polar bears depend on floating sea ice as a platform for hunting seals, which are their main food. Without enough ice, polar bears would be forced to go onto the land, where they are poorly skilled hunters, and would be unlikely to adapt to the life on the land in time. Experts say few little bears would survive and the stress could make many females unable to get pregnant.

The team of American and Canadian scientists spent six months studying bears, on the ground, from spotter planes and in the lab, using computer models. Some team members fear the result is even worse for the bears than what their report says. They say the Arctic is warming faster than anywhere in the world and much faster than their computer had been forecasting. Satellite observations have showed that the ice has decreased to an all­time low.

However, not everyone in the scientific community believes that global warming is happening on such an alarming scale. Another investigation has found that polar bears are still being hunted by wealthy “sportsmen” who want their skins and heads. At least ten international companies offer bear­hunting trips.

【推荐3】Red squirrels (松鼠) , a kind of animal once lost from their native woodlands, have been returned to the north-west Highlands, early results of a reintroduction (重新引进) project show.

The new population has naturally increased since they were reintroduced to north-west Scotland last year. The animal had disappeared as a result of the reduction of forests, as well as illness and competition from the introduced non-native grey squirrel. However, Trees for Life—the organization behind the project—is hopeful that red squirrels will continue to add to their 138,000 number and continue their increase.

“Early results shows that this could be a real wildlife success story. The new squirrel populations are not only living in their new homes, they are also starting to spread out into new areas, with squirrels being sighted as far as 15km away, “said Becky Priestley, Trees for Life’s wildlife officer.

The first relocation began in the spring of 2016, through to this year, when the first 33 squirrels from Inverness-shire and Moray were set free at Shieldaig in Wester Ross. Another 22 were set free at the Coulin estate, next to Beinn Eighe, plus 30 at Plockton, which is partly owned by the National Trust for Scotland.

The red squirrel, found throughout Eurasia, has experienced a great population reduction in recent years. In 2007, just 25,000 could be found throughout the UK after a one-time high of 3.5 million. This is often because of the fact that their grey cousins have a larger appetite (食欲) and eat most of the food in the forest. Reds are also more likely to be influenced by viruses (病毒) than greys, dying up to 25 times quicker.

Grey squirrels first came to England from North America in 1876 as a decorative species. However, it was not until 1930 that the damage they did was realized, when it was almost too late for the reds.

Now, though, red squirrels appear to naturally take over their land again. During 2016, they spread beyond Shieldaig, with one sighting eight miles away beyond Loch Torridon. One was seen recently near Nostie, about five miles from the release site, and there have been sightings further.

【推荐1】While for many a chef, serving up the fanciest and most delicious meals is the ultimate aim, Rudolf Brand has an extra mission: fighting food waste. He believes that with his dishes, he can have a big impact: not just on people’s taste buds(味蕾), but also on their way of thinking about food—and food waste.

With 22 years of experience, including Michelin-starred restaurants in London and Amsterdam, he has seen a lot of food wasted in his career. So what is the best way to prevent this? For him, it really comes down to one essential thing: “Rather than thinking about what you want to cook, look at the remainder, what’s available, and then make a menu. This is what every chef should do.”

He’s clear on his solution: “Lose that fanciness, and look at the quality of the product and the flavor.” Rudolf explains. “There are too many chefs who are trying to be too fancy. They want to have only the biggest sea fish no matter what. Or they make a dish with only the heart of the cabbage, only using the most delicate leaves and then they throw away the rest.” He shakes his head at the idea of such waste.

He knows that one of his suppliers—a local farm—is left with a growing food mountain when top Michelin-starred chefs only buy the prized cuts of meat instead of ordering the entire leg. In just three or four weeks, the farm is left with 1,000 legs of lamb in the freezer. “And that’s just one supplier.” he says.

While other chefs will only accept the best from their suppliers, if something is smaller or damaged or has a few black bits, Rudolf is still going to use it. “Just because I’ll accept produce of a slightly lower quality doesn’t mean I’m going to serve less quality. It’s my job to turn that into good-quality food on the plate.” he says.

【推荐2】A disabled woman with only one leg is seeking to break a world record by completing 102 marathon-length runs in 102 days.

Jacky Hunt Broersma, who lost the bottom half of her left leg to a rare form of cancer in 2001, set her goal in mid-January. And every day since then, she has been running the distance of a marathon (马拉松). “Part of my body was gone. For me the most difficult problem was accepting my disability,” she told the reporter.

Until five years ago, she was not very active. But then she looked into running and decided to give it a try. The sport ended up being quite costly. Currently, the carbon fiber blade (碳纤维叶片) she uses, which is designed specifically for running, costs about $10,000. “Running really changed my life,” she said. “It helped me accept myself as a person with disability. It gave me a sense of freedom. I fell in love with the process of pushing my body further just to see what I could do.”

However, she has faced both physical and mental difficulties during her record-breaking attempt. On one recent day, Hunt Broersma felt breakdown at 24 kilometers and began to cry. In that moment, she felt like her planned goal might not happen at all. By dividing it into little goals, she finally picked herself up and carried on.

Hunt Broersma’s main support team is her husband and their two young children. She is posting her progress online and has also got a large social media following.

As she nears the end of her goal, Hunt-Broersma is hoping to inspire a single thought in others: You’re stronger than you think and you’re capable of so much more.

【推荐3】When Tal Golesworthy was told he needed a lifesaving heart operation in 1993, he said no. Golesworthy has Marfan syndrome, a genetic condition affecting body tissues.

Back in 1993, his doctor told him that his aorta (主动脉) was so enlarged that it would unavoidably break unless he underwent a major surgery. “The operation really didn’t look attractive,” says Golesworthy. What he particularly didn’t like was having to take a medicine after the operation that would prevent blood clots (血栓) but presented its own risks. “I was riding motorbikes then, and skiing, so my whole lifestyle would have been affected.”

By 2000, however, his condition had worsened. Realizing something had to be done, Golesworthy put his years of experience as a research-and-development engineer with the United Kingdom’s National Coal Board to good use. He decided he would fix himself. “Learning new stuff and developing new ideas, that was my job,” Golesworthy says.

So Golesworthy spent 30 hours in an MRI scanner, used 3D printing to create a copy of his heart aorta, and wrapped it with a special material. Strong determination together with an original yet practical solution won him the support of two leading surgeons who helped him raise the money to develop his idea.

In May 2004, at the age of 47, he became the guinea pig for his own invention. The operation was a success. It has since been used by surgeons in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and the Netherlands. “When you’re as motivated as I was,” Golesworthy said, “you make things happen.”

【推荐3】King Midas used to love gold. One day he met a fairy who allowed him to make a wish for something. The king replied at once, ‘‘I love gold. I want everything I touch to change into gold”. ‘‘Very well, tomorrow morning, everything you touch will turn into gold.” Saying this, the fairy disappeared.

The king waited excitedly till the next morning. To his joy, everything he touched changed immediately into gold. ‘‘I’m the richest man in the world now,” he shouted.

Soon Midas became hungry. He sat down at his table. All the foods and drinks turned into gold in his hand. ‘‘I’m dying of hunger,” he cried.

Just then his daughter came running in. ‘‘Why are you so sad, dad?” she asked, putting her arms around him. There and then she became a golden statue. The king loved his daughter very much. Seeing this, he began to cry. He looked up and suddenly saw the fairy before him. ‘‘Don’t you like the golden touch?” asked the fairy. ‘‘Please take it away,” begged the king, ‘‘and give me back my daughter.”   ‘‘Well, you have learned your lesson. Go and wash in the river. Then the golden touch will be gone.” The king ran quickly to the nearby river.