【推荐1】Visit the grocery store on an empty stomach, and you will probably come home with a few things you had not planned to buy. But hunger is not the only culprit behind such purchases. The location of store displays also influences our shopping and may make or break some healthy eating habits.

The checkout area is a particular hotspot for junk food. Studies have found that the products most commonly found there are sugary and salty snacks-and a few studies have suggested that simply swapping in healthier options can shift customer behavior. A 2012 study in the Netherlands found that hospital workers were more likely to give up junk food for healthy snacks when the latter were more readily available on canteen shelves, for example, In 2014 Norwegain and Icelandic researcher likewise found that replacing unhealthy items with healthy ones in the checkout area significantly increased last-minutes sales of healthier foods.

These findings caught the attention of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, which has been working with more than 1,000 store owners to encourage them to stock and promote consumption,” says Tamar Adjoian, a research scientist at the department. “Making healthy food more convenient or appealing can lead to increased sales of those products.”

Adjoian and her colleagues wondered if such findings would apply to their city’s dense urban checkout areas, so they recruited three Bronx supermarkets for their own study. They gave one checkout line in each store a healthy makeover, replacing candy, cookies and other processed snacks with fruit , nuts and similar items containing 200 or fewer calories per serving. Then they recorded purchases over six three-hour periods in each store for two weeks.

Of the more than 2,100 shoppers they observed, just 4 precent bought anything from the checkout area. Among those who did, however, customers in the healthy lines purchased nutritious items more than twice as often as those in the standard lines –and they bought unhealthy items 40 percent less often. The findings were reported in September in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior.

The potential impact may seem small, but Adjoian believes that converting more checkout lines would open customers’ eyes to nutritious, lower-calories foods. Health department officials are now exploring ways to expand healthy options at checkout areas throughout New York City.

【推荐3】REDUCING WATER POLLUTION IN THE LI RIVER

The beautiful Li River and its amazing surrounding scenery is one of the most well-known tourist destinations in Chinas Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. It attracts millions of domestic and foreign visitors each year. However, its reputation as a top destination has had negative effects on the river’s water quality. This report looks at the problem of water pollution and some actions that have been taken to deal with it.

Previously, water quality in the Li River had suffered greatly from an increasing volume of tourists, many of whom frequently threw garbage into the river. Many tour boats contributed to the problem too. Kitchens on board were using lots of oil. which was often thrown into the water. The growth in tourism also meant the local population rose rapidly, as well as the number of commercial and industrial enterprises. Water pollution levels increased, with more household and commercial waste ending up in the river. In order to feed more people, more chemicals were used to increase crop production. These chemicals led to severe water quality issues, causing a decrease in the number of fish species. Local officials were concerned that the pollution was damaging the natural environment and felt that urgent steps should be taken to restore the rivers original beauty

A comprehensive initiative was started, with a number of measures that addressed the issues. The construction of waste water treatment facilities improved the water quality and water conservation. The collection and transport of household waste was also improved. Dozens of polluting enterprises were closed or moved. The local government set up strict regulations regarding further industrial development. New rules were also introduced regarding tour boat routes and garbage disposal methods. Furthermore, the local authorities began to use the media to spread environmental awareness and encourage greater use of clean energy. At the same time, they started to carry out inspections regularly and fine tourist organisations for abuses. With these measures, it is believed that the beauty of the Li River will be preserved for generations to come.

In addition, the ambitious “Water Ten Plan” is also now tackling water pollution across the country. Other initiatives, such as the “River Chief System”, hold senior officials responsible for reducing water pollution. With such campaigns in effect, Chinas waterways are heading towards a clean and sustainable future.

【推荐2】Few Americans remain in one position or one place for a lifetime. They move from town to city to suburb, from high school to college in a different state, from a job in one region to a better job elsewhere, from the home where they raise their children to the home where they plan to live in retirement (退休). With each move they are forever making new friends, who become part of their new life at that time.

For many of them summer is a special time for forming new friendships. Today millions of Americans vacation abroad, and they go not only to see new sights but also with the hope of meeting new people. No one really expects a vacation trip to produce a close friend, but the beginning of a friendship is possible.

The word “friend ” can be applied to a wide range of relationships - to someone one has known for a few weeks in a new place, to a fellow worker, to a childhood playmate, to a man or woman, to a trusted confidant (知己).

【推荐3】Learning about other cultures is a valuable experience. Gaining an understanding of other cultures benefits both you and other people by deepening your understanding of how different people are.    1    You can do research via the Internet or the local library, get to know other cultures in your community, and travel whenever possible.

    2    Choose culture you would like to learn more about. Subscribe to newspapers from that culture online to know more about what they are reading. Browse websites with data on entertainment, outings, politics, or trends.

Follow social media about your chosen culture. A great thing about the Internet is that it has made the world smaller and more accessible than ever.     3     Following people or organizations from other cultures on social media is a great way to directly learn from that culture about things like their values and fashion.

Ask questions online. There are plenty of ways to ask members of a culture questions about that culture online directly. Take a look at local communities and forums that accept questions or conversations.     4    

Look up YouTube videos. YouTube is another form of social media that allows passive watching or interaction. There are many channels on YouTube dedicated to a specific culture or some aspects of a culture.     5     Type into the YouTube search bar things such as “Learn about French culture” or “What do people in India commonly eat?”. Many YouTube channels talk about subjects like news, history, or gender norms. Search for videos with a specific subject in mind.