【推荐1】Microplastic pollution is increasing dramatically around the globe, according to a study of airborne (空气传播的) plastic particles (粒子).

People are already known to breathe, drink and eat microplastics, and research suggests that pollution levels will continue to rise rapidly. The researchers said that breathing in these particles can damage lung tissue and lead to serious diseases.

Professor Natalie Mahowald, at Cornell University in the US and part of the research team, said, “But maybe we could solve this before it becomes a huge problem, if we manage our plastics better, before they accumulate (积聚) in the environment and move around quickly everywhere.”

The research, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, examined airborne microplastics, which have been far less studied than plastic in oceans and rivers.

The team gathered more than 300 samples of airborne microplastics from 11 sites across the western US. These were the basis for atmospheric modeling that estimated (估计) the contribution from different sources, and was the first such study to do so.

They found that roads were the main factor in the western US, linked to about 85 percent of the microplastics in the air. These are likely to include particles from tires on vehicles, and plastics from litter that had been broken down.

The researchers enlarged their modeling work to a global level and this suggested that while roads are also likely to be the main driver of airborne plastics in Europe, South America and Australia, plastic particles blown up from fields may be a much bigger factor in Africa and Asia.

Professor Andreas Stohl of the University of Vienna’s Faculty of Earth Sciences, and not part of the study team, said, “The study confirms the global-scale nature of microplastic transport in the atmosphere and does a good job in highlighting highly relevant and concerning possibilities, but more measurement data is needed to get a better idea of the sources.”

【推荐3】When we eat some popular kinds of shellfish (贝类海产), we leave behind large amounts of shells.     1     Several projects now aim to put them back into waterways.

In the U.S., shells cast aside in restaurants and other businesses are being collected, cleaned and thrown back into waterways.     2     One of the latest projects on oysters (牡蛎) takes place in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The shells were put into the state’s Mullica River and helped form new or expanded oyster groups. Free-floating baby oysters connect to the shells and grow on them.     3     It has also helped eateries (小餐馆) save money on dealing with their shells, according to Scott Stueber, a fisheries biologist with the Department of Environmental Protection. 

    4     In nature, oysters are cleaners. One adult oyster can remove pollutants from about 190 liters of water a day. So oysters can improve water quality. Oyster groups also are being planted along some coastlines to strengthen shores. Besides, oyster reefs can protect shorelines. Such reefs can also be homes for sea creatures and provide food for humans.

Communities, environmental groups and governments around the world have had oyster reefs recycled and replanted in recent years. It’s happening in many states of the United States.     5     Since 2009, the Harte Research Institute at Texas A&M University has collected about 800,000 kilograms of shells and rebuilt about 100,000 square meters of oyster reefs.

【推荐1】Very early on in my senior year of high school, my parents carried the flame of worrying about my future college. I was willing to go to a 2-year college before going after my bachelor, s degree. This was for two reasons—to help them save money and to make sure I major in English. However, they insisted I attend a 4-year college right off the bat.

I was pushed to start searching for colleges therefore, ones that my parents approved of and that were within the range of tuition that my mom thought was acceptable. I was also limited to the immediate areas, which only included New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, so I cannot apply for any colleges in one of my favorite places—New Hampshire.

I’ll be honest. It got a bit tense at times with several different opinions between my parents and me, and with other family members or friends voicing their thoughts to my parents.

In the end, I ended up applying for three schools—SUNY Albany, SUNY New Paltz and Kutztown University in Pennsylvania. I had been to New Paltz quite often as it was only 45 minutes away from our home. And Kutztown is located in an area our family often visited.

I was accepted by all three, and I quickly gave up Albany. I was not impressed with the city and wasn’t familiar with the area. It was between New Paltz and Kutztown. After a few weeks, I ended up settling on New Paltz because Kutztown just didn’t “feel right” for me. When I was on campus, I had a feeling that this was it.

Looking back now, I wish I had known more about the application process and had a little more freedom of choice about which college I could apply for. I probably would still have attended SUNY New Paltz.

【推荐2】If you rent an apartment in Beijing, you also rent the landlord or landlady for at least a year. It's important you find a good match because you have to deal with them in the long term. For me, it was love at first sight with the elderly couple who owns my apartment.

It was quite a tough trying to find the right apartment when I first arrived in Beijing. The apartments were either unsuitable or I find fault with the owners who looked indifferent at best and unfriendly at worst. But that all changed when the renting agent's car stopped in front of a hutong house in the heart of the capital.

I saw an elderly couple, in their 70s perhaps, waving to me. They were warm and welcoming at first glance, and when I saw them attentively hanging up the curtains in what would become my bedroom, I was just sold on the place and the owners!

Chinese people talk about yuanfen, meaning fate that brings people together. Before I met my current landlords, I thought the concept of yuanfen was overrated. A generous landlady who liked me and wanted me to move into her apartment had used the term in reference to me. But it was this lovely couple that changed my mind about the concept.

We have become accustomed to visiting each other at home. The couple's apartment is lovingly decorated, boasting a recent wedding photo of themselves taken in bridal wear. The landlord likes to smoke and sip tea, while the landlady takes great pride in her appearance.

After three years, I dare say they treat me a bit like a "daughter", despite having two grown sons, one of them close by. They give me gifts of tea or clothes, and I bring them souvenirs from my trips. A match made in heaven, indeed!