【推荐1】I was only five, but my memories of the serious rainstorm that hit my hometown of Jinan, Shangdong province, on the night of August 26 1987, are still vivid.

My family lived in an apartment in a row of buildings near the Xiao-qing River. Starting from Jinan, the river flows into Bohai Bay. Before the industrialization of the city started in the 1970s, the river served as a lifeline between the city and the coast, along which boats transported coal to the coast, returning with full loads (装) of sea salt. But the river started serving as a channel for industrial wastewater from the factories in the 1980s, as well as house-hold wastewater produced by the city as thousands of people came to work in the factories.

With the water becoming dark and smelly, fish and shrimps soon disappeared. My father said the river had “died”, and people might be punished for it. I had no idea what he meant. But that night I found out what the punishment was.

Flashes of lightning followed by loud thunders (雷声) broke the peace. In a minute, the rain poured down. All the houses were flooded. My mother rushed to wake me. I remember seeing the bed floating off the floor in the floodwater. My mom carried me on her back away from our home to the top of the dam walking waist-deep (齐腰深) in the water.

We were all homeless and were arranged to live in a nearby hotel. After the flood, people were worried and anxious to go home to check what the damage was. In the following twenty years, the houses were hit by similar floods several times until finally the river has been widened and cleared. Whenever I go back to my hometown, I remembered the days when I learned to live with floods.

【推荐2】The UK Government has announced plans to build eight nuclear power reactors as part of its new energy strategy.

By 2030, the Government wants 95%of the UK’s electricity to come from low-carbon energy sources. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that is released from the burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas). It is a big cause of climate change- long-term shifts in weather patterns, including rising temperatures.

The Government wants to increase renewable energy sources, such as wind turbines and solar panels. The Government hopes that by 2030, 50 gigawatts (亿瓦特) of energy will come from offshore wind farms (ones that stand in the sea). That’s enough to power all the houses in the UK. There are also plans to build eight new nuclear reactors. Nuclear reactors generate (产生) energy through a process called nuclear fission (裂变), when heavy atoms are split into lighter ones. The Government wants to make the UK’s energy cleaner and cheaper, and for the UK to produce its own energy rather than relying on other countries. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has affected the world’s gas and oil supply, making power more expensive.

The UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, says the plans will lead to clean and secure energy made in Britain. Some people have said that these plans don’t go far enough and won’t help people who are struggling with high energy bills at the moment.

Labour Party leader Keir Starmer has said that the Government should do more to insulate people’s homes. Insulating homes is when material is put inside a house to stop heat from getting out. It means people would need to use less energy to heat their homes.

【推荐2】Do you fancy seeing some sights that aren’t heaving with other visitors? You might have to travel a bit off the beaten path while you’re in Italy. We’ll take you through four of the best hidden gems that you can find in the country.

Chioggia, Venetian Lagoon

Arranged across five islands, Chioggia is enchantingly spliced by beautiful canals. The adjoined town of Sottomarina throws in a six-mile sandy beach. Further south are more beaches plus empty riversides lovely for cycling—which, unlike Venice, one can also do in Chioggia.

San Nicolò dei Mendicoli, Venice

San Nicolò dei Mendicoli church was a key filming location in the 1963 film Don’t Look Now. “Mendicoli” is translated as “beggars” in Venetian language; this area once housed poor fishermen and the church used to shelter the homeless. Beyond set-jetting (电影主题旅游), further incentive to visit is provided by some superb Renaissance ceiling frescos and the celebrated Resurrection of Christ oil painting.

Borromini’s Perspective, Rome

There’s a beguiling reason to visit this impressive Centro Storico palace. On its first floor, find a peaceful orange tree courtyard and look down the colonnaded (柱廊式的) gallery whose distant statue of Mars is about 35 metres away. In fact, the passage is actually only eight metres long, and its god of war merely 60 centimetres high. Not that you’ll believe it until stepping forward.

Santa Maria Novella Pharmacy, Florence

In Florence, visiting one particular apothecary (药商) is a must, partly because the Santa Maria Novella is thought to be the world’s oldest pharmacy. Today, while admission to the neighbouring, tremendous Basilica (大教堂) costs €7.50, pharmacy entry is free. Friendly staff will guide you through handmade soaps, lotions, potpourri (精油) and fragrances made according to centuries-old recipes.