【推荐1】Once there were many thousands of Gourma Desert (沙漠) elephants in Mali, a country in West Africa. Now, there are fewer than four hundred.

Why did the number of the elephants drop so quickly? On the one hand, the elephants’ main lake, their only water source (来源), dried up. On the other hand, the land which the elephants lived on was overused by humans.

To protect the elephants’ living environment, the Mali Elephant Project (MEP) was started in 2007. MEP met with local people and helped them make rules of using land and water. As a result, the situation became better and there was more food, forest and grassland.

However, from 2012 to 2016, poaching (偷猎) and illegal trade in the elephants increased rapidly. Eighty-three elephants were lost in 2015 alone, and another fifty-one elephant were killed in 2016. “If this situation goes on, all the Gourma elephants will be killed by 2020,” said a member of MEP.

Luckily, the voice of MEP was heard. More organizations (组织) have joined together to educate the local people that trading elephants is against the law. Elephant poaching has dropped to a very low level. The local people have learned to live peacefully with the elephants, one of the wildlife treasures in the world.

【推荐3】A woman was walking her dog along a beach in New Zealand in late June when she saw something that looked like a white ball in the sand. It turned out to be a young Emperor Penguin that was lost. At his age, he should have been close to the Antarctic, swimming for fish and playing on the ice floes (冰川). But this penguin started swimming north and just kept going.

The penguin attracted a lot of attention in New Zealand. It has been 40 years since an Emperor Penguin was last seen there. Researchers at the Department of Conservation were called in. They decided to watch the penguin closely, but not to disturb it in any way. Many New Zealanders came to Peka Peka Beach to look at the elegant penguin. They were careful to keep their dogs away from him so he wouldn’t be frightened.

The public nicknamed the animal Happy Feet. Researchers started to notice that Happy Feet didn’t seem well. It turned out that he had been eating the sand from the beach, likely thinking it was snow.

The public raised more than 11, 000 pounds for an operation to get the sand out of his stomach. The operation was a success, and Happy Feet was taken to a zoo in Wellington, NZ. A group of experts met to decide how to help Happy Feet return to the wild.

Last Sunday, they put him on a boat called the Tangaroa, in a specially built ice-filled box and took him out into the Southern Ocean, southeast of New Zealand. There, they released him into the ocean, which is his natural habitat. He took one last look at his human helpers and then dived into the ocean.

“Emperor Penguins spend their first five years at sea,” said Peter Simpson of New Zealand’s Department of Conservation. “What happens now is up to the penguin.”

Happy Feet was fitted with a satellite transmitter (发射机) so they can monitor his progress using the Internet. So far, the trackers show that he swam northeast for a little while before getting his bearings and heading south.

【推荐2】According to a study done by University of Michigan researchers, shopping to relieve stress was up to 40 times more effective at giving people a sense of control and shoppers were three times less sad compared to those that only looked around for items.

More than half of the 1,000 respondents said they have impulsively shopped to deal with feelings of stress, anxiety or depression.    1     In fact, shopping to reduce stress can actually help you live a healthier life by making sure that your blood pressure is lowered. Shopping to relieve stress is also called retail therapy as a form of regulating stress.    2     For many, what starts out as a relatively harmless mood booster could possibly grow into a forced reaction that empties wallets and causes conflict, thus adding a significant amount of stress to a person’s life.

In order not to be overwhelmed by retail therapy, you might refer to the following tips.

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Whether you’re purchasing Christmas presents or buying groceries, having the items you need written down will provide you with clarity and order while you’re shopping. Reward yourself for sticking to your list and you’ll be more likely to commit to it: buy a cup of coffee while shopping or plan a. fun activity for when you return home.

·Think about what you struggle with most financially.

Do you spend too much money at the mall? Eating out? Vacations?     4     For example, if you spend too much money on dining out on the weekends, stock your cupboard with groceries on Friday so you’ll be more likely to stay in and cook.

·Give up the need to keep up with your neighbors, co-workers, and friends.

Everyone’s financial situation is different and it’s dependent upon a variety of factors, least of all being one’s self worth.    5     Appreciate what you currently have by practicing gratitude.

【推荐3】Seven out of the eight planets in our solar system were named after Greek or Roman Gods. You’re living on the only exception to that rule.

The word “earth” has roots in the Old English term “eorþe”. Eorþe had multiple meanings like “soil”, “dirt”, “ground”, “dry land” and “country”. Yet the story didn’t begin there. Old English is the earliest known stage of what became our modern English tongue. Used until about 1150 C.E., it evolved from a parent language that scholars call “Proto-Germanic”. The German that’s spoken today is part of the same linguistic family. “Earth” and “eorþe” are therefore related to the modern German word “Erde”. Not only is this the German language’s name fox our home planet, but it can also be used to refer to dirt and soil.

Our dear Each has relatives in some other languages, too, For example, there’s the Old Saxon “ertha”, the Old Frisian “erthre” and the Dutch word “aarde”. All these likely originate from a Proto-Germanic term that was never recorded. Nevertheless, linguists have been able to go back and reconstruct this mystery word. Spelled “ertho” in scholarly texts, it’s always marked by an asterisk (星号). This asterisk acknowledges the lack of written confirmation that the word was really used.

Nobody knows when people started using words like “Earth” or “Erde” to refer to the planet as a whole and not just the ground they walked on. Back in 1783, German astronomer Johann Elert Bode named the seventh planet from our sun “Uranus” (after a Greek god). And though Pluto is no longer considered a planet, we know that 11-year-old Venetia Burney named it in 1930. But if a single person gave planet Earth its English name, his or her identity has been lost to the sands of time.

Still, it’s clear that while Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune all started out as the proper names of ancient gods, “Earth” did not. That’s why our planet is sometimes called “the earth” with a lowercase (小写字母) “e”.

【推荐3】Top 4 National Parks in the World

Nature’s beauty knows no bounds and there is no better way to spend a holiday than breathing in the fresh air and enjoying the scenery of some of the world’s most magnificent national parks. The following four national parks invite you to truly enjoy the great outdoors.

Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia

Plitvice Lakes National Park is located in the greenery of Croatia. As a UNESCO World Heritage site, it showcases 16 lakes connected by refreshing waterfalls. Make your way along the wooden pathways that wind through the park and witness the waterfalls up close. A feast for the senses, Plitvice Lakes National Park is a true delight for nature lovers and photographers.

Troodos National Forest Park, Cyprus

Cyprus’ hidden treasure, Troodos National Forest Park, invites you to marvel at majestic mountains and the rich vegetation. Home to Mount Olympus, the highest peak on the island, you can enjoy pine-scented forests and pretty villages. Wander across ancient Byzantine churches that are hidden away among the greenery and vegetation displays.

Durmitor National Park, Montenegro

Although Montenegro is often overlooked as a destination, Durmitor National Park is a must for a true Alpine experience. With rough roads, it is home to limestone peaks, thick pine forests and ancient lakes. Wild goats and cattle can always be seen eating grass beside the lakes. One of the deepest canyons (峡谷) in the world, the Tara River Canyon, is a highlight worth seeing. Here you can enjoy lots of outdoor activities, including hiking, mountain biking and white-water rafting (皮划艇).

Khao Sok National Park, Thailand

Khao Sok National Park in Thailand promises an unforgettable experience where ancient rainforests meet unique wildlife. Walk through one of the oldest rainforests in the world, where you’ll be able to see a range of vegetation and animals. Keep a lookout for playful monkeys, mighty elephants and the tigers pacing back and forth.