【推荐2】The oceans occupy most of the Earth's surface — about 70% — to the point of giving our planet its unmistakable colour.As such, they can tell the state of the Earth's health: to observe them is to know where we stand.

In terms of climate, the warming and acidification of the oceans have harmful consequences for marine life and for land: there is of course the rise in water levels which threatens communities settling along the coasts.There is also a risk that is even more worrying since the oceans are no longer able to perform the climate regulation function that they have long fulfilled.As far as biodiversity（生物多样性）is concerned, the diagnosis is even more alarming.

We are well aware of these interacting crises, in particular thanks to the work of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO.We also know where we must act.However, we still have to reflect matters and cooperate widely in order to manage the unavoidable and prevent the uncorrectable.

COVID-19 affords us this opportunity to come together and set up ambitious programmes of action.This is true for climate; it is true for biodiversity; it is also true for the oceans, as the United Nations Special Envoy for the Ocean, Peter Thomson, explained: “If there were ever a tide in human affairs that should be taken, this is it.”

It is indeed our responsibility to seize this moment.We must firstly learn more about the depths, which remain largely unknown to us and still hold many secrets that only we can reveal.Secondly, we must give free rein to imagination and innovation, which we need in order to deal with this worrying situation.This is why we have made innovation the theme of 2020 World Oceans Day.We must also seize this moment to sound the alarm, perhaps more widely than we have done so far, because no technical solution can replace a widespread, personal understanding of the threats to the oceans, their mysteries and their beauty.

【推荐3】It’s reported that about 20 percent of the Amazon rainforest has disappeared during the past 50 years. Deforestation is not only threatening the millions of unique plant and animal species native to the Amazon River area, it’s affecting humans worldwide. When it comes to the protection of the Amazon, it’s hard for many people to relate because they don’t feel connected to the area. There are actually a lot of direct connections, no matter how far away we are.

A connection that affects everyone on the planet is climate (气候) change. Planting new trees in the forest is basically a way of removing CO₂ from the air. Rain forests have a carbon (碳) reduction nearly equal to half of what is in the air. About half of that is in the Amazon. Another case in point is a big snake called the bushmaster that lives in the Amazon. Today, millions of people use medicines made from its venom (毒液) to treat high blood pressure. So they have longer, fuller, and more productive lives.

In the 1960s, there was only one highway in the entire Amazon. That’s an area as large as the continental United States with one highway and three million people. Today, there are between 30 million to 40 million people, countless roads, and about 20 percent forests have been cut down. But on the plus side, 50 years ago there were only two national parks and a national forest and a reserve in Brazil. Today, more than 50 percent of the Amazon is under some form of protection.

“There’s been a lot of damage done and forest lost, but nothing is gone until it’s gone”, noted National Geographic explorer Dr. Thomas Lovejoy. “We want to see more shared planning between the departments of transportation, energy, agriculture, and the other industries in the area. We think Amazon cities can have higher quality of life and keep people in existing cities so there’s less reason to deforest.”

【推荐1】These 3 Books Are Perfect For Your Back-To-Middle-Schooler

Pham has written and illustrated more than 100 books for kids. Here are three of her favorite reads she recommends for kids heading back to school. The books are all about sort of creating empathy and figuring out how to enter back into the school world in such a crazy time right now.

It talks about this really special kid named Silas Wade, and he enters the world through baseball and he gets the world excited by baseball. And he's a very special kid because of it. And he uses baseball as a way to come out. And specifically, he uses the story of Glenn Burke, who was this amazing player for the Dodgers (道奇队) way back then, and he was the man who was credited as creating the high five.

It’s a book that feels strangely prescient (有先见之明的), even though it was first published more than 20 years ago. And it's a story of a young Afghan girl named Parvana whose family lives under Taliban rule. And it's really just the remarkable story of the lengths to which Parvana goes to help her family survive. She’s a normal little 11-year-old girl. She's got an older sister who bothers her. She wants to be out in the world, and she can't be. She doesn't understand why she needs to wear this headdress, why she needs to cover herself. She is only allowed out at the age of 11, because she's too young to need to be covered up. So she’s able to go with her father to the marketplace. And that's where the story takes place. Her father was once a professor, once they had this very nice life. One day he's taken by the Taliban, and so she is forced to cut off her own hair and pretend to be a boy to keep her family alive. She doesn't realize she's being a hero. She doesn't realize she's doing anything special. She just knows she has to do this.

It’s about a seventh grader named Jordan Banks who loves to draw, and dreams of becoming an artist. But instead of art school, his parents decide to send him to a famous private school focused on academics where he frankly just doesn't fit in. It's almost as though in this story, no one's really a bad guy ... this kid, Jordan Banks, he goes through the school and he doesn't hate anyone. He feels empathy for everyone.

【推荐2】Traveling to a new country you have little knowledge about can be a recipe for awkwardness. However, if you do your homework before you travel, you prepare yourself for the unknown, spend less, and enjoy more.

Traveling to areas where civil unrest (骚乱) or natural disasters are occurring can put you at risk, so research current events in your destination. Set an alert on Google Alerts for your destination at least two weeks before your trip. This will provide you with relevant news stories about your destination on a daily basis. You can also:

√ Check your government's travel advisory website.

√ Ask local residents via social media or online forums.

√ Contact the hotel's manager or the owner of the place where you are staying.

Before traveling, know the weather you’ll encounter there. Poor weather upsets travel plans every day. For international trips, that impact can be more far-reaching. Take this situation for instance. A thunderstorm delays your international flight. That delay causes you to miss your connecting flight to your destination city. Now, you won’t be able to arrive until a day later, which means all of your reservations, hotel, rental car, event tickets, etc., must be changed or cancelled. However, since these reservations are often non-refundable (不可退款的), you could be stuck paying for things you cannot use.

Luckily, a travel insurance plan can allow you to be compensated for covered expenses you are not able to use, protecting your wallet from the uncertainties of international travel.

Tourists are easy targets for thieves. Carrying originals of your important documents can allow them to get stolen or lost. Keep scanned versions of these documents handy: photocopy of your passport, proof of financial support for your trip, your plane tickets, details of the purpose of your trip, application fee and travel insurance.

【推荐3】Four popular children’s books

Que Cosas Dice Mi Abuela

Spanish-speaking parents will love this fun book—which was translated into “The things my grandmother says” —in which a grandmother teaches manners (规矩) to her grandchildren and their friends using traditional Spanish-language sayings. Written in the voice of a little boy talking about his regular day, this book will draw the interest of both adults and kids.

I Like Myself!

Parents won’t mind reading the story over and over to their kids because as they pass along the message that their kids are perfect just the way they are—no matter their untidy hair, or whether they are fast or slow, their kids will learn about confidence.

Dragons Love Tacos(炸玉米饼)

While books with a deep message are great, sometimes you and your child just want to read something silly to get the laughs rolling. The New York Times bestseller, Dragons Love Tacos is a great read for kids and parents as it talks about how much dragons really love tacos, but when they eat something spicy (辛辣的) you had better watch out! The book has more words than some of the other picks on our list, so this might be fit for a preschoolers and up.

The Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes

As everyone knows nothing is sweeter than small baby fingers and cute baby toes and here, from two of the most gifted picture books, readers could enjoy a different joyful world and also bring the happy feelings to everyone, everywhere, all over the world!