【推荐2】The global sea level has risen by eight to nine inches since 1880. What’s more disturbing is that one-third of the rise in sea level happened in the last 25 years. Rising sea levels pose an existential threat for some small islands and some low-lying coasts. In a response to this threat, UN-Habitat, the Busan Metropolitan City of the Republic of Korea, and the company OCEANIX revealed the world’s first model floating city, OCEANIX Busan.

OCEANIX Busan has six integrated systems focusing on energy, food, water, waste, mobility and coastal habitat regeneration to ensure the floating city reuses and wastes as little as possible. The floating city has no roadways, only “pedestrian-friendly paths” to support walking, biking, and autonomous electric vehicles, so it won’t produce any vehicle emissions. Floating and rooftop photovoltaic panels(光伏板)will generate 100% of the operational energy needed for the city. Each neighborhood will treat and replenish(重新补充)its own water, recycle resources, and have urban farm areas to grow food.

OCEANIX Busan will consist of three floating neighborhoods totaling 15.5 acres. That’s about as much surface as a dozen football fields, and according to the developers, it has enough room to accommodate 12,000 people. The neighborhoods will connect to one another and the mainland via bridges, and each will serve a specific purpose. The living neighborhood will have residential buildings, shops and food sellers, and a “community backyard” where residents can gather at its center. The lodging neighborhood will be built to support visitors-it’ll have many shopping and dining options, as well as guest rooms designed to maximize ocean views. The third neighborhood will be a co-working and research center, with a temperature-controlled atrium(中厅)at its center for hydroponic agriculture.

“Today is an important milestone for all coastal cities and island nations on the frontlines of climate change. We are on track to delivering OCEANIX Busan and demonstrating that floating infrastructure can create new land for coastal cities looking for sustainable ways to expand onto the ocean, while adapting to sea-level rise,” said Philipp Hofmann, CEO of OCEANIX.

【推荐1】A huge section of the Milne Ice Shelf, located on Ellesmere Island in the northern Canada, collapsed into the Arctic Ocean, according to the Canadian Ice Service. This created an “ice island” which is about 30 square miles in size. As a comparison, Manhattan Island is about 23 square miles.

“Entire cities are that size. These are big pieces of ice,” Luke Copland, a glaciologist at the University of Ottawa who was part of the research team studying the ice shelf, told Reuters. “This was the largest remaining intact (完整的) ice shelf, and it’s collapsed, basically. ”

The Canadian Ice Service said on Twitter that “above-normal air temperatures, offshore winds and open water in front of the ice shelf are all part of the recipe for the ice shelf to break up.” A huge section of the Milne Ice Shelf has collapsed into the Arctic Ocean, producing a 30-square-mile ice island.

The ice shelf has now been reduced in area by about 43%. An ice shelf is a thick slab of ice, attached to a coastline and extending out over the ocean, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center. “Some shelves have existed for thousands of years,” the center said.

So what’s going on up there? Though the planet is warming worldwide due to climate change, the Arctic has been warming at a rate twice that of the rest of the world. This summer has been particularly warm: Arctic sea ice melted to its lowest July level on record and in June, a town in Siberia soared (急升) to 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit, believed to be a record high for the Arctic.

“When I first visited those ice caps, they seemed like such a permanent fixture of the landscape,” Mark Serreze, director of the NSIDC and geographer at the University of Colorado, Boulder, said in a statement. “To watch them die in less than 40 years just blows me away.”

【推荐3】Overlooking the Biblioteca degli Alberi is Milan’s “Vertical (垂直的) Forest”: two residential tower blocks built in 2014 that are covered in 800 trees,4,500 shrubs and 15,000 plants. If this forest was planted on the ground, it would cover 20,000 m²— the size of three and a half football fields.

Each year the trees will absorb 10,000 tons of CO₂ and 57 tons of pollutants. They should also produce about 900 tons of oxygen. Boeri’s team of architects says the plants will also decrease the average air temperature, create noise barriers and boost biodiversity by creating a habitat for birds, insects and small animals.

It is not just physical wellbeing that is aided by large green structures in our cities. The team behind Sydney’s 100mhigh “vertical garden” claims it is a new form of “living architecture” that reminds us of “the restorative impact that nature has on our souls”. Just how restorative living near trees and plants is for our souls is open to debate; but studies in Germany have suggested that it can be extremely beneficial for our brains.

Scientists examined brain image sequences (顺序) of 341 elderly residents of Berlin, focusing particularly on the amygdala —the part of the brain that controls our fear responses and is responsible for stress and anxiety disorders. They found that there was strong connection between residents living within 1km of the forests on the edge of the city and those with the healthiest amygdala. A health y amygdala means being less likely to suffer from the stress and anxiety disorders controlled by this part of the brain. Mood and anxiety disorders are up to 56%higher in urban environments when compared to rural locations.

With two-thirds of the world’s population predicted to be living in cities by 2050, Milan’s Vertical Forest might show the world a way to create healthier, happier urban spaces.

【推荐1】One day King Solomon was sitting on his throne (宝座、御座) and his guards were standing around him. Suddenly the door was opened and the Queen of Sheba came in. “King,” she said, “in my own country I have heard much about your power and glory, but much more about your wisdom. Men have told me that there is no puzzle that you can not solve. I have here a puzzle which I think will test your wisdom. I would like to show you.”

Then she held up in each hand beautiful wreath(花环) of flowers. The wreaths were so nearly alike that none could point out any difference. “One of these wreaths,” said the Queen, “is made of flowers picked from your garden. The other is made of artificial(人工的) flowers, shaped and colored by a skillful artist. Now, tell me, which one is true, and which one is false?” The king was puzzled. He moved uneasily on his golden throne. His ministers and guards shook their heads.

Suddenly the king remembered that close by his window there was a climbing vine(藤) filled with beautiful sweet flowers. He had seen many bees flying among these flowers and gathering honey from them. He asked one of his ministers to open the window.

It was opened. The queen was standing quite near to it with the two wreaths still in her hands. The next moment two bees flew eagerly in. Then came one after another. All flew to the flowers in the queen’s right hand. Not one of the bees so much as looked at those in her left hand. “Queen of Sheba, the bees have given you my answer,” said King Solomon.

And the queen said, “You are wise, King Solomon. You gather knowledge from the little things which common men pass by unnoticed.”

【推荐2】When your dream is to become a footballer and play for Barcelona, nothing should get in your way―even if you have no feel.

An 11-year-old schoolboy Gabriel Muniz, who was born without feel, will fly from his home in Brazil to take part in the Spanish club’s summer training camp. Although he is disabled, Muniz is one of the top players at the school and captain of his gym class. He can run, dribble, pass and strike the ball as well as any of his able-bodied teammates. He spends all his spare time on the football pitch.

His best friend Lucas Santos spoke about his abilities on a video for the Sun, “He is skillful, he goes after it, he is fearless and he knows how to organize plays. He also makes good passes.” Mum Sandra was thrilled that her son would achieve his dreams. She said, “He started walking before he was one. We would go after him, expecting him to keep falling, but he never fell.” Muniz’s gym teacher added, “He is challenging the social norms. When he arrived there, no one believed in him.” But he showed to everyone that he could play as well as any other boy. So he was invited to go to Spain to show his talent.

The Spanish La Liga soccer club has offered to fly Muniz to Spain in September, where he’ll be able to show off his “fancy footwork” and meet his idol, Barca soccer player Lionel Messi.

Muniz wears a prosthetic ankle and foot to keep him get around in rainy weather. He knows that his disability means he’ll never be able to play for a professional football team, so Muniz is hoping that football will one day become a Paralympic sport.