【推荐3】Most of us probably believe how easy it is to simply walk into a shoe store, get an accurate measurement of our foot size, and leave with a perfectly fitting pair of shoes. That’s not, however, . a luxury (奢侈品) afforded to many in the developing world.

It’s something Idaho native Kenton Lee noticed in 2008 while on business in Africa. There he observed some poor kids wearing ill-fitting, broken, and entirely insufficient footwear, exposing the children to dangerous infections.

Having identified the problem, Lee set out to create a solution. The result is “The Shoe That Grows”. The unique piece of footwear is covered in snaps (摁扣) and button-holes which allow the shoe’s straps (鞋带) to be adjusted to fit an estimated five years’ worth of growth on the part of the wearer. As the Shoe That Grows website points out, each shoe is made using materials that are easy to clean and difficult to break.

The shoes were created through a partnership between Because International, the nonprofit founded by Lee upon his return to Idaho, and Proof of Concept, a footwear product development company. An initial order of 3,000 shoes was filled in late fall of 2014, with The Washington Post reporting that a second shipment of 5,000 shoes was sold in July of the following year, due to a successful crowdfunding campaign to expand the aid operation.

At the core of Because International is a guiding principle of “Practical Compassion”. It’s a phrase seen all over the Shoe That Grows website. As Lee explains, “We believe in creating innovative products that can help people living in extreme poverty around the world and help them in really simple, practical ways.”

【推荐2】Nutrient shortages might not be the result of poor diet. A study from 2004 showed that many fruits and vegetables contain less protein, iron, calcium, and vitamin C than they did in the1950s, though carbohydrate levels have increased over the same time length. While some researchers think this difference is explained by farmers growing sweeter cultivar, others believe a bigger factor is at play— Earth’s changing atmosphere.

Earth’s atmospheric carbon dioxide levels are rising. Within the next 50 years, carbon dioxide concentrations are expected to reach 550 parts per million, which is about double the amount measured before the mid—19th century. Farming will be greatly affected: Research shows that raised carbon dioxide levels will affect 95 percent of plant species—including main crops, such as wheat, rice, and potatoes by causing essential mineral levels to drop by 6 to 8 percent. Though this decline may sound negligible, it will have far—reaching consequences for global health.

The influences of an increasingly carbon-concentrated atmosphere were first observed in zooplankton, microscopic sea creatures that primarily feed on algae. Rising carbon dioxide levels could also have a similar effect on land plants’ nutritional value. When they can more easily transform sunlight into food, plants pack in a higher concentration of carbohydrates at the expense of protein, zinc, iron, and other essential nutrients.

Will the increase of carbohydrates and consequent decrease of other nutrients in your meals make a difference for your health? According to some evidence, yes. Nutrient-rich plants are vital for fighting against health problems around the world, and lower levels in natural sources put populations at risk. For instance, studies show that 150 million people may be at risk for protein shortage by 2050, and iron shortage may affect a billion pregnant women within the same time period.

【推荐3】Here at The Literacy Site, we’re big believers in playtime. So is one school in Texas, following the tradition of many schools in Finland (芬兰). And now research is on board too.

Debbie Rhea, a researcher from Texas Christian University, designed the program now in place at Eagle Mountain Elementary, in which children have four 15-minute recess (课间休息) periods throughout the school day. She heard about the success of the Finnish school system and decided to take a trip there to study it. When she returned, she began working with schools here in the U.S. to do something similar.

At Eagle Mountain Elementary, students now get three times as much recess as they used to have; outdoor time has been swelled from 20 minutes to an hour each day. The program also focuses on helping kids develop character instead of just test-taking skills.

Since carrying out the program, teachers are noticing that their students are more attentive and less restless. They make more eye contact, have better test scores, and seem to be healthier and happier overall. They even need to sharpen their pencils less because they spend less time chewing (不停地啃) on them. Schools in three other states are starting a similar program after seeing this one perform so well.

In other areas of the country, however, schools have been cutting back on playtime to squeeze in (使挤入) longer lecture periods to prepare kids for standardized tests.

Cutting recess is, no doubt, a decision made with good purposes. But is the traditional lecture-and-test method really effective? Does reducing recess time make more learning happen? The results of recent research say no. A 2014 study showed that the benefits of high-quality recess programs include a drop in bullying and conflicts (冲突), and an increase in the amount of safety and happiness students feel. Children have even been shown to learn better immediately following a break like recess, according to research done by Robert Murray, an expert at Ohio State University.

“If you want a child to be attentive and stay on task, and also if you want them to understand the information you’re giving them, you’ve got to give them regular (经常的) breaks, he said.