【推荐1】PARIS—The European Space Agency (ESA) says it was “blown away” by the record number of applicants—more than 22000—hoping to become the continent’s next generation of space travelers, including more women than ever and some 200 people with disabilities.

“We’ve all been astonished at the number of applicants,” ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher told a news conference. “It’s a very strong expression of interest and enthusiasm that people have across Europe for space.”

In giving out the results of a new recruitment (招募) drive aimed at more astronaut diversity, the agency acknowledged Wednesday that it still has work to do on gender balance. Just 24% of the applicants were women, up from 15% at the last hiring drive in 2008. The hiring campaign didn’t specifically address ethnic diversity, but stressed the importance of “representing all parts of our society”. The agency received applications from all 25 member nations and associate members, though most came from traditional heavyweights France, Germany, Britain and Italy. ESA specifically sought out people with physical disabilities, for a first-of-its-kind effort to determine what adaptations would be necessary to space stations to accommodate them.

The competition is fierce. Just four to six people will be chosen as Europe’s next astronauts, with a reserve team of about 20. The candidates will undergo intensive screening over the next year, with a final decision expected in late 2022.

The European agency has sent only two women into space to date—Claudie Haignere and Samantha Cristoforetti—but wants that number to grow. While 5 419 women applied for the new ESA program, “the numbers also show there is more to be done to achieve gender balance in the space sector,” said David Parker, its director of human and robotic exploration. Globally, 65 of the more than 560 people who have explored space were women, most of them Americans.

【推荐2】The process of mountaintop removal mining (MTR) has caused permanent damage to Appalachia. Although the law requires that mining companies restore the mountaintops after the mining has been completed, the 1.5 million acres of mountains that have already been removed cannot be regrown, rebuilt, or replaced. The companies do secure the rock formations to prevent erosion and landslides, but their efforts cannot recreate the once-beautiful mountain landscape. Furthermore, while companies are usually cautious about securing the rock formations, they seem less interested in restoring the native plants. MTR operations clear enormous areas of forests; some experts estimate that over 2,000 square miles of forests in the Appalachian region will have been razed by mining companies by the end of this year. Instead of replanting the native trees and shrubs that have been cleared, many companies chose to plant cheap, fast-growing plants.

Environmental threats are not only created in preparing a mountaintop for mining, but they also continue once the coal has been extracted. After the explosion, the excess mountaintop——which miners refer to as “overburden”——is usually dumped into nearby valleys or streams. The overburden contains a variety of poisonous substances, including explosive residue, silica, and coal dust. Over 700 miles of streams in Appalachia have been polluted by this dumping. Although the mining companies have built structures known as “sludge dams” that are intended to contain the runoff, these dams may easily burst or leak, sending thousands of gallons of poisonous chemicals into drinking water.

While the Endangered Species Act, the Clean Water Act, and other environmental protection bills can theoretically be enforced to protect Appalachia, local lawmakers have been unwilling to take action for fear of upsetting those who believe that the jobs created by MTR are vital to the community. However, instead of bringing jobs and prosperity to poor Appalachian communities, MTR companies actually bring destruction and poverty. MTR does not involve the amount of human labor required by traditional sub surface mining. Despite the poverty. MTR does not involve the amount of human labor required by traditional sub-surface mining. Despite the fact that coal production has increased between 1950 and 2004. the human labor force working in these mines has sharply decreased. In the 1950s, there were approximately 130,000 people employed by the mining companies; by 2004, that number had decreased to 16,00. Moreover, while the coal companies may make enormous profits from MTR, Appalachian communities located near the mines suffer increased rates of kidney cancer, brain cancer, lung cancer, chronic pulmonary disorders and vision problems.

【推荐3】The ten-car subway train was adorned at the end of June in a tunnel in Queens. The artists appeared to use paint rollers to cover it along one side, from top to bottom, in an awful shade of pink with a brown line.

Tagging (涂鸦) a train is often less about the art and more about the prize of marking something that involves risk and echoes the original graffiti writers, who blanketed subway trains, including the windows and scats inside, in the 1970s and 1980s.

”Modern graffiti began in Philadelphia in the 1960s. But it became an art form in New York City, says Eric Felisbret, author of “Graffiti New York”. “Graffiti benefited from the popularity of hip-hop globally,” says Mr Felisbret. “Out of all the elements of hip-hop, graffiti is by far the most rebellious. . . Back then, all graffiti was illegal.”

In 2020 the Metropolitan Transportation Authority(MTA), which runs the subway, spent 1. 2m on cleaning. By the end of May 2022 it had already spent 1. 1m. In all of 2021, 681 subway cars were “ruined”. This year more than 700 cars have been. More than one in ten subway cars had to be taken out of service for cleaning.

The recent spike in subway graffiti activity parallels the lifting of travel restrictions. The graffiti on trains usually gets cleaned or hidden quickly, so artists post images of their work on social media. Sharif Profit, who organizes the annual Graffiti Hall of Fame in Harlem, says he can always tell when the work is by someone from another country: “It is not on the same level.

Tagging on the subway is dangerous. The live third rail is lethal (致命的) and the tunnels are dark. Trains can appear with little warning, so trespassers (不法进入者) may have no way of avoiding them. Two French graffiti artists were killed by a train in Brooklyn in April.”As soon as I heard where the bodies were found, I knew they were taggers, says Mr Felisbret.

The MTA removes any tagged train so as to avoid encouraging other people.   Passengers then have to wait longer. That was the case recently, says Richard Davey, head of the MTA’s New York City Transit system, when eight trains were ruined. The resulting delays affected thousands of commuters. “It’s our goal to make sure we don’t return to the 1970s,” he says, “whether it’s in our stations or on our cars.”

Graffiti on the subway began to die out in the late 1980s. One former graffiti writer said it is almost shocking to see tagging there now.

【推荐3】Camille Mahlknecht, 9, has some big fun planned for this weekend. She and other residents of Agoura Hills, California, plan to pick up trash during their city’s annual cleanup. At the same time, Wissam Raed,12, will be busy volunteering too. Thousands of miles away in Lebanon, Wissam plans to put on a play at an orphanage and bring potted plants to elderly people at a senior citizen center.

Some other children like Nathan White, 10, have personal reasons for volunteering. Nathan’s grandmother died of a heart attack. To help raise money for medical research, Nathan participated in Jump Rope for Heart. He and five other boys took turns jumping rope for two and half hours and collected more than US$1200 in donations for the American Heart Association.

Millions of children around the globe lend a hand to their communities every year. Schools and parents also contribute to the rise in youth service. For example, many schools offer community service activities for students to join. Teachers either combine volunteer work with classroom lessons or make service work a requirement. Parents, on the other hand, encourage their kids to volunteer and do it with them.

Community service is particularly important in this depression time. As the need for monetary support and other aid has increased, many charitable organizations have experienced a significant drop in donations. Camille and other children who volunteer thousands of hours annually can fill in some of the gaps.

According to research, kids who start volunteering are twice as likely to continue doing good deeds when they are adults. So, grab a paintbrush, a trash bag, or whatever you need to help your community. You’ll love how you feel after helping others. Even dirty work can be lots of fun, if it’s for a good cause.