【推荐3】Flash droughts develop fast, and when they hit at the wrong time, they can ruin a region’s agriculture. They’re also becoming increasingly common as the planet warms. In a study published in the journal Communications Earth& Environment, we found that the risk of flash droughts, which can develop in just a few weeks, is on the rise in every major agricultural region around the world in the coming decades.

In North America and Europe, cropland that had a 32% annual chance of a flash drought a few years ago could have a greater chance of a flash drought by the final decades of this century. That result would put food production, energy, and water supplies under increasing pressure. The cost of change will also rise. A flash drought in the Dakotas and Montana 2017 caused $2.6 billion in agricultural damage in America alone.

All droughts begin when rainfall stops. What’s interesting about flash droughts is how fast they strengthen themselves, with some help from the warming climate. When the weather is hot and dry, soil loses moisture rapidly. Dry air extracts moisture from the land, and rising temperatures can increase this evaporative (蒸发的) demand. The lack of rain during a flash drought can further contribute to the feedback processes. Under these conditions, crops and vegetation begin to die much more quickly than they do during typical long-term droughts.

In our study, we used climate models and data from the past 170 years to assess the drought risks ahead under three conditions for how quickly the world takes action to slow the pace of global warming. If greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles, power plants, and other human sources continue at a high rate, we found that cropland in much of North America and Europe would have a 53% annual chance of flash droughts, by the final decades of this century. Globally, the largest increases in flash droughts would be in Europe and the Amazon. Slowing emissions can reduce the risk significantly, but we found flash droughts would still increase by about 6% worldwide under low emission conditions.

【推荐2】Once upon a time, there was a small village in the center of a big forest. All the villagers were used to their robotic farm work and none of them had the imagination or the will (意愿) to try something new, except for one girl named Jo. Very few could read or write, and Jo was one of them.

One afternoon, when Jo was on one of her explorations in the forest, she came upon an abandoned cottage (废弃的小屋). Though she’d been warned to stay away from abandoned places, her curiosity got the best of her. She slid in and was amazed to find a room full of books! Jo’s excitement was huge when she realized she had found a hidden treasure.

She ran to tell the villagers everything, thinking that they would share her excitement but instead, she heard roars of laughter! Jo was confused by this reaction (反应) and a little hurt too, but she did not give up on her books.

She came to the cottage every day and got down to reading the books. For her, each page was an adventure with characters who challenged difficulties with their determination and who struggled for good. Knowing the power of stories in impressing on people the values of life, she decided to share the stories with the villagers, though she knew it would be a difficult journey. Making this her mission (使命), Jo started telling stories every day at her cottage.

In the beginning, only a few came to the readings. But word spread rapidly, causing more and more people to come, some of whom even traveled from far away to just listen to her stories. She also conducted workshops in which she taught people how to read and write. She was remembered and lived in her stories even after she was long gone.

【推荐3】From the deserts of Southern California to the forests of Alaska, the U.S. possesses an incredible diversity of nature. For most of her life, Joy Ryan never saw the landscape beyond her home state of Ohio. Then, when she was in her mid-eighties, her grandson Brad Ryan decided to take her on a journey to all of the U.S. National Parks — a mission that took eight years to complete. At the age of 93, Grandma Joy has finally seen all 63 parks, ending the monumental feat in the National Park of American Samoa.

“When I learned she had never seen the great wildernesses of America — deserts, mountains, oceans, you name it — I thought that was something that would trouble me if I didn’t take action in some way,” Brad says. This idea sparked their first trip to the Great Smoky Mountains. However, once they were on the road, Brad realized that they could visit more parks nearby, and their trips multiplied. Over the years, they managed to see all the famous sights at Yosemite, the Grand Canyon, the Redwoods, and so on.

Despite Grandma Joy’s older age, she could hike mountains and do white water rafting. Brad praises her enthusiasm for life as the key to her good health. She expresses gratitude for each new day and is always excited about the next adventure. Finally, their long journey across the U.S. ended with American Samoa. “It’s about 6,700 miles from Ohio, where we live. It’s the only U.S. National Park south of the equator. It’s a long trip, but we’re excited to go,” Brad explains. “We can enjoy the beach and the beautiful tropical paradise. But as we’ve learned from the rangers that work there, American Samoa is an island community firmly rooted in family. And I think that there’s a bit of a poetic beauty to ending it there, too.”

【推荐1】First, I thought I was pregnant. Shortly after, I had a shooting pain in my stomach. Finally, I went to the emergency room and they said, “Listen, something is wrong.” Then I was told I might lose my hair for my wedding due to the chemical treatment.

When it came out, I just felt like I wanted to shave it. I didn’t want to sit around and wait for my hair to fall out. I wanted to have control in a situation where I had zero control. This was the one area I could have some sort of control.

I went to a hair salon that day, and it was super emotional. I cried in the chair the whole time. I was terrified to see that my head looked like bald(秃头的). I didn’t know whether it was going to be malformed or not and I couldn’t help worrying whether there was any unnatural part on it. I also have a mole(胎记)on my head that I’ve always been really self-conscious about.

Once I got home, I realized my head is extremely round and the mole wasn’t that noticeable. Over time, I actually enjoyed being bald. I never had to do my hair. Getting ready was quick and easy. I just knew it was something I couldn’t control, and I needed to accept it and learn to love myself in a new way.

Even when I was first diagnosed(诊断), there was no way I was going to sit there and feel sorry for myself. I told myself, “I’m gonna get up. I’m gonna fight this thing. I’m not going to lose. “I always said I would win.

Looking at things in a positive way really helped me, so that’s what I did with my bald head. I would say, “Yeah, this sucks, but at least I don’t have to wash my hair. At least I don’t have to dry it. At least I can get ready in five minutes. ” I always tried to put a positive spin on it.

【推荐2】Some people believe that a career change at 50 is impossible because no one wants to invest in someone so old.     1     The key is that you should try your best to grasp the opportunity.

What is the secret?     2     For 15 years, I had the same job. I enjoyed the work itself, but grew tired of management of the company. The inflexibility of the work affected my work-life balance. With my 52nd birthday approaching, I realized I would have to make a career change.

Two months later, my wife spotted an occupation online. So, I applied.     3     However, I was surprised to get an online interview. The interview went well, and they told me I’d hear from them the next week if I passed it. So when three weeks passed with no word, you can imagine how frustrated I felt. I carried on looking for other chances, but one afternoon the company’s HR phoned me for a second interview!     4     Then my wife suggested that I show my true self in the interview. I got her point. I answered their questions as best I could, and eventually I got the Job!

It’s proved that companies do invest in people over 50. I’ve realized career changes are more common than I first thought.     5     With the right attitude, you can achieve almost anything and get what you want if you have a try.