【推荐1】Would you know what to do during a big earthquake? Scientists have some advice for us.

If the ground begins shaking while you are driving stop your car on the roadside and stay in it. If you are in a tall building, don’t use the lift and never jump out of the windows. When you are in a living room, find a strong table or rush into a smaller room like washroom. Then lie down your body. Take care of your head. When you are in a public place, like supermarket or cinema don’t crowding jam (拥挤), or you may fall over and get hurt. Cross your arms to protect yourself . You can also find a place to hide.

After the main shake quickly run out of the dangerous building for there will be small earthquakes. If you are safe, remember not to engage the phone line, keep it free for rescue (援救) using. Don’t go to the hospital if you are not badly hurt, others will really need help. Take part in the rescue action if you can.

【推荐3】Last week, three wildfires swept through the island of Maui in Hawaii. The fires have claimed at least 111 lives. Many people are still unaccounted for (下落不明). Some of the fires are still burning.

The wildfires began on Tuesday night, August 8. Soon, extremely strong winds caused the fires to grow out of control. There were around 400 alarms used to warn people about dangers like this, 80 of them in Maui, but none of them went off. People only found out about the fires when they saw them. The historic area of Lahaina on the west side of Maui was hit worst. The wildfire destroyed over 2,700 buildings around Lahaina, most of them homes. The Lahaina wildfire is the deadliest wildfire in the US since 1918.

The causes of the fires haven’t yet been determined, but the National Weather Service had issued warnings for the Hawaiian Islands for high winds and dry weather-conditions ripe for wildfires. It’s worthwhile mentioning that the wildfires in Hawaii burned through grasslands. About 25% of Hawaii is covered with grasses that originally came from Africa. They grow quickly and push out plants that grow naturally in Hawaii. The grasses created huge amounts of dry fuel (燃料) to feed the fires.

Much of the western part of Maui remains without power. Local officials have also warned against drinking tap water — even if it is boiled. Though some cell services have been restored, authorities have also asked residents to text rather than talk over the phone because of restrained bandwidth (带宽).

There are so many questions that need to be answered by the government. People feel like the warnings came too late, and there hasn’t been enough help after the fire. There’s a bad need for power lines to be restored. Plus, shortages of food, water and fuel are growing. Many local people are working together to solve problems themselves. Fortunately, the government has promised to look into the fire and the way it was dealt with.

【推荐2】Are you ready to become an international UN Volunteer?

You can contribute your time, skills and knowledge through volunteering with the UN. This is an opportunity to create a positive impact and be a significant force for achieving peace and development. Make a difference to the lives of many!

The first step to volunteer abroad with the UN is to determine whether you meet the minimum requirements. If this is the case, register your profile in our Unified Volunteering Platform. Then, you may apply for assignments that are in high demand or even in highly specialized areas.

The minimum age to serve as an international UN Volunteer is 18 years old. However, there are specific requirements for various categories: UN Youth Volunteers, including University Volunteers, must be aged 18-26, UN Volunteer specialists must be at least 27years old, and UN Expert Volunteers must be 35 years of age and above.

There may also be requirements of relevant professional and academic experience, as well as language proficiency (熟练). Refer to the Description of Assignment for the UN Volunteer assignment for the position you are applying for because different assignments have their specific requirements.

All UN Volunteers must display a commitment to the values and principles of volunteerism and the activities of the United Nations and the UN Charter, and an ability to work in a multicultural environment and with local partners and communities. They should be prepared to adjust to difficult living conditions in sometimes remote locations. UN Volunteers should be professional, with strong interpersonal and organizational skills.

【推荐3】The Forbidden City is 720,000 square meters and is the largest palace in the world. Around it, there are walls 10 meters high and a river 50 meters wide. The wall of the Forbidden City has four watch-towers and four large gates, facing north, south, east and west. Each of these gates has three doors.

Emperor Yongle built the Forbidden City in the shape of the universe. Beyond the walls and gates were the two main parts of the Forbidden City: the front palace and the inner palace.

In the front palace, the emperor ruled the Chinese empire (帝国) , met government officials and visitors, made laws and planned wars.

The inner palace was where the emperor and his family lived. Inside, the private rooms of the emperor were forbidden (禁止) to all women except for the empress (皇后) on her wedding day.

Symbols were important in the Forbidden City. There included the so-called five elements: metal, wood, water, fire and earth. There are many symbols of the five elements in the Forbidden. In Chinese tradition, water symbols help protect against fire. During the Ming Dynasty, people worried about fires because all of the buildings in the Forbidden City were made from wood.

Numbers were also important in the Forbidden City. The lucky number nine is everywhere. Its Chinese word jiu means forever in Chinese. Emperor Yongle wanted his palace and his empire to last forever. There are 9,999 rooms in the City, and there are always nine rows of nails (钉子) on each door.

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