【推荐2】Italy's fashion capital is gray — not only because of the blocks of stone buildings，but also due to its often-gray sky, which traps pollution. But Milan now wants to change it.

The city has an ambitious plan to plant 3 million new trees by 2030 - a move that experts say could offer relief from the city's hot weather. Some projects have already contributed to environmental improvements. Architect Stefano Boeri’s Vertical Forest residential (居民的) tower, completed in 2014, aims to improve not only air quality but the quality of life for Milan residents. Boeri created a small island of greenery in the heart of Milan, filling every balcony with plants that absorb carbon dioxide.

“I think forestation is one of the best chances that we have today. It is one of the most effective ways we have to fight climate change, because everyone can plant trees, Boeri said.

Damiano Di Simine, a member of the environmental group Legambiente , said the green Milan project will lower temperatures in a city where the nighttime temperature can be 6 degrees Celsius higher than in the surrounding area. City show that Milan experiences 35 hot nights a year. Because the city lies close to the Alps, Milin gets very little wind to lower the city's temperatures. "Planting trees will help this,"   Di said.

The Vertical Forest has attracted more than 20 species of birds. And the shade provided by the 800 trees and 15,000 plants means that residents rarely have to put on air conditioning, even in hot summers. The Vertical Forest's total greenery- can absorb 30 metric tons of carbon dioxide every year. The presence of green trees has a very important effect on people's health and psychological state, as has already been proved.

【推荐3】When people talk about American popular music, they don’t just mean country music or rock music. There are two other types of popular music with national and international appeal that are basically American. One is jazz. The other is a musical form associated with New York City theaters.

Jazz dates from African religious and folk music. The themes and songs of jazz music have historical origins. They come from songs sung by black Americans in church or at work. There have been different kinds of jazz music: bebop, ragtime, swing, boogie-woogie and others.

In playing jazz music, the performers combine rhythms and songs with their skills of improvisation (即兴创作). Modern jazz music has developed into a complex musical style enjoyed more by musicians and older jazz lovers than by the general public.

American theater has developed another American musical style. It is associated with a street in New York City, Broadway. Broadway musicals are dramatic productions in which the story is told partly by dialogue and partly through songs. The lyrics of these songs give background information about the story and express the feelings of the characters in the story. Many Broadway musicals have been made into movies that have been shown all over the world. Oklahoma, Sound of Music, My Fair Lady and West Side Story are some good examples.

Songs from these musicals and others have translations in various languages that are sung around the world. Many of them have become popular with people who have not even seen the musicals for which they were written.

【推荐1】An individual from an unknown hominid (原始人类) species walked across a field of wet, volcanic ash in what is now East Africa around 3.66 million years ago, leaving behind a handful of footprints.

Those five ancient footprints, largely ignored since they were partly unearthed at Tanzania’s Laetoli site in 1976, show features of upright walking by a hominid, a new study finds. Researchers had previously considered them hard to classify, possibly produced by a young bear that took a few steps while standing. But the latest analysis refutes that suggestion.

McNutt, DeSilva, who started the new investigation as a Dartmouth College graduate student, and their colleagues fully dug out and cleaned the five Laetoli footprints in June 2019. Then they measured, photographed and 3-D scanned the ancient tracks. McNutt’s group focused on two footprints that were particularly well-preserved. Foot shapes, sizes, and walking characteristics of the Laetoli individual differed in various ways from those of other hominid individuals at the same site. The prints also didn’t match those from modern black bears and modern chimps (黑猩猩) walking upright.

The Laetoli individual possessed a wider, more chimplike foot than humans, the researchers say. Its big toe stuck out slightly from the second toe (脚趾), but not to the degree observed in chimps. On one step, the Laetoli individual’s left leg crossed in front of the right leg, leaving a left footprint directly in front of the previous track. People may cross-step in this way when trying to regain balance. And bears and chimps assume a relatively wide standing due to knee and other bone arrangements that prevent them from walking like the Laetoli individual and probably from cross-stepping, the scientists say.

Given that only two of the ancient footprints are complete enough to analyze thoroughly, the possibility that a chimp other than a hominid made the Laetoli footprints can’t be ruled out, says William Harcourt Smith, a scientist at Lehman College. But evidence of cross-stepping is enough to prove that it was a hominid track maker, he says.

【推荐2】The recently opened time capsule at the U.S. Military Academy West Point has sparked excitement and curiosity. Although the initial disappointment was palpable when the box seemed to contain only dirt, the discovery of hidden treasures has reawakened interest in the historical   significance of the artifacts.

The time capsule, believed to have been placed by West Point military students, was found inside the base of a memorial dedicated to Thaddeus Kosciuszko, a Revolutionary War hero. The contents of the capsule, revealed during a ceremonial opening at the military school, included six silver American coins dating from 1795 and 1828, as well as a medal commemorating (纪念) the Erie Canal from 1826.

While the live opening event did not provide the expected glimpse into historical military objects or documents, it has deepened the mystery surrounding the purpose of the time capsule. The discovery of these valuable coins and medal supports the theory that the box was buried by the military students sometime between 1828 and 1829. Additional research will be conducted to explore other potential surprises within the capsule.

The preservation and investigation of the time capsule hold immense historical value, casting light on the past and connecting the present generation with the stories and legacy of those who came before. Archeologist Paul Hudson, despite the initial letdown, remains optimistic about the ongoing research possibilities and the potential insights awaiting discovery.

As experts explore further into the remains of the time capsule, they aim to uncover any remaining artifacts and gain a better understanding of the time period and the motivations behind burying this historical treasure. The challenge lies in preserving and studying the fragile materials, considering the potential damage caused by moisture and the passage of nearly two centuries.

The exploration of this time capsule serves as a reminder of our shared history and the importance of preserving and celebrating the contributions and sacrifices made by those who paved the way for future generations. The story of the West Point time capsule continues to capture the imagination of historians, researchers, and the public, as they eagerly await further discoveries and insights from this extraordinary find.