【推荐2】Many animal populations seem to be decreasing sharply.     1     It is America’s native wood stork (木鹳).

The wood stork is the only stork that breeds in North America. In 1984, it was declared an endangered species after its population dropped to just 5,000 mating pairs. At the time, scientists predicted that the bird would be completely wiped out by 2000.     2     The Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing a delisting (移除) of the wood stork as an endangered species. So how did the population bounce back?

    3     The wood stork’s native home was in the Everglades in Florida, but it migrated north as the Everglades were being destroyed by development. In 1987, former Savannah Coastal Refuges biologist John Robinette noticed stork nests in Georgia, as stork populations moved to safer wetlands.

According to Stephanie Kurose, a senior policy specialist at the Centre for Biological Diversity, the Endangered Species Act is also to thank for this recovery. She said, “The act saved the wood stork.     4     It has improved water quality and benefited countless other species who call the area home.”

The Endangered Species Act has saved 99 per cent of the species that were on the list since 1973. A hundred types of plants and animals have been delisted as their populations become stable again. If the wood stork is delisted, it will remain protected by other laws.     5    

【推荐3】The drone (无人机) is flying above the Amazon River in Brazil, but its battery is running low. Andre Coelho, the chief pilot, guides it back to safety with skills perfected by playing video games. Long hours’ practicing has become a surprising benefit in an effort to conserve dolphins that live in the river. Marcelo Oliveira, a conservation specialist, stands on the bow of a boat. He pulls the white drone from the air, changes the battery, and quickly sends it back in the sky.

Later, scientists will examine the video which has recorded for signs of the two species of dolphins that inhabit the river: the pink and bulbous boto (亚马孙河豚), and the smaller, prettier tucuxi (白海豚). Exactly how many live in the basin is a mystery. Some studies have suggested a decline of the pink dolphins in specific areas of the Amazon River, but the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) says there isn’t enough data available for either species of dolphins.

“We need to base everything on hard data,” says Miriam Marmontel, a scientist. “We need to focus on what’s really critical to help us get to a real situation that can influence policy. We need numbers. We need information on death and reproduction.”

Marmontel’s biggest concern is that dolphins are being caught in the nets of local fishermen. Scientists have also given a warning against fishermen’s killing botos. Pollution from gold mining is also a concern.

The scientists want to use the information they collect to persuade the IUCN to list the boto and the tucuxi as endangered species. Funding agencies and governments want evidence. Without the IUCN’s categorization, it’s difficult to raise the money for protection measures.

They hope their drone monitoring will do the trick. During three trips to the Amazon last year, the team has recorded about 70 samples (样本) that will contribute to a more accurate estimate of dolphin populations in the Amazon basin.

【推荐3】When John was growing up, other kids felt sorry for him. His parents always had him weeding the garden and carrying out the garbage. But when John reached adulthood, he was better off than his childhood playmates. He had more job satisfaction, a better marriage and was healthier.

These are the findings of a 40-year study that followed the lives of 456 teenage boys from Boston. The study showed that those who had worked as boys enjoyed happier lives than those who had not. “Boys who worked in the home or community gained competence (能力) and came to feel they were worthwhile members of society,” said George Vaillant, the psychologist who made the discovery.

Vaillant’s study followed these males in great detail. Interviews were repeated at ages 25,31 and 47. The researchers compared the men’s mental-health scores with their boyhood-activity scores. Points were awarded for part-time jobs, housework, effort in school, and ability to deal with problems.

The link between what the men had done as boys and how they turned out as adults was surprisingly sharp. Those who had done the most boyhood activities were twice as likely to have warm relations with a wide variety of people, five times as likely to be well paid and 16 times less likely to have been unemployed. Working—at any age—is important. Childhood activities help a child develop responsibility, independence, confidence and competence—the underpinnings (基础) of emotional health. They also help him understand that people must cooperate and work toward common goals. As Tolstoy once said, “One can live magnificently (极好地) in this world if one knows how to work and how to love, to work for the person one loves and to love one’s work.”