My cousin Douglas’ parents were going to teach in Africa, but they thought it might be better for him to stay in this country to go to school, so he would come to stay with my family for a year.

Douglas and his family lived all the way on the other side of the country, so we had never had a chance to visit. He was just someone I sent birthday cards to and saw in photos. Now he was going to stay and go to school with me.

We went to pick him up at the airport. He was standing all alone, looking around for someone to meet him. Everyone in my family has light brown hair and green eyes, but Douglas has dark hair and dark eyes. He started to smile shyly after Mother hugged him.

When we got back home and Douglas started putting his things away, I could not believe it. All of his clothes were the same, all white shirts and dark blue shorts. He even had a dark blue jacket with a tie!

“How come you wear only one kind of clothes?” I asked him.

“That’s the way my school has always been,” he said. “We have to wear uniforms.”

“Yuck,” I said. “I would hate having to wear the same thing every day. You’re going to look pretty weird if you come to school in a jacket and tie.”

Douglas looked worried. Suddenly, I felt bad. I didn’t mean to hurt his feelings. After all, it was not easy to come all this way to live with some strange family for a year. Then and there I decided that I was going to look after my cousin and try to make this year as good as possible for him.

New research shows that there will still be about 710 million metric tons of plastic (塑料) by 2040 even if the whole world takes action now. That means a heavy build-up of plastic around the world. A rapid growth in plastic production has made the problem worse. And many countries fail to safely deal with or recycle (回收利用) plastic waste.

Millions of tons of plastics enter the oceans every year, polluting the seas, messing beaches and endangering wildlife. Plastic particles (颗粒) have been found in soil, in the air and even in the most far-away areas of the earth. Some plastic is eaten by fish and other sea animals, and then they enter the food chain (食物链).

Researchers found that there are no shortcuts to cutting down on plastic pollution. Instead, change is needed across the whole chain, from the production of plastics to after-use (recycling and reusing), to stop the spread of plastic pollution.

“There are billions of people without collection services right now. You can’t recycle or deal with something you haven’t collected,” said Dr. Winnie Lau, co-author of the research. In many developing countries such as India, waste pickers make a living by collecting plastics and actually their work is a key part of being able to solve this problem. However, most people just ignore their great influence.

In the end, by placing the importance on plastic collection, we hope that more people can proudly play their role in protecting the environment.

Some people cycle for the speed, some for the health, some for environmental protection and some for the freedom of the open road.     21    

For a large number of people, cycling has become a symbol of freedom at the moment. It is a chance for them to make their bodies and minds relaxed.     22     Some parents have to find ways to keep their kids active. Cycling provides people with the chance to exercise and enjoy fresh air.

Ken Mcleod, director at The League of American Bicyclists, said, “You are moving faster, and you are going further.     23    ”

Riding a bicycle has also brought some other benefits (益处).     24     According to the SFGATE website, cycling cuts fuel emissions (燃料排放) completely and provides a cleaner form of transportation than cars, buses or other forms of public transportation.

    25     Compared with drivers, cyclists usually spend time in stores, bars and restaurants. When you make a proper area for people on foot or on a bike—when you slow down the pace of life in that neighborhood just a little—visitors will stay longer and may spend more money there.

Covid-19 (新冠肺炎) is spreading. And some people have caught it. Symptoms (症状) of the cases include fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat and so on. Some cases were in serious condition. People of older age or having underlying disease are at a higher risk of deterioration (恶化) into serious condition.

The doctors of China have done many things to lead people to avoid the disease. What should we do to prevent it? Here is my advice for you. Firstly, don’t go to the crowded places with lots of people. In these places virus can be spread easily and quickly. Secondly, if you have to go out, you must wear a breathing mask to protect yourself. Thirdly, each of us must have good habits to keep clean. Hands touch many surfaces, which can be contaminated (受污染的) with the virus. You should therefore avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth, since contaminated hands can transfer the virus from the surface to yourself. The most effective way to prevent the spread of covid-19 is to clean your hands frequently with an alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water. It’s wise to open the windows to let the fresh air in, too. Fourthly, we are supposed to exercise as much as possible to build ourselves up. Last but not least when we find that we have a fever and cough, don’t be panic (恐慌). Relax and take medicine or go to the doctor if necessary. If we pay attention to these suggestions and do like these, we can prevent and beat the disease.