1 . In the Three-Body Problem books, Trisolarans, a type of alien (外星人), can dehydrate (脱水) their bodies. Then they can live through terrible environments and come back to life again hundreds of years later. Is it possible that humans could be like that as well?

Scientists have now made a new discovery by studying water bears. These organisms (微生物) can live without water for a long time.

When water bears find themselves somewhere without water, they go into a form. In this form, there are no signs of life. Deep freezing, volcanic fire, the dark space… these tiny water bears just sleep it off and wake up again when it’s safe.

But how do these little eight-legged water bears live without water? Scientists are looking for the answer now. As water leaves a cell (细胞), some kind of protein (蛋白质) must help the cell keep its strength to avoid breaking apart. Now scientists have found proteins are special to water bears. The proteins protect their cells against dehydration.

Scientists also put those proteins into human cells. They found these proteins can strengthen the human cell so that it won’t become smaller in size when losing water.

With experiments using human cells showing successful results, Trisolarans may come to be a reality some day.

Paris is on track to become a greener city. Ahead of the 2024 Summer Olympics, the government is making plans to create a car-free zone (区域) in the city.

According to Bloomberg, the ban (禁令) on “non-essential (非必要的) through-traffic” in the city center will begin in early 2024. “The plan is expected to cut around half of the daily car journeys through the core (核心区) of the city. Residents (居民), public transit (交通), emergency vehicles (紧急救援车) and people with disabilities will find it easier to move,” Brent Toderian, a city planner and urbanist from Canada, wrote on Twitter. Other measures have already been put in place. These include increasing the number of bike lanes (车道) and pedestrian routes (人行道), and banning cars from some major streets.

But the Olympics are only the beginning. Paris Mayor (市长) Anne Hidalgo wants to make the city more human-focused by adding more nature. Famous landmarks (地标) such as the Eiffel Tower and Place de la Concorde will also be turned into park areas before the 2024 Games. “By 2026, Mayor Hidalgo has promised to plant more than 170, 000 trees across the capital, with 50 percent of the city covered by planted areas by 2030,” reported Time Out Paris. These policies will also reduce the city’s climate influence.

5 . The skyscrapers (摩天大楼), most of which have large glass windows, have led to a great need for window cleaners. Window cleaners can earn as much as $35 an hour through the job, but accidents sometimes happen. Luckily, the dangerous work may soon be done by Ozmo, an intelligent window-cleaning robot.

Ozmo, like human window cleaners, also uses brushes and its arms to clean the dirt on the glass windows. A 3D map of the building programmed into its system allows the robot to skillfully move up and down. Computer vision and touch sensors (传感器) enable it to move out of the way when a window opens suddenly.

Unlike human window cleaners, Ozmo does not require soap to clean the glass windows. It only uses pure water to do the job, so it is environmentally friendly.

While it takes three human window cleaners 480 hours to clean the windows of a 40-story building, Ozmo can finish the work in just 80 hours. Moreover, unlike other robots, Ozmo will not replace human window workers. It only make them safer. They will control it on the ground.

Whether Ozmo, which is still being tested, can finish the work as well as human window cleaners remains to be seen. Past experiences of using robots to do the work were disappointing, because the robots didn’t have the same eyes as humans and they often missed the soot (烟灰) on the corners of windows.

6 . The more you travel, the more you want to. Here are the top 5 places I want to travel in 2024.

India	I’ve wanted to go to India for years. I am crazy about the Taj Mahal. My family is going there in October, so I’m finally getting the chance to visit my dream place.
Greece	I’d like to go to Greece in summer to enjoy white beaches, white houses, tasty food and delicious wine. For years Greece has been popular with people who look for a cheap holiday.
China	I want to go to China because it has a long and rich history. I would like to visit the world’s longest wall, the Great Wall and the world’s largest palace, the Forbidden City. I’m going to the Museum of Terracotta Warriors and Horses. There I can see thousands of life-size statues (和真人一样大的雕像) with different faces and uniforms.
Scotland	I’ve visited it a few times. In 2024 I’d like to travel the countryside there. The people in Scotland are always so much fun.
The Maldives	As a lover of scuba-diving (戴水肺潜水) and fresh seafood, I hope 2024 will be my year to visit the Maldives. White beaches and wooden houses, I’m coming!

Tell me, where would you like to visit in 2024?

7 . ①“Volunteering (做志愿工作) can make a real difference to the world. It makes you look at the world differently. You see how little things can change a person’s life for the better, which makes everyone a better person.” Mason, a volunteer said.

②National Volunteer Week started in 1974 and is held every April. It is a time to thank volunteers for their achievements. It is also a perfect opportunity (机会) to encourage others to take their first step toward becoming a volunteer. Making the decision to take the first step can be the biggest problem, because they often wonder if they will be able to meet the organization’s expectations (期望). Some people fear not knowing anyone else in the group. Not having enough time also stops some from sharing their abilities. The following tips can help if you have some of these worries.

③Start out slowly, don’t add too much pressure (压力). Even a few hours a month can make a big difference in someone’s life.

④Choose an organization (组织) with the same interests and common values.

⑤Take part in a training meeting for new volunteers, even if it is not asked.

⑥Work with a experienced volunteer. He volunteered a lot, he can help you increase the confidence and completely understand the organization’s expectations.

⑦Invite a friend or family member to serve. It is a good experience to volunteer with them.

⑧Finally, it is most important to enjoy the volunteer experience and to remember that not all volunteer experiences are perfect. If one experience doesn’t work, don’t give up and you’ll surely find the right opportunity.

⑨Spend some time on volunteer work and you will see great changes in people’s lives. As Mason discovered during his volunteer experience, “...little things can change a person’s life.”

The pupils and teachers at Fairfield School think it’s necessary to protect the environment! This is what they’ve been doing.

Growing vegetables

Fairfield School pupils started their own vegetable garden. Both children and teachers grow vegetables, then they pick them. In this way, school dinners are more delicious than ever before.

Recycling

The Fairfield pupils don’t just bring their books to school —they bring their rubbish too! There are recycling bins (回收箱) in the playground for cans, plastic bottles and paper. The teachers give a prize every month to the pupil who’s tried the hardest to recycle.

Finding cleaner ways to get around

Everyone walks or rides a bike to Fairfield School! “It’s faster to ride bikes than to drive anyway, even the teachers don’t use their cars.” says one pupil.

In our life, we may meet people with different personalities. What is your personality type? Read about the following and find out.

A Dreamer thinks there is a “right” way to do this. This person wants to live in a “perfect world”. Many are good listeners and like to help others. Many work as teachers, and often lead others. Famous Dreamers: Mohandas Gandhi, Angelina Jolie.

A Partner wants to be in a group. For this person rules are important. They consider traditions to be of great value. Partners are often serious, careful people. Many do well as teachers, managers and police officers. Famous Partners: Queen Elizabeth II, Mother Teresa.

For Thinkers, understanding things is very important. They like to deal with problems and make new things. Thinkers can also be active. They like to win. They have very strong opinions. Many thinkers work as scientists, inventors and engineers. Famous Thinkers: Bill Gates, Stephen Hawking.

Artists want to be free. They don’t want to follow the rules all the time. They also like trying new things. Like Thinkers, many Artists have strong opinions. They are creative and do well as musicians and actors. Famous Artists: Cristiano Ronaldo, Madonna.