2 . Can plants talk? Modern research has found something amazing: they do communicate with each other through certain “language”.

It has been known for some time that plants use chemicals (化学物质) to communicate with each other. This happens when a plant gets attacked (攻击) by insects. The plant gives out chemicals from the leaves that are being eaten. This is like a warning, or a call for help: “I’m being attacked!” When another plant gets the chemicals, it starts to give out its own, different chemicals. Some of these chemicals drive insects away. Others attract (吸引) the wasps (黄蜂)! The wasps kill the insects that are eating the plants. Scientists hope to learn more about this plant warning system (系统), so that we can use it to grow more crops.

More surprisingly, plants also use sound to communicate. People can’t hear these sounds; but plants are making them. Some plants make noises with their roots.

Most surprisingly of all, plants have an amazing system of communication that can connect nearly every plant in a forest. Scientists call this system the “wood wide web”. The wood wide web is connected underground by fungi (霉菌). It connects the roots of different plants to each other. It is in some ways similar to the Internet we use. Using the wood wide web, plants can share information and even food with each other. However, it may cause bad effects. Plants may use it to steal food from each other, or spread chemicals to attack other plants. Perhaps one day scientists will learn how to create a “firewall” to help stop these attacks within the wood wide web.

3 . A promise can go a long way in personal relationships. It is a commitment (承诺) to follow through on your word. But what does it mean when you say “I promise…”, and how does this influence your relationships?

We all have heard “I promise…” time and time again. Promises help us get closer to those we love. Studies suggest that keeping promises holds a lot of emotional value. When we break them, there is a decline (降低) in trust. But why is it so important to keep a promise and how do we stick to it? Here are some important reminders of promises.

Promises are hard work, Usually, it is not easy to follow through on a promise. They require us to step outside of our wants and achieve something for someone else or challenge ourselves to break old harmful habits.

Promises are meant to be taken seriously. Do you remember the first time someone broke a promise to you? When a promise is broken, your reputations (名声), relationships and personal charm suffer. Take each promise you make seriously to make sure that you are not the one causing unnecessary distrust.

Promises are proofs (证明) of love, friendships, family and human connection. Actions speak louder than words. Promises are actions that affirm our love and connection with other people. Whether that connection is through friendships, family or strangers, promises affirm that we want to pass on our feelings to others.

Promises are a necessary part of building our relationships. Making and keeping promises plays an important role in our lives. So here’s a word of advice; always keep your promises.

5 . Today, if we talk about a color, we only need to use a simple name. For example, “blue” in Chinese is lan. But in ancient China, there were many beautiful names for blue, such as yuebai, qielan and shiqing.

Similar to the color wheel developed by Isaac Newton, ancient Chinese people created colors using the idea of pure (纯) colors and mixed colors. There were five pure colors, including qing (blue), chi (red), yellow, white and black. These basic colors can be put together to produce mixed colors. For example, mixing yellow and blue could make green. Lots of colors came into being (产生) thanks to this.

As for naming, ancient Chinese people paid much attention to the imagination that colors bring. For example, dongfang jibai is a light blue color. The blue color describes what the sky looks like early in the morning. Similarly, the pink color taoyao is used to describe blossoming (开花的) peach trees. The purple color mushanzi describes a sunset covering the mountain.

Do you know a color was not just a color, but a symbol of social status (地位) in ancient China? For example, yellow was long seen as the symbol of authority. Only the leader of the country and his family could use it. During the Tang Dynasty (朝代), officials needed to wear clothes with certain colors. Only officials of the top three grades were allowed to wear purple clothes, while those of the fourth and fifth wore red clothes, the sixth and seventh officials wore green clothes. Blue was for those in the lowest grades.

The colors that the ancients left us can be seen in society today. Nowadays, some TV programs present traditional Chinese colors in clothes and buildings, which excite people’s interest in ancient colors.

7 . A study says the origin of human is in Botswana. Researchers said they used DNA to find out where modern humans came from. They believe all our roots (根) are in an area of northern Botswana. Humans were there 200,000 years ago. They lived there for at least 70,000 years and then migrated (迁徙) around the African continent. They then started moving to Europe and Asia. Researcher Professor Vanessa Hays, from the University of Sydney, said, “We’ve known for a long time that modern humans originated in Africa about 200,000 years ago.”

The researchers made sure of an area called Okavango as where we came from. There used to be a big lake but it is now a salt flat (盐碱地). People had water, hunting and farmland. Scientists studied DNA from 200 people who live near the area today. They are from the Khoisan people, who live in modern-day South Africa and Namibia. They had a lot of DNA called L0. Professor Hayes explained why L0 is important. She said, “Whenever a Dew migration (迁徙) happens, our L0 records that migration event as a time-stamp. Everyone walking around today comes from this region.”

9 . Our ancestors used stars to guide them on a clear night. Now we have navigation systems (导航系统) to help us find our way, with the latest being the Beidou Navigation Satellite (卫星) System(BDS).

The BDS is completely built by Chinese engineers. With the last satellite from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center flew into space on Jun 23, 2020, the network of 59 satellites has been completed. On July 31, 2020, Beidou started providing full-scale services (全方位服务). It’s difficult to imagine what those satellites can’t do in our daily lives.

When you unlock one of the Hellobike’s bicycles, you are using the BDS. This popular bike-sharing company came out with two new bike models which have the positioning service this year. Users can also find shared bikes more exactly thanks to Beidou.

However, the BDS doesn’t just work on way. As the largest space-based system in China, Beidou uses a special two-way communication system, including its ability to receive messages sent by people from areas with poor communication signals. It isn’t for users to chat online. Instead, it plays a role when disasters like earthquakes happen and communications don’t work.

After the Wenchuan earthquake in 2008, all ground-based communication tools couldn’t work. Though Beidou could only send 120 characters(字符) in just one message at that time, communication between these poor areas and helping centers was successful. Now, it can sent 1, 200 Chinese characters in a message. It is widely used in areas such as disaster alarms, and information release.

Now, Beidou is more and more widely used in our everyday life. As SunJiadong, former chief designer of the BDS said, “Beidou can be used in more industries than you can imagine.”

10 . In Western society, especially in the English-speaking world, the chance for young people to see the other countries and experience life is considered important. Many young people, when they finish school at the age of 18, take a gap year (间隔年) before they go to university.

Parents often want their children to grow up a little and see what the real world is like when they finish school. Although they are worried about their safety, many think that the advantages of independence (独立) and experience are worth the worries. Children are encouraged to be brave, independent and to explore (探索) the world on their own or with friends.

Young people also want to experience freedom and see what life is like on the other side. This other side could be the other side of the world or just the other side of life. For example, if they have a rich life, they may want to see how people in poor areas live.

A gap year after school is also an important chance for young people to spend time thinking about what they want to do with their lives. A little bit of growing up and experience will help them make their important career (职业) decisions, especially when they are unsure about what they want to study.

Another reason for going straight after school is to get a break from studying before they start the next few years of university. So anywhere you travel in the world, you will meet young European people exploring the world.

So much of the world has been travelled and explored. The young people are now looking for more worthy experiences. Some of them work as volunteers to do something for the country they are visiting. Many gap year volunteers are now spending a few months teaching English in Thailand, helping feed giant pandas in China or building a well (井) in a village in Africa.

These young people’s wish to explore the world is an expression of the values of the societies that they are part of. Both discovering the world and making a positive (积极的) difference in it are important parts of the Western mind.