5 . There are so many beautiful places in the world that wait for you to explore, but some of them won’t wait around forever.

The Dead Sea, for example, known for being one of the saltiest bodies of water in the world is in danger of disappearing. Tourists are in the rush to the lake to float（漂浮）in its waters and put its mineral-rich mud on their skin. However, the water level has been dropping more than three feet per year in recent years. In fact, if nothing is done by 2050, it will be too late.

Madagascar’s rainforests could also be gone in about 30 years. They once covered 120,000 square miles, but due to logging（伐木）and forest fires, only 20,000 square miles remain today. This is sad for many animals that call Madagascar home. About 80 percent of the species（物种） that live there can’t be found anywhere else in the world, and there are even many more yet to be discovered.

There are also many man-made places of interest with long history around the world that are at risk of disappearing. One of these is Machu Picchu. A trip to these Inca ruins is on many people’s plan lists. However, Machu Picchu has been in danger, too. If steps are not taken to protect the ancient site, it could be gone in the near future.

Another place in danger is the Great Wall of China. Around one-third of the wall, built over centuries and completed in the Ming dynasty, is already gone. Wind and rain have weathered it and plants that grow in the wall have weakened it further. Also, poor villagers have stolen its bricks in order to sell them or build homes with them.

It’s hard to believe that so many amazing places could soon be gone for good. If you have your heart set on visiting any of these places, pack your bags and get to them before time runs out!

7 . Many libraries around the world are as amazing in their architecture and organization as they are in the huge amount of knowledge they contain. With shelves and shelves of books, various collections and amazing historical and cultural displays, there are plenty of undiscovered wonders.

Beinecke Rare Book Library (New Haven, Connecticut)

Yale University has one of the most beautiful college campuses in America, and one of its most interesting features is the Beinecke Rare Book Library. It is one of the largest buildings in the world devoted to rare books and manuscripts (手稿) of famous people. From 2015-16 the library building was closed for 18 months for major improvement. Inside there is a statue of its main founder that rises up high.

Vennesla Library (Vennesla, Norway)

Located near the southernmost tip of Norway, Vennesla Library is more than a collection of books—it’s a city cultural center and meeting place. The building hosts a coffee shop, open meeting spaces, classrooms for children and adult education courses, and a cinema. It is mainly built out of wood. The long, thin beams (横梁) on the inside were designed to look like the inside of a whale.

Suzzallo Library (Seattle)

Among the many beautiful features of the campus at the University of Washington, such as its cherry flowers and a light rail station, Suzzallo Library was built in the Collegiate Gothic style. Its buttresses (扶壁) are decorated with 18 statues featuring famous academics and writers such as Plato, Shakespeare, Leonardo da Vinci, Dante, Galileo, Beethoven, Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin.

Library of Muyinga (Muyinga, Burundi)

A school for deaf children, the Library of Muyinga in Burundi was built with local techniques and traditions. A rope hammock (吊床) that hangs between the first and second floors of the library serves as part of the children’s reading room, a great place for indoor activities.

More information of them is just a click away.

8 . Lens fogging (镜片起雾) has been troubling glasses wearers for as long as glasses have existed; it happens more often to those needing to wear masks (口罩). Researchers from ETH Zurich in Switzerland may have finally come up with a lasting solution to the problem that works whether someone is wearing a mask, or they’ve just come inside from the cold.

There’s no real mystery as to the foggy lenses. It happens when moisture (水分) in wet air, or from someone’s breath, hits a glasses lens that’s colder than said moisture, which then becomes obvious drops. It happens a lot in the winter, when people are coming in from the outside to warm places, or when people breathe out with masks, the warm, wet air goes upwards.

It’s also a problem that plagues car windows, making it hard for a driver to see. The simple solution there is to see. The simple solution there is to heat the windows. But adding electric heaters to glasses, which are designed to be lightweight and comfortable to wear, isn’t really a choice. So ETH Zurich researchers came up with another way to heat glasses lenses. They rely on a new type of glass coating that effectively does the same thing.

The coating is made from very thin gold in such small amounts that the added cost would be very small. The gold takes in a kind of light from the sun, causing glasses lenses to heat up by up to eight degrees. By doing this, it can prevent moisture in the air from forming on the glasses. The coating also cannot be seen by human eyes, not influencing people’s views. Because it’s so thin, the coating can even be applied to surfaces that are not flat.

But this method isn’t perfect. As the gold draws the energy it needs to heat lenses from the sun, the coating won’t do much good in the winter months, when it starts to get dark by late afternoon. But the researchers believe that even a small amount of electricity, like from a battery hidden away in the arms of a pair of glasses, would be enough. And with gold being one of the most valuable metals on earth and still in high demand, the researchers are looking for other metals to replace it.

9 . I remember waking up early on Saturday mornings when I was 12 to go and see patients with my dad. He volunteered once a month at a health center in downtown that served the city’s Spanish-speaking population. He would bring his own equipment — a lamp and a large machine called an autorefractor (自动验光仪). There was always a line of people waiting when we arrived. I’d sometimes help with translating, but often my father would ask me to run the autorefractor, which would give a judgement of the patients’ visual acuity (视力).

After completing checks and treatments, my dad would offer a deeply discounted operation on a later date to those who needed it. Besides volunteering, my father’s practice was one of the few in the area that accepted people without insurance, despite the risk of losing money. He sometimes came home with a piece of artwork or some food from patients who couldn’t pay for their care and instead offered a gift of their talents. He thought all the patients should receive the same care, regardless of their ability to pay.

Volunteering seemed like a task to me at the time. Little did I know that my father was planting the seeds (种子) of serving the Spanish-speaking community in my mind and heart. He never forced me to go into medicine, but what I saw through him was that one person can truly make a difference in the world.

It’s this type of character of devotion and service that has inspired so many doctors to apply for medical school every year. I am fortunate that my father has given an example of this in his 40 years as a doctor because it was what he had done that inspired me to dive into this great job. I can only hope that I can be that same type of light for others.

10 . Dining Room Server - Perfect for High School Students!

Linden Ponds is a beautiful 108-acre continuing care retirement community. It is located just 24 miles from Boston on the South Shore in Hingham, Massachusetts. We’re part of a growing network of communities managed by Erickson Senior Living, a national provider of senior living and health care with campuses in 1l states. We’re finding responsible, kind, and hardworking high school students to join our dining teams. What is perfect for high school students is that the position allows after-school and weekend hours, as well as no late nights.

❖ What we offer:

*Scholarship opportunities are available(可获得的) for students.

*Available education support and student loan partnership programs.

*Opportunities for promotions (晋升) through a variety of departments and locations.

*Quality of life--not your assumed late-night restaurant hours.

*24-hour gated and safe community campus.

*$15 per hour.

❖ How you will make an impact:

*Share daily menus with our residents and offer them recommendations based on knowing their preferences.

*Input food and drinks into our point-of-sale system.

*Correctly record orders for food and drinks.

*Deliver an outstanding dining experience.

❖ What you will need:

*Friendly and energetic communication skills.

*The desire to provide great service.

*Weekday and weekend availability.

❖ Contact us:

*Telephone:617-404-2134

*Address: 300 Linden Ponds Way, Hingham, MA 02043