1 . Many wildlife populations around the world are falling in size. The speed and scale of these losses have scientists worried. In less than 50 years, the number of wild animals has dropped by about two-thirds. That’s the finding of a new report.

To get the size of these populations can be hard. Yet scientists need such numbers to know how the Earth’s species (物种) has been changing and understand how people may be influencing the number of animals.

A group of scientists recently set out to get those numbers. To do that, they worked with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) based in Switzerland, and the Zoological Society of London in England. The team studied more than 38,000 populations of animals. These included more than 5,000 species. The new study looked for changes in the population size of all groups between 1970 and 2018.

The study found that the population has dropped by 69 percent. “It tells us that we need to do something about falling populations around the world,” says Rebecca Shaw, a scientist at the WWF’s office in New York City. The team published (发布) its finding in October. Its numbers were part of WWF’s Living Planet Report.

WWF and the Zoological Society of London work to protect animals and nature. Every two years they publish a Living Planet Report on the influences that people are having on wildlife. Scientists from the two groups collected data on animal populations. They studied how the size of each population changed over time.

“Looking at changes in population size can show us species that are likely to face extinction (灭绝),” explains Brian McGill, an author of the new report. “The species in this study haven’t gone extinct—at least, not yet. So, there is still time for humans to take action and turn things around.”

2 . Like most other American high school students, Garret Morgan imagined his life repeatedly: Go to college and get a bachelor’s (学士) degree. However, Morgan made a big decision in 2018. He started training as an ironworker, which was what he was doing on a weekday morning in an industrial park.

Back then, the demand (需求) for ironworkers was rising and it still is. Ironworkers get about $27.48 per hour. At 20, Morgan got $28.36 an hour. Five years later, he’s on the job full time, working for 10 hours a day, six days a week. “I’m loving it every day,” he said. “It was the right choice.”

While a shortage of workers pushes pay higher in the skilled trades, the financial return from a bachelor’s degree is softening. But high school graduates have been so effectively encouraged to get a bachelor’s degree that high-paid jobs requiring shorter and less expensive training are going unfilled.

The Washington State Auditor (WSA) found in 2017 that good jobs in the skilled trades were going begging because most high school students go for bachelor’s degrees. It’s still true in Washington State and around the country. Among other things, the WSA suggested that career guidance (就业指导), including choices that require less than four years in college, start as early as the seventh grade.

Some 30 million jobs in the United States that pay around $55,000 per year don’t require bachelor’s degrees, according to the Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce.

Yet the march to bachelor’s degrees continues. “There’s a belief that the bachelor’s degree is the American dream,” said Kate Kreamer, an expert in career and technical education. “The challenge is that sometimes the degree might keep students from getting jobs. Students are going to college without a plan, without a career in mind, because the mindset in high school is just ‘Go to college’.”

3 . Even though it’s been more than 30 years, Brendan Slocumb still feels the heartbreak of his stolen violin.

In his senior year of high school, Slocumb’s family found their home ransacked (洗劫) after a trip abroad. Slocumb, who had been playing the violin since he was nine, went immediately to the hiding spot under his bed. “I looked. My instrument was gone. I looked again. It was gone,” he said.

The stolen violin is one of many life experiences Slocumb drew upon to write his book, The Violin Conspiracy. It tells the story of Ray McMillan, a gifted violinist whose family violin is stolen just before one of the world-class music competitions.

Born in California, Slocumb was raised in Fayetteville, N.C., and began playing the violin through a public school music program. For both Slocumb and his character Ray, the violin was a means to get away from a difficult childhood and a ticket to college and a promising job. After graduating from college with a degree in music education, Slocumb has taught music to students from primary through high school for more than 20 years.

Writing the book was a chance to celebrate Slocumb’s success and honor the people who helped him along the way. In the book, Ray’s Grandma Nora—his first supporter—is named after Slocumb’s grandmother. And Ray’s mentor (导师) Janice is based on Dr. Rachel Vetter Huang, Slocumb’s college teacher, whom he calls “a life-saving force”.

The Violin Conspiracy has been praised for its lively descriptions. After it came on the market in 2022, thank-yous poured in. Slocumb heard from many Black musicians who said “This is a story that I’ve been carrying along as well. I experienced the exact same things Ray has gone through in the story, and noon would believe me. Now it’s out there in the world to see.”

4 . Cheapest Islands in the World to Visit

Grand Bahama Island, The Bahamas

As the northernmost of the 700 islands of the Bahamas, Grand Bahama dishes up plenty of cheap activities alongside its white-sand beaches. Visiting Lucayan National Park, which is home to both beloved Gold Rock Beach and one of the largest underwater cave (洞穴) systems in the world, is an affordable trip. There are hotel rooms at $80 a night.

Madeira, Portugal

Though closer to mainland Africa, Madeira is a part of Portugal known for its breathtaking natural beauty. Visitors can find hotels starting at $85 a night, and enjoy plenty of low-cost activities, like rowing a boat around the volcanic Porto Moniz natural swimming pools, and admiring the never-ending views around the island. No wonder it’s been called the “Hawaii of Europe”.

Dominican Republic

Looking for one of the least expensive Caribbean islands? The Dominican Republic is full of affordable surprises. In Santo Domingo, walk around Zona Colonial, the historic heart of the country’s capital, you’ll find castles, cathedrals (教堂), cobblestone streets, and cafés around every corner. During the low season (summer), you can find hotel deals starting at $33 a night.

Sri Lanka

Do you want to spend just $25～50 a day? Then go to Sri Lanka. Since the South Asian island country is one of the largest tea producers in the world, start with a tea factory tour on a peaceful hike. Taking a train ride through the hills from Kandy to Badulla or from Colombo to Galle is an enjoyable and affordable way to see the countryside.

6 . Former UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill (1874-1965) once said, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” These are certainly words that millions of volunteers around the world could agree with.

In the US, April is National Volunteer Month, which recognizes and thanks volunteers who lend their time, talent, and support to causes (事业) they care about.

Volunteering means choosing to work without being paid for it. People who volunteer spend their time doing things they feel strongly about. For example, animal lovers may volunteer at an animal shelter to help improve the treatment and well-being of animals.

For students, valuable lessons may also be learned by volunteering. Take Andrew Makhoul, a sophomore (大二学生) at the University of Pennsylvania, as an example. Makhoul didn’t spend the 2012 spring break partying. Unlike his classmates, who planned on relaxing after a term of hard work, the 19-year-old decided to do something for people less fortunate than himself.

He traveled to an orphanage (孤儿院) in Guatemala in Central America. The orphanage is in one of the poorest and most violent parts of the country, and depends on volunteers to stay open.

Makhoul doesn’t speak much Spanish, but he found communication wasn’t a problem: “You communicated with love,” according to an article on his university’s website, “You could see love when you looked in their eyes.”

Makhoul’s first time as a volunteer only lasted a week, but by the end of that week, he knew he’d be back soon – because he saw love and hope.

US author Sherry Anderson once wrote, “Volunteers don’t get paid, not because they’re worthless, but because they’re priceless.” And this is perhaps why volunteers all around the world keep doing what they do.

8 . Welcome to Our After-school Activities

9 . “Shuan Q” is a meme(网络流行语)which can be used as a popular way to say “I’m speechless” with a matching emoji(表情包)at ached behind. No-one can deny the power of the Internet. Some believe it makes language weaker but some see a brighter side, believing it makes online communication easier between strangers.

An elementary school teacher in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, says that the evolution of Internet slang is not all fun and carefree. From his daily observations, he believes the “geographic boundary” between Internet slang and formal language is disappearing. On many occasions, the composition she has received from pupil have been flooded with abbreviated slangs(网络梗).

During last year’s Two Sessions, several representatives put forward proposals such as “regulating online language” and “banning vulgar(粗俗)words”, specifically to address this issue, expressing the need to reduce online language misuse and strengthen the protection of Chinese.

However, many experts and scholars of linguistics and communication including Feng Zhiwei disagree. Feng, believes that Internet language is a natural product of the dynamic development of language, and it is not necessary to ban it.