4 . From my earliest childhood memories, my mother was my entire world. Each Sunday morning, I would be_________by sweet smells around the house. Watching my mother_________food was attractive. She was totally_________so I never asked questions, and her behaviour informed me that this wasn’t a good time to_________. My sisters and I would be seated at the_________and wait to get a taste of the cake.

The family meals kept us_________together and gave us an opportunity to connect with each other. No subject was_________as we ate. My father was an extraordinary storyteller and liked talking almost everything with us!_________, we possessed a gift of speech, like him.

My mother’s life revolved around cooking for her_________. She took it very__________, no time for errors. There were no ruined meals or smoke clouding the__________. I would always purposely observe her while she cooked. She was a __________mother. She knew the economy of words, so when she gave chore__________, we listened intently, to carry out the assigned task with success.

Looking back, my mom was the best version of herself. She exhibited excellent__________skills! Her dedication to cooking set me a good example.

And my mother’s focus on food excellence taught me a valuable lesson: Whatever your goals in life, perform them to the best of your abilities. Her__________has allowed me to approach everything I do with dedication.

5 . Database maintenance (数据库维护) is an activity designed to keep a database running smoothly. A number of different systems can be used to build and maintain databases. Databases are used to maintain a library of information in a well-organized, accessible format (格 式).They usually are not static (静态的),because changes are constantly being made as material is added, removed, and moved around. Over time, this can cause the database to start to go wrong. Database maintenance is used to keep the database clean and well-organized so that it will not lose functionality.

One important aspect of maintaining a database is simply backing up the data so that, if anything happens, there will be another copy available. Some database systems actually do this automatically and then send the backup to another location every day, every week, or within any other set period of time. Backups are usually not enough, however.

Database maintenance includes checking for signs of corruption in the database, looking for problem areas, and checking for any detail in the database that might signal a problem. The goal is to keep the database operating smoothly for users, so that ideally they never need to think about maintenance issues. A database that is not maintained can become slow, and people may start to experience problems when trying to access records.

The maintenance of databases is generally performed by people who are comfortable and familiar with the database system and the details of the particular database, although some maintenance tasks can be performed by people who do not have experience. Numerous textbooks are available with information about database management, including how to maintain databases properly. It is also possible to take courses to learn about different database systems and how to care for databases. People can also earn certifications in specific systems which indicate a high level of competence.

6 . In the struggle to survive the ever hotter deserts of California, there are winners and losers. Among the losers are desert birds, whose populations have fallen among the heat stress of climate change. The winners, it turns out, are small burrowing mammals（穴居哺乳动物）, which take refuge from the sun underground. Researchers noted that the stable mammals populations formed a striking contrast to the extremely bad condition of birds.

But why? Birds had a higher evaporative（蒸发）heat loss. Birds were more exposed to the effects of warming, so they had higher energy costs to maintain their body temperature. However, mammals were able to reduce their body temperature by using burrows during the day.

Temperatures have risen about 4 degrees Fahrenheit on average across the area studied, but the heat affects birds and small mammals differently. As part of the study, scientists modeled each species' body temperature and cooling needs under different desert conditions. To calculate that, they measured the conductivity（传导率）of the animals' fur or feathers, and used information on their heat reducing behaviors.

The models showed that in the fight against climate change, there was not a level playing field for furred and feathered desert animals. Cooling costs—or the resources needed to maintain stable body temperature—were about 3. 3 times higher for birds than they were for small mammals, the study reported.

Small mammals have shown this remarkable stability. It's really quite interesting that, in the same region, with the same level of climate change, these two species have responded very differently to the changes taking place. Insights into the status of different species can help scientists take steps to protect them, such as increasing fire prevention in high desert areas, and enhancing water sources in those areas. The study also demonstrates that climate change is already reshaping the California desert

7 . Jamin Crow waited silently for the bull moose (麋鹿) to turn and face him. In the cold, the teen stood with his gun resting on a branch. He waited and waited. Then the moose turned, and his brother started to yell, "Shoot!” If Crow didn't shoot, his brother would. So Crow took a deep breath and pulled the trigger. "I look at my brother and he's giving me the happiest look I've ever seen," he says.

Crow lives in Bethel, in the remote region of Alaska. For generations, his family has practiced subsistence (生存) hunting to get food on the table. The process hasn't changed much. The Crows use motor boats and snowmobiles to get to their moose camp which serves as a home base while they're on hunting trips. "Food is very expensive here. You have to ship everything up," Crow says. "We don't go out just for the antlers (鹿角).We're not looking for prize. We're not hunting for something big. We're looking for meat to feed our families. "

Crow is one of three Alaska Native students-along with Kaylee King and Ethan Lincoln — who recorded their hunting tradition before they graduated last spring. Their record was chosen as a finalist in this year's NPR Student Record Challenge. The three students say hunting helped them get through the isolation of the pandemic, when their schools and many other activities like sports were shut down because of COVIE-19. The students explain that, as time goes by, fewer and fewer people are practicing hunting.

"It makes me really sad because the way we used to do things is so different from how we do them now," Crow says. "Even our language is slowly fading away." For the students, the practice of hunting allows them to connect with older generations. "Whenever I go out hunting with my granny, I'm always hearing past stories about when my dad was a kid and he went hunting or my late grandpa how he would just take the family up." Crow says.

8 . The best science fiction books of 2021

We take a look at the most exciting new science-fiction books of 2021. No matter what kind of science fiction fan you are, we're sure you'll find something to add to your reading list.

The Saints of Salvation

By Peter F. Hamilton

The Olyix have laid siege（围攻）to Earth, harvesting people for their god. Cities are ru¬ined by their weapons and millions have either fled to seek refuge in space or are fighting a war that seems unwinnable. As Earth's defeat draws ever closer, a team are sent to enter the Olyix's air-ship secretly. Their plan? This is the final science fiction in Peter F. Hamilton's extremely surprising series The Salvation Sequence.

A Desolation Called Peace

By Arkady Martine

This impressive sequel（续集）to Arkady Martinets Hugo Award-winning science fiction book sees the Teixcalaanli Empire facing an alien threat which could bring about its complete destruction. Fleet captain Nine Hibiscus sends a person to negotiate with the mysterious invaders...

Jack Four

By Neal Asher

Jack Four-one of twenty human clones-has been created to be sold. His purchasers are the aliens and they only want him for their experimentation program. But there is something different about Jack. No clone should possess the knowledge that's been loaded into his mind.

Rabbits

By Terry Miles

Rabbits is a secret, dangerous and sometimes deadly underground game. The rewards for winning are unclear, but there are rumors of money or it might unlock the universe's greatest secrets. Everyone knows that the deeper you get, the more deadly the game becomes-and the body count is rising. Since the game first started, ten rounds have taken place. The eleventh round is about to begin, and what happens in the game, stays in the game...

10 . A months-long rescue operation to save giraffes from Longicharo Island’s rising water in Kenya recently concluded after delivering the last two stranded giraffes to safety at the Ruko Community Wildlife Conservancy. Save Giraffes now partnered with Northern Rangelands Trust and local conservation agencies to transfer the Rothschild’s giraffes, one of the most endangered populations of giraffe.

To get the giraffes from the sinking island to the mainland nearly one mile away, community members built a “giraft”, a custom-made ship with tall sides, supported by 60 empty drums. The giraffes were transferred one at a time. “Water levels in Lake Baringo have been rising for some time, but in 2020 the rate of rise increased — flooding lakeshore homes, businesses, and threatening the lives of a small group of Rothschild’s giraffes on Longicharo Island, in Ruko Conservancy,” Northern Rangelands Trust said in a statement.

“At last, they can safely breed (繁殖) and bring back the population of the free-ranging Rothschild’s giraffes to their former home ranges in Baringo. It’s such a relief for all involved to have gotten them safely across to the mainland and we are sure they’re enjoying the space in their new home,” he said.

Rothschild’s giraffes were once widespread across Kenya, Uganda and southern Sudan, but numbers have decreased by 80%, leaving only 3,000 in the wild today. But there is hope, given by innovative (创新的) conservation teamwork such as this.

“Working with the communities in the area over the next several years, we will keep this combined group of giraffes safe, and as they breed, their numbers will grow over time, eventually rejoining their cousins in Uganda,” Save Giraffes Now said in a statement.