2 . Highlights of the Current Affairs

Loneliness economy

China's younger generations are driving up the value of the country's industry. In recent years, businesses built around loneliness have appeared and boomed in China , presenting single people with the services they need. As furry animals occupy the personal lives of more and more people, the industrial chain established around pets is starting a market that might soon be worth hundreds of billions of yuan.

Following the catering industry, shopping and housekeeping services which turned to the Internet for modern solutions, the pet industry is also offering creative services, such as a call-out vet（兽医）service.

Alipay adds beauty filters（美颜）to face-scan

The Chinese mobile payment application, Alipay launched a new update that included "beauty filters" into its face-scan payment system. The "beauty filters" , which beautify users when they make payments via the application, have been well received by the market.

A survey run by news portal Sina Technology showed that more than 60% of respondents think they look uglier through the face-scan payments method than on a regular camera. The number of women users, in particular, increased by 123 percent after this technique appeared.

Future pocket money

Research has found that 84% of British parents currently give notes and coins to their children. But banks predict that by 2028 only one in ten businesses will be with cash. Children may not understand the value of cash because they never see it. Parents face a dilemma—finding a new way to offer pocket money, or maybe not bothering to pay it at all.

But whatever method a parent chooses to adopt, they need to teach their kids that money doesn't grow on trees!

3 . There have been numerous wake-up calls about the effects of climate change on sea life. As ocean waters heat up, they are making coral lose color. Growing levels of carbon dioxide are making seawater more acidic. Now climate change is starting to affect fish's sense of smell, a phenomenon that will worsen in the coming years if global warming continues growing.

A sense of smell is what the fish can't do without. They use it to find food, detect upcoming danger, escape from predators (捕食者）find safe environments, and even recognize one another. "Future levels of carbon dioxide can have large negative effects on the sense of smell of fish, which can affect fish population numbers and the entire ecosystem, ”said an ocean life expert. "This can be prevented, but we must reduce carbon emissions now before it's too late.”

Experts believe that about half of carbon dioxide emissions produced by human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels--have over time ended up in the oceans, lowering the pH of seawater, and making it more acidic.

Researchers found that sea bass (鲈鱼）exposed to the more acidic conditions swam less and were less likely to react when encountering the smell of a predator. Also, they were more likely to "freeze", a sign of anxiety, according to the study. They found the longer the fish were in high CO2,the worse they got along. The researchers also measured the ability of the fish to detect certain odors (气味）in different levels of acidity (酸度）。 The study showed that their ability to detect and respond to some odors connected with food and threatening situations was more strongly affected than other odors.

The research is important because 20 percent of the protein consumed by 3 million people comes from seafood, and about 50 percent of this comes from fish caught from the wild. “Therefore, increases in carbon dioxide in the ocean have the potential to affect all fish species, including those that many people rely on food and livelihood, "the ocean life expert warned.

4 . What do you usually do to comfort your friends when they are feeling sad or depressed? You probably pat them on the back or shoulder, or maybe you give them a big, warm hug.

We used to think that knowing when and how to comfort others was an ability that only humans have. But scientists have discovered that apes （猩猩）have this ability, too. Two researchers from Emory University in Atlanta, US, went to an Ape Protection Centre in Congo to study bonobos （倭黑猩猩）,which are closely related to humans.

The researchers analyzed the bonobos' reactions after more than 370 cases of stressful situations, such as fights and losing temper, and found that some bonobos rushed to hug those that were screaming after being attacked, just like humans would have done.

However, researchers said that not all bonobos were able to comfort others. In the protection centre, many bonobos are orphans （孤儿）whose mothers were killed by hunters. They were found to be more anxious in times of tension and have greater difficulty controlling their own emotions, malting them worse at reaching out to help friends in need.

"Orphans, who have not had the benefit of a mother helping them handling their emotions, are much worse al comforting others,” Professor Frans de Waal, one of the researchers, told The Telegraph. "Bonobos with moms were able to curb their negative emotional reactions more quickly. Therefore, they pay more attention to others.” This pattern mirrors the way that human children have been found to react. Those who seem more capable of handling their own emotions—for example, the ones who can calm themselves down more quickly after upsetting experiences—are usually better at expressing their concerns for others .

5 . Kermit the Frog, a popular puppet character from US kids show Sesame Street is probably most well-known for saying, “It’s not easy being green.” Well, our famous frog friend won’t have to worry much longer! It seems that the color green is coming back in style in 2020.

Based on fashion collections made for spring/summer 2020, it is clear that major brands have been inspired by nature’s beauty. The new designs include a variety of leaf prints and flower fashion. Models wore dresses covered in a leafy-green print. These elegant dresses were perfectly paired with shoes and accessories inspired by tropical flowers. At Versace’s fashion show in Milan, US actress Jennifer Lopez closed the show in a remake of the jungle print dress she wore to the Grammy Awards 20 years ago. The dress certainly amazed the crowd.

This new trend in seeing the color green as fashionable shouldn’t come as a surprise, though. The popularity of the color has actually been growing for a while now. In 2017, Pantone named green its color of the year as a symbol of new beginnings. Also, with an increased focus on the environment, designers and fashion brands are trying to make their clothes more eco-friendly and sustainable.

Green is a strong fashion trend for 2020 and it seems that it is here to stay. According to the famous Dutch trend forecaster, Li Edelkoort, green will be a major color of the decade. She believes the new “Green Wave” is linked to a hunger for nature. “The need for green is so powerful that it will turn around fashion and design without any doubt, it is impossible to ignore,” Edelkoort writes on her company website describing the new trend.

There is much more to green than it being just a color. Edelkoort continues, “But maybe the most important thing about green is its power to bring joy.” Maybe it’s easier to be green than Kermit originally thought.

6 . The driver who cuts you off in traffic.The neighbors who don't pick up after their dog.Situations such as these get our hearts racing and send our stress levels skyrocketing.Anger isn't a pleasant feeling.Some of us bottle up the emotion, while others explode in a wild rage (狂怒).Both habits do considerable harm to our bodies, our minds, and our relationships.

“Anger may fee1 uncomfortable and a lot of people think they have to get rid of their anger," says Patrick Keelan, a registered psychologist in Calgary, Alberta.“But anger is an emotion built into us to signal that something needs to be addressed.When we take notice of that signal and actually wrestle with the problem instead of turning a blind eye to it, we' re usually much better for it.”

Unfortunately, many of us have been conditioned to keep our emotions hidden.Increasingly,research is suggesting that this can have long-term effects on our health.Investigators at the University of Rochester noticed that people who contain their emotions tend to live shorter lives.When we're angry, stress hormones are released, which can make us more likely to develop a wide range of diseases, including diabetes, depression, immune related conditions.

Is it better, then, to scream and howl whenever something makes you mad? That's probably the reason why“rage rooms" have popped up in many American cities, where folks are invited to let steam off by violently smashing (打碎) stuff in a“safe" environment.However, the research indicates that when people display anger aggressively, it can actually increase the intensity of the anger -- and increase the likelihood of aggressive actions in the future.It doesn't take much imagination to predict how such behavior can affect your relationship with your spouse, your kids, or your colleagues.It also hurts your health.A large 2016 study at McMaster University found that people are more than twice as likely to have a heart attack after an angry explosion.

If we shouldn't bottle up our angry feelings but aggressive behavior isn't healthy either, how should we handle things that tick us of? It's the extreme highs and lows that cause the damage.If you're able to apply techniques that smooth out some of those peaks and valleys, you can have a gentler ride.

7 . Everyone needs friends.There is an old saying, "Friends are God’s way of taking care of us." But how do you find real friendship and keep it?

The American writer Sally Seamans tells young students some smart ways to make friends.Sally says finding friendship is just like planting a tree.You plant the seed(种子)and take care of it to make it grow.

First, you should choose a friend.What makes a good friend? It is not because a person has money or good looks.A good friend should be kind and patient(耐心).For example, if you have a bad day, a good friend should listen to your complaints and do his best to help.To make a good friend, you cannot be too shy.You should make each other happy and share your lives.

But things cannot always be happy.Even the best friends have fights.What should you do when you have a fight with your friend? You have to talk to him or her.When there is no one around, have an honest talk.If he or she doesn't want to talk, you could write a letter.

Tell him or her how you are feeling; say what your friend has done wrong, and explain why you did this or that.Remember that friendship is the most important thing in your life.

8 . Thanks to this new hands- free suitcase, carrying around heavy luggage may soon become a thing of the past. Designed by Israeli company NUA Robotics, this “smart” suitcase can follow you everywhere you go.

The carry­on suitcase, now a prototype(雏形), connects to a smartphone app via bluetooth. It has a built­in camera sensor that can “see” you and follow you around on flat floors. It comes with an anti­theft alarm to prevent someone carrying it away when you’re not looking.“It can follow and carry things for people around while communicating with their smartphone, and avoiding bumping into other objects,” explained Alex Libman, founder of NUA Robotics.“We’re combining sensor network, computer vision, and robotics. So if you download our app(应用), press the ‘follow me’ button, the luggage recognizes its user and knows to follow and communicate.”

NUA is still testing the products and trying to improve features like speed and customization(客户订制), but they hope to make the suitcase available to customers in a year’s time. If it proves successful, they want to use the bluetooth pairing technology to automate(自动化操作）lots of other products, like shopping carts at the supermarket. These products are especially meant to be useful to the physically disabled and elderly.“Any object can be smart and robotic，” Libman told Mashable.“We want to bring robots into everyday life.”

The Israeli tech company made it clear that the finished product will look just like a common suitcase. They’re planning to partner with a carry­on luggage maker, since the product that makes it “smart” weighs just 2.5 pounds and can be fitted on old­fashion luggage.

With NUA’s smart suitcase, carrying around heavy luggage isn’t a burden. But how their invention will handle tough blocks like stairs? It will be interesting to wait.

9 . Almost everyone has heard the expression “the calm before the storm.” It is usually used to describe a peaceful period just before a very stressful situation or a tense argument.

British sailors coined the phrase in the late 1600s; they noted that before certain storms the seas would seem to become still and the winds would drop.

Science has given us the reason. According to US website HowStuffWorks, a calm period occurs because many storms, tornadoes and hurricanes draw in all the warm and humid(湿热的) air from the surrounding area. As this air rises into the storm clouds, it cools and acts as “fuel for the storm, like petrol in a car”. Once the storm has taken all the energy it can from the air, it is pushed out from the top of the storm clouds and falls back down to ground level. As the air goes down, it becomes warm and dry. Warm and dry air is stable, so once it covers an area, it causes a calm period before the storm. This same process also causes the “eye of the storm” in hurricanes and tornadoes. In these conditions, the calm occurs in the center of the storm because of the strong rotating (旋转的) winds.

The Weather Network has a tip for working out how far away a storm is. First count how many seconds there are between a flash of lightning and a clap of thunder, roughly three seconds equal one kilometer. So, for example, if you count nine seconds, the storm is about three kilometers away. A good method is that if your count is below 30 seconds, you should seek shelter straight away.

However, due to the complexity of storm system, not all storms take place after calm. Given the right conditions, some storms announce themselves with heavy rain and fierce winds.

So, your best bet is to keep yourself updated with weather reports for any predictions regarding a coming storm in your area. That's the most reliable way to predict the next display(展示) of nature's temper (脾气).

10 . Reading instruction in the classroom is a key concern for all teachers and there are many ways to go about it. However, is our determination to achieve excellence in reading skills in our children killing their love and enjoyment of a good book?

In my work with parents, I am frequently asked the best ways to encourage reluctant readers to be engaged with books. Parents report that their children return home from school with no inclination to pick up a book and read.

Any eager reader will gladly talk about the joy with a good book to read away the hours on a cold, rainy afternoon. Reading a good book is one of life’s greatest pleasures. We need to share these experiences with our children in order to assist them in developing into strong readers. But the use of boring, mass-produced home reading texts in children’s early years at school can be seen as the beginning of this negative cycle.

As children progress through their schooling life, there are many other instances of learning reading skills that don’t help reading development. Frequently, teachers feel the pressure to give their students “just enough” in terms of reading strategies to be able to achieve the test, which leaves little time to focus on reading for pleasure.

Kelly Gallagher, a high school teacher, outlines the term “Readicide” in his book. He says it’s: the systematic killing of the love of reading, often worsened by foolish, boring practices found in schools.

Recent research shows that many teachers tend to follow the traditional literacy practices that they have experienced in their own education, which can often have negative intentions for their students.

While teaching children key concepts for analyzing and evaluating texts is important, the manner in which it is done and time that is spent on this can lead to unexpected results. Schools aren’t to blame when it comes to not arresting students’ lack of interest in reading, but they have an important role to play in fostering reading enjoyment.