3 . Bangladesh's floating gardens, built to grow food during flood seasons, could offer a continuous solution for parts of the world which are likely to suffer from flooding because of climate change, a new study has found.

Bangladesh's floating gardens began hundreds of years ago. The gardens are made from native plants that float in the rivers and operate almost like rafts (筏), rising and filling with the waters. Historically, they were used to continue growing food during rainy seasons when rivers were filled with water.

The farmers layer the plants about three feet deep, creating a version of raised-bed gardens that float in the water. Then, they plant vegetables inside those rafts. As the raft-plants rot away, they release nutrients, which help feed the vegetable plants.

But as climate change affected the volume of water in those rivers, the researchers wanted to understand whether Bangladesh's floating gardens could be a continuous farming practice. They interviewed farming families and found strong evidence that floating gardens provide stability, both in the amount of food available to feed rural populations and in a farming family's income.

They found that farmers typically use hybrid (杂交) seeds, which must be repurchased each year, to grow a diverse range of vegetables in the floating gardens. The gardens are also sensitive to pests, so farmers end up spending some money on both pesticides and fertilizers. But even with those expenses, they found, benefits outweighed costs. One farmer told the research team that he earns up to four times as much money from the gardens as from traditional rice fields.

However, before gaining profits, farmers often take out high-interest loans (贷款) to cover the investment costs of filling the beds and stocking them with plants. Luckily; there are also lower-interest loans from responsible government or non-governmental organizations, which could ease that burden.

4 . When you hear the beginning of your favorite song from the radio, suddenly your neck is covered in goose bumps.

It's such a thing that a group of scientists call “skin excitement”—a feeling of cold caused not by a drop in temperature or sudden scare, but by the sense of beauty. “Skin excitement” can come from a song, a painting, a moving movie scene, or even a beloved memory-pretty much anything that causes the giving out of pleasure-soaked dopamine in your brain. But it does not come for all of us.

Your favorite music uncovers a lot about your personality，and so does how you respond to that music. Studies suppose that as few as 55 percent of people experience “skin excitement” when listening to music. And if you count yourself among this group, the goose bumps on your skin aren't the only giveaway—scientists can read it in your brain, too. In a new study published in the journal Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, Harvard researchers performed brain scans on 10 students who said they reliably got cold when listening to music, and 10 students who didn't. They found that the cold-prone brains may really be excited by stronger emotions.

Cold-prone brains are generally more likely to show stronger emotional intelligence than no-cold brains. Cold-prone minds tend to have unusual active imagination, reflect more deeply on their emotions, and appreciate nature and the beauty of music and art to a stronger degree than no-cold brains.

So, what type of music causes the chills? It seems that the type is not so important; participants in the new study reported getting cold from songs of every kind. And any song connected with a strong emotional memory of the listener can produce the most reliable results. For me, that's the song Sailing to Philadelphia by Mark Knopfler, which I listened to as a kid in the car with my dad, on the way to the summer camp.

6 . “Human activity has wiped out two-thirds of the world’s wildlife since 1970,” CNN reported on September 10, 2020. Later that month, the Guardian reported that “40 percent of the world’s plant species are at risk of extinction”. Stanford biologist Paul Ehrlich and his colleagues argued that “the ongoing sixth mass extinction may be the most serious environmental threat to the persistence of civilization”. Around the same time, the Daily Mail warned that “human civilization stands a 90 percent chance of collapse within decades due to deforestation”.

These horrible calculations and projections come from authoritative-sounding reports issued by international agencies, conservation groups, and peer-reviewed scientific journals. But is the future of wild nature and human civilization really so poor?

Data from uncontroversial mainstream sources strongly indicate that both humanity and the natural world are likely to be flourishing rather than collapsing at the end of this century. Humanity is becoming an urban species, and that’s good for the environment, since urban dwellers generally use less electricity, produce less globe-warming carbon dioxide, and have smaller land footprints than people living in the countryside. By 2100, it is estimated that 85 percent of people will be city dwellers, which would leave only 1.2 billion still living in the countryside. That means more space for the wildlife and less pollution from the agriculture.

The global tree-covering area increased by 865,000 square miles between 1982 and 2016. The researchers found that gains in forest area in the mild, subtropical and northern climatic zones are offsetting declines in the tropics. The Maryland researchers owe much of that increase to “natural afforestation on abandoned agricultural land”. “Furthermore, forests in mountainous regions are expanding as climate warming enables trees to grow at higher altitudes,” they added.

Humanity does face big environmental challenges in the coming century. But the scientific and economic evidence shows that most of the trends are positive or can be turned in positive direction by human wisdom. Rather than an age of extinction, the 21st century promises to be an era of environmental renewal.

7 . The icy beauty of the Arctic attracts thousands of visitors every year to see its wonderful wildlife, landscape and local cultures. Visitors can take ships on a voyage along the Arctic Ocean or take flights to cities along the Arctic edge. No matter how one gets there, they should wear warm clothes and get ready to take in the attractions.

“Travelling to the Arctic leaves an unforgettable impression on the visitor. Its vast expanse and the fragility of its environment are two things that really blow away people,” said Cheryl Rosa, the director of the US Arctic Research Commission.

Visitors to the Arctic Circle will have a lot of activities to choose from if they want to see all that the region has to offer. Hiking with snowshoes, dog sledding and kayaking are common activities. Visitors with sharp eyes are likely to spot polar bears. To get even closer to the animals of the sea, visitors can go polar snorkeling with seals. Of course, Arctic adventures aren't complete without viewing the wonders of the Arctic Circle's large glaciers and icebergs as well.

One of the most impressive attractions and maybe the most difficult to see is the Northern Lights, one of the seven natural wonders of the world. They are natural lights that glow a brilliant green and light up the horizon. Sometimes they appear as waves that dance across the sky in different colors.

The best places to view the Northern Lights are in Northern Norway, Sweden's Abisko National Park , Iceland, America's Alaska or Canada's Yukon, according to space.com. Charles Deehr, an expert at the University of Alaska Fairbanks' Geophysical Institute , recommended planning a trip between winter and spring, especially when there is a new moon.

Even though the Arctic is a popular tourist destination, don't forget that people live here too. “It is recommended that visitors go with tour groups that are respectful of Arctic residents (居民) and their culture,” said Rosa. “Too many people can disturb the small villages. Finding tour groups that work with local communities is important.”

9 . What people say is only one aspect of good communication. Good listening skills and body language are also important for us to effectively communicate with others. Effective communication involves more than talking to a person. How things are said, words are chosen and tones are adopted are all aspects of good communication.

Body language, a common form of non-verbal communication, can support what a speaker is saying. Studies have shown that of the information that is received from other people, only 10% is from what they say and 40% is from the tone and speed of their voice. The other 50% is obtained from their body language. Reading body language is part of developing social skills.

Some professionals, such as lawyers, governmental security officers and doctors on mental problems, learn to read every type of body language of others to help in their jobs. They look for specific signs, while the average person reads some body language subconsciously（下意识地）. Body language can involve one aspect such as the eyes, or the use of different body parts. Where the body is positioned in relation to another person or at a table is another piece in communicating what the person is feeling. Troubles may arise（出现） when body language is misunderstood.

Good listening skills clear the way to a clear message while bad listening skills create barriers which can confuse or stop the message. Good listeners can use body language by nodding occasionally to show interest and understanding, make eye contact with the speaker, repeat some of the words and feelings, and summarize what they have heard. All these can avoid communication troubles.

Poor listeners rarely communicate effectively. Barriers they commonly use may include: interruptions, inappropriate humor, judgments, criticisms, and unrelated questions. People who are attempting to communicate with a person who continually throws out barriers will often stop talking and they even get angry as they feel misunderstood and frustrated. Healthy minded people are able to communicate with others effectively by avoiding these barriers. They are able to let their partners know what they want regularly and clearly.