1 . Called ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC), the idea is to use surface water warmed by the sun to heat a fluid such as ammonia or water, which then runs a heat engine to produce energy, just like a power plant driven by steam. Cold water from deeper layers of the ocean would then be piped up to cool the fluid and repeat the cycle. Theoretically, oceans could provide vast amounts of electricity like this. Researchers have estimated that there is enough ocean heat to supply 7,000 gigawatt s a year without affecting ocean circulation, enough to supply the world’s electricity demand— if we can access it.

The idea was first put forward in 1881, but went largely unexplored until the 1970s oil. crisis drove a search for new sources of energy. In the years since, demonstration projects have been built, but progress has been “disappointing”, says AI Binger at SIDS DOCK, an organisation that promotes clean energy development in small island countries. In recent years, a fresh urgency to transition away from fossil fuels has brought a suggestion of an OTEC return. “It’s the most promising it’s been in many decades,” says Andrea Copping at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Washington state.

Tropical (热带的) islands are good candidates for OTEC because of their high energy costs— diesel (柴油) generators are common there—and the presence of deep cold water not far from shore, says James Van Zwieten at Florida Atlantic University. Islands also have less space for other types of renewables. A barrier for past projects was the cost of fixing kilometres of large pipes to reach deep water. Global OTEC aims to avoid that by extending a shorter pipe from a platform floating in deep water 10 kilometres offshore, then transmitting electricity back via a cable (电缆), and making use of advances made in offshore wind technology.

“OTEC will be part of providing a reasonable energy transition so these places aren’t depending on diesel imports from the richest petrol states in the world,” says Dan Grech, Global OTEC’s CEO.

2 . For the past 17 years, Raquel Radford Baker has been a school bus driver for the Dallas Independent School District. Last month, Baker saved the life of a 7-year-old boy who had a _________ moment on his way to school when he accidentally swallowed (吞咽) a coin and began to choke.

The _________, which was caught on tape, took place on September 29. Preston, a first grader, was sitting in his seat on the bus, when he suddenly sat up, _________ that the coin he had been holding above his open mouth had _________ his throat. He got up and walked to Baker at the front of the bus and tapped her for _________.

Initially, Baker thought Preston was sick, but _________, she heard him say something about a coin and she sprang into _________. She grabbed him from behind and carried him off the bus. When she got to a bench in front of the school, she told a nearby parent to call 911 as she started _________ first aid, which she’d _________ during the company’s training sessions. ____________ that moment, Baker, getting teary, said the only ____________ running through her mind was, “I have to save this boy. I have to save him.”

Thanks to her ____________, the coin was removed from Preston’s throat. Before that, however, Preston had gone ____________ and his face was turning blue. Baker continued first aid. That was when Preston said, “Miss Raquel, I’m okay. I can ____________ ” Baker said that moment brought great ____________. She immediately hugged him tight. Preston promised to never put coins in his mouth again.

3 . Australia Post is celebrating the 10th anniversary of BirdLife Australia’s Aussie Bird Count with three of our most commonly seen birds set to be flying across the globe on a commemorative stamp issue launch today.

Rainbow Lorikeet: Known for its kaleidoscopic colors, the Rainbow Lorikeet has been the number one most seen bird every year of the Aussi e Bird Count. These social and energetic birds are often spotted in urban areas, parks, and gardens, feeding on flowering native plants and spreading joy with their playful calls, though in cities to which they have been introduced such as Perth and Hobart their presence is not so welcome as they out-compete local parrot species.

Noisy Miner: As the name suggests, the Noisy Miners are highly vocal birds with a complex range of calls. They are skilled communicators, using a variety of sounds to defend their home and communicate with their group. These fascinating honeyeaters are essential pollinators, but the number of these bold birds has increased so much that they have started to drive away many of our smaller bush birds.

Australian Magpie: The iconic Australian Magpie, with its distinctive black and white feathers, holds a special place in the hearts of many Australians. Known for their beautiful, melodious song, magpies are highly intelligent and form strong social bonds. They are also famous for their swooping (俯冲) behaviour during the nesting season, as their protective instincts kick in to safeguard their weak chicks in the nest.

The stamp issue includes various products, such as the Aussie Bird Count First Day Cover (Gummed Stamps), the Aussi e Bird Count First Day Cover (Minisheet), and a set of three Maxicards, which can be used as postcards and posted worldwide. Starting today, the stamps are available for purchase through Australia Post’s official website: https://auspost.com.au//stamps.

4 . Sean Sherman, aged 49, has dedicated his career as a _________ to celebrating Native American cuisine. For his efforts, he received the 2023 Julia Child Award, which _________ those who make a difference in how people cook and eat. He is the first Native American to be _________ with the award which comes with a $50,000 grant.

Sherman, a member of the Oglala Lakota tribe, was born and raised in South Dakota on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. When he was a teenager, his family _________ the reservation to Spearfish, South Dakota. He began working in local restaurants and fell in love with cooking.

_________ working as a cook early in his career, Sherman noticed that the food of _________ people was not featured on menus and that native American restaurants were not _________. He dedicated himself to studying his culinary _________, including learning to use clay grills, grow corn, and source local ingredients. He used what he learned to _________ The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous kitchen and to start a(n) __________ organization to teach others about indigenous food for free.

In 2021, Sherman opened Owamni, a restaurant in Minneapolis, Minnesota, that __________ modern indigenous dishes, such as venison tartare, smoked whitefish, and mushroom stew. The restaurant quickly became __________ and was named Best New Restaurant in the US in 2022 by the James Beard Foundation.

In his __________ statement on receiving the Julia Child Award, Sherman said he is a longtime __________ of Julia Child (1912-2004), a beloved chef for whom the award is __________. “I saw the impact food can have on the world through Julia,” he said. “I’m excited to continue her legacy through my work.”

5 . A recent report from a higher education advising organization says nearly 40 percent of American employers avoid offering jobs to recent college graduates.

They said members of Generation Z, or “Gen Z”, the group of Americans born between 1997 and 2012, make a lot of mistakes in job interviews. They say they would rather employ older workers who work harder and are dependable.

The report came out in December and noted that, of 800 directors, managers and executives asked questions, 38 percent said they favor older workers. About 20 percent of employers said young people brought a parent with them to a job interview. Almost 60 percent of those surveyed said recent college graduates are unprepared for work and about half said they had to dismiss, or fire, a recent college graduate. Others said the young workers do not take criticism well.

Because of bad experiences with younger workers, more than half of the business leaders said they are putting policies in place that older workers want. For example, they are offering benefits that are important to older workers, paying higher salaries and permitting older workers to work from home.

One respondent gave an example of a Gen Z job seeker who refused to turn on their camera during a video interview. Michael Connors is a recruiter in the Washington, D. C. area. He said he has not had a job candidate saying they will not use their camera for interviews. However, he has had some candidates choosing noisy places for calls.

Adam Capozzi is the career services director at Syracuse University in New York State. He said while many students are very good about online communication, and data management and have experience with spreadsheets, they need help with the “soft skills”. “You could be in an elevator at a specific office building or at a different establishment and bump into someone and strike up a 30-second conversation and not know who they are associated with and a positive first impression can lead to further conversation.”

6 . Turning around corners, weaving through traffic, every second matters. It is neither a street race nor a 007 chase, but the risky journey of a sushi (寿司) roll.

The streets of China are filled with delivery drivers racing noodles, sandwiches and soups across cities. While the everyday consumer may find these services convenient, most do not realize the true cost of their delivery. How much is that late-night snack really worth?

Strict time limits are the main concern for delivery drivers. The Chinese delivery app Meituan decreased the maximum time allowance from 50 minutes to 30 or even 20. Time literally means money: Surpassing the limit can result in fines, which are paid to the firm rather than to the consumers. Yet, beyond fines, there is often a greater cost. According to Pandaily News, one delivery worker is injured or killed in accidents every 2.5 days in Shanghai and, sadly, companies seldom provide insurance claims when their time limits lead to these consequences. Drivers are pushed to break traffic rules and risk their lives so your sushi is not a minute late.

Furthermore, low wages and extensive working hours exacerbate these issues. Some companies in China take advantage of the economic inequalities between China’s large cities and less developed interior to offer extremely low pay to migrant delivery drivers while demanding long hours. Yet these long hours and low pay are common throughout the global delivery industry. In the United States, advertised earnings of $22 per hour are largely exaggerated while workers complain that food delivery apps rarely give them all their tips.

What is the solution? First, consumers should recognize what is behind their impossibly cheap and fast delivery: exploitation. We should expect more from the delivery app companies and less from their drivers. That is, we should pay more and wait longer while only ordering from companies who offer their drivers fair wages, insurance and a safe working environment. In the end, your sushi is just not worth it.

9 . UK safety advisers have dismissed concerns that highly processed food, also known as ultra-processed food (UPF), is automatically unhealthy because of the way it is made or its artificial ingredients. The current way that the UK and most other countries assess the nutrition al value of foods—which is generally by how much fat, salt, sugar and calories they contain—remains the best approach to achieving a health y diet, said a team of scientists. They also warned that people who cut out all ultra-processed foods could make their diets more unhealthy, for instance, if they avoid foods such as yogurts, low-fat spreads, wholemeal bread and food made of grains.

Concerns about processed foods have been growing, but it is unclear if there is something uniquely bad about them or if they just tend to be higher in things like fat and sugar. The issue has come into focus this year since Chris van Tulleken, a doctor and TV presenter, published a book called Ultra-Processed People: Why do we all eat stuff that isn’ t food... and why can’t we stop? Chris van Tulleken has called for more countries to adopt dietary guidelines pioneered in Brazil, where people are advised to prioritise eating whole foods and homemade meals, and avoid eating factory-made foods.

On 27 September, researchers from nutrition organisations rejected the proposed system. “We absolutely need foods to be processed so that we can feed the world,” said May at the University of Leeds, UK, who is a member of the British Nutrition Foundation. May also said UPF includes products that are both healthy and unhealthy. “It’s important we don’t throw the baby out with the bath water here. There are many components that have a very important role to play in nutrition and in safety,” he said.

Benefits of food processing include the use of preservatives that make food last longest and artificial sweeteners that help people reduce their sugar intake, said May. Other examples of processed foods that can be beneficial include baby food, infant formula milk and breads with added vitamins and minerals, said the panel.