3 . As thrift was introduced into mainstream pop culture, young people started going to thrift stores for cheaper, fashionable finds. Gen Z consumers state that sustainability is an important factor while making buying decisions. Many choose to shop for a second-hand or resale item of eco-friendly products. Thrift shopping may have once been on the to-do list of people in poverty. But now a rise in eco-conscious thinking has caused young people to pop to thrift stores.

However, scientists recently have come to realize such trendy sustainable practices could actually be less rosy than expected.

Actually, the root of this sustainability dilemma is not only assessing what you use in your life, but the overconsumption. “Buying piles of second- hand clothing doesn’t help to build a sustainable future or challenge our addiction to shopping whenever we want them,” says Anna Fitzpatrick, a project coordinator at the Sustainable Fashion’s Centre. In some cases, the very existence of second-hand stores can give us a false sense of guiltlessness. Fitzpatrick adds, “we can clear out our entire wardrobe by leaving what we don’t want at a second-hand store with the hope that it’ll be put into good use. Instead of buying less, we trick ourselves into thinking we can shop our way out of the problem by donating again and again.”

While shopping second-hand may seem like fun, or even an adventurous activity for fashion lovers, it’s absolutely essential for people of limited budget. With thrifting reaching new levels of popularity, a great many people are noticing a rise in prices at their local thrift stores. This can influence those who rely on the used market for everyday wear.

“Actually, they aren’t shopping in second-hand shops to be sustainable or cool—they’re doing it out of necessity,” says Fitzpatrick. So, when you walk into a thrift shop or really any store, it’s important to ask yourself whether it is necessary. While buying second-hand used to be economical and sustainable, it’s now about consumption and staying on trend. Just remember, when it comes to your wardrobe, less is more helpful for society and the planet.

4 . In 1665, Johannes Vermeer, one of the greatest painters in Netherlands, completed his masterpiece “Girl With a Pearl Earring.” On an April day 357 years later, Janine Strong slowed her bike to stop, paused her fitness app, and watched as the snaking line of her cycling route drew the shape of Vermeer’s masterpiece over the streets of Brooklyn.

Ms. Strong creates what has come to be known as “GPS art” — a practice that uses the Global Positioning System mapping capabilities of modern phone apps to create digital drawings with an athlete’s route. It has grown with the widespread availability of satellite tracking for use by ordinary people. In fact, the idea has been around since before the popularity of smartphones for fitness like Strava released in 2009.

In 2003, The New York Times Magazine told of how Jeremy Wood got the idea for GPS art. Mr. Wood said while he was using a GPS tracker on a flight and the plane flew in a holding pattern above Heath-row Airport, he was attracted by the pattern appearing on his Garmin GPS device. In recent years, technology has advanced enough to create visual maps in real time using a phone or smart watch.

“I get bored cycling on the same path in the same streets,” Ms. Strong said. “Creating GPS art gives me more reasons to hit the pavement, which makes cycling a lot easier. I always have a big smile on my face when it works out and I upload it and it’s done,” she added. “It’s a very satisfying feeling.”

To complete her digital vision of “Girl With a Pearl Earring,” she biked almost 50 miles around southern Brooklyn, carefully checking Strava to make sure each turn, circle, and straight line was achieving the shape of earring and head covering of Vermeer’s original.

9 . During the past few weekends, we held the first 24-Hour Play Festival on campus, the first event our society board has held.

The event started in the Playhouse Theatre at 8:00 pm on Friday with students who _________ to be either an actor, director, or playwright (编剧). Then the host _________ the theme of the event concerning the plays. Playwrights had 12 hours to write a 10-minute play based on the theme, which meant that they had to work all night because the scripts (剧本) were _________ at 8:00 am on Saturday. _________ received scripts and had 12 hours with actors to start their rehearsals (排练). Everyone would _________ at 8:00 pm on Saturday.

As a _________ manager, I had to make sure everything went well. It was really _________ because this was our first time. Students haven’t _________ since the start of the pandemic, so it was _________ to see actors perform in the same room as the audience.

The performers did a(n) __________ job. I was amazed at the playwrights’ beautiful scripts and the ideas they represented. Among those stories, there were many __________ including friendship, love and equality.

One of my favorite plays was about friendship. In the play, a girl and a boy haven’t seen each other for a long time. One day, they meet __________. At first, they are __________ because they do not know where to __________. It was so real that it reminded me of my friend and me. When they talked about good memories in the past and __________ for the future, I was moved. They moved like birds on the stage, and my heart __________.

The actors were amazing. They had to memorize all their __________ in 12 hours. Directors also __________ great ideas in such a short time. I was really excited to watch the performances and be one of the staff. It was not easy to start from zero, but __________ there is a beginning, a story always __________. I learned a lot from the event.

10 . It was very dark outside. The whole building kept ________ in the hurricane. The fire alarm went off and rainwater came in from the roof of the ________ and dripped (滴) down the walls.

Frankie Randazzo, a restaurant owner, came out of his home at sunrise, after ________ the storm with his wife and her dad. Outside, he saw a large ________ that fell on the ground narrowly missed his bedroom. Its branches were everywhere.

The scene is a ________ sight across Lake Charles and the surrounding towns in southwestern Louisiana in the ________ after Hurricane Laura swept through. The storm ________ the Gull Coast as a powerful Category 4 storm, one of the ________ to have ever hit the region.

For Randazzo, and many other people in America, it was the latest ________ in this year. In March, Randazzo had to ________ his restaurants because of the pandemic (流行病). He missed all the big ________       : St. Patrick’s Day, Mother’s Day. Now comes Hurricane Laura!

“My business was shut down and now my home is ________ too,” he sighed. “It’s basically like a(n) ________ movie.”

The recovery would be ________. The health crisis has already left businesses struggling to ________, and tens of thousands of people have been ________ across the state. It will be ________ for most of the people to find a place to ________ during the pandemic.

“However, this storm, or anything else, isn’t going to ________ us down. We’re going to ________ and we’ll be stronger than we were before.”