1 . Programs that drive the digital experiences today seem to turn to contents that are popular, and they are unable to tell facts from fictions. And due to the fact that anyone can post anything they want online, unconfirmed reports and irresponsible and unchecked contents are common in the online world.

The problem is so common that the British newspaper The Independent has a whole page contributed to news about fake news, along with Mashable’s social media and a growing number of others.

During the past days when most kids used textbooks that had been edited and reviewed responsibly before they were used, the need for students to check their sources was not great. Today, it’s different. Students use the Internet for research, and teachers and parents can’t keep them away from bad contents all the time. And they’re on their own as they get older. They have to master information literacy, the skills of recognizing bad information, identifying good information, and understanding the difference between the two.

There are people and organizations dealing with the problem and developing information for Internet searchers, both adults and children. The website of Encyclopedia Britannica, for example, has provided Internet searchers with extra information at the top right of their results page. The move was intended to make people slow down and think twice before accepting search results as facts.

Fake news is here to stay. We all need to fight. We can start with awareness and a few rules: don’t make the web full of bad information: don’t spread or share information if you aren’t sure about it. And be mindful of how we use information: practice information literacy. And human curiosity is of great importance in this fight against misinformation. Curiosity drives learning and makes people question information. We need everyone to join in researching and questioning for the truth.

2 . From Italy to Indonesia, major restoration works are underway to preserve and improve some of the world’s most historic sites.

Italy

It’s seen beasts, battles and bloody executions, and now the world’s most iconic arena is seeing…a floor. An architecture company has decided to restore the Colosseum’s floor to its former glory and allow visitors to admire the 1,950-year-old building from its centre, where gladiators once fought. Set for completion in 2023, the 32,300 square feet surface will be made up of narrow pieces of wood that can let light and air into the rooms beneath.

England

Hadrian’s Wall marks its 1,900th anniversary next year and is set to receive £30m in government and charity funding, with the goal of improving transport links and upgrading visitor centres. It’s hoped the wall will become one of the nation's top landmarks. Key to the strategy is its Game of Thrones connection — the Wall in George R. R. Martin’s novels was inspired by a visit to the site.

France

After numerous setbacks following the 2019 fire, the restoration of Notre-Dame cathedral is set to pick up the pace this summer. Charity Friends of Notre-Dame de Paris has set up an appeal for donations to help preserve the church’s treasures. Donors can choose where their money goes — whether it's on artworks, holy relics or the famous ugly character.

Indonesia

Coral reefs are among the planet’s oldest ecosystems, but they face a dangerous future. At the Sheba Hope Reef, off the island of Sulawesi, 19,000 reef stars, seeded with 285,000 coral fragments, have been planted as part of what’s praised as the world’s biggest coral restoration project. The scheme is led by cat food brand Sheba, whose aim to ensure a sustainable fish population benefits cats, as well as the 500 million people whose livelihoods depend on reefs.

3 . During the annual political sessions, environmental protection was definitely among the biggest concerns. Actually, it was also an issue that ancient Chinese paid great attention to. In fact, the world’s earliest environmental protection concept, ministry and laws were all born in China. So how did the ancient Chinese protect the environment?

In early ancient China, environmental protection was promoted to the political level. Xunzi, a famous thinker in Warring States Period, brought up the concept of “managing state affairs through environmental protection”. He stated in his book that vegetation should not be damaged at will. Guan Zhong, an official 400 years ahead of Xunzi, was also an environmental protection expert. During his term of office, he claimed that “a King who cannot protect his vegetation is not qualified to be a king”.

According to a record in Qing dynasty, the environmental protection ministry in early ancient China was called “Yu”, standing both for the institution and the official title. Although most of its functions were similar to such ministries today, the administration range of it was much larger, including the mountains, forests, rivers, lakes and so on.

The nine ministries established by Shun, an ancient Chinese emperor, already included “Yu”, the environmental protection ministry. The first “Yu” official was a man called Boyi, who was indeed an environmental protection expert. He was a capable assistant to Dayu, an ancient Chinese water-control expert. He invented wells, protecting people’s drinking water from pollution. He knew a lot about animals and also called for animal protection.

Environmental protection laws dated back to the ruling period of Dayu, which was more than 4,000 years ago. During his rule, he issued a ban, forbidding people to cut down wood in March or catch fish in June, the time when they were supposed to boom.

In Spring and Autumn and Warring States Period almost 3,000 years ago, “environmental protection laws” appeared in its true sense in Qin, which was recorded in Law of Fields and regarded as China’s earliest “environmental protection laws”.

4 . Bei Bei’s 2019 departure from the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, to join the giant panda breeding program in China’s Wolong Nature Reserve, left a big blank for fans. What made the loss of the adorable panda even more upset was the belief that his mother, Mei Xiang, was too old to have more cubs. However, on August21, 2020, the 22-year-old proved experts wrong by giving birth to a healthy cub.

“Giant pandas are an international symbol of endangered wildlife, and with the birth of this precious cub we are thrilled to offer the world a much-needed moment of pure joy,” said Steve Monfort, director of the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. “Because Mei Xiang is of advanced pregnant age, we knew the chances of her having a cub were slim. However, we wanted to give her one more opportunity to contribute to her species’ survival. I am incredibly proud of our animal care and science teams, whose expert knowledge and skills in giant panda behavior were vital to this conservation success.”

The zookeepers, who witnessed the “miracle” birth on the live panda camera, say Mei Xiang took to her new cub instantly and has since been seen lovingly caring for it. Nutrition is significant for the survival of the precious cub. Newborn pandas, which weigh just three to five pounds at birth, are unable to crawl or see for about two months. They, therefore, entirely rely on the mother’s warmth, milk, and protection. It will be several days before the cub, whose sex is still unknown, can be brought out from its mother for a thorough physical exam. However, thus far, the cub, which can be heard squawking on the live camera feed, appears to be perfectly healthy.

The newborn’s parents, Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, are part of the Zoo’s cooperative breeding agreement with the China Wildlife Conservation Association. Similar to its brothers and sisters-Tai Shan, Bao Bao, and Bei Bei-upon turning four, the new baby panda will be sent to China to try to increase the numbers of the endangered species, which currently total just 1,864 specimens in the wild.

7 . It started 30 years ago with a squirrel. A few months after I moved into a building in downtown Manhattan, my next-door neighbor, Nicole Figaro, knocked, asking for help with a squirrel that had gotten into her apartment.

I ______ Lout the animal and made a new friend. Soon Nicole was ______ me over for dinner or ______ home-cooked food at my door. When I went to my beach house, Nicole picked up my ______ and watered my plants, and when she ______ on vacations, I did the same for her. She'd bring me wonderful ______ from far-away places, but her ______ and best wishes have been the greatest gift of all.

In 1997, I took care of my partner during his ______ days, and it was Nicole who took care of me: Years later, I ______ the favor, helping out when her husband, who was ______ needed her to take care of him for almost everything. More and more, we ______ strength and inspiration from each other.

My father ______ last January. Nicole helped my family prepare for the service. I couldn't have gotten through that day without her. The pandemic ______ then. Nicole and I ______ for groceries for each other, knowing we could get through anything together. And we will. A ______ might separate our apartments, but nothing separates our hearts.

8 . Today, plastic is used in almost everything, from shopping bags and bottles to chairs and cars. Plastic has conquered the world. But do you know how it was first made?

The first man-made plastic was created by Alexander Parkes, who introduced it at the 1862 Great International Exhibition in London. It was called Parkesine, and it was made from plant materials. Once heated, it could be molded, and it held its shape when cooled. Also, it could be made colored or transparent. However, it was too expensive to produce for common use.

In the 19th century, billiards（a game played on a cloth-covered table）was so popular that a lot of elephants were being killed for their ivory, which was used to make billiard balls. So, people tried to find a substitute. A U.S. billiard ball company offered a prize of S10, 000 to the person who could design the best substitute for natural ivory. In 1866, Joh

Wesley Hyatt created Celluloid while trying to win the prize. Although he failed to win, Celluloid was later used to make many products, including false teeth, piano keys, and ping pong balls.

In 1909, Leo Backeland created Bakelite. Made entirely of artificial materials, it was the first true plastic. It was inexpensive, and it kept its shape when heated. Soon, it was being used in many things, including electrical products and jewelry. Since then, many other plastics have been developed.

Today, most plastics are produced from non-natural materials made from petroleum. They are light, flexible, strong. and cheap. Despite all these advantages, there is one problem: plastic waste breaks down slowly and toxic chemicals can leak from it. Therefore, people are trying to develop less harmful plastics.