1 . On the 5-square-metre balcony(阳台) of Zhong Lan’s apartment, there is a mini-farm filled with lemons, tomatoes, eggplants and blueberries. Zhong’s idyllic(田园诗般的)city lifestyle started in 2020 when people were required to work from home due to COVID-19. “I grew garlic(大蒜) for the very first time as I didn’t want to throw it away. It grew roots in just seven or eight days. It opened up a new world to me,” she said. Zhong is not alone. An increasing number of city people have picked up the hobby of growing vegetables on their balconies as working from home has changed many people’s lives in the cities across the country.

In the first quarter of 2022, sales of vegetable seeds on Taobao’s Tmall rose quickly year on year, according to a report released by Taobao, China’s e-commerce platform giant. Beijing, Shanghai and Hangzhou became the cities with the largest number of seed buyers in China, it added.

Zhong has started sharing her journey on social media this year, which has brought her more than 100,000 followers. In a chat group made up of over 100 young balcony green thumbs(园艺高手) across the country, they share the growth of their vegetables every day and discuss what plants are more suitable for balcony planting. “Balcony gardening can slow down the pace of busy city life. We grow the plants we like and look forward to the harvest, and experience the happiness of the idyllic moments,” Zhong said.

Chinese city managers and social organizations are also looking for new methods to rebuild the relationship between city people and nature through vegetable gardens. The government of Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong, started a city vegetable garden project last March, providing seeds and farm tools as well as organizing agricultural experts to provide online Q&A for local people, in an effort to encourage them to get in touch with nature through balcony planting.

2 . The aftermath (后果) of an earthquake can be horrible, but it is important that you are attentive and focused after an earthquake happens. Fires, gas leaks, and injuries are all dangers you might face after an earthquake.     1     By assessing the safety of your location and following the directions of local authorities, your chances of surviving the aftermath of an earthquake will be much higher.

Check yourself for injuries.     2     If you’re bleeding, lift your injury up and put pressure on it. If your injury is serious, call for help using a cellphone or try to get rescuers’ attention.

    3     Use a cellphone to call for help if you have one. If you can’t use a phone, try knocking loudly on something nearby until rescuers find you.

Aftershocks are smaller earthquakes which follow the main shock of an earthquake.     4     So you should prepare to move to a safe location, like an open outdoor space or a structurally sound building.

Exit the building and go to a safer place once the shaking has stopped. The structure of the building you’re in may have been weakened by the main earthquake.     5    

4 . Coming upon a clear - cut in an old forest is a shocking experience. Tees large and small are collapsed one above the other in pile, and the ground is covered with the tracks of heavy machinery. Such was the scene when forest activist Zack Porter and I hiked a newly built logging (伐木) road in Green Mountain National Forest.

Clear - cutting in the American forests has long been widespread. But now, the Forest Habitat Creation Project represents new reasoning which is hotly debated - that clear - cutting benefits native creatures. The thinking is that clear - cutting done wisely can mimic natural disturbances, for example, from insect invasions or from storms overturning older trees that produce what ecologists call Early Successional Habitats - places where young trees and bushes get the upper hand and animals that depend on such habitat thrive.

The project also states that forests “can only be saved by being destroyed” - by keeping them young. Timber (木材) interests are enthusiastic about the approach because it lets them profit from cutting trees while claiming the significance of conservation. Hunting groups favor it because a younger, less thick forest makes it easier to find the game and birds they're tracking.

Nevertheless, Porter says, “Allowing some of the oldest standing trees in New England to be removed is equal to dereliction of duty on the part of the government, who sees the forests as commodities (商品).” “Forests can produce clean water, clean air, carbon storage, and biodiversity that we need,” he continues as we walk among lovely mixed hardwoods and evergreens that are cut down for logging. “We shouldn't be removing them for short - term gain.”

In this sense, Zack Porter's description of logging for wildlife for short - term gain - the short - term gain of favoring habitat for species people today want to see and hunt - is reasonable.

9 . “Your mind is a garden; your thoughts are the seeds. The harvest can either be flowers or weeds,” William Wordsworth wrote. In the above quote, William suggests that the process of gardening mirrors human life. Depending on what we “plant” in our lives, we bloom (生长茂盛) or don’t. Before you start to work in your garden, it’s necessary to have a vision for it. Thinking of what you want to grow in your garden and how to lay it out is a good first step in making your vision a fruitful reality. In life, you should consider what you want to create and what you want to achieve, because your mind-garden is like the white paper and the possibilities are endless.

Regardless of what you choose to plant, poor soil isn’t suitable for growth. This is why gardeners take the time and energy to upgrade the soil before planting. So, creating the right soil is important to the realization of your goals and dreams. Fortunately, there are countless ways to make your personal bedrock better. Getting an education is one of the most effective ways, which can help you enrich your life’s soil.

You don’t have to be an enthusiastic gardener to understand the meaning of “You reap(收获) what you sow.” When a gardener wants tomatoes, they just need to plant tomato seeds. It’s a very clear act that produces an expected result. Each of us has the power to decide which “life seeds” to plant. For example, if you plant ill seeds, it's likely that you’ll experience pain in return. Contrarily, if you plant seeds of kindness and understanding, your life will bloom with happiness and love.

A gardener’s truly arduous work begins after the seeds are in the ground because a garden requires a lot of care and attention. Regular watering and weeding are required for a healthy garden. So, to ensure your dreams take root, you should be devoted, aware, and present. After countless hours and energy spent, the crops have grown well and are finally ready to be harvested.