1 . The loss of housing due to floods is an undeniable issue. But now, Japanese housing developer Ichijo Komuten recently unveiled a “flood-resistant house” that can not only remain waterproof during floods, but also float off the ground.

Their new “flood-resistant house” was recently featured on a popular Japanese TV show and it has been getting a lot of attention online ever since. Japan’s TBS TV station recently visited one of Ichijo’s test sites where the company’s new flood-resistant house was being put through a simulated flood. Although it looked just like an ordinary house when the test began, by the time that water started rising around it, viewers could see the structure leave the ground and eventually float a few inches above it.

We’ve all seen floating houses being swept away in severe floods, but Ichijo’s newest invention features a system that prevents just that. The house is connected to a number of thick iron rod(杆)sticking out of the ground with thick cables(缆绳)that ensure it stays in place as the water floods past. When the water recedes, the floating house comes back down in its original position. The “flood-resistant house” also features special vents(通风口))hat close up in the event of flooding, and the plumbing also has special valves that prevent water from getting into the home. Electrical equipment like air conditioning is positioned on the upper half of the building to ensure that water doesn’t reach it.

According to engineers at Ichijo Komuten, most homes flood when water reaches the window level, but because their flood-resistant house can float up to five meters above ground, water is unlikely to reach the windows and everything else is sealed shut.

2 . In Murchison Falls National Park in Uganda, a non-profit organization Snares to Wares is helping local craftsmen make a living through selling sculptures made from the wiring in the traps of poachers(偷猎者)Located in northwest Uganda, the nation's largest national park is a poaching hotspot, with the most common method being a wire snare(钢丝套)that closes around an animal's foot.

Most poaching is done for meat, as the communities surrounding the park are some of the poorest in the country, and most of the animals poached are smaller herbivores(食草动物). Snares to Wares aids local people in developing their artists' eye and crafters' hand to weave hundreds of snares into wire sculptures of the park's wildlife. The initiative was started by Tutilo Mudumba, a national geographic explorer, and Robert Montgomery, a wildlife ecologist at Michigan State University, and now has 620 craftsmen onboard, who sell on average about 800 sculptures a month.

Mudumba was conducting research on the use and distribution of snares in the park some years ago when he came up with the idea. In an interview, he explained that for most of the poor villagers around the park, wildlife represents a threat. He was shocked to learn after starting Snares to Wares that many locals didn't know what the animals in the park looked like, so he helped sponsor field trips into Murchison Falls. There the locals study the animals, see how they behave, and allow their inner artist to take shape as they observe the park's lions, rhinos, elephants, buffalo, giraffes, leopards, warthogs, and more.

Murchison Falls has experienced a dramatic recovery over the last decade, with a significant upgrade in the policing capabilities of rangers(护林员), and the abilities of the medical units as well—all leading to a doubling of the herbivore numbers. Predator populations are also increasing with the conviction(定罪)rate of caught poachers at almost 97% due to another investment project in a wildlife legal department within the Ugandan Wildlife Authority.

6 . It shouldn’t come as news to anyone that the planet is suffering a climate emergency. And the fashion industry certainly plays its part in this. In 2020, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) calculated that the fashion industry produces ten per cent of annual global carbon dioxide emission and is estimated to use around 1.5 trillion litres of water every year. The industry’s environmental impact is greatly worsened by fast fashion which releases hundreds of new styles every week, leading to overproduction and overconsumption. But how do we solve this issue? One answer lies in the new generation of made-to-order brands making their way into the mainstream.

These brands make clothes only as and when they’re ordered. It’s a far more sustainable approach, and because there’s no overproduction, less unwanted stock（库存）ends up in landfills. It also promotes a slower fashion model, with pieces taking between three weeks and three months to arrive once purchased. Its focus is on creating special, well-made pieces for consumers to treasure for years to come.

MaisonCléo is such a clothing company, taking limited orders each week which are then handmade and delivered in approximately three weeks. And it advocates for fair and reasonable pricing. Thus it attracts loyal customer bases with their social and environmental responsibility, perfect craftsmanship and evergreen styles.

With made-to-order brands rapidly growing in popularity, it begs the question-could this be the start of a new, environmentally responsible era? I hope so. With overproduction and overconsumption fueling a real climate crisis, the made-to-order clothing could be the future of fashion our planet badly needs.

9 . Like all mammals, whales need to sleep in order to survive. But they are also air breathers, meaning that they cannot sleep in the water all the time. There are around 90 different types of whale, which can hold their breath for about an hour, depending on the species. However, they usually travel up to the surface to breathe every 15 minutes.     1    

Some scientists have found that whales cannot become fully unconscious or they would drown. To deal with living in the water full-time while having to breathe air, these air-breathers have evolved into voluntary ones, as a way to prevent accidentally breathing in water at inopportune moments.     2     Therefore, they have to be awake and alert at all times to prevent themselves from drowning.

Whales have some of the largest brains on the planet.     3     They can actively decide which part of their brains to use at a given time. This particular way of sleeping can be seen most clearly in captive (圈养的) whales. When whales are sleeping, they can be seen keeping one eye closed while the other remains open.

    4     Some species, like sperm whales, enter a deeper sleep where they hang in groups, vertically, not too far below the surface for just over an hour. Other species, such as the humpback whales, have been observed resting motionless at the surface of the water for only 30 minutes.     5     And, killer whales, which are very socially complex, never swim too far from the other members of their pod, sleeping in close groups.

McDonald’s, Burger King and many other fast food chains use the color red heavily in their logos. Color is one of the     1     (method) companies use to connect with customers. After all, we’re     2     visual species. According to marketing company WebPageFX, nearly 80% of consumers say that colors are     3     give brands memorable recognition.

The average human can see ten million colors, but red is special. In fact, many cultures all over the world view red     4     (positive). It’s among the first colors that our ancestors thought important enough     5     (name). Back before alphabets and writing, there     6     (be) words for “black” and “white” and “red” but not much else. As a result, we have a     7     (deep) connection to red than any other color in our life. Researchers have found that red can cause a sense of     8     (urgent). On top of that, it also has an ability to increase our appetite. Therefore, the color red     9     (use) to attract hungry customers who want food, fast. Just think what McDonald’s would look like     10     blue, green, or pink! It’s just not the same, right?