Your Cat Might Not Be Ignoring You When You Speak
Every cat owner has a story to tell of being blanked by their cat. We call to our cat, it turns away, and some of us might be left
A study by French researchers
“We found that hearing their owners using a high-pitched voice, cats reacted more than when hearing their owner speaking normally to another human adult,” said Charlotte de Mouzon, an author of the study. “But it actually didn’t work when it came from a stranger’s voice.”
So the researchers for the latest study went to the cats’ homes and played recordings of different types of speech and different speakers. At first, there was concern from Dr. de Mouzon and her team for lack of reaction from the cats, but upon analysis of the film recordings, delicate reactions
In the study, there were a few cases
Japan Releases Nuclear Wastewater into the Pacific. How Worried Should We Be?
Japan has started releasing wastewater into the ocean. But this isn’t the kind of wastewater
Since the accident, over 1.3 million tons of nuclear wastewater
Japan’s discharge plan involves incrementally (递增地) releasing it over the next three decades, although some experts say it could take longer, given the amount still
Now, American scientists are raising concerns that marine life and ocean currents could carry harmful radioactive isotopes (同位素) —also called radionuclides—
“It’s a trans-boundary and trans-generational event,” says Robert Richmond, director of the Kewalo Marine Laboratory at the University of Hawaii. “
The radionuclides could be carried by ocean currents, especially the cross-Pacific Kuroshio current. Marine animals that migrate great distances could spread them too. No
Richmond and Buesseler say that
What Can One City Do?
People around the world are concerned about global warming and are talking about ways to stop it. The city of Cambridge, Massachusetts, in the United States, is doing more than just talking. Cambridge wants to become a world leader in energy-efficient buildings.
Today, Naema Omar is improving her 80-year-old house in Cambridge. To keep the heat inside in the winter, she is filling the space inside the walls with insulation(绝缘). Insulation is usually made from chemicals, but in her house, she is using
But eco-friendly insulation and lighting are much more expensive than the usual kind
It was ten years ago that the city of Cambridge decided to try to reduce its carbon emissions. More than 80 percent of the carbon dioxide
Uber Eats pilots reusable container scheme
From today (Tuesday 18 April, 2023) Uber Eats customers in Central London will be given the option to order their takeaway in reusable containers and easily return them in an attempt
The trial will run for six months and will be managed by Again, which operates a network of packaging cleaning facilities
Owning a Pet Is Good for Your Health
Pets in America are incredibly well loved: according to a 2015 Harris poll, 95% of owners think of their animal as a member of the family. About half buy
Scientists are now digging up evidence
The rise of animal therapy
More research is needed
Venice—The Risk of the Disappearance of an Entire City
Venice is a stunning oddity. It is a city built atop around 120 islands, crisscrossed by 177 canals, and is best explored via the use of its 391 bridges. But the city is not well recently. Indeed,
This is far from hyperbole(夸张): Venice is at very real risk of
Globally, a lot of cities
In November 2019, Venice suffered its second-worst flooding. It created headlines around the world, with onlookers
The tide reached a peak height of 187cm above sea level,
The worst ever flooding event, which happened in 1966,
Fresh warning sounded on plastics problem
Walk along any beach in the world, no matter how isolated, and you will see plastic of some kind washed up on the shoreline,
Lately, a study
In a paper
The plastics break down over time into minute particles that cannot be detected by the naked eye, but find their way into the marine ecosystem and into the seafood humans consume. No one knows for certain
“This research shows us that beach cleanups and citizen science projects that focus on the environmental fate of plastics have little impact on solving the enormity of the plastic problem. Marcus Eriksen, lead author of the study, said in a statement that the findings were a “stark warning
Health Warning as UK Swelters
People across the UK have enjoyed the sunshine this week, but they have also been advised to be careful as a heat wave hits much of the country.
A heat wave is defined
However, climate change (long-term changes to weather patterns, mostly
Heat waves can be a danger to people’s health, especially for vulnerable groups such as the elderly, children and people
The Met Office, the UK’s national weather service, has issued an amber warning. Temperatures are expected
To cope with hot weather, the NHS (National Health Service) says people should try to keep out of the Sun between 11 am and 3 pm,
Parental Instincts
Last year in early summer, I was walking up the hill to my house in suburban Brisbane when I saw two birds, each about 6 centimeters tall, standing in my driveway. They didn’t seem to notice me
I was quite excited by the idea of two special birds
A few weeks later, the birds reappeared. I found them crouching beside a tree off to the side of my driveway. As I approached them, I imagined that they’d run away like they did last time, but instead they
I did some research and found that the birds are burhinus grallarius(长尾石鸻). I still didn’t know
As I crept towards the birds, careful not to make any sudden movement, they started their croaking again,
I was watching them in awe when I suddenly tripped and fell to the ground. The birds took this
I was sorry
I am amazed by their bold actions. Their parental instincts kicked in and made them so courageous. It is hard not to be awed by nature.
10 . Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passage coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word; for the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank.
The Mystery is No Mystery
The area of ocean between Florida, Puerto Rico, and Bermuda, known as the Bermuda Triangle, is the source of much mystery. Over the centuries, reports of ships and planes disappearing
The Bermuda Triangle covers a vast 700,000 square-kilometer swathe of ocean. Close to the equator(赤道)and near the United States, it is a particularly busy patch of sea with heavy traffic. According to Lloyd’s of London and the U. S. Coast Guard,
These days, new theories are being put forward, with a bit of scientific truth to them. Some have attributed Bermuda Triangle disappearances to explosive releases of methane (甲烷) gas,
The only problem with this theory is that scientists won’t be able to tell with much certainty if this is a factor