1 . As New Zealand begins the long, costly task of clearing up after Cyclone (飓风) Gabrielle cut a disastrous path across much of the North Island on Feb 12 and 13, finger pointing has started.

The cleanup and rebuilding may take years, and even longer in remote parts, with costs running into the billions of dollars.

What made the cyclone worse for New Zealand was that it followed nearly a week of heavy rain in late January that caused the worst flooding in the nation’s history.

Green Party leader James Shaw delivered a speech on Feb 14, saying: “I struggle to find words to express what I am thinking and feeling about this particular crisis. I don’t think I’ve ever felt as sad or as angry about the lost decades that we spent arguing about whether climate change was real or not, whether it was caused by humans or not, whether it was bad or not, whether we should do something about it or not, because it is clearly here now, and if we do not act, it will get worse.”

Shaw’s speech highlighted the growing concern in New Zealand and across the world on the increasing effect of climate change on global weather patterns.

A lecturer in the University of Auckland said it was high time the country moved away from passive responses to natural disasters and adopt an active approach.

“In the next decades down to the end of this century, we expect that ocean temperatures will steadily climb and extreme events will become more common, serious, and long-lasting,” a marine expert said. “The actual trajectory (轨迹), however, depends on how society will deal with the climate change challenge.”

2 . Zebrafish, named for their characteristic stripes (条纹), have been a popular test subject for researchers. Only a few centimeters in length, the fish reproduce easily in captivity (圈养), grow quickly, and their transparent body makes it easy to study their organs. Above all, they possess some surprising “self-healing” power. When part of their heart is removed, they can grow it back in a matter of weeks. When blinded, they can quickly regain the ability to see.

Recent studies show that humans and zebrafish have the same major organs and share 70 percent of the genes. Moreover, 84 percent of human genes associated with disease find a counterpart in zebrafish. Scientists thus hope that understanding the self-healing mystery of the fish may one day allow humans to regenerate (使……再生) such organs as eyes, hearts, and spines.

Researchers at Vanderbilt University are particularly interested in zebrafish retina (视网膜) regeneration. They have learned that damage of retina can cause blindness in zebrafish, yet it only takes about three to four weeks before vision is regained. The structure and cell types of zebrafish reins are almost the same to those of humans. If the process can be copied in humans, it may give rise to new treatments for blindness caused by retinal damage.

In order to know exactly how zebrafsh retina is regenerated, the team looked at the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a chemical messenger in the brain that reduces the activity of neurons. They found that lowering GABA levels in zebrafish can activate retina regeneration, while a high level of GABA concentration will suppress the regeneration process. This suggested that GABA plays an important role in the fish’s ability to regain their sight. The result served as a further proof to scientists previous work.

The team is beginning to test the GABA theory on mice. If that works, human trials will be next on the agenda. If the research proves successful in humans, some of the nearly 40 million blind people worldwide may one day have a tiny, striped fish to thank.

5 . Trust is important to life. Trust affects how you see the world, how safe you feel and how you approach new people and situations. It affects whether you are willing to go the extra mile for a friend, relative, co-worker, even someone you’ve never met. If trust levels are high, you will feel relaxed and accepted.     1     Here is a checklist for you to build trust in your personal life.

Learn to determine who deserves your trust. The unfortunate fact is that not everyone can be trusted. It is not a good idea to trust everyone your meet or share personal information about yourself too freely.     2     Check out the person’s story and background if possible. Watch for signs that someone may not be trustworthy, such as avoiding your eye contact or making conflicting statements.

    3     You build strong relationships by being a trustworthy listener. When someone shares their personal information, don’t share it with others. If a friend or relative tells you something personal about marriage, or co-worker shares something private about a work issue, resist the urge to tell others about these private conversations.

Be honest. Honesty is the basis of any relationship. Be true to your words and keep your promises. Share honest information, even if it’s to your disadvantage. Don’t hide things from those you want to build a relationship, and don’t lie.     4    

Work at building trust when there is a problem. When there are disappointments, the only way to regain lost trust is to work at it. If you feel betrayed or taken advantage of, talk with the person who lets you down.     5     The longer you wait to talk about a problem, the bigger the misunderstanding becomes. Find small ways to trust the person again. When you see small commitments being met over time, it’s easier to believe that the lager ones will be met, too. Be realistic and know that it can take a long way to rebuild trust.

7 . If your school doesn’t offer a particular club or group that you’re interested in, starting your own is a great way to meet new people and spend time doing something you enjoy.     1    . Read on to get step-by-step instructions on how to start a high school club.

Define the Club’s Purpose and Goals

    2    . Figure out what the purpose of the club is, what activities you want members to take part in. For example, if you’re starting that ski club, will the purpose of the club be organizing ski trips? Discussing skiing gear?Giving lectures from ski experts? By figuring this out now, you will be able to provide a clearer and more complete vision of your club when you present the idea to the school and potential members.

    3    

It’s time to recruit some members. Mention your club to your friends and people you think will be interested. If your school allows it, create and post flyers a week or two before the first meeting that briefly state the club’s name, purpose, and time and date of the first meeting. Try to make these flyers eye-catching and interesting to look at. Catch students’ interest and convince more people to attend the first meeting.

Assign Duties and Plan Events

At one of the first few meetings, you should assign leadership roles to help keep the club running smoothly.     4    . Once you have your club organized and a leadership structure established, start planning activities for club members. These activities can take place during club meetings or at special events outside of meetings. Potential ideas to consider include bringing in guest speakers, and planning club outings, organizing fundraisers.

Establish a Budget

Schools often provide stipends to official clubs, and this may be enough to cover your expenses. If not, consider fundraisers or club dues to raise enough money to keep the club active. Most clubs require some money to stay running, even if it is only a small amount to cover printing costs and snacks.     5    . Your accountant should develop a budget that gives a rough estimate of the expenses your club will expect to have.