3 . The production of the cement (水泥) used in concrete is a major contributor to worldwide CO₂ emissions. Since we use it a lot in building things, this is a serious problem. But there’s good news: Scientists have made a new kind of concrete that can trap CO₂ instead of letting it out. It is a greener way to build things.

The concrete is made by D Company, cooperating with other companies, and is named G-concrete. Here’s how it’s made: A special cement mixture is placed in a curing chamber (养护室) and CO₂ is then pumped into the chamber to be absorbed. The absorbed CO₂ is then stuck inside the concrete, and will not be released. Crucially, it’s also just as strong as regular concrete.

“Generally, concrete hardens through a chemical reaction between cement and water,” the company explains. “But in G-concrete, over half the cement is replaced with a material we call γ-C2S. Instead of reacting with water, γ-C2S reacts with the CO₂ in the air to harden. After mixing the materials needed to create G-concrete, the concrete can be placed in a location with high CO₂ levels so it can absorb the CO₂ and harden, trapping the gas inside. For example, a thermal power plant (发电厂) or other facilities that produce carbon-heavy waste gases can redirect the gases into a special chamber, where concrete products made with G-concrete can be placed to absorb the CO₂ in the gases.”

Obviously, greener concrete is a good thing in itself. And under the right conditions, this could be used to create net-zero buildings, but if it’s not affordable and practical to produce, it’s not going to be widely adopted.

On that note, signs are actually quite hopeful. A representative of the company told us that the cost of producing G-concrete is about three times higher than standard concrete currently used. Work is being undertaken on further reducing this cost and the company believes it will become a lot more affordable in the near future.

4 . There are reasonable dependencies that are healthy for an individual’s development. However, other dependencies bring unhappiness.     1     In this article, we’re going to be talking about some of them.

Depending on other people’s opinions means letting your behavior, likes and desires be determined by the approval of those that surround you.     2     As a result of this, you guide your life projects, dreams, and behavior according to what others may think.

Few are able to tell apart their own tastes and style from the current fashion trends. Now, we’re not only talking about clothing or accessories here but about general preferences and even philosophies. That desire to hop on a train and be part of the majority sometimes leads to dependency. Some become truly concerned about not being “in style”.     3    

    4     As a result, they end up believing that their worth as human beings is defined by the way they look. We can’t lie; beauty opens doors to some individuals. Also, it makes it easier for some to climb to the top. However, it doesn’t serve much beyond that initial chapter.

When the individual begins associating their personal value with the amount of money they have, it becomes a problem. Relying on money sometimes means believing that happiness equals consumption.     5     To those who think this way, not having money is equivalent to losing everything, including themselves.

5 . Imagine playing a racing game, using only your brain to control the complex series of turns in a lap. This is not a video game fantasy, but a real program, which engineers at the University of Texas at Austin have created as part of research into brain-computer interfaces (接口) to help improve the lives of people with motor disabilities. More importantly, the researchers combined machine learning capabilities with their brain-computer interface, making it a one-size-fits-all solution.

Typically, these devices require much calibration (校准) for each user-every brain is different, both for healthy and disabled users — and that has been a major barrier to widespread adoption. This new solution can quickly understand the needs of an individual subject and self-calibrate through repetition. That means multiple patients could use the device without needing to adjust it to the individual.

“When we think about this in a clinical setting, this technology will make it so we won’t need a specialized team to do this calibration process, which is long and boring,” said Satyam Kumar, a graduate student in the lab of José del R. Millán, a professor in the Cockrell School of Engineering’s Chandra Family Department of Electrical.“It will be much faster to move from patient to patient.”

People in the study wear a special cap with tiny sensors that link up to a computer. These sensors pick up brain waves. The sensors send brain waves to a device, which can decode brain waves and then change them into game actions.

Millán is working on ways for computers to talk to the brain. This helps people’s brains be more adaptable, meaning they can learn new things and heal after injuries. The goal is to help patients with brain problems and make using these brain-computer devices simpler and more helpful.

“The point of this technology is to help people in their everyday lives,” said Millán. “We’ll continue down this path wherever it takes us in the pursuit of helping people.”

Baiyang Lake, also known as Lake Baiyangdian, is located in the Xiong’an New Area of Baoding. As the largest freshwater lake in North China, it has gained     1     (recognize) as the “Pearl of North China” due to its breathtaking scenery and unique ecological functions. It is referred to     2     the Kidney of North China.

The old Chinese movie “Zhang Ga, the Soldier Boy” is famous for the lake     3     Zhang Ga lived. With the beautiful lotus, flourishing reeds and plenty of fish. Lake Baiyangdian is     4     (precise) like that lake.

    5     (serve) as a crucial waterway, Baiyangdian Lake occupies an import ant location in the ancient basin of the North China Plain. Throughout the Northern Song Dynasty, the imperial court continually     6     (expand) the marshlands, resulting in the formation of a winding “Water Great Wall.” Over time, Baiyangdian Lake     7     (remain) steadfast (不变的) in fulfilling crucial ecological roles from storing floodwater to regulating the climate.

However, the lake almost dried out because of climate change from 1983 to 1988. Local governments launched 26 rehabilitation projects in 2005     8     (restore) and improve Lake Baiyangdian’s ecological environment. Now, the beauty of Lake Baiyangdian resembles the one     9     (describe) in “Zhang Ga, the Soldier Boy”, attracting visitors who hope to take     10     glance at the vivid lotus, flourishing reeds and the clear lake water.

9 . A boy who has been climbing the equivalent (等量) of Mount Qomolangma in aid of a children’s hospice (救济院) is about to reach his fundraising goal of £29,031. Six-year-old Oscar, from Lancaster, has climbed 10 of the UK’s highest mountains to help Chorley’s Derian House. He said he needed two more to match Mount Qomolangma’s 29,031 feet height.

Oscar started his challenge on October 9, 2022, and Ingleborough in the Yorkshire Dales was the first mountain to be chosen. He said that the hardest climb so far had been Cairn Gorm in the Scottish Highlands because the snow was so deep.

Oscar took on the challenge in the hope of raising enough money to send 29 children with life-limiting illnesses on holiday. “I wanted to be the youngest person to climb Mount Qomolangma and I have climbed 10 out of 12 mountains. When I get older, I want to climb the real Mount Qomolangma,” Oscar said.

“It was amazing what a child’s dream can achieve. We’re speechless and couldn’t be prouder. We were grateful to everyone that supported us along Oscar’s journey,” Oscar’s father Matt wrote on the social media.

Oscar and his family hoped to make their final climb on Ben Nevis in Scotland on May 29, 2023. The climb would mark not only the completion of Oscar’s challenge, but also the 70th anniversary of the first successful ascent (攀登) of Mount Qomolangma by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay.

“For every foot he climbed, our children would get a pound to achieve their dreams. The total £29,031 raised by Oscar would help support the work of the hospice, which provides end-of-life care to more than 400 children across the northwest of England,” said Karen Edwards, a senior official of Derian House.

“The six-year-old was an unbelievable little boy who had truly gone to great heights. How many six-year-olds could say that they have climbed the height of Mount Qomolangma?” Karen added.

10 . Resting on a branch in the dark is a Xingu screech owl with piercing eyes. Created by British artist Sarah Ball, the artwork refers to the scientific name of this species only found in the indigenous Xingu region of Brazil. The striking work is unique not just for its subject matter, but for how it was made: It was created with ash (灰烬) left behind after wildfires in the Amazon rainforest.

It’s part of a project called “From the Ashes”, an exhibition that ran in February in London. “Featuring 29 indigenous and non-indigenous artists, all the works were created using ink, colour and pastels produced from ash and charcoal (木炭),” said Migrate Art, the London-based social enterprise (企业) that created the project, whose goal is to help fix damage from the fires by raising money.

In March, the artworks were auctioned (拍卖) in London with estimates for individual pieces ranging from £2,000 to over £50,000, according to Simon Butler, founder of MigrateArt. “We keep 20% of what we make. The rest of it goes to the indigenous Xingu community, primarily for firefighting equipment,” he said.

Butler visited the Amazon rainforest two years ago. Witnessing the areas of the forest that had been burnt down, which he described as a “red desert that looked like the end of the world”, motivated him to create change through art. He collected the burnt remains of the rainforest, and shipped it back to London to be made into art materials. The materials were then sent to artists around the world. British artist Piers Secunda used black ink to create a painting titled Smoke In The Jungle. The collection also includes works made by members of the indigenous community.

“The sale of my work to help the Xingu Reserve buy firefighting equipment to extinguish Amazon fires is the best use of my time and resources that I can imagine,” said Secunda. “These art advocacy actions are grains of sand which build a pile. For now, the pile is small, but it is growing and will become substantial.”