3 . Saving Us: A Climate Scientist's Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World is one of the most important books about climate change to have been written. Hayhoe is a gifted public speaker and Saving Us is a follow-up to her awesome TED talk in 2018, “The most important thing you can do to fight climate change: talk about it. ”        

One of the many refreshing aspects of this book is that Hayhoe recounts both her successes and her failures to communicate, through which she has gathered evidence about what works and what does not. Much of the book's advice is common sense, all backed up not just by Hayhoe's experience but also with convincing research by psychologists and social scientists.

Hayhoe advises against trying to engage with a small minority, the “Dismissives”, who “angrily reject the idea that human-caused climate change is a threat; they are most receptive (易接受的) to misinformation and conspiracy theories (阴谋论)”. There is a warning that offering up more facts about climate change can actually increase polarisation(两极化)   among them.

The book includes amusing examples of her encounters with the “Dismissives” , almost entirely older men — including an engineer who was unconvinced about the evidence but with whom she was able to establish mutual (相互的) respect through a shared passion for knitting (打毛线衣) — and is packed with inspiring accounts of how she has won over even the most suspicious of crowds. Her motto is “bond, connect and inspire” , which represents her approach of always looking for points of commonality.

She also tells of a man who approached her after an event in London in 2019. He had been so inspired by her TED talk that he had started to speak to everybody he could in his neighborhood of Wandsworth. He showed her details of 12,000 conversations that had taken place as a result, claiming that they had helped to convince the government to declare a climate emergency and to switch investments from fossil fuels to renewable energy.

And so, while it may feel difficult to influence the outcome of the COP26, Hayhoe’s uplifting book makes a persuasive case that we can all do our bit to bring about success just by talking about the issue.

5 .

The C919, China’s first domestically developed large passenger jet, departed Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport for Beijing Capital International Airport at 10:32 am on Sunday, embarking on(开启) its first commercial flight. The aircraft, developed by the Commercial Aircraft Corp of China, painted with a logo in the shape of a seal with Chinese characters “quanqiu shou jia”, meaning first C919 in the world. The fight, MU 9191, is run by China Eastern Airlines. About 130 passengers are on board. The flight duration is about two hours and 25 minutes. China Eastern Airlines received the first C919 on December 9 and launched test flights later that month. According to a report published by the Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality, 32 clients had placed a total of 1, 035 orders for the plane as of the end of 2022.

The C919 project was launched in 2007. Developed by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd (COMAC), the first C919 aircraft rolled off the production line in Shanghai in November 2015. The plane conducted a successful maiden flight in 2017. In the following years, the C919 conducted several test flights in different locations to test its capabilities. The C919 has gone through tests in various types of extreme natural environments including high temperature, high humidity, severe cold, gusts(狂风) and freeze. Its safety, reliability and environmental protection performance have been comprehensively assessed. It obtained the type certificate in September 2022, which indicates that the jetliner’s design meets airworthiness standards and environmental requirements.

The plane received its production certificate on November 29, 2022, meaning the model can enter mass production. On Dec 9, 2022, the first C919 aircraft was delivered to its first customer, China Eastern Airlines. After the delivery, the C919 jetliner completed its 100-hour aircraft validation flight process, comprehensively verifying its reliability with commercial operation in mind. The C919 had gained 1, 035 orders from 32 customers by the end of 2022, according to the Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai. The successful development of the C919 indicates that China has the ability to independently develop large passenger aircraft.

6 . Living Heritage: Acupuncture

Acupuncture (针灸), an ancient Chinese medical practice, has been the treatment for countless patients for thousands of years. Before modern medicine came to life, ancient Chinese used stone tools to relieve pain.     1    

    2     Its treating principles are in line with the philosophical concepts of traditional Chinese medicine, which emphasizes whole treatment, bodily adjustment, balance of bodily functions and overall physiological well-being.

Practices can vary in forms, including needle insertion (插针), cupping and scraping.     3     Practitioners lift, turn and rotate needles to unblock the flow of energy; restore yin and yang balance; and stimulate the body’s inner potential to heal itself.

    4     Over the years, acupuncture has seen many advancements in scientific research and modern medicine all around the world. It is now a mainstream alternative and complementary treatment for a variety of diseases. According to a 2019 WHO report, acupuncture is used in 113 of its 120 member countries, illustrating its widespread recognition and application.

As an ancient Chinese medical practice with a rich history and deep cultural significance, acupuncture is an example of profound cultural heritage and a bodily path for patients to healing and recovering.     5    

To everyone’s     1     (amaze) , Huawei launched the newest handset, the Mate 60 Pro,     2     (equip) with a 5G application processor and satellite phone function, without any prior announcement. This left many Chinese feeling proud. With the international situation becoming     3     (increasing) challenging, Huawei was encountering significant financial issues. For instance, its revenue(收入) in 2021 declined nearly 30 percent, according to its annual report. For a company like Huawei, this was     4     major shock and could pose a persistent problem that needed immediate attention. Therefore, it was crucial for Huawei to have its own core technology, especially     5     it came to chips. Developing chips is a lengthy, demanding, and labor-intensive (劳动密集型) process, but     6     didn’t defeat Huawei. Instead of purchasing or leasing     7     (produce) from other countries, Huawei decided to invest heavily in research and development.

Huawei’s difficulties are similar to those faced by modern China in its early days. During that time, China lacked advanced technology. Despite this, China managed     8     (develop)its own atomic bombs , aircraft carriers, satellites, and fighter jets starting from zero. These advancements guide the country to prosperity and power.     9     a determined attitude and united team. Huawei     10     (be) successful in breaking free from the chains of past difficulties till now.

8 . Gwendolyn Brooks was the first African American to win a Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. Gwendolyn Brooks wrote hundreds of poems during her lifetime. She was known around the world for using poetry to increase understanding about black culture in America.

Her poems described conditions in the black community. She also wrote poems about the struggles of black women. But her skill was more than her ability to write about struggling black people. She was an expert at the language of poetry. She combined traditional European poetry styles with the African American experience.

In her early poetry, Gwendolyn Brooks wrote about the South Side of Chicago, where many black people live. In her poems, the South Side is called Bronzeville. It was A Street in Bronzeville that gained the attention of literary experts in 1945. Critics praised her poetic skill and her powerful descriptions of the black experience during the time. The Bronzeville poems were her first published collection.

In 1950, Gwendolyn Brooks won the Pulitzer Prize for her second book of poems called Annie Allen. Annie Allen is a collection of poetry about the life of a Bronzeville girl as a daughter, a wife and mother. She experiences loneliness, loss, death and being poor. Ms. Brooks said that winning the prize changed her life.

Her next work was a novel written in 1953 called Maud Martha, which received little notice when it was first published. But now it is considered an important work by some critics. Its main ideas about the difficult life of many women are popular among female writers today.

In some of her poems Gwendolyn Brooks described what people see in life is affected by who they are. One example is this poem, Corners on the Curing Sky.

By the end of the 1960s, Gwendolyn Brooks’ poetry expanded from the everyday experiences of people in Bronzeville. She wrote about a wider world and dealt with important political issues.

The Person I Admire