Do you know what the ballet, jeans, and eyeglasses have in common? They     1     (invent) in Italy. Now, another Italian symbol is making headlines as a possible solution to a huge     2    (environment) problem. In a time when the world searches for ways     3     (reduce) plastic waste, pasta straws might be one of the answers.

Recently, a picture     4    （show）the initiative (倡议) some bars in Italy have been taking was posted on the Internet,     5     has been spreading like crazy.

    6     (interest), there are already a couple of companies that sell pasta straws: Stroodles and The Amazing Pasta Straw. The straws are tasteless while in cold beverage, as they're just made of wheat and water. According to the Stroodles website, the straws last roughly     7     hour before softening up, after which they can be composted (制成堆肥) or even consumed.

"Stroodles is not just a straw company and there is a much     8     (big) picture, as I feel I can leave a long-term impact by creating a ripple effect (连锁反应) by triggering many small challenges all across the world, especially among people that are less conscious     9       sustainability and their respective     10     (act) and behaviors, "company founder Maxim Gelmann said.

From 1921 to 2021, the Chinese Communist Party has gone through a century of struggle and is about to celebrate its 100th anniversary.

Li Hua

6 . Scientific Ways to Improve Our Memory

If you have trouble in remembering the date or the number, you are not the only one.     1     However, a research study at UCLA in 2006 has shown that there are scientific ways to improve brain functions through simple lifestyle changes.

Exercise regularly

    2     So put on your trainers, go outside and start working up a good sweat. It’s healthy for both your mind and your body.

    3    

It’s a well-known fact eating vegetables can help keep your body healthy, and includes your brain. Various research papers state that vegetables can help lower oxidative stress in your brain as well as help retain healthy cognitive functions.

Reduce stress levels

Research found that intense and persistent stress, especially at high levels, can easily impair our memory and disturb our cognitive skills.     4     You can do this by meditating or taking a walk.

Play video games

Yes, you heard us. Get on that controller and spend a couple of hours playing your favorite video game. It’s good for your mind, according to a recent study that illustrated how these pastimes can help improve the functioning of various memory-associated regions in the brain.     5    

8 . Electronic waste, also known as e-waste, consists of a discarded phones, printers, TVs, electric toothbrushes and many other electronic goods no longer in use.

A shocking 53. 6 million tons of electronic waste was generated worldwide in 2019 — less than a fifth of which was recycled, according to UN's Global E-waste Monitor 2020 report.

Of the total e-waste last year, Asia contributed the biggest amount — 46.4 per cent — followed by the Americas(24.4 percent), Europe (22.3 percent), Africa (5.4 percent) and Oceania (1.3 percent).

The combined heap of e-waste for 2019 averaged 7. 3 kg for every man, woman and child on Earth. The UK averaged the second-biggest in the world, at 23.9 kg, behind Norway, which averaged 26kg.

The report also reveals that just 17.4 percent of the e-waste was properly collected and recycled. E-waste is a health and environmental hazard (危害), containing hazardous substances such as mercury, which damages the human brain.

After a device is discarded and e-waste is warmed up, toxic chemicals are released into the air, damaging the atmosphere. E-waste in landfills can also seep (渗透) toxic materials into groundwater, affecting animals and plants.

Gold, silver, copper, and other high-value materials were collectively valued at $57 billion. However, they were mostly dumped or burned rather than being collected for treatment and reuse. In countries with developing markets, an increasing number of household electronics like refrigerators, air conditioners, and lamps are now being bought, leading to the rapid increase in e-waste. A global obsession with smart phones, which tend to be replaced by an updated model after a year, also helps build e-waste piles.

It's not that countries don't have policies to fight e-waste since 2014, the number of countries that have adopted a national e-waste policy has increased from 61 to 78, the report says. But advances are slow, enforcement (执行) is poor, and policies fail to encourage the collection and proper management of e-waste. The lack of effective policies around the world needs to be addressed (解决) as soon as possible.

9 . A proud and happy all-female Delta flight crew lit up the skies earlier last October, flying 120 female students from Salt Lake City to NASA in Houston for tours of the facilities and to meet with female leaders in the industry.

The flight was part of the airline’s Women Inspiring our Next Generation (WING) program, which was created in 2015 to help close the gender gap in aviation (航空) and expose more young girls to STEM(Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) careers. This is the fifth WING flight, with more than 600 female students flying Delta so far through the program.

The flight was planned and executed (执行) completely by women, including pilots, ramp agents, gate agents and flight control.

“At Delta, we believe you have to see it to be it, “said Beth Poole, general manager of pilot development, who helped start Delta’s WING initiative, in a statement. “We’re taking ownership to improve gender diversity by exposing girls at a young age and providing a pipeline so that 10 years from now, they will be the pilots in the Delta cockpit (驾驶舱) inspiring generations of women who follow. ”

While the students, who ranged in age from 12 to 18, were in Houston, they met with female mentors in aviation. They toured NASA’s Mission Control Center, Johnson Space Center and other key facilities in areas of flight and space exploration.

“It didn’t seem realistic to go after a career in aviation, but today I realized, ‘Hey, I can do this too’, ” said Katelyn J, age 17, a 12th grader from Advanced Learning Center.

Delta has achieved 100% pay parity for employees in frontline jobs. In the past four years, 7. 4%of the airline’s newly hired pilots have been women. The WING program is one of the ways they’re hoping to increase those numbers.

“I’ve loved being able to look at all of the things these successful women have accomplished, ” said Shanae C., 17, a 12th grader from Jordan Technical Institute. “I think we ill learn from them and build on their foundation of success.”

10 . Avoid These Foods Before Bed

Chocolate

Chocolate is packed with sugar, which can have a serious impact on how well you sleep. A study found that people who ate more sugar and saturated fats（饱和脂肪）experienced less deep sleep and woke up more throughout the night. Chocolate also contains some caffeine, which can stimulate the nervous system and keep you awake for hours.

Hamburger

According to Health, the problem with hamburgers is their high amount of fat content. More fat means more acid production in the stomach, which means more heartburn due to acid reflux（反流）—a no-no before bed.

Broccoli

These vegetables are high in soluble fiber（可溶性纤维）, which is great for digestion during the day but can leave the body focused on digestion as opposed to sleep at night. This can cause discomfort or trouble sleeping.

Spicy foods

Spicy foods like chili also contribute to heartburn. If someone experiences acid reflux from spicy foods and lies down right after eating spicy foods, the acids from the stomach can flow back into the esophagus（食道）more easily, causing a burning sensation in the chest, which may disturb sleep.