5 . According to a new study released Wednesday, human activity has now gone past six of nine planetary boundaries, which are ways to measure the stability and livability of Earth for humans. The study published in the journal Science Advances represents the third update of the planetary boundary framework carried out by 29 scientists from eight different countries.

The planetary boundaries concept identifies nine global priorities relating to human—caused changes to the environment. The concept sets boundaries on how much we can allow ourselves to impact not only the climate but also other global processes that can support modern civilization. Respecting these safety boundaries would minimize the risk of human activities setting off a dramatic and potentially irrecoverable change in global environmental conditions.

Crossing six boundaries does not necessarily mean a disaster to follow, but it is a clear warning signal. “We can regard it as we do our own blood pressure,” said the study lead author Katherine Richardson of the University of Copenhagen in Denmark. “A blood pressure over 120 is not a guarantee of a heart attack but it increases the risk of one. For our own and our children’s sakes we need to reduce the pressure on these six planetary boundaries.”

As pressure on the planet increases and vital boundaries are being violated, we don’t know how long we can keep turning against these key boundaries before combined pressures lead to irrecoverable change and harm.

Richardson likens the framework to a bank statement—“it tells us how much of various resources of the Earth system we can allow ourselves to use without greatly increasing the risk in the overall environmental conditions we experience on Earth.”

According to Richardson, the study shows that focusing on climate alone will not solve the climate crisis; it must be seen together with the biodiversity crisis. Life is what makes this planet unique and it is the interactions between land, ocean, atmosphere and life that together provide conditions upon which our societies depend.

There is still time to prevent disasters, but we must take action, not next year or next month but now.

There are times in life when we don’t have the energy or faith     1     (overcome) our problems. We can’t find the words to pray or the     2     (strong) to push ahead. That is when our friends come to help us out. Friends remind us through their actions that we are not alone. Even when some friends don’t always know     3     to help, they want to be there for us.

Author Parker J. Palmer in his book, Let Your Life Speak, shares about the time he was battling depression. A guy     4     (name) Bill asked Parker’s permission to drop by his house in the afternoons. Bill would sit Parker in the chair, get down on his knees in front of him, remove his shoes and socks     5     massage (按摩) his feet for half an hour. Bill had found the only place in Parker’s body     6     he could still experience feelings and reconnect with the human race. Bill would     7     (simple) do this and say very little. When he talked, he would not give advice but mirror Parker’s feelings. This simple act of care was what     8     (help) Parker get through his dark time.

We are     9     (thank) to the friends who sit with us. And we are grateful     10     the opportunity to be that friend to offer our presence to those who are suffering. Even if we are unsure of what to do, we can just be present.

7 . Dogs have a different way of seeing the world compared to human beings. As a result of this they heavily rely on their body language to pass their different messages across to people.     1    

Dogs bark for different reasons. If you notice them barking very often and loudly, they bark for an urgent reason probably.     2     It could also be a sign that they are in some kind of pain. When the barks are shorter and also softer, they probably just want to play around. Pay attention to the barks closely so that you understand exactly what is going on.

    3     When you see your dog making sad faces while you are leaving, it might feel sad. Don’t worry too much because your little pet knows very well that you will definitely be back.

Dogs like to lay on people’s feet during dinner time or when people are watching TV.     4     However, it’s just their way of showing you some loyalty (忠诚) and how close they want to get to you. This is a behavior that they obtained from their ancestors long ago.

You should feel honoured when a dog rests against you for support while it’s hanging around the place.     5     Don’t take it as being lazy. The next time your dog does this, just allow them to show their love in this way.

8 . My name is Joan MacDonald, and I am 75 years old. Five years ago I was overweight. I had to take medicine for high blood pressure and my arthritis (关节炎) was extremely painful. I often felt so tired that I had difficulty walking up and down stairs. I got emotional easily as well, and I was in great need of a change.

My daughter Michelle came to me and offered me the chance to work out with her that winter. I would be taking part in an online group with other women who were all working to change their habits and take the best possible care of themselves.

With the guidance of Michelle and the team of women, I learned how to use an iPhone for the first time in my life. It was unbelievably hard work, and there were many days when I was in tears over technology but I never gave up. I renewed my gym membership, created balanced meals, moved around with confidence in the gym and I understood the importance of lifting heavy weight.

My motto (座右铭) was, “I don’t expect my changes are very fast. I am to go at my own pace.” I think it human nature to wonder whether we are on the right path or not, especially on a long journey. With the months flying by I could see that we were all changing. My confidence in the gym was growing. We were all cheering each other on.

I’m now five years into my journey. I can honestly say that I am a different woman than I was when I started out. I just love connecting with other women and men who are also choosing to live a healthier lifestyle.

If you wish to get your health improved, I can tell you that it is not an easy journey to go on. However, it is well worth it. I hope my story can give you the confidence.

9 . For most of human history, the stars shone brightly in a dark night sky. But today, cities and towns, increasingly lit by artificial light at night, dramatically reduce the visibility of stars.

Satellite data suggests that light pollution has been increasing in many parts of the world over the last decade. However, satellites miss the blue light of LEDs (发光的二极管), which are commonly used for outdoor lighting, resulting in an underestimate of light pollution.

An international citizen science project called Globe at Night (环球夜景) aims to measure how everyday people’s view of the sky is changing. The data shows that the night sky got, on average, 9.6% brighter every year. For many people, the night sky today is twice as bright as it was eight years ago. The brighter the sky, the fewer stars you can see. If this trend continues, a child born today in a place where 250 stars are visible now would only be able to see 100 stars on his/her 18th birthday.

The main factors leading to increasing brightness of the night sky are industrialization and the growing use of LEDs for outdoor lighting. The loss of dark skies threatens our ability as astronomers to do good science. But everyday people feel this loss too. Starry night skies have inspired artists, writers, musicians and philosophers for thousands of years. Light pollution also has a bad effect on the daily cycle of light and dark that plants and animals use to adjust their lifestyle. Two-thirds of the world’s key biodiversity (生物多样性) areas are affected by light pollution.

Individuals and their communities can make simple changes to reduce light pollution. The secret is using the right amount of light, in the right place and at the right time. Making outdoor lights shine downward, using lights that give out more yellow-colored light instead of white light and putting on light timers can all help reduce light pollution. A view of about 2,500 stars in a truly dark sky might convince you that dark skies are a resource worth saving.

10 . Only you can know what is best for your living room or bedroom. It’s up to you to choose what kind of canvas wall art piece (帆布油画) to decorate your home. To help you choose, we have created a list of the most popular categories of canvas prints.

Everyone loves a good food moment! Food canvases are especially appropriate for the kitchen and dining hall, but that doesn’t mean that you cannot have a canvas with a food theme (主题) in other rooms as well. From bread to wine and fruits or even a picture of a single egg, if you love food theme, explore your strong feeling with wall art!

Sayings are a very popular wall decoration. If you like to be reminded of wise thoughts and good ideas, a saying canvas is perfect for you! It is best to display saying wall art where it is easy to read it. Just make sure the piece has big enough letters to be readable everywhere in the room. What kind of sayings to choose? Go for something that speaks to your heart.

Even though nowadays a lot of us live in the city and love the city life, we still time to time long for a simple country living. Almost everyone enjoys a nice time in nature and canvas print wall art can be a good reminder of the beauty of nature.

Animals are not just for the kids’ rooms. A lion or an elephant, and so on, is excellent for a living room or even a home office. You can always choose the animal print with a clever saying if you want to. If you like cats or dogs and enjoy playful photos of your favorite animals, just have them printed on the canvas!