7 . Do you remember all those years when scientists argued that smoking would kill us but the doubters insisted that we didn’t know for sure? That the evidence was not enough, the science uncertain? They even thought that the anti-smoking group was out to destroy our way of life and the government should stay out of the way. Lots of Americans believed that nonsense, and over three decades, some 10 million smokers went to early graves.

There are upsetting similarities today, as scientists in one wave after another try to awaken us to the growing threat of global warming. The latest was an expert group from the National Academy of Sciences, enlisted by the White House, to tell us that the Earth’s atmosphere is definitely warming and that the problem is largely man-made. The clear message is that we should get moving to protect ourselves. The president of the National Academy, Bruce Alberts, added this key point in the introduction to the panel’s report: “Science never has all the answers. But science does provide us with the best available guide to the future, and it is critical that our nation and the world base important policies on the best judgments that science can provide concerning the future consequences of present actions.”

Just as on smoking, voices now come from many quarters insisting that the science about global warming is incomplete, that it’s OK to keep pouring smoke into the air until we know for sure. This is a dangerous game: by the time 100 percent of the evidence is in, it may be too late. With the risks obvious and growing, a careful people would take out an insurance policy now.

Fortunately, the White House is starting to pay attention. But it’s obvious that a majority of the president’s advisers still don’t take global warming seriously. Instead of a plan of action, they continue to ask for more research-a classic case of “paralysis by analysis”.

To serve as responsible keepers of the planet, we must press forward on deeper atmospheric and oceanic research. But research alone is inadequate. If the Administration won’t take the legislative (立法的) action, Congress should help to begin taking conservation measures. A bill by Democratic Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia, which would offer financial awards for private industry, is a promising start. Many see that the country is getting ready to build lots of new power plants to meet our energy needs. If we are ever going to protect the atmosphere, it is crucial that those new plants be environmentally friendly.

The reason why singer-songwriter Zhang Jiasong’s music is unique lies     1     his folk tunes(民谣)and song words in regional dialects(地方方言). Yet for Zhang     2     (he), they also serve as a continuous reminder of     3     he comes from.

He talked about his experience and     4     (understand)of the style of his music, acquired from more than tens of years of practice, on Monday, shortly before     5     (take)part in a lawn(草坪)concert at Beijing’s Yuanmingyuan Park, or the Old Summer Palace, which stood out for the songs sung in various regional dialects.

Born in     6     countryside of Jingyuan county, Baiyin city, Northwest China’s Gansu Province, Zhang, 34, has become famous for his songs that     7     (create)several years ago to praise his homeland, and he put much effort into his music.

Some video works of him singing, dressed in traditional Chinese clothing, while playing traditional musical instruments(乐器)like the sanxian(a three-stringed plucked instrument), and particularly against the background of his village, have spread     8     (wide)on various social media stands over the past few years.

One of such     9     (video)is about his aunt, a doctor who headed for Wuhan during the Spring Festival holiday of 2020. Through this video, he showed great respect(尊重)to his aunt. The simple song     10     his deep feelings shown in the words of the song are touching.

9 . Sea ice in the Antarctic (南极) area fell to a record low this year. The drop is a result of rising temperatures worldwide. And there is no quick method to make up for the ice drop, and the recovery (恢复) has a long way to go, scientists said recently in a new study.

Antarctica’s smallest summer ice cover fell further to a new low in February. This year’s sea ice minimum (最小值) is 20 percent lower than the average (平均值) over the last 40 years. The sea ice loss equals an area nearly 10 times that of New Zealand.

The warming of Earth’s surface driven by the burning of coal, gas and oil has made Antarctica more likely to suffer from extreme (极端的) events. And the result is almost “certain” to get worse, the study said. Climate change will “lead to increases in the size and rate”of heat waves, broken ice shelves and drops in sea ice, it said.

The effects of the Earth’s warming on Antarctica and the surrounding ocean have been uncertain. Scientists have had problems measuring how much the Earth’s warming is altering the thickness of Antarctic ice.

But from events such as the fast drop in sea ice, it is “scientifically reasonable” to suppose that extreme events are going to become worse as temperatures rise worldwide, said Martin Siegert of the University of Exeter, another study co-writer.

Siegert described the temperature increase as completely surprising. Siegert added that luckily the event had happened during the Antarctic winter, instead of summer, or it would have caused melting (融化) on the surface of the East Antarctic ice cover, which has so far been saved from melting.

Siegert used the term “fragile”, meaning easily broken or damaged, to describe Antarctica. “Antarctica is fragile as an environment, but extreme events test that fragility,” he said.

10 . On most Sundays, the sound of hammers(锤子)and other tools hitting stone can be heard in a village in the Chimalhuacan area, on Mexico City’s east side. The sounds come from stone carvers(石雕师)who still work on a skill that has been passed down for generations(世代)—even after the local stone was used up. The village is filled with meter-high religious(宗教的)figures and other beautiful stone objects.

Generations of stone carvers in Chimalhuacan also created much of the stonework found on buildings and in parks in the capital’s downtown.

While carvers in other areas long ago turned to machines, the workers here only use hammers and other special hand tools. Many are self-taught, but some, like Tomás Ugarte, aged 86, learned in the traditional way. This method of rock cutting has been passed down between family members, dating back about five generations.

The rock cutters are generally old. There were about 600 official stone carvers about 10 years ago. Now, there are probably only around 300. The carvers are dying and their children generally do not want to take up the trade.

Still, the stone carvers keep the old traditions alive. Many people in the area use stone tools made by the stone carvers.

Rev. Alberto Sandoval, who has known the stone workers since 1990, described them as “the backbone of the community.” Most of the carvers have work areas at home, which provides them with some money. They sell carvings for prices from $500 to $2,000. But they often do not sell much.

Unlike many craftspeople who want to see their works shown in museums, the carvers here also work for free at repairing the stonework at the 250-year-old local church, Santa Maria de Guadalupe.

Asked if the trade will continue, carver Mario Olivares read a poem written on the church wall: “Your art, your tradition, your culture and the nobility(高贵)of the people keep the spirit of this town alive.”