1 . There are many traditions around the world that are interesting and fun, but there are also those that are bizarre (奇异的) and even a little cruel.

In Sweden it’s common for parents to leave their babies outside to nap (小睡) even when the temperatures are below zero. Many people, including me, would find this custom risky and merciless, but many Swedes actually consider it good for their babies. They believe that by exposing their young ones to their country’s cold temperature they can help their babies to grow up healthily and protect them from diseases. They also believe doing so will help them sleep longer and better.

In Bali, Indonesia, babies are forbidden to touch the ground for three months. The reason is that during the baby’s first months its connection to the “spirit” is still unbroken and clean and letting it touch the ground would defile it. For three months, the baby is constantly held in someone’s arms — the father, mother, grandparents, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts and even neighbors. After 105days, a special ceremony called the Nyabutan is held where the baby touches Mother Earth for the first time.

In Guatemala, it’s common to see babies being bathed with cold water. Maya mothers commonly practise this bizarre custom with the belief that it’s beneficial to the baby’s health. Bathing their babies with cold water is also an effective means to remove heat rashes (痱子), and this custom helps babies sleep better.

Some Indians allow their babies to be thrown from temple roofs as high as 50 feet. This strange custom started 500 years ago and continues to this day, though there’s a movement to ban it for obvious reasons. However, Hindus believe that performing this custom brings good luck and health to their babies. Below the roof is a bed sheet that’s held lightly by several men. The baby lands safely on the sheet. The tradition’s practitioners and believers strongly prove that it’s safe, saying no babies have ever been injured.

3 . In the rich countries of the West, the electric vehicle revolution is well occurring. Climate-conscious consumers drive Teslas or Polestars for reasons of morality (道德) and fashion. Poorer countries are also experiencing a wave of electrified trend. In Bangladesh, electric three-wheeler taxis, known as tuk-tuks, are rapidly replacing gas-powered ones on the streets. Such electric vehicles are climate friendly, cost effective, and help reduce air pollution.

Yet a glance under the hood (引擎盖) of these vehicles shows a poisonous secret: each tuk-tuk runs on five massive lead-acid batteries (铅酸电池), containing almost 300 pounds of lead (铅) in total. Every year and a half or so, when those batteries need to be replaced and recycled, about 60 pounds of lead leaks into the environment. Battery recycling, often at small-scale unregulated factories, is a highly profitable (高利润的) but deadly business.

Lead is dangerous, and any exposure to it is harmful to human health. Lead that has entered the environment hurts people on an unexpected scale. The numerous ways lead enters air, water, soil, and homes across the developing world and the enormous damage it does to human health, wealth, and welfare cause one of the biggest environmental problems in the world yet receives little attention.

The World Bank estimates that lead kills 5.5 million people per year, making it a bigger global killer than AIDS, malaria, diabetes, and road traffic deaths combined. On top of the shocking deaths, the social burden of lead poisoning is heavy, as is its contribution to global inequality — our research on the cognitive (认知的) effects of lead poisoning suggests that it may explain about one-fifth of the educational achievement gap between rich and poor countries.

But unlike many challenges faced by developing countries, lead poisoning is a problem that can be resolved through financial investment (财政投入). Better monitoring, research, and rules can help protect children all over the world from the unpleasant effects of lead poisoning and reduce the massive global costs it brings.

4 . Let’s rid the fast-food monster of its teeth

Do you like cheeseburgers and french fries as much as I do? How about dumplings or tacos? Do you like any of them enough to reach into a shark’s mouth to get them, knowing full well that you might be hurt by razor-sharp teeth on the way in or out?     1    , since so many restaurants now seal their bags with staples (订书钉).

The intention is good, because securely closing the bag helps ensure food safety.     2    . The latter are pulled into bare-fang (尖牙) position when a bag is opened, exposing lots of little teeth that find and surprise your wrist, hand or fingers. Ouch! Not to mention that a wound from a staple, especially on a finger, is not only painful, but tends to infection as well. Furthermore, staples, being made of steel, are hardly environmentally friendly.

    3    . They can fall into food such as french fries and accidentally be consumed. Believe me, you don’t want to eat a staple, especially not an open one. What’s more, the open staple that we’re lucky enough to avoid when eagerly reaching into a bag of food poses a hazard to anyone who handles the bag after we throw it away.     4    . However, it can be time-consuming.

Why don’t we put an end to this practice and ensure that rice and bread remain our only “staple foods”, and not french fries? Let’s defang the fast-food monster and just use tape to seal the deal.     5    .

Should mobile phones be allowed at school?

6 . At 11:50, the bell rings. We students rush to the canteen at an amazing speed to enjoy our lunch. Have we ever stopped to see what happens after the meal?    1    . Sadly, this is not a common sight. We will find, instead, a mountain of leftovers in the waste bins.    2    .

This irresponsible food waste deed can never be tolerated. It reflects poorly on our hygiene practice (食品良好卫生规范).    3    .

Let’s learn from a Michelin-star chef who says that he will always respect the fish he cooks. Why?     4     .He can fully understand the dangers which the fisherman constantly faces in order to supply the fish to him. Therefore, by not wasting any part of the fish, and by cooking excellently every time, the chef is appreciating the fisherman’s efforts.

    5    . Just think of the poor and homeless who have not eaten for days due to a war or a natural disaster that may have wiped out homes and families. Think: “wouldn’t it be good if we shared our food instead of throwing away what we can’t finish?”

Let’s respect our food and share the joy of living well through giving food to those in need.