3 . A new study shows that increases in extreme winter weather in parts of the US are linked to quickened warming of the Arctic (北极).

Over the past four decades, warming in the Arctic has been far more definite than that in the rest of the world and has caused a rapid decrease of summer sea ice. Heating in the Arctic has ultimately disturbed the circular pattern of winds known as the polar vortex (旋涡). As a result, it got stretched out of shape and slid southward off the pole. Scientists believe this vortex stretching process led to the deadly Texas cold wave in February this year.

“The polar vortex over the Arctic usually locks in cold air at the poles and does not easily move south. The stronger the winds, the more the air inside is kept, and the colder it gets,” explained lead researcher Dr. Judah Cohen, who’s a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). “Melting (融化) ice in the Arctic and rising temperatures can disturb the Arctic vortex, making cold air no longer locked in the Arctic? but move some farther south.”

The researchers say that their findings are based on both observations and modelling and they show a physical link between climate change in the Arctic, the stretching of the polar vortex and the impacts on ground.

The researchers believe their work could improve predictions about the beginning of extreme cold winter events. The research team also believes that their findings will help people understand that global warming is complex and perhaps let go of the idea that colder winters mean climate change isn’t happening. “In the past, these cold extremes over the US and Russia have been used to justify not reducing carbon, but there’s no longer any excuse to not start reducing emissions (排放) right away,’’ said Dr. Cohen.

4 . Scientists have found something strange has been happening among sensitive bird species in the Brazilian Amazon in recent years. Not only were the birds declining in number, but their bodies were also shrinking in size. “We found that size was not only shrinking for those sensitive species-it was declining for everyone, “said researcher Vitek Jirinec of Louisiana State University. Jirinec’s findingsare contained in a new study published in the journal Science Advances last Friday.

The study examined 77 species over a 40-year period, during which time the rainforest had become warmer. It found they were rapidly evolving perhaps because smaller birds remove heat more efficiently as they have more surface area in relation to volume. Brian Weeks of the University of Michigan explained it this way: “You could imagine lots of little ice cubes in a glass of water, as opposed to one big ice cube, and the little ice cubes melt faster because smaller things have larger surface area-to-volume ratios(比)，so they exchange heat more quickly. “Weeks didn’t work on this particular study, but he did research the size of more than50 species of migratory (迁徙的) birds in North America a few years back. He too found that nearly all of them were shrinking decade by decade.

The two studies strengthen the idea that birds all over the planet, migratory or not, may be changing shape due to a warming climate. Weeks said these sorts of changes should concern all of us. “All around the world, people depend on natural systems. Complete natural systems provide more economic benefits to humanity than the entirety of the world’s GDP, so they matter to you whether or not you know it, Weeks said. Jirinec thought the timing of his paper’s publication could not be more fitting. The study came out on the same day as the conclusion of the UN climate change conference in Glasgow. So those results really stressed the common consequences of the actions for the planet.

6 . Hunger and malnutrition still exist in the world. Luckily, there are exciting, creative solutions to solving the extra food coming from restaurants, grocery stores, and farmers.     1    

On June 7, 2022, Spain adopted a draft bill on leftovers. Food businesses will have to submit their plans to reduce food waste.     2     Restaurants will soon be required to provide containers for customers to take home their leftovers. Although this may seem like normal practice, in Spain, this is not the custom. With this upcoming law, diners can request their leftovers to be wrapped in recycled packaging for no extra cost.     3     Supermarkets will also be asked to donate their unsold food to food banks and neighborhood organizations.

    4     It can help reduce greenhouse gasses, ensure there is more food for the hungry, and save money in an economic depression. It may also heal nature as there’ll be less demand to destroy forest to grow crops and raise livestock. This, in turn, could reduce the usage of water and decrease pollution in the agricultural sector.

Along with France and Italy, Spain is paving the way for other countries to address this global issue. Spain hopes to enforce these new laws by 2023 and is also developing an awareness program to educate the consumer. Much food waste also comes from within the household.     5     Hence, teaching children about food waste is a big step towards making the world a better, less hungry place.

7 . Every day people board planes,get on trains and ready themselves for an adventure. But what about the deep sea? Although it covers 70 percent of the Earth's surface,we hardly stop to think of it as a tourist destination. However, the travel industry has made great advancement in creating aquatic(水中的) hotspots.

From the luxury to the relatively modest,underwater resorts have been popping up in recent years. For those with a truly adventurous spirit and some money to spend,you can even rent your own submarine. Staffed with a captain,a personal chef and a butler(管家),Oliver’s Travels’ submarine,the Lovers Deep,is a unique getaway. For those looking for a slightly different experience,there is Jules'Undersea Lodge in Florida,US,named after Jules Verne,the author of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

Other sectors of the emerging underwater tourism industry have brought a bit of art to the deep sea. According to the BBC,“there's a move to combine underwater tourism with art tourism to attract a new kind of traveler." Underwater museums and exhibits like the Molinere Underwater Sculpture Park in Grenada and Australia's Museum of Underwater Art allow visitors to see incredible sculptures in a truly magnificent atmosphere. Underwater archaeological(考古的)sites have also become popular destinations, such as the ones in Turkey, where people can visit sunken cities.

Exploring Earth's bodies of water has brought more awareness to the importance of protecting oceans and the animal life that calls them home. British sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor,whose artwork can be seen in multiple underwater attractions around the world, feels this is key. “Most people just see the surface of the ocean and it is hard to think of something so plain and enormous as fragile. We don't regard our oceans as sacred(神圣的)and we should.”

8 . Leila Taheri used to go to the Welsh Harp wetland as a schoolgirl. At that time, the 160-hectare nature ______ was home to various birds, also Taheri’s perfect playground. She ______ played baseball there, forgetting to go home.

In August, 2020, 37-year-old Taheri ______ the wetland and the kind of dump-like (垃圾场般的) surroundings ______ Taheri. Because of pollution, birds populations had been ______. To make things worse, the nearby residents paid little attention to the wetland.

A strong ______ to do something controlled her. Taheri decided to begin with a litter pick. She ______ her neighbors to join in. In one month, they ______ 70 bags of rubbish. Then, Taheri expanded the work into more general environmental activism. ______ monthly litter picks, they also worked with some bird protection organizations. Currently, they are trying to ______ a planned bridge across the wetland, for it will destroy birds’ habitat despite the advantage of ______ the locals a few minutes’ walk.

Taheri’s efforts ______. More and more locals are now more environmentally ______, more involved, and have come to see the value of her work. She makes a real ______ not only to the Welsh Harp, and but for the wider community. Just as Taheri says,“Don’t stand______, do something about it.”