1 . Known as a “living fossil”, the Chinese sturgeon(中华鲟)is a very precious species. It is believed to have lived alongside the dinosaurs more than 140 million years ago. Although dinosaurs are long since gone, the Chinese sturgeon still exists. However, the species has been listed as ‘‘Critically Endangered’’ on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species．

On May 14,Shanghai legislators(立法机构)passed a new law protecting the Chinese sturgeon, emphasizing “regional cooperation”, according to China Daily. “This is the first local legislation in the country to protect one endangered fish,” said Ding Wei, director of the legislative affairs committee of the Shanghai Municipal People’s Congress.

Taken effect on June 6, the regulation urges cooperation in law enforcement(实施), scientific research and rescue of the species between Shanghai and other provinces and regions in the Yangtze River basin, according to People’s Daily．

The need for collaborative efforts is due to the living habitat of the Chinese sturgeon. As an anadromous(溯河产卵的)species, it mainly lives in the Yangtze River and depends on the Vangtze estuary(河口)for migration.

The protection of the Chinese sturgeon is urgent. China began the artificial breeding and release of the fish in 1984. However, very few of the fanned fish have survived in the wild, the number of which is less than 1000, according to a report by the Shanghai Observer.

Whether this species can be preserved depends on the natural population. “If the natural population is not well protected, the Chinese sturgeon is in danger of extinction.” Li Furong, vice chairperson of the Agricultural and Rural Affairs Committee of Shanghai Municipal People’s Congress, said in the report.

Since Jan 1 of this year, a 10-year fishing ban on key areas of the Yangtze River basin has been issued, covering 332 nature reserves, which includes Shanghai’s Chinese sturgeon nature reserve．

2 . In the USA, youth curfews (宵禁) are traditionally issued by a parent in the interest of safety. This type of curfew is personal, and rightfully so. However, to stop teenagers committing crimes, some officials have turned youth curfews from family decisions into public laws.

The idea may have been thought to have good intentions. In practice, however, these policies have been shown to be unfair and unconstitutional, according to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). In the town of Sumner, Washington, a father allowed his fourteen-year-old son to go to a convenience store after 11:00 p.m. Sumner had adopted a curfew law that prohibited people under the age of eighteen from being in public places past that hour. The father was fined, and then he pursued a legal challenge against the town. The ACLU, which filed the case on behalf of the father, claimed the curfew laws had violated (侵犯) parents' rights. In the end, Sumner's curfew laws were struck down.

But isn't it irresponsible not to enforce a curfew on teenagers? Curfew laws supporters argue that officials should provide a curfew to ensure teens are home by a reasonable hour. The risk of a serious accident is three times as high for drivers aged sixteen to nineteen as for drivers over twenty. And dangers only increase at night. This indicates to some that a law keeping teens off the road late at night is a positive safety measure. Still, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says that the best ways for drivers to increase safety are by obeying the speed limit, wearing a seat belt, and paying attention. The NHTSA makes no mention of youth curfews making driving safer.

In cities, curfew enforcement has been ineffective or even had a negative impact on communities. Most crimes committed by teens actually happen around 3：00 p.m. , right after school. On non-school days, that time shifts to between 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. The curfew hours, usually between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. , occur at a time of day when teenage crime is at its lowest. Meanwhile, violent crime rates peak around 10:00 p.m. for adults. When law enforcement performs the teen curfew sweep, policemen are distracted from the more serious violent crimes being committed by adults at that time. Also troubling is the racial discrimination in cities with curfews. For example, recent data have found that in Minneapolis, Minnesota, 56% of youths charged with breaking curfews were African American. Other law enforcement department reports show similar problems. Curfew laws are criticized because they are enforced in a racially discriminatory way.

The ACLU has succeeded in striking down at least one curfew law because of concerns over parental rights. Along with other community and civil rights groups, it continues to pursue other cases, arguing that curfew law enforcement can only increase tension and crime. To arrest teens for driving home from the movies, playing basketball in the park, or simply walking their dog is to punish them for being outside their homes—a policy inconsistent with the individual rights established in the U. S. Constitution.

3 . Children experiencing frequent family violence in Guangdong Province will be regarded as victims, according to a local draft against family violence. The draft will be handed in for consideration and agreement by the People’s Congress.

“It will help to improve people’s understanding of family violence and provide a better family environment for the development of children’s mental health.” said Chen Yongkang, deputy director of the social construction committee of the Guangdong Provincial People’s Congress, “More detailed and exact measures against family violence will be made in the near future to better protect children’s health. Although they are not victims of physical hurt, children will be living under huge psychological shadows for quite a long time.”

The Guangdong Women’s Federation said the province recorded 14,172 cases of family violence between 2016 and 2018. Nearly 30 percent of China’s 270 million families have family violence problems, which cause 100,000 families to fall apart every year. About 90 percent of family violence victims are women.

“Family violence not only causes broken marriages, but also brings great harm to the development of children’s mental health,” Chen said. “The new draft will also help offenders realize they are doing something harmful to children. It will also make governments and social organizations pay more attention to the problem.”

According to the draft, mental violence will also be seen as an aspect of family violence. “Family violence is not all about physical hurt. Mental violence, including frequent shouting, does harm to family members, especially children,” Chen said.

First it was pets, then fish.Now it's poultry(家禽）and pigs. The list of animals     1    （allow)to feed on insects is growing.A new EU law authorizing(授权）the use of insect protein in poultry and pig feed(饲料）came     2     force earlier this month.

Since a ban on processed animal protein was imposed in 2001 in the wake of the“mad cow”crisis, soy and fishmeal     3     (become)the base of animal feed in Europe.     4    ，their production needs lots of space and can be harmful to the environment,so feed manufacturers are looking for alternatives.Insects are just the ticket.They are raised in farms     5     require little land or water, and they can be fed on agricultural by-products or food waste such as rotting fruit and vegetables. They're also a natural fit. Most wild fish, birds and pigs eat insects.

The one thing going against them is price: insect protein is two to three times     6    （expensive)than fishmeal.Increasing production may help reduce the difference.Insect companies have worked hard.Research suggests insects may be more than mere feed,boosting growth rates and immune systems as well as filling     7     (stomach).They also offer the prospect of a green,local protein.

Poultry and pig feed are by far     8     largest animal-feed markets,but they're more     9    （compete)than food for pets or fish. This year the European Food Safety Agency has ruled that three species of insects (yellow mealworm, locusts and house crickets) are safe for humans to eat as well.     10     surprises them is that people seem less keen on the idea than chickens and pigs.

The White House on Tuesday announced new actions,     1    (include) additional funding and a cross-agency initiative, to curb the alarming rise in violence and discrimination     2    Asian Americans, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The FBI will also publish a new interactive page     3    documents hate crimes against the AAPI community and begin holding training events     4    (educate) agents on recognizing and reporting anti-Asian bias.

The Department of Health and Human Services is providing nearly $50 million from the American Rescue Plan     5    ( assist ) AAPI survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.

The COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force,     6    ( found) in January, has also established a subcommittee on Structural Drivers of Health Inequity and Xenophobia, the White House said. This subcommittee will be     7    (specifical) focused on combating the surge in anti-Asian bias during the coronavirus pandemic.

The White House has faced pressure to take more concrete     8    (measure) to fight the rampant anti-Asian violence,     9    (especial) in the wake of the shootings in Atlanta on March 16 that left six Asian American women     10    two others dead.

7 . Are you the only child in your family? If so, do you enjoy it or do you want more siblings（兄弟姐妹）?

On May 31, a key meeting of the Communist Party of China unveiled a policy that would allow all couples to have up to three children.

The move is expected to maximize the population's role in driving economic and social growth, since this is a critical time for China to transform the world's most populous country into a powerhouse（强国）with a quality workforce, according to the National Health Commission.

The three-child policy is also expected to prevent the decline in the nation's birthrate and address the challenge of a rapidly aging population, China Daily reported.

China's annual number of newborns has fallen for four years in a row. The country's total birthrate—the average number of children born to each woman—stood at 1.3 in 2020. The number is below the rate of 2.1 that would maintain a stable population, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

The declining birthrate has also brought a sharp increase in the proportion of the population aged 60 or above, rising from 10.3 percent to 18.7 percent in the past decade. An increasingly elderly population will increase the cost of labor and the pressure on the social security net. It also means there will be a lack of young labor force. Therefore, it's not good for economic growth, according to Chen Youhua, a professor at Nanjing University.

In fact, the new birth policy is a step to further relax the family planning policy. The one-child policy was introduced in the 1970s and aimed to control the fast-growing population. Then in 2013, China allowed couples to have a second child if either parent was an only child, and in 2016, all couples were allowed to have two children.

However, not all people have shown their support for this latest policy. Many couples complained about the rising costs of raising a child. A netizen named Qinfeng commented, "High cost of education and both the physical and mental exhaustion stopped me from having more than one child." Also, many women are reluctant（不情愿的）to give birth because that could mean sacrificing their career prospects, according to Mu Guangzong, a professor at Peking University.

In that case, Mu noted that it is better to implement supporting measures with the three-child policy, such as more preferential（优惠的）policies for couples that would ease their parental burden.

Although tobacco use among Chinese middle school students has decreased in recent years, the number of electronic cigarette smokers     1     (double).

Despite being called     2     “safer alternative” to smoking, e-cigarettes contain nicotine, which is highly addictive and leads to many health issues, cancer     3     (include).

The newly revised Law on the Protection of Minors (未成年人),     4     will take effect on June 1st , 2021, includes     5     (policy) regarding electronic cigarettes for the first time. It forbids the sale of e-cigarettes to minors. Also, it bans     6     (set) up cigarette stores near schools and places where minors are present     7     large numbers.

The new law     8     (expect) to be a powerful legal weapon protecting the youth and will     9     (fundamental) solve the problem of tobacco sales to minors. Compared with the previous version, the new law lists clearer punishment rules to certain violations. Stores selling cigarettes to the minors will be fined up to 5,000 yuan     10     even risk getting their business license canceled.