Terrible disasters in the last 50 or 100 years have become increasingly common. Over the last 30 years, the number of weather-related disasters has increased quickly, and the disasters have also affected more people and caused more economic loss. However, much of this could be avoided through disaster risk reduction(DRR降低灾难风险).

    A meeting, held in Sendai, Japan last month, opened one day after Cyclone Pam（飓风Pam）hit Vanuatu, which struck the islands with winds of up to 340km/h and destroyed the island nation. The speech by the President of Vanuatu was given shortly after that. He begged the international community for support and stronger commitment (承诺)to helping them manage climate and disaster risks. In the face of disasters, it is always the developing countries that suffer most. Damage in these countries is often worse and unluckily, there is limited money and technique to prevent these disasters.

    In fact, we have seen Asian countries-especially those that have suffered a lot in disasters can't pay the price. Great loss Asia has suffered comes to a total of almost $ 53 billon yearly over the past 20 years.

    At the same time, studies have shown once again that proper prevention saves lives and damage. With this in mind, people at the Sendai meeting were able to come up with new agreements that effective ways of disaster risk reduction will be carried out in the coming years for those who easily get damaged in disasters.

    You're rushing to work and a man ahead of you collapses (跌倒) on the sidewalk. Do you stop to help? In a study of by-standers, it was found that some people avert their gaze and keep on walking rather than stop and get involved. “There is a tendency to decide that no action is needed.” says a psychologist. “The first thoughts that pop into (进入) your mind often keep you from offering help. In order to take action, you have to work against them.” Here are some common thoughts that might prevent you from helping.

    Why should I be the one? I'm probably not the most competent (有能力的) person in this crowd. You might think someone older or with more medical knowledge should offer assistance (帮助).

    What if he doesn't really need my help? The fear of embarrassment is powerful; no one wants to risk looking foolish in front of others.

    No one else looks concerned-this must not be a problem. We can follow the people around us, but most  people tend to hold back their emotions in public.

     “If you spot (发现) trouble and find yourself explaining inaction, force yourself to stop and evaluate the situation instead of walking on,” says the psychologist. “Then retry to involve other people; you don't have to take on the entire responsibility of being helpful. Sometimes it's just a matter of turning to the person next to you and saying, “It looks like we should do something.” Or asking someone if an ambulance has been called and, if not, to call for one. Once you take action, most people will follow you.”

    Whether you have a piece of land or a few pots on a balcony, plant a family garden: You'll all live healthier! Gardening is an easy activity to share and you'll harvest benefits along with your fresh vegetables, colorful flowers, and aromatic herbs. Even better, you don't have to wait for your plants to bloom to see those benefits.

    When parents and kids work together to plant and care for a garden, they can all enjoy these benefits:

    Physical activity: Gardening and yard work are mild exercise, which we all need every day (for at least 30 minutes). While tending your family garden doesn't require the intense activity of running or playing singles tennis, it's still beneficial to your health. For one thing, research shows that once you start gardening, you usually continue for more than 30 minutes. And gardening combines delicate skill strengthening and stretching.

    Lower stress, better mood: Gardening is excellent stress relief for good reasons: enjoying fresh air and sunlight, performance of relaxing tasks, and even contact with harmless bacteria in the soil that helps release serotonin (血清素) in the brain.

    Outdoor time: Children prefer spending a lot of time indoors, which can negatively affect their behavior and health. A family garden gets them outside enjoying and experiencing the natural world.

    How are you and your family going to celebrate Earth Day? It's a great day to get outside and ride a bike, but there are other ways you could spend the day. Here are four books. You can learn more about the earth and the animals that make the world a special place to live in.

    The Busy Beaver, by Nicholas Oldland

    Beaver is very, very busy, and he doesn't always think carefully. As a result, he makes a mess of the forest and ends up in hospital. Finally, he realizes how careless he's been and decides to make things right when he returns to the forest.

    Lessons from Mother Earth, by Elaine Mcleod

    Five-year-old Tess is visiting her grandmother and, for the first time, she visits the garden. Along the way, Tess's grandmother tells her the rules of the garden, "You must always take good care of our garden. Never throw rubbish around. There is plenty for everyone to share if we don't destroy the soil." The story is beautifully told as a caring conversation between a child and her grandmother.

    Luz Sees the Light, by Claudia Davila

    When Luz's community(社区) experiences a series of black-outs(停电), she quickly comes to understand the need to save energy and find other ways of doing things. With the help of her friends and neighbors, she creates a community garden and park that everyone can use. The book attracts many young readers.

    The Lorax, by Dr Seuss

    A young boy learns of the role of the Lorax as protector(保护者) of the trees, and how his home became polluted. The book contains memorable forestry conservation (森林保护).

    My kids lifted the Christmas ornaments (饰品) out of a wooden box in Gee's living room. They were so happy and excited to see tiny stuffed cats and cartoon characters. Gee stood beside them, quietly explaining each treasure. She told me that she and Tom built their Christmas ornament collection piece by piece each year. She smiled as we left with the box, because her precious heirlooms, gathered over a life time, had found a new home.

    We first met Tom and Gee in the early days of our marriage. Someone had been returning our garbage cans to the garage, and Jim and I had wondered who One day we spotted him: a man who lived across the street. I baked cookies and left them on a bench outside the garage with a thank-you note. We then found a typed letter from Tom, explaining that he had begun returning cans for people he hardly knew, because neighbors had done this for Gee when he was in hospital. Now he paid it forward by doing the same for all of us.

    A few years after we'd moved in, Tom died, much to our sorrow. Gee told us she still talked to Tom every day. When we left her house with the precious box, I realized how hard it must be for Gee to part with that box, a piece of Tom.

    These days, we're planning a move. The house that seemed so huge six years ago is filled with furniture, books, toys and, of course, people. We know it's time to go, but soon realize gaining a third bedroom seems like a bad trade for all we stand to lose.

    This Christmas, we'll decorate our tree with Gee and Tom's ornaments. Maybe I'll talk to Tom just as Gee still does. Thank you, I'll say For teaching us what it means to be a neighbor.

First published on October 15, 1952, "Charlotte's Web" is a popular children's book written by well-known American author E. B. White and {#blank#}1{#/blank#}（illustrate）by Garth Williams that deals with themes of the nature of friendship, loss, fate, acceptance, and renewal. The story centers on a pig named Wilbur and the unlikely but deep friendship {#blank#}2{#/blank#} shares with an uncommonly talented spider named Charlotte.

While it's normal in the course of events on a farm for pigs {#blank#}3{#/blank#}（kill）when they reach a certain size and age, clever Charlotte works out a scheme to keep Wilbur from his fate by weaving words into her web to create what amounts to a one-pig publicity campaign. By promoting Wilbur to celebrity status, Charlotte ultimately saves him {#blank#}4{#/blank#} his date with the butcher's knife.

The ending of the "Charlotte's Web" is bittersweet, however, {#blank#}5{#/blank#} while Wilbur survives, Charlotte does not. But even Charlotte's passing is a lesson-for Wilbur and those reading his story-about the nature of death and renewal.

Death and destiny are both themes that the book explores. While Charlotte is willing to help Wilbur avoid a destiny that's being imposed on him by outside forces beyond his control, she also understands that some fates are inevitable: All living creatures are born, {#blank#}6{#/blank#}（have）a life cycle, and die. Charlotte accepts her role in this natural circle without regret.

Charlotte helps Wilbur realize that immortality is not about living forever, but rather, {#blank#}7{#/blank#}（ensure）that new generations will follow. She also helps him understand that love and friendship are not fixed in quantity. While we may lose a friend, new friendships can come along, not as replacements for {#blank#}8{#/blank#} we've lost, but as blessings to build on what we've learned.

"Charlotte's Web" got its inspiration from true experiences that author E. B. White had on his farm in Maine, {#blank#}9{#/blank#} he penned the book and lived until his death in 1985．While the author claims that the book {#blank#}10{#/blank#} never be considered a moral tale, certain messages related to moral principles, or rights and wrongs, are obviously established in "Charlotte's Web".