Nowadays more and more people are talking about geneticallymodified foods ( GM foods). GM foods develop from genetically modifiedorganisms (有机体), which havehad specific changes introduced into their DNA by genetic engineeringtechniques. These techniques are much more precise where an organism is exposedto chemicals to create a non­specific but stable change. For many people, thehigh­tech production raises all kinds of environmental, ethical, health andsafety problems. Particularly in countries with long farming traditions, theidea seems against nature.

In fact, GM foods are already very much a part of our lives.They were first put on the market in 1996. A third of the corn and more thanhalf the cotton grown in the U. S. last year was the product of biotechnology,according to the Department of Agriculture. More than 65 million acres ofgenetically modified crops will be planted in the US this year. The geneticgenie is out of the bottle.

However, like any new product entering the food chain, GM foodsmust be subjected to careful testing. In wealthy countries, the debate aboutbiotech is not so fierce by the fact that they have a large number of foods tochoose from, and a supply that goes beyond the needs. In developing countriesdesperate to feed fast­growing and underfed populations, the matter is simplerand much more urgent: do the benefits of biotech outweigh the risks?

The statistics on population growth and hunger are disturbing.Last year the world's population reached 6 billion. The UN states that nearly800 million people around the world are unhealthy. About 400 million women ofchildbearing age don' t have enough iron, which means their babies are exposedto various birth defeats.As many as 100 million children suffer from vitamin Adeficiency, a leading cause of blindness.

How can biotech help? Genetic engineering is widely used toproduce plants and animals with better nutritional values. Biotechnologistshave developed genetically modified rice and they are working on other kinds ofnutritionally improved crops. Biotech can also improve farming productivity inplaces where food shortages are caused by crop damage attributable to drought,poor soil and crop viruses.

    The wedding tradition of “something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue” has been around for hundreds of years. The tradition of carrying or wearing one of each item is said to bring luck and fortune to the newly married couple. Have you ever stopped to think what the saying really means? What is its origin and what does each item represent?

    The original saying dates back to the Victoria times and states, “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue and a silver sixpence in your shoe.”

    Something old   A bride may wear or carry something old to represent her continued ties to her family and her old life. Many brides wear a piece of family jewelry as their old item. Some brides wear the wedding dress worn by their mother or grandmother. In many cases, something old may also be something borrowed.

    Something new   Wearing something new is supposed to represent success and hope in the bride's new life and in her marriage. If the bride purchased her wedding dress new, it may represent her new item, but any item that is new may be used. Something “new” is usually the easiest kind to fill.

    Something borrowed   The borrowed item should be something borrowed from a friend that is happily married. It is said that their happiness will rub off on you and bring lasting happiness to your marriage. Some brides borrow an item of clothing, a piece of jewelry, a handkerchief or perhaps a beaded(带珠子的) purse.

    Something blue Wearing something blue dates back to ancient times when a blue wedding dress was worn to represent purity, fidelity and love.

    Silver sixpence   Placing a silver sixpence in the bride's left shoe is said to be a symbol of wealth. This not only refers to financial wealth, but also a wealth of happiness and joy throughout her married life. Since most brides probably don't even know what a sixpence is, this part of the tradition is not used very often in modern times. However, if a bride would like to include it in her wedding, she can purchase a silver sixpence from many companies that sell bridal supplies such as garters(袜带) and invitations.

    Stefano Boeri, the Italian architect, famous for his Bosco Verticale, a group of tree-covered skyscrapers in Milan, introduced his new plans to pioneer a similar project in the Chinese city of Nanjing.

    The Chinese version of Boeri's Bosco Verticale, or vertical forest, will be his first project in Asia. The project will consist of two neighboring towers that will be coated with 23 different species of trees and more than 2,500 kinds of bushes hanging down the sides of the buildings. The structures will be built with the ability to house offices and will feature a 247-room luxury hotel, as well as a museum and even a green architecture school. The towers are currently under construction and are set for completion within the next year.

    But two buildings aren't enough for the ambitious Boeri as he now has even bolder plans for China to create “forest cities” in a country that has become known as an urban center choking on poisonous gases and dust.

    In an interview about his plans to “greenify” the city and country Boeri said, “We have been asked to design an entire city where you don't only have one tall building, but you have 100 or 200 buildings of different sizes, all with trees and plants on the sides.” Boeri continued, “We are working very seriously on designing all the different buildings. I think they will start to build at the end of this year. By 2020 we could imagine having the first forest city in China.”

    Although these towers will lend a huge hand in decreasing air pollution in China's eastern city, Boeri has said, it will take more than a pair of tree-covered skyscrapers to really solve China's pollution crisis. This is why the Italian architect hopes to repeat his design in other parts of the country, as well as in other places around the world.

    When you cross deep water driving too fast, you risk splashing water up into the air box and having it get sucked into the internal engine, which is more common than you think. There are a few steps you should take to clear the water out before you try to start it:

    ⒈First, drain the fuel tank, fuel lines and the oil. While it's draining, put a fan on the wiring and dry it out. Remove and clean the carburetor (化油器).

    ⒉Take the plugs out of the engine and turn it over to force any water out. Water will come out with the oil. Add oil to the engine and turn it over again, without the plug in. Let it sit for a while, then observe the oil to tell if there's any water in it (it will look like a white milky substance if there is water mixed with the oil). If it's there, drain it again and start over until there is little or no white showing in the oil.

    ⒊Now re-install the spark plug, add gas, then try to start the engine. You should have a can of ether (乙醚) handy just in case it's stubborn, but don't use too much. If it starts, let it run for a few minutes without making it work faster.

    ⒋After it runs for several minutes, shut it off, drain the oil and change the filter(过滤网). Run it again for a few minutes then shut it off and checks again for milky colored oil. If you have none, you should be good to go.

    ⒌If you cannot start the engine, you may have already ruined it and you will probably need to seek a professional to repair it, or, more likely, you'll have to replace it.

    Skeptics are a strange lot. Some of them refuse to admit the serious threat of human activities to the environment, and they are tired of people who disagree with them. Those people, say skeptics, spread nothing but bad news about the environment. The “eco-guilt” brought on by the discouraging news about our planet gives rise to the popularity of skeptics as people search for more comforting worldviews.

    Perhaps that explains why a new book by Bjorn Lomborg received so much popularity. That book, The Skeptic Environmentalist, declares that it measures the “real state of the world” as fine. Of course, another explanation is the deep pockets of some big businesses with special interests. Indeed, Mr. Lomborg's views are similar to those of some Industry-funded organizations, which start huge activities through the media to confuse the public about issues like global warming.

    So it was strange to see Mr. Lomborg's book go largely unchallenged in the media though his beliefs were contrary to most scientific opinions. One national newspaper in Canada ran a number of articles and reviews full of words of praise, even with the conclusion that “After Lomborg, the environmental movement will begin to die down.”

    Such one-sided views should have immediately been challenged. But only a different review appeared in Nature, a respected science magazine with specific readership. The review remarked that Mr. Lomborg's “preference for unexamined materials is incredible(不可信的)”.

    A critical (批判的)eye is valuable, and the media should present information in such a way that could allow people to make informed decisions. Unfortunately, that is often inaccessible as blocked by the desire to be shocking or to defend some special interests. People might become half-blinded before a world partially exhibited by the media. That's a shame, because matters concerning the health of the planet are far too important to be treated lightly.