For years, scientist and others concerned about climate change have been talking about the need for carbon capture and storage(CCS).

    That is the term for removing carbon dioxide from, say, a coal-burning power plant's smokestack and pumping it deep underground to keep it out of the atmosphere, where it would otherwise contribute to global warming.

    However, currently, only one power plant in Canada captures and stores carbon on a commercial scale (and it has been having problems). Among the concerns about storage is that carbon dioxide in gaseous or liquid form that is pumped underground might escape back to the atmosphere. So storage sites would have to be monitored, potentially for decades or centuries.

    But scientists at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University and other institutions have come up with a different way to store CO₂ reacts with the rock to form a mineral call calcite(方解石). By turning the gas into stone, scientists can lock it away permanently. Volcanic rocks called basalts(玄武岩) are excellent for his process, because they are rich in calcium, magnesium and iron, which react with CO₂.

    The project called CarbFix started in Iceland, 2012, when the scientists pumped about 250 tons of carbon dioxide, mixed with water, about 1,500 feet down into porous basalt. Early sings were encouraging: The scientists found that about 95 percent of the carbon dioxide was changed into calcite. And even more importantly, they wrote, the change happened relatively quickly—in less than two years.

    “It's beyond all our expectations,” said Edda Aradottir, who manages the project. Rapid change of the CO₂ means that a project would probably have to be monitored for a far shorter time than a more conventional storage site.

    There are still concerns about whether the technology will prove useful in the fight against global warming. For one thing, it would have to be scaled up enormously. For another, a lot of water is needed—25 tons of it for every ton of CO₂—along with the right kind of rock.

    But the researchers say that there is enough porous basaltic rock in Iceland, including in the ocean floors and along the margins of continents. And sitting a storage project in or near the ocean could potentially solve the water problem at the same time, as the researchers say seawater would work just fine.

    One afternoon last week, I saw three tearful children from my son's school being comforted by teachers. That morning, my 11-year-old had stomach pains, retching(干呕)into a bowl. Talking to other mothers later, I heard about other children with stomachache or difficulty sleeping the night before.

What caused so much pain? Sports day. Sports day might be necessary at a highly-competitive independent school, but not at a village primary school. For the children who can fly like the wind, sports day causes no problem. For those who are overweight or just not good at sport, it is a nightmare(噩梦). Even for those who enjoy running but fall halfway down the track in front of the entire school and their parents, it can prove a disaster.

    Why do we put our children through this annual suffering? Some may say competition is character building; or it's taking part, not winning, that's important; or that it is a tradition of school life. I just felt great pity for those children in tears or in pain.

    Team games at the end of sports day produced some close races, wild enthusiasm, lots of shouting—and were fun to watch. More importantly, the children who were not so fast or quick at passing the ball were hidden a little from everyone's eyes. Some of them also had the thrill of being on the winning side.

    I wish that sports day could be abandoned and replaced with some other less-competitive event. Perhaps an afternoon of team games, with a few races for those who want them, would be less stressful for the children and a lot more fun to watch.

    Leaving Hanoi on a fiercely hot summer day,after an hour by air,Luang Prabang gradually appears below our airplane wings.From a few hundred meters above,my first impression of this UNESCO-listed heritage（遗产）is an area of green land and mountains,surrounded by snaking rivers.

    Encircled by mountains,the former royal capital of Luang Prabang is more than just the country's picture-perfect showpiece.

    Travelers will be attracted to Luang Prabang by the city's timeless peacefulness with its shiny Buddhist temples, French colonial architecture and friendly people.

    Tourists visiting Luang Prabang shouldn't miss the chance to see one of the most sacred（神圣的）Lao traditions, tak bat,or the Buddhist almsgiving ritual（仪式）,which dates back to the 14th century.

    As the sun rises in Luang Prabang,hundreds of Buddhist monks depart from their temples to gather their daily offerings,which most commonly are rice,fresh fruit and traditional sweet snacks.The daily alms gathering begins on the main street before spreading to all the side streets.

    Our group of six got out of our comfy beds at 5 am to join other local residents and tourists to offer alms to the monks.We kneeled by the roadside in front of the 3 Nagas Hotel on the main street with big baskets of steamed sticky rice,waiting quietly until monks of all ages passed by to accept our gifts.

    The daily ritual gives you a wonderful opportunity to experience an ancient Lao tradition.However,there are some strict rules if you wish to join the event.

    Firstly,shoulders,chests and legs must be covered in modest clothing as a mark of respect.You should also remain a suitable distance from the monks.Photographs may be taken,but from a distance and never use a camera flash.The ritual has to be performed in silence.Talking to or touching the monks at any time,even when making an offering,is not allowed.

    Another must-do morning activity is to visit the local market,where you can see the generosity that Mother Nature offers this dreamy land.While walking through the morning market,located within a long and narrow hamlet,I was excited to see all kinds of products from the nearby river and jungle: some ill-fated squirrels lying next to fresh bamboo shoots,different kinds of wild mushrooms and vegetables displayed on banana leaves and giant river catfish in baskets.

    Although Luang Prabang is small,there are many things to see here.Active travelers can get up close and personal with Laos' gentle giants at the elephant conservation camp or take in some scenes of riverside life with a cruise or kayak excursion on the rivers.Two waterfalls that are perfect for picnicking in the foothills nearby,and classes are available in traditional crafts.

    New research brings some good news for lovers of spicy foods, after finding that eating hot red chili peppers might help to extend lifespan.

    Consuming（消耗）hot red chili peppers might reduce death risk, say Chopan and Littenberg from the research team. In hot peppers, such as Mexico peppers, the strong flavor comes from a compound（复合物）, which does not exist in sweet peppers or onions. Studies have suggested that this compound can offer a wealth of health benefits.

    A study of more than 16,000 people in the United States showed that people who consumed red chili peppers had a lower risk of death from all causes over an average of 18 years than those who did not eat the spicy food. Compared with people who did not consume hot red chili peppers, those who did were found to be at 13 percent reduced risk of all-cause death.

    For example, a recent study reported by Medical News Today, found that the compound might have the potential to stop breast cancer, while an earlier study linked the compound to a reduced risk of digest system cancers. Still, the available data suggested that hot red chili pepper consumption was most strongly associated with a reduced risk of death from heart disease.

    While the researchers are unable to discover the concrete compound by which red chili peppers might extend lifespan, the team says that it is likely due to the compound that is effectively against obesity.

    Overall, the team says that these latest findings support those of the 2015 study, linking spicy food intake to reduced risk of death by showing ''an significant decrease in death associated with hot red chili pepper consumption.” However, Chopan and Littenberg note that the earlier study was only conducted in Chinese adults, so the new research makes these findings more credible.

    The best way of learning a language is using it. The best way of learning English is talking in English as much as possible. Sometimes you'll get your words mixed up (混合) and people will not understand you. Sometimes people will say things too quickly and you can't understand them. But if you keep your sense of humor, you can always have a good laugh at the mistakes you make. Don't be unhappy if people seem to be laughing at your mistakes. It's better for people to laugh at your mistakes than to be angry with you, because they don't understand what you are saying. The most important thing for learning English is: "Don't be afraid of making mistakes because everyone makes mistakes."

There're plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables available in local markets.But while those red juicy strawberries look  fresh,consumers have no way  of knowing how  long the  fruit  can be  stored  at  home.The  same  goes  for distribution centers and supermarkets.

Now,the food technology startup OneThird,located in the Netherlands,is looking to change that with an infrared (红外线)scanner that can accurately predict how long fresh fruits and vegetables will last.The startup is named OneThird because one-third of food is wasted due to spoilage(变质)every year.

The startup's founders were inspired by a UK company that uses this type of technology in the medical field and decided to see if it was applicable for food."I looked at the challenges in the food-supply chain and found out that 40 percent of food waste is fresh produce.One of the biggest causes of waste is that nobody knows shelf life." founder and CEO of OneThird,Marco Snikkers said.  Quality inspections at farms and distribution centers are done manually(手动地).An inspector checks the fruits and vegetables and makes notes about the size and quality.Then the food is sent to consumers without considering travel time or how long the produce will remain usable.

Using the infrared scanner at the distribution center means that inspectors can use the information to approve shipments that will ensure the produce can be distributed on a timely basis.This means that a shipment of ripe tomatoes will not be sent long distances away.

OneThird's scanner combines the technology of optical scanners,image modeling,and Artificial Intelligence to provide accurate shelf-life predictions.  The startup found that the technology can reduce up to 25 percent produce waste that was caused by spoilage. "Global food waste has an enormous environmental impact;reducing global food waste cuts global greenhouse gas emissions and promotes global food security,"said Jacob Smith,a climate expert from the University of Maine.