What is your favorite color? Ask famous persons like Cate Blanchett, Scarlett Johnson, and Bono (singer for the band U2), and maybe they will say “green.” That's not because these artists like the color green best. Instead, they are interested in green fashion.

       Green fashion is about making (and wearing) clothes that are good for humans, animals, and the Earth. In the past, green fashion made people think of ugly clothes. But today, green fashion is different. It is about looking good and caring about the Earth and other people. You can have interesting clothes and be green.

Around the world, green fashion is becoming popular. For example, the U.K. company People Tree sells men's and women's clothing and accessories(配搭物). They are made from natural fabrics(织物) like cotton and wool. Workers who make the clothes are from countries like Kenya(肯尼亚), and Bangladesh(孟加拉国). People Tree pays the men and women good money for the clothes they make.

Singer Bono and his wife also started a clothing company called EDUN. When the clothes are sold, EDUN uses most of the money to help people around the world.

    A dog can't speak any words, but it can "talk". It has feelings just as you do.

    Sometime it may feel angry or afraid. Watch a dog closely, and you can find out how it feels. You can see what it is trying to tell you. When you are afraid, you may look down. When a dog is afraid, it may run away. When you are angry with other people, you stare at them. An angry dog also stares. Sometimes the hair along its back stands up.

    Do you feel guilty(有罪) when you do something you shouldn't do? Dogs can feel guilty, too. Sometimes when l come home, my dog gives me a guilty look. Then I know he did something wrong. Dogs need love and care. Some dogs are very unhappy when they are alone for a long time. Some dogs even snap(撕咬）if they don't get enough care.

    You may have a dog or you may know a dog. Take care of it well if you want to have fun with it. Take it for a walk. Don't make it do too many things. Try not to punish it again and again for doing the same thing. Always remember, a dog has needs and feelings just as you do. Talk to a dog, and it will talk to you.

Would it surprise you to learn that, like animals, trees can communicate with each other and pass on their wealth to the next generation—their young trees?

    Suzanne Simard, forest ecologist(生态学家) at the University of British Columbia, explains how trees are much more complex(复杂的) than most of us ever imagined. Although Charles Darwin(达尔文) thought that trees are competing for survival of the fittest, Simard and her team have made a new discovery and showed just how wrong he was. In fact, the opposite is true: trees survive through their group work and support, passing around necessary nutrition(营养) such as nitrogen(氮) and carbon "depending on who needs it".

    Nitrogen(氮) and carbon are shared through miles of underground fungi (真菌) networks. This makes sure that all trees in the forest ecological system give and receive just the right amount to keep them all healthy. This system works in a very similar way to the networks of neurons (神经元) in our brains, and when one tree is destroyed, it influences all.

    Simard talks about "Mother trees". These are usually the largest, oldest plants that on which all other trees depend. These "Mother trees" are connected to all the other trees in the forest by this network of fungi, and may manage the resources of the whole trees and plants in the forest. She explains how these trees pass on the wealth to the next generation, transporting important resources to young trees so they may continue to grow. When humans cut down "Mother trees" without paying attention to these highly complex "tree societies" of the networks on which they feed, we are reducing the chances to save the whole forest.

    "We didn't take any notice of it," Simard says sadly. "Mother trees" move nutrition into the young trees before dying, but we never give them chance. If we could put across the message to the forestry industry, we could make a huge difference towards our environmental protection efforts for the future.

    Do you think laughter can help you deal with pain? Scientists from Britain did two experiments(实验). The first was done in a lab. People wore special wristbands(腕带). Some of them were asked to watch comedies while others watched serious programs. Then the scientists tightened(勒紧)the wristbands to see how much pain the people could feel.

    The other test was done at an art festival. Some people watched a comedy show and others watched a drama(戏剧). At the same time, they had to put their backs against the wall and keep their legs bent(弯曲的)just like sitting on a chair. They did this before and after the show.

Scientists found that just 15 minutes of laughter improves people's ability to stand pain by 10%. However, the serious programs and the drama didn't make a difference to pain at all.

    The study found that the magic power of laughter comes from endorphins(内啡肽). These are chemicals(化学物质). They are produced by the human body. They make you feel less pain and can make people feel happier. Exercise can produce endorphins. Your muscles(肌肉)move in and out when you are laughing. Scientists believe that this makes your muscles tiring, so we start to produce endorphins.

    Scientists also found that the only real and relaxing laughter works not just polite laughter.

    Next time you have a headache, get together with a group of Mends, watch a funny movie and laugh. You will soon feel a lot better because laughter is the best medicine.