Everyone can help to save the world

    We are all environmentalists now. We all know about acid rain and the ozone hole. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} As consumers we have the power to make decisions which will contribute to a better world and it is in our power to do what we can to protect the earth.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} In this way we have the power to influence retailers (零售商) to sell us these so-called “green” products. Therefore, the supermarkets have understood the message and are now trying to improve their environmental image. They are turning to less wasteful and recyclable packaging. The range of “green” products will continue to expand to meet the growing demand. This message has also reached the manufacturers. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} They have realized that protecting the environment may start as an advertising campaign but in the hands of intelligent people it can become a very profitable business. Besides, we can do more.

    Furthermore, we also know there are other areas where all of us can make a positive contribution to a cleaner, healthier and safer environment. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} There are a number of ways we can do this. For example, we now know how important it is to have our homes well insulated (隔热). We should choose the best energy efficient technology, such as modern light bulbs which can reduce electricity consumption by 80% over the older ones. We must also work hard to reduce the amount of rubbish we produce. We all produce tons of rubbish and waste disposal has become a big problem. As an environmentally-conscious consumer we should buy products which do not have so much packaging. Also, we should try to avoid non-returnable goods at all costs. In Scandinavia and Germany, for example, plastic bottles and cans are now returnable goods.

    In conclusion it is important to emphasize once again the rise of consumer power. We must realize that we are all part of the problem.   {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. We can all reduce energy consumption at home and so cut the emissions from power systems.

B. For example, when we walk into a supermarket we can choose to buy environmentally friendly products and reject products which damage our planet.

C. There are some other ways to protect the environment.

D. Companies are developing environmentally friendly products that maintain a high quality and a low price.

E. But what are we doing about these problems?

F. Nevertheless we must also realize that we have the responsibility to be part of the solution.

G. Everybody has the duty to contribute to a cleaner world.

    It's OK to say you've never heard of grime (伦敦地下音乐) - unless you're from the UK. That's because this music type was invented in the UK in the early 2000s.

    To someone who's not familiar with underground music culture, it's easy to get confused between hip-hop and grime since they are both noisy. And many people didn't bother to tell them apart，until earlier this month when grime stars like Stormzy and J Hus led this year's Mobo – “music of black origin”, an award in the UK. Just like UK electronic music and hip-hop, from which grime drew influence, it mostly reflects the thoughts of young people. But different from hip-hop, grime singers sing in dialects with strong accents, giving a special flavor to their songs.

    Lady Leshurr，known as the “Grime Queen”, said that she once tried to hide her accent, as she didn't want people to judge her. But one day, she realized that she didn't need to change herself just to please others. And there's no doubt that this is the soul of grime music: be yourself.

    Grime has challenged modem music in its production beauty and its expressions. Also different from the hip-hop culture, which usually focuses on being rich, grime singers pay more attention to social phenomena like those who suffer from disasters and the gap between the rich and poor.

    Although still quite a young music type, grime seems to be getting loved by more and more people. In 2016, the English grime artist Skepta won the Mercury Prize with his album Konnichiwa, beating big names like David Bowie and Radiohead.

    However, no matter whether grime is one day accepted widely or not, one thing is for sure: in grime, singers always stay true to themselves.

    Canada is a very large country. It is the second largest country in the world. By contrast(比较)it has a very small population. There are only about 29 million people (by the year 1996) there. Most Canadians are of British or French origin, and French is an official language of Canada as well as English. About 45% of the people are of British origin, that is, they or their parents or grandparent, etc., come from Britain. Nearly 30% are of French origin. Most of the French-Canadians live in the province of Quebec.

    Over the years, people have come to live in Canada from many countries in the world. They are from most European countries and also from China, besides other Asian countries.

    However, Canada was not an empty country when the Europeans began to arrive. Canadian Indians lived along the coast, by the rivers and lakes and in forests. Today there are only about 350,000 Indians in the whole country, with their own languages. In the far north live the Inuit. There are only 27,000 Canadian-Inuit. Their life is hard in such a harsh climate.

    Andy rode slowly on his way to school, day-dreaming about the fishing trip that his father had promised him. He was so busy dreaming about all the fish he would catch that he was unaware of everything else around him.

    He rode along until a strange sound drew him to the present. He came to a stop and looked up to the sky. What he saw frightened him. A huge group of bees filled the sky like dark cloud and seemed to be heading angrily towards him.

    With no time to waste Andy sped off in the opposite direction, riding quickly without knowing how to escape the group. With a rapidly beating heart and his legs pumping quickly, he sped down the rough road. As the bees came closer, his fear increased. Andy knew that he was sensitive(敏感的) to bee stings (蜇). Last time a sting had put him in hospital—and that was only one bee sting! He had been forced to stay in bed for two whole days. Suddenly, his father's words came to him. "When you are in a dangerous situation, don't panic. Stay calm, use your brain and think your ways out of it."

    On a nearby hill, he could see smoke waving slowly from the chimney(烟囱) of the Nelson family home. "Bees don't like smoke," he thought. "They couldn't get into the house." Andy raced towards the Nelson house, but the bees were gaining around. Andy knew he could not reach the house in time. He guessed that the bees would catch up with him soon.

    Suddenly, out of the corner of his eyes, he saw a small pond used by Mr. Nelson to water his vegetable garden. Off his bike and into the cool water he jumped, disappearing below the surface and away from the bees. After holding his breath for as long as he could, Andy came up for air and noticed the bees have gone. Pulling himself out of the water, he walked up the hill and rang the doorbell. Mr. Nelson took him inside and rang his mother.

    "You'll really need that fishing break to help you recover(恢复)," laughed his mother. "Thank goodness you didn't panic!" But Andy did not hear her. He was dreaming once again of the fish he would catch tomorrow.

    Maria Sibylla Merian

    Today, children can happily explain how a caterpillar (毛毛虫) turns into a butterfly, thanks to Maria Sibylla Merian. Born in Germany in 1647, Merian was fond of insects, and she began collecting, studying and drawing them when she was as young as 13. It was through her study of caterpillar that she discovered the truth about their life cycles, and she went on to publish two volumes of naturalist research about the life cycles of insects.

    Ada Lovelace

    Ada Lovelace, born in 1815, was the daughter of famous British poet Lord Byron, but she wasn't a poet herself. She was the world's first computer programmer. Lovelace wrote some suggestions as to how to program “computing machines” to calculate a specific sequence of numbers. Besides this, she predicted them to do everything that could possibly be represented by a series of numbers, from producing images to composing music.

    Hedy Lamarr

    She was born in 1914 in Austria and moved to the United States in the hope of going after a film career. In 1942, in the midst of her Hollywood success, she and composer George Antheil received a patent for a device that could change radio signal frequencies. The purpose of the technology was to keep military enemies—especially, the Nazis --from decoding (解码) messages. But it did more than that--it paved the way for much of the wireless technology we use today.

    My Year Abroad

    This month in Travelers Corner there are three teenagers' experiences in year-abroad programmes.

    Mariko Okada - Tokyo

    My year abroad in the United States was a fantastic experience. I'm not a shy person, and I was very comfortable speaking to everyone. So I got lots of speaking practice. I also learned lots of interesting things about American culture. When I got home, my friends all said that I had improved so much! I hope to go back again in the future.

    Carla Fonseca - Rio de Janeiro

    I spent last year studying English in London. I'm from a small town, and London is a very big city. Sometimes I felt it was too big. There were so many people to talk to, but I always felt bad about my English. I missed my family, and I really missed my two cats. My roommate was always using our telephone, so I hardly had the chance for a nice long talk with my parents. I think it was a good experience for me, but I'm glad to be home!

    Alvin Chen - Hong Kong

    Studying in New Zealand was an interesting experience for me, but it was also lots of hard work! I had English classes six hours a day, five days a week—with lots of homework. I also kept a diary of my experience. I like to write, and I wrote two or three pages in my diary every day. On Saturdays, my home stay family took me to lots of interesting places and showed me so many wonderful things about the culture. I'm really glad I went!