At long last, Stefano Boeri Architects' brilliant Bosco Verticale towers are finally completed. The “world's first vertical forest” consists of a fantastic pair of costly towers that add nearly 2.5 acres of lush vegetation to the sky line of Milan, a city notorious (声名狼藉的) for its air pollution. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Like a pair of green lungs, its forested appearance of 21,000 plants will absorb CO₂, control noise pollution, lessen the urban heat island effect, and create oxygen and favorable micro-climates.

    The Bosco Verticale mixed-use towers are constructed with a $2.5 billion public-private investment as part of the re-development of Milan's Porta Nuova district. The towers, measuring 260 feet and 367 feet, house 800 trees between 9 and 30 feet tall, over 4,000 shrubs (灌木) and 15,000 ground cover plants. Bosco Verticale is created with LEED Gold Certification (绿色建筑黄金认证) in mind. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} 

    The buildings shrub have welcomed their first residents. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}  A fast-growing bird population has already begun to nest in Bosco Verticale's rich leaves, of which over a hundred different species of trees and shrubs are represented. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} 

    The superstructure is also selected for the world famous International Highrise Building Award as one of the five most beautiful and original high-rises in the world that is completed. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} 

A. “We take great pride in this project, which may earn us an award” says Boeri.

B. Boeri is currently in China, where he plans to build another Bosco Verticale project.

C. It is also equipped with a gray water recycling and irrigation system.

D. However, Bosco Verticale will be more than just a beautiful sight to enjoy.

E. “The real key to this project is biodiversity,” says Boeri.

F. It is also well received by the Chinese experts in the field.

G. But those families aren't the only ones to call the vertical forest home.

    Going camping is one of the best ways to get in touch with nature and enjoy the beautiful outdoors. However, thorough plans before a camping trip may be boring. Just follow these simple camping suggestions to make your trip safe and rewarding.

     Selecting a suitable tent

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}When determining the size of your tent, you should take into account the number of campers as well as the camping equipment(设备) necessary for your trip. There should be enough room in the tent for the camping equipment.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Importance of food

    While camping, you will need enough food to give you enough energy for your outdoor activities. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}You should use a two-burner stove to do all your cooking. Insist on simple cooking during your trip to reduce cooking time.

    Enough sleep.

    All campers should have enough sleep during the night. Nights are generally cooler than the days so you need to have enough warm clothes to feel comfortable to sleep during the night. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Extra air mattresses(气垫) may be included in your camping equipment to make your bed more comfortable.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Keep these camping suggestions in mind and make sure you are fully prepared to enjoy your camping trip.

A. When buying a sleeping bag, check that you feel comfortable in it.

B. The best camping trips belong to those people who prepare the best.

C. The comfort level in a tent determines the success of a camping trip.

D. Thus you must have an efficient arrangement for your food preparation.

E. If you have a habit to eat in bed, you might train yourself not to do it during camping.

F. The size is the most important thing you should carefully consider when choosing a tent.

G. It will destroy the mood of the entire camping trip if you don't have enough money.

    When you think about people who have made the world a better place, you probably think of famous scientists or great leaders. That is not all the truth.  {#blank#}1{#/blank#} An act of kindness can bring a smile to a person's face even if only for a moment.

    Give away your money.  {#blank#}2{#/blank#} For example, if you want to help hungry children, you can try to find an international organization that provides food for those in poor areas. Every cent you give away will mean a lot.

    Help a stranger. Your small actions can brighten the day of others. Hold the door for someone whose hands are full. Help the blind cross the street.  {#blank#}3{#/blank#} The key is expecting nothing in return for your acts of kindness.

    Care about those you know. Show the people close to you how much you care about them. Tell them they mean a lot to you. Make a beautiful gift for a friend. Take your husband to his favorite fun place if he has had a hard week.  {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Be grateful to others. Have you had good service in a restaurant？Thank the waiter. Do you have a very good neighbour who is always there when you need her？Tell her how much you appreciate her being in your life.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} If a friend needs skills in a certain area, offer your advice. Perhaps she is struggling to set up a computer, and you know how to do that. Offer whatever ability you have, but always remember to be polite.

A. Keep walking forward.

B. Share your knowledge.

C. Small steps, not big ones.

D. Give your seat on the bus to an old man.

E. Choose a charity that has meaning for you.

F. Tell your children how much they mean to you.

G. Ordinary people like you and me can also help a lot.

    TOASTMASTERS

    Toastmasters is an international organization, designed to develop effective speaking and listening skills. It was set up in 1924 by Ralph Smedley and it's headquartered in California. It has a double purpose: the personal growth and strong effective communication skills.

    Who is Toastmasters open to?

    Many people think Toastmasters is open only to those who wish to be professional speakers, but that is not true. Toastmasters is open to the public at large. Any person who wishes to improve his public speaking is welcome. And also, those who just want to increase their overall self-confidence are encouraged to attend.

How can Toastmasters help you?

    Joining Toastmasters, a person will learn different methods of communicating what he really wants to say, and equally important, he will learn what the audience expects so he can send that message to them in an organized way. Some people are comfortable around friends, but when they appear before a group they don't know, they get nervous. The organization helps its members to get calm and organize thoughts, and express them in an effective way.

    Most often, people assume that when one is listening, he is also paying attention. This is not always true. Many times people are waiting for their turn to speak and are not really listening at all. Toastmasters can develop a person overall in organizing their thoughts, getting information from others and receiving effective feedback（反馈）.

    How does Toastmasters train people?

    Toastmasters has a way of learning by doing. The Toastmasters International Organization provides a menu called the basic menu because it gives a guideline for the development of speeches. These speeches can meet different purposes. For example, one might need voice training; another might be to organize his thoughts or develop use of humor in speeches. There is an eight-week program for young people and also an eight-week speech course offered for adults. As a person continues to give speeches and improve, he progresses from the point of being fearful to stand before a group to the point where he can speak to any group of people with confidence.

    Asking for a raise can be a discouraging prospect for any employee. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} If you're a female employee seeking a raise, it matters to approach that conversation strategically. Here are a few tips for pulling it off successfully.

    Do your research.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} So if you're making a case for a pay increase, you'll need to gather some data on what others in similar positions are earning. To that end, do some research on sites like Salary. com. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Remember to collect the average earnings for all workers in your position and make your case for why you deserve to be paid similarly.

    Don't get emotional.

    Women are often accused of getting emotional on the job. In fact, it's that so-called sensitive nature that causes some people to claim they're uncomfortable working with and promoting female employees. That's why it's extremely important to keep you cool during a salary negotiation. Be specific and present hard evidence of your value to the company. Try to focus on your positive contributions, rather than the negative feelings. And although the discussion might get heated, be sure not to yell or, worse yet, cry while it's going down. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Given many news stories about how men out-earn women, you may tend to draw on some of that data as a reason for getting a raise. But be very careful about using that argument, because unless you have definitive proof that your male colleagues - with the same exact titles, experience, and responsibilities—are making more money than you, you're better off avoiding that angle.

    People generally tend to pick out the best-looking fruits and vegetables when shopping for produce, but Canadian supermarket chain Loblaws is attracting customers with badly-shaped and faulty produce at the price of 30% lower than normal-looking ones.

    A trial run of the ugly food line, named "Naturally Imperfect", began with only apples and tomatoes to choose from. Consumer demand has been so huge that Loblaws is going to introduce more unsightly vegetables and fruit options like onions and mushrooms. The line is available at other stores, including Real Canadian Superstore and Your Independent Grocer.

    All the produce that will be sold through Naturally Imperfect would otherwise have been used in juices, sauces, or soups, or have not been harvested at all. The director Dan Branson explained that this program benefited both food producers who would otherwise have to let abnormal harvest go to waste, and consumers who could buy fresh produce at low prices. And he was right, given how popular the line has become.

    "It really went well beyond our expectation," Branson said. "I think it really spoke to the fact that Canadians are out there really looking for some options."

    Of course, Canadians know that beauty is more than skin deep, but they also recognize that they can get the same flavor and nutritional benefits in spite of appearances. The positive response to the initial offering of apples and potatoes showed the opportunity to expand the line and offer more options at a greater price to Canadian families.

    "If you grow produce in your backyard, there will be a lot of produce that won't look as pretty as what you will see in a grocery store," said Branson. "And nature doesn't grow everything perfectly. I'd like to think if somebody were to take a No Name Naturally Imperfect apple, put right beside a No.1 apple, close their eyes and eat them, there would be no difference."