It is hardly surprising that clothing manufacturers(生产商) follow certain uniform standards for different features of clothes. What seems strange, however, is that the standard used for women is the opposite of the one for men. Take a look at the way your clothes button. Men's clothes tend to button from the right, and women's from the left. Considering most of the world's population—men and women—are right-handed, the men's standard would appear to make more sense（更有道理） for women. So why do women's clothes button from the left?

    History really seems to matter here. Buttons first appeared only on the clothes of the rich in the 17th century, when rich women were dressed by servants. For the mostly right-handed servants, having women's shirts button from the left would be easier. On the other hand, having men's shirts button from the right made sense, too. Most men dressed themselves, and a sword（剑） drawn from the left with the right hand would be less likely to get caught in the shirt.

    Today women are seldom dressed by servants, but buttoning from the left is still the standard for them. Is it interesting? Actually, a standard, once it is set, resists change. At a time when all women's shirts buttoned from the left, it would have been risky for any single manufacturer to offer women's shirts that buttoned from the right. After all, women had grown so used to shirts which buttoned from the left and would have to develop new habits and skills to switch. Besides, some women might have found it socially awkward to appear in public wearing shirts that buttoned from the right, since anyone who noticed that would believe they were wearing men's shirts.

    It seems that in many places storms visit more often. When a storm is coming, most people leave the area as quickly as possible and head for safety. But there are a few people who will get into their cars and go straight for the center of the storm. These people are willing to risk being killed by floods or 100-kilometer-an-hour winds for the excitement of watching the storm close up.

    "Storm chasing" is becoming an increasingly popular hobby, especially in the Midwest of the United States, where there are frequent storms between March and July. A storm chaser begins the day by checking the Internet for the latest weather reports, and then drives up to 1,000 kilometers to where the storm will be and waits for it to develop.

    Although anyone can do it, storm chasing is extremely dangerous. The power of a big storm can throw a cow into the air or destroy a whole house in seconds. Storm chasers are also often hurt in accidents caused by driving in a heavy rain. If you are a beginner, it is much safer to join a group for storm-chasing vacations during the storm season.

    Even then, storm chasing is not all adventure and excitement. "Storm chasing is 95% driving," says Daniel Lynch, who spends most of his summer storm-chasing. "Sometimes you can sit around for hours waiting for something to happen, and all you get is blue sky and a few light showers."

    However, for storm chasers, it is all worth it. "When you get close to a storm, it is the most exciting sight you will ever see in your life," says Jasper Morley. "Every storm is an example of the power of nature. It is the greatest show on Earth."

    A Swiss airplane powered only by energy from the sun left from Abu Dhabi early on March 9. Its creators hope the plane will make the first around-the-world journey without any fuel. The plane is called Solar Impulse 2. It has one seat and is made from carbon fiber. The plane weighs only as much as a car but its wings are wider than a Boeing 747. The plane's wings stretch 72 meters across. Those wings include 17,000 solar units, or cells, which capture the sun's energy. The energy allows the plane to fly day and night.

    Two Swiss scientists built the plane. Bertrand Piccard is also an explorer who made the first non-stop flight around the world in a balloon. Andre Borschberg is an engineer and trained fighter pilot. The scientists say they are not trying to alter the airplane industry. Instead, they want to show that new energy sources and technologies can achieve what some say is impossible. “We want to show we can fly day and night in an aircraft without a drop of fuel.” Mr. Piccard said.

    Some parts of the trip will require the pilots to be in the tiny plane for five to six days and nights in a row. So it is good that the pilot's seat is also a toilet.

    The plane's route begins in the United Arab Emirates. The pilots also plan stops in Oman, India, and China. They will cross the Pacific Ocean, stop in the United States, and continue over southern Europe or North Africa. They plan to arrive back in the United Arab Emirates in late July or early August.

    Internet viewers can go to the Solar Impulse website to see the plane's location and listen to broadcasts from the pilots.

    Life is full of surprises and events that sometimes change one's daily routine. Some of them might be good and pleasant. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} The unexpected events may cause you anxiety and stress. So you need to find some ways to be less affected by them.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Even if you live the same kind of life, doing the same things day after day, there could be unexpected events. So you need to realize that such events can't be avoided and you need to be prepared for them. In this way, you'll find it easier to deal with whatever happens in your life.

    Have a positive attitude. Not all unexpected events are bad. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} For example, even getting fired for work could finally turn out well, as you might find a more satisfying job.

    Always focus on the present moment, learning from it and making use of new changes that come your way. In other words, make the most of the present moment, instead of thinking about what you lost, or how bad the situation is. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Introduce small changes into your life. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} You can try eating a different breakfast or drink tea in the morning instead of coffee, or do things that you usually do, but in a different way.

    When I'm in Italy, I generally only eat Italian food. I doubt whether there's another country in Europe that has food that can keep me coming back for more.

    To eat well in Italy, finding the right restaurant is essential. I appreciate personality-driven restaurants, run by people keen(热衷的) to share their love of good cooking, and places serving family recipes. Signs of a good restaurant include a low-rent location, lots of locals, and a small, handwritten menu in one language. The menu is small because they're only selling everything they're cooking; it's handwritten because it's shaped by what is fresh today in the market; and it's in one language because they mostly serve locals.

    For a fast and cheap lunch, I look for Italian food in corner delis (熟食店): either a rosticceria, specializing in roasted meats and antipasti(开胃食物), or a hot table bar — a cafeteria offering a buffet of meat and vegetables. Another option is to drop by a neighborhood grocery store to pick up some cold cuts, cheeses, and other foods for a picnic.

    Italians tend to spend a long time on each course, and dinner is the evening's entertainment. For example, when you have a full-blown Italian dinner in a restaurant, you don't get out until midnight; a three-hour meal is common. Waiters often provide lots of drinks that seem designed to keep you from leaving. When you want the bill, you'll have to ask for it. To "eat and run" is seen as a lost opportunity.

    A couple of years ago, I sat down at my favorite place in Verona, Enoteca Can Grande, with my friend and guide Franklin. We let the chef, Giuliano bring us whatever he wanted. Just after the antipasti arrived, Franklin's wife phoned him and said, "Don't eat too much cheese or dessert." Later Franklin, who was not thin, surveyed our table. Sighing, he said, "The foods are so plentiful but I can eat few."

    "That's a pity," I said.

    I enjoyed the food for three hours and he watched me eating for three hours. Eating in Verona was really an amazing experience.

    Nature has provided us with many kinds of resources. It is like a great magician(魔术师), creating wonders on Earth. One of them is the Amazon rainforest, the world's largest and home to millions of plants and animals. Nicknamed" the lungs of our planet", it produces about one-fifth of Earth's oxygen. However, this wonderful natural wonder is now in danger.

    Thousands of fires have broken out in Brazil, endangering much of the rainforest. These flames have lasted several weeks and are believed to be the "most intense" in almost ten years, according to BBC News.

    The Amazon has seen a large number of fires in 2019. Between January and August, there were over 74,000 fires – the highest number since 2013, the BBC reported.

    Forest fires are common during the dry season, which runs from July to October. They are usually caused by natural events like lightning. However, most of the fires this year are believed to be caused by farmers, who use fire as a traditional part of tropical agriculture(农业) to clean land, reported CNN.

    "It's the best time to burn because the plants are dry. Farmers wait for the dry season and they start burning and clearing the areas so that their cattle can have grass," wrote CNN meteorologist Haley Brink.

    The disaster has raised concern(关注) around the world. The Amazon rainforest is important for preventing climate change, said the BBC, absorbing millions of tons of carbon annually. When trees are cut down or burned, the rainforest's ability to absorb carbon is reduced.

    Brazilian climate expert Carlos Nobre told Reuters he's worried. If more than 20 percent of the ecosystem is destroyed, the Amazon rainforest could reach a "tipping point (临界点)", where the thick jungle will turn into a tropical savannah(大草原).

    Nobre warned that it is not far off, with between 15 and 17 percent of the rainforest having already been destroyed.

    The Brazilian government has sent soldiers to fight the fires. Many people have offered their support and called for recovery efforts. For example, Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, said he wanted to donate money and US Actor Leonardo DiCaprio's environmental charity, Earth Alliance, created a donation fund to help deal with the disaster.

    The public are also encouraged to donate to charities concerned with rainforest protection. "Every little bit helps in a bad situation like this," commented Gizmodo.