When people think of tigers, words like" strong" and " dangerous" come into their mind. But now, the big animal is calling for our help. There were once eight kinds of tigers in the world, but three died out during last century. In the past 70 years, the number of Siberian tigers has gone from as many as 300 to somewhere between 18 and 22.

   World Wildlife Fund started a programme. It is about to put an end to tiger poaching(非法狩猎) and save wild tigers. China, together with 12 other countries, has joined in. The aim is to double the number of wild tigers in the next ten years.

According to the research by Chinese officers and WWF, the Siberian tiger is already one of the planet's most endangered animals. "If the government doesn't do anything, it's quite possible that there will be no more Siberian tigers in China in 10 to 20 years." said Zhu Chunquan, director at WWF Beijing office.

    Wild animals such as deer and wild bears are tigers' main food. The poaching of these animals is the greatest danger to tigers. Another one is the trap(陷阱). "Volunteers from WWF remove traps every year, but we cannot clear all the traps ourselves," Zhu said. The most important thing people can do is to save the animals tigers eat." To protect the tigers, we need to call on more people to stop hunting wild animals."

A: Mr. Liu, can I ask you some questions about Mars?

B: Sure, go ahead.

A: Is Mars hot?

B: Mars might look red-hot. But don't let its color fool you. Mars is much farther away from the sun than Earth. So it gets less light and heat.

A: Why "Mars"?

B: Mars takes its name from the Roman god of war (罗马战神). In China, the red color makes people think of fire. So they call the planet "fire star".

A: Are there Martians on Mars?

B: Unluckily, we haven't found any "people" on Mars yet. They are kind of like Santa Clause. Nobody can see them, but many people believe they are real.

A: Will we lose weight on Mars?

B: Living on Mars could be good in many ways. For example, you might not need to go on a diet to lose weight. If you weigh 50kg on Earth, you will only weigh 19kg on Mars. This is because the surface gravity (表面重力) on Mars is only about 38 percent of that on Earth. Do you want to know your weight on Mars? Just multiply your weight by 0.38. That's it.

A: Thank you. We know a lot about Mars now.

B: You're welcome.

A report says that young people who were born between 1995 and 2009 have different ways of life. Here are some hot ways in 2024. 

Recently, a short video showing a member of the cleaning staff at the Summer Palace in Beijing explaining Buddhist tourist sites(佛教景点) drew wide attention online.

In the video, Zhang Xu explains the tourist sites to several visitors who are doing research. What makes it special is that he expertly names a list of hard-to-pronounce Buddhist sites. He speaks so easily and confidently that it seems he is doing a tongue twister(绕口令). {#blank#}1{#/blank#}  But he is wearing the uniform worn by the cleaning staff and holding a broom(扫帚). After the explanation, Zhang smiles and returns to his work as though nothing has happened.

{#blank#}2{#/blank#} It quickly became a hot topic. People were surprised at how such a cleaner could become an expert in certain areas.

Zhang said he never thought of becoming famous online, as he only wanted to help the visitors who seemed puzzled(困惑的; 茫然的). He added, "I've been interested in architecture(建筑) since I was a child. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}"

Zhang became a member of the cleaning staff at the palace in late 2021. He is required to walk about 40,000 steps inside the palace every day. So he knows a lot about it. "The traditional architecture of the palace is not just a number of bricks(砖块). {#blank#}4{#/blank#} They know how to speak to people who understand them," Zhang said. "They show the beauty of traditional Chinese architecture."

 Last month, Shenzhen launched its first smart cat adoption(领养) center in Bao' an District in July. The center is a 6- square- meter room with a glass door. It makes it easier for people to adopt street cats. Through this center, two cats have already found new homes.

 People who rescue street cats can apply to bring them to the center. If the staff think the cats are suitable to stay, there's a daily fee of 20 yu an to take care of the cats' health 24 hours a day. The fee can be paid by the rescuer or raised by the public.

 People who might want to adopt a cat can enter the center by scanning(扫描)a QR code and paying 10 yuan. Visitors also need to put on shoe covers before going in. Inside, visitors can find basic information about the cats and how to adopt the cats. There's also a smart feeding machine where visitors can buy food for the cats. And it doesn't cost anything to adopt a cat.

 Many people like the center for protecting street cats, especially in winter. However, some citizens worry that the cats might be harmed by cat haters. The staff explained that they will monitor the center all the time, and they can lock the doors through remote control if needed. Serious problems will be reported to the police at once. The center allows up to three visitors at a time, and children must be with a parent.

 More smart cat adoption centers are planned for Nanshan and Bao' an districts. With the adoption centers, over 10 pet- themed parks, and 50 pet- friendly malls, Shenzhen is on its way to becoming a" pet- friendly city".

Have you ever heard about "E-sticks"? People{#blank#}1{#/blank#} (很少) connect sticks with GPS. Wang Zikuan, a teenager from Shenzhen, made a big difference by inventing the walking sticks for old people. Zikuan found that old people in{#blank#}2{#/blank#} ( 日 常 的 ) lives always got hurt badly when they hit against things. But not everyone{#blank#}3{#/blank#} (知道) how to help them. Inspired by car alarm system, he built a sensor (感应器) into his walking sticks. If the stick comes within 25 cm of a wall or other things, it will sound an alarm to {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (警告) the user. The stick's GPS system also allows users to be found if they get lost. 

His teacher Mr. Zhang noticed his talent and that he should take part in a{#blank#}5{#/blank#} ( 当 地 的 ) inventing competition. After trying for many times, he made it. {#blank#}6{#/blank#} ( 没 有 ) doubt, he won the first place. Now the walking sticks are{#blank#}7{#/blank#} ( 广 泛 地 ) used by the old and the disabled. Many accidents are{#blank#}8{#/blank#} ( 避 免 ) with the help of the walking sticks. 

Zikuan's parents took{#blank#}9{#/blank#} ( 自 豪 ) in what he had done. In order to inspire Zikuan's creativity, his parents always encourage him to think of more{#blank#}10{#/blank#} ( 想 法 ) that are well worth considering and take him to different invention fairs.