With the cold weather season rapidly approaching, caring for dry skin may become more challenging. Here are some tips on how to protect your skin and keep it healthy throughout the colder months of the year.

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    Avoid harsh(刺激性的) cleansers containing sulfates or alcohol, and choose a gentle cleanser. Harsh cleansers may disrupt the PH balance of your skin and cause dryness.

    Switch to a face oil

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} In order to avoid dryness, rub about 3 to 5 drops of oil the palm of your hands and then gently pat it into the skin. Face oils offer the benefit of conditioning the skin and protecting it from the cold air.

    Exfoliate(去死皮)

    Exfoliating is very important because it helps to get rid of dead skin cells and encourages skin cell renewal.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} However, especially when the skin is feeling extra dry, it is important to use a gentle product and not to overdo it.

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    If you don't feel thirsty and struggle with taking in enough liquids, try to drink tea, sweetened with a little raw honey. Dehydrated skin cells have a slower turnover rate, which results in dull skin and more visible fine lines.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} The most advantage is that you will spend the cold season with comfort and confidence.

A. Drink plenty of water

B. Eat homemade soups

C. Use mild facial cleansers

D. Follow the above tips, you may own nice skin and look better.

E. Here are three of the most common example of skin discomfort.

F. After cleansing your face, your skin still takes the risk of dryness.

G. Moreover, dead skin cells won't allow your face oil to enter the skin deeply.

    If you think American cooking means opening a package and throwing the contents into the microwave oven (微波炉)，think again. On the one hand, it's true that many Americans have cold cereal for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch and instant (方便的) dinners. From busy homemakers to working people, many Americans enjoy the convenience (方便) of fast food that can be ready to serve in 10 minutes or less. On the other hand, many Americans realize the importance of cooking skills. Parents—especially mothers'—see the importance of training their children- especially daughter's. Most Americans think that there's nothing better than a good home-cooked meal. But with cooking, as with any other skill, good results don't happen by accident.

    Probably every cook has his or her own way of cooking. But there are some basic skills that most people follow. For example, baking is a main method (方法) of preparing food in America. For that reason, Americans would find it next to impossible to live without an oven. American cooks pay special attention to the balance of foods, too. In planning a big meal they try to include meat, a few vegetables, some bread and often a dessert. They also like to make sure the meal is colorful. Having several different colors of food on the plate usually makes for a healthy meal.

    For those who need guidance in their cooking, or for those who have just run out of ideas, recipes are a great help. Recipes list all the ingredients for a dish (generally in the order used), the amount of each to use, and a description of how to put them together.

    We all think plants were expected to get larger with increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, but changes in temperature, humidity(湿度)and nutrient availability seem to have trumped the benefits of increased carbon dioxide" said researchers from the National University of Singapore.

    45 percent of the species studied now reach smaller adult sizes than they did in the past. The researchers pointed out that warmer temperatures and changing habitats, caused by climate change, are possible reasons for shrinking creatures.

    " We do not yet know the mechanisms(机制)involved, or why some organism are getting smaller while others are unaffected," the researchers said. "Until we understand more, we could be risking negative consequences that we can't yet quantify."

    The change is big in cold-blooded animals. Only two decades of warmer temperatures are enough to make retiles (爬行动物)smaller. An increase of only 1 degree centigrade caused nearly a 10 percent increase in metabolism(新陈代谢). Greater use of energy resulted in tiny tortoises and little lizards. Fish are smaller now too. Though overfishing has played a part in reducing numbers, experiments show that warmer temperatures also stop fish growing.

    Warm-blooded animals aren't immune(免除)from the size change caused by climate change. Many birds are now smaller. Soay sheep are thinner. Red deer are weaken And polar bears are smaller, compared with historical records.

    This is not the first time this has happened in Earth's history. 55 million years ago, a warming event similar to the current climate change caused bees, spiders and ants to shrink by 50 to 75 percent over several thousand years. That event happened over a longer time than the current climate change.

    The speed of modem climate change could mean organisms may not respond or adapt quickly enough, especially those with long generation times climate change will be shown in the future.

New research into a long-lived tree has shown some of the tricks that have helped it survive for thousands of years. The ginkgo(银杏树) is a huge, slow-growing tree with fan-shaped leaves, native to China, but planted in parks and gardens across the world. Some of the largest ginkgoes are said to be more than 3, 000 years old.

In order to discover how these and other trees can live for so long, scientists from the US and China studied 34 healthy ginkgoes of different ages. The team studied growth rings in each tree's trunk(树干), as well as cells(细胞) from the bark, leaves and seeds. They found that 600-year-old trees were just as healthy as 2-year-olds.

To learn more, the team then looked in detail at the DNA of nine trees aged between three and 667 years old. DNA is the chemical in the cells of plants and animals that holds instructions that tell any living thing how to grow and develop-including what to do at different times in its life At the beginning of a tree's life, DNA instructs the cells in a seedling to divide quickly so the tree grows rapidly. The cells also make special chemicals to help the young plant survive difficult situations, such as disease. As most trees grow older, their DNA tells their cells to divide more slowly (so growth slows down) and to make fewer chemical defenses(防御).

Ginkgoes, however, do things differently. The team found that although their growth finally slows, both young and old trees make protective chemicals." The secret is keeping a really healthy defense system," said researcher Richard Dixon." As ginkgoes age, they show no sign of weakening their ability to defend themselves from things like disease. "Other trees that live for a long time may have the same ability.

For all their defenses, though, ginkgoes cannot live forever--they finally meet with deadly accidents such as fire, disease and storms. While they last, however, these leafy trees are some of the most beautiful trees in the world.

Paper cutting is one of the most popular decorative Chinese handicrafts. It is popular for its low cost and artistry. Rural women often make paper cuttings in their spare time when farming is not busy. As a {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (reflect) of its philosophical origins, paper cutting is comprehensive and attractive. Moreover, folk paper cutting conveys (表达) the content and nature of traditional culture with {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (it) own particular language.

The history of paper cutting {#blank#}3{#/blank#}_(date) back to around the 6th century. From the 7th to 13th century, paper cutting became popular {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (especial) during Chinese festivals. The art spread to the rest of the world in the 14th century.

These days, with a pair of scissors {#blank#}5{#/blank#} a piece of red paper, Fu Zhao'e from the Ningxia Hui autonomous region cut out an image of Argentina football star Lionel Messi within a couple of minutes.

Since the Qatar World Cup {#blank#}6{#/blank#}_(start), Fu, 63, has been creating works of football superstars, {#blank#}7{#/blank#} are favored by a lot of her friends. "I can cut out anything that I can picture in my mind, people, animals and scenery{#blank#}8{#/blank#} (include)," said Fu, {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (add) that people say the cuttings were lifelike.

Fu is a national-level inheritor (继承人) of paper-cutting. Her works show the customs of northwestern China and have strong ethnic characteristics. She was recognized as {#blank#}10{#/blank#} Chinese folk craft artist by UNESCO.

Not only is second-hand shopping good for the planet and your wallet, but new research finds that the more conscious(关注的) of style you are, the more likely you are to shop for second-hand clothes.

It is often assumed that those who shop for second-hand clothes do so to save money or reduce their impact on the environment. In fact, according to the research. style-consciousness is a bigger predictor of second-hand shopping than frugality or eco-consciousness.

Style-consciousness is very different from fashion-consciousness. Fashion is all about the "new" , and is constantly evolving. Style, on the other hand, is about expressing long-term individual identity.

Fashion shoppers are used to a continuous supply of new trends and fast fashion products. Fast fashion works quickly to replicate ( 复制) an ever-moving stream of fashion trends, generating large volumes of low-quality clothes. The impact of fast fashion on the environment is significant and well-documented. Globally ,the fast fashion industry creates 92 million tons of waste per year. Less than 15 percent of clothes are recycled or reused.

A style-conscious person expresses themselves through their clothes. These shoppers want second-hand clothes that show their personal style and values. They look for authentic and original pieces and avoid mainstream trends and fast fashion. They buy clothes that are timeless, well-made and all ow them to express their individual identity.

Going against the fast fashion trend, growing numbers of people are shopping for second-hand clothing. And the number of second-hand stores is also increasing. The research suggests much of this growth is due to shoppers considering themselves to be style-conscious.

We hope with increasing numbers of second-hand stores, markets and online platforms selling a range of quality, pre-loved clothes at different price points for different budgets—coupled with the growing acceptance of second-hand shopping—shoppers will consider buying second-hand more often. Not only are you helping the planet, you are also likely to be doing it with style.