Even if trees cannot walk, they are still on the move.

    In parts of the Arctic, entire forests are moving northward. Across the Arctic, temperatures are rising faster than anywhere else in the world. As that happens, the tree line that marks where forests stop and the treeless tundra (冻原) starts has been shifting northward. Trees growing along the tree line must protect themselves from the cold wind. To dothis, plants tend to grow horizontal (水平的) branches low to the ground. The energy it takes for trees to grow this way means they don't have enough energy to make seeds.

    But as Earth's climate has been warming, trees no longer have to just grow horizontally. Many can instead grow up toward the sky. This takes less energy. And with all that leftover energy, these trees have started producing more seeds. This happens especially in places where white spruce (白云杉) grows.

    White spruce, which is a North American tree, is quite able to produce a lot of seeds, which can move long distances in the wind. When wind­blown seeds end up on the tundra beyond the tree line, they eventually can sprout(发芽) new trees. This explains how a forest can move. Of course, the process would work only if the tundra were warm enough. But in recent years, the whole planet has been warming.

    New trees will provide shelters for some snow. Keeping the sun's rays from making the white surface disappear. Instead, the trees absorb the sun's heat. This warms the surrounding air. The extra warmth encourages even more trees to produce seeds. That further boosts a forest's ability to expand. In addition, more trees will trap more snow, preventing much of it from being blown away. Snow can trap heat in the soil below, which encourages trees to grow. The recent rise of temperatures has helped more trees grow past the tree line. People worry about impacts on the animals that depend on frozen conditions for food and shelter.

    Modern inventions have speeded up people's loves amazingly. Motor-cars cover a hundred miles in little more than an hour, aircraft cross the world inside a day, while computers operate at lightning speed. Indeed, this love of speed seems never-ending. Every year motor-cars are produced which go even faster and each new computer boasts of saving precious seconds in handling tasks.

    All this saves time, but at a price. When we lose or gain half a day in speeding across the world in an air plane, our bodies tell us so. We get the uncomfortable feeling known as jetlag; our bodies feel that they have left behind on another time zone. Again, spending too long at computers results in painful wrists and fingers. Mobile phones also have their dangers, according to some scientists, too much use may transmit harmful radiation into our brains, a consequence we do not like to think about.

    However, what do we do with the time we have saved? Certainly not relax, or so it seems. We are so accustomed to constant activity that we find it difficult to sit and do nothing, or even just one thing at a time. Perhaps the days are long gone when we might listen quietly to a story on the radio, letting imagination take us into another world.

    There was a time when some people's lives were devoted simply to the cultivation of the land or the care of cattle. No Multi-tasking there; their lives went on at a much gentler pace, and in a familiar pattern. There is much that we might envy about a way of life like this. Yet before we do so, we must think of the hard tasks our ancestors faced, they farmed with bare hands, often lived close to hunger, and had to fashion tools from wood and stone, Modern machinery has freed people from that primitive existence.

    We all have some people whom we respect very much, like our family members, our friends or our teachers.

    Respect often means different things to different people. There are several aspects that many people can agree on, though. For example, at its most basic level, respect means being kind and considerate to others.

    Respect can take many forms. Don't make fun of others. Put yourself in other people's shoes and think about how they feel. Remember the Golden Rule: treat others the same way you'd want to be treated.

    Respect is important because it sets the proper stage for all our human interactions. Friendship, love, and even basic communication must all start with respect.

    Everyone wants to be respected. To get respect, though, you must also show respect for others. It's always a two-way street. You can't be impolite to others and expect respect in return.

    It's easy to show respect. Be polite. Look for the best in people rather than concentrating on their mistakes. Show compassion to others and try to put their interests before your own. Make others comfortable when they're uneasy. Help out whenever you can. When you pay it forward, amazing things can happen.

    And be respectful to everyone. The world is an unbelievably huge place filled with billions of people, each one of whom is unique and special. And they all deserve your respect!

    Be careful, though. Not everyone will show you respect all the time. In fact, you'll probably see examples of impolite behaviour each and every day. How you respond to impolite behaviour, though, can make a huge difference.

    If you choose to respond to impolite behaviour by acting rudely yourself, you've gained nothing. You've only continued the pattern of impolite behaviour and set a bad example. Instead, act respectfully and set a good example. Consistently acting respectfully might just help others learn from your example!

    After finishing a meal at an American Chinese restaurant you probably expect to receive a handful of fortune cookies after you pay the bill. Fortune cookies are in Chinese restaurants throughout the United States. It's rather satisfying to crack open a cookie at the end of your meal and read your “lucky fortune” on the slip of paper inside.

    The exact origin of the fortune cookie is unknown. It is thought that the tasty snack was the first introduced into San Francisco in 1914, after an immigrant began distributing the cookie with “thank you” notes in them. These “thank you” notes were intended as symbols of appreciation for friends who stood with him through the economic hardship and discrimination of his early life in America.

    There is an alternate origin story. Los Angeles is regarded as the site of the fortune cookie's invention. In this version of the story, David Jung, a Chinese immigrant residing in L. A., is thought to have created the cookie in order to uplift the spirits of the poor and homeless. In 1918, Jung handed out the cookies for free to the poor outside his shop and each cookie contained a strip of paper with an inspirational sentence printed on it.

    Fortune cookies first began to gain popularity in mainstream American culture during WWII. Chinese restaurants would serve them in place of desserts, as desserts were not popular in traditional Chinese cuisine. Today fortune cookies are not tied to Chinese-American culture. In fact, the largest fortune cookie manufacturer is located in the United States and it produces 4.5 million fortune cookies a day —— an evidence to the modern-day popularity of the snack. However, an attempt to introduce the fortune cookie to China in 1992 was a failure, and the cookie was cited for being “too American.”

    So the next time you break open a fortune cookie and read a fortune about the many successes you should expect in your future, remember that the conclusion to your Chinese restaurant meal may not be as Chinese as you think.

    Car washes are a common sight throughout Nigeria, but Madinat Aliyu's roadside business is very special: she is the only woman car-washer in the north of the country.

    "This job has caused me a lot of problems," said the 27-year-old, checking cars waiting to be cleaned in Gusau, the capital of Zamfara state.

    Aliyu took up her work two years ago, hoping to use the 7, 000 naira (£28) she earned every month to put her younger sisters and brothers through school following the death of their mother, the only one who made money to support the family. But her family begged her to stop doing this job, and she has received "judgment and warnings" from strangers too.

    "My grandmother cried for many days. Some people thought it was a joke to bring more customers (顾客). Others said if she is doing it for money, let's just give her money to stop bringing us shame," she said as she got water from a well by the roadside. "But I hate laziness or depending on somebody else."

    However, Aliyu has admirers. "Some customers only allow her to wash their cars," said her colleague (同事) Shamsudeen Mohammed. "I was trained to wash cars by men, and I can honestly tell you women are better to work under," he added.

    Recently another woman came to Aliyu to ask for advice on starting her own car wash. "Unfortunately her family discouraged her. I told her, if you listen to them, you will find yourself begging or marrying a man who is older than your grandfather," she said.

    Though she is considered a pariah (贱民) by many, Aliyu has no plans to stop her work. "I see men doing something and I think I can do it too."

    Here are some exciting holidays to make your travel fun and a learning adventure.

    Salsa Dancing Holiday, Cuba

    In Cuba, many all-inclusive resorts(全包式度假胜地) offer free salsa lessons as part of their services, but there are many travel routes available through travel companies that will arrange for dance lessons over the course of your two-week stay, as well as an opportunity to taste authentic Cuban cooking, lifestyle and music. By the end of your holiday, you will be a dancing expert!

    Big Life Stretch, Spain

    Travel opens up opportunities that you do not have at home. Leaving your familiar surroundings might open your mind and bring changes. Big Life Stretch is one-way holiday near Malaga, Spain, in the mountains. You will spend a week surrounding yourself by nature. Guests participate in the scheduled life coaching, and also learn the techniques to hug changes.

    Photography Holiday, Spain

    Taking pictures is a major part of every holiday, but how many of us are good at it? Why not take this opportunity to learn how to really record your travel memories during the trip? In scenic Torrox, Spain. Photography Holiday offers 8-day-long all-inclusive vocations (room and board), photography workshops and personalized photography tours. The holiday includes traditional Spanish homes, the mountains and the sightings of sunrise over Lake Vineula.

    Wild Cookery, Scotland

    If you are looking for a cooking holiday for a change, consider Wild Rose Outdoor Cookery courses. Head out to Scottish Highlands for the weekend, where you will hunt for greens and other cooking materials and learn about ways of cooking outdoors, like fireside cookery, hot stones and pit (坑)cooking.