We already know the fastest, least expensive way to slow climate change: Use less energy. With a little effort, and not much money, most of us could reduce our energy diets by 25 percent or more—doing the Earth a favor while also helping our wallets.

    Not long ago, my wife, PJ, and I tried a new diet—not to lose a little weight but to answer an annoying question about climate change. Scientists have reported recently that the world is bending up even faster than predicted only a few years ago, and that the consequences could be severe if we don't keep reducing emissions(排放) of carbon dioxide (CO₂ ) and other greenhouse gases that are trapping heat in our atmosphere.

    We decided to try an experiment. For one month we recorded our personal emissions of CO₂. We wanted to see how much we could cut back, so we went on a strict diet. The average US household(家庭) produces about 150 pounds of CO₂  a day by doing common-place things like turning on air-conditioning or driving cars. That's more than twice the European average and almost five times the global average, mostly because Americans drive more and have bigger houses. But how much should we try to reduce?

    For an answer, I checked with Tim Flannery, author of The Weather Makers: How Man is Changing the Climate and What it Means for Life on Earth. In his book, he had challenged readers to make deep cuts in personal emissions to keep the world from reaching extremely important tipping points, such as the melting(融化) of the ice sheets in Greenland or West Antarctica. "To stay below that point, we need to reduce CO₂  emissions by 80 percent," he said.

    Good advice, I thought. I'd opened our bedroom windows to let in the wind. We'd gotten so used to keeping our air-conditioning going around the clock. I'd almost forgotten the windows even opened. We should not let this happen again. It's time for us to change our habits if necessary.

    Nowadays airfare isn't getting any cheaper with fuel costs rising every day. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to find the most affordable fares and also avoid paying as many extra charges as possible when you plan ahead.

    If it really is what's on the inside that counts, then a lot of thin people might be in trouble.

    Some doctors now think that the internal(内部的) fat surrounding important organs like the heart or liver could be as dangerous as the external fat which can be noticed more easily.

    “Being thin doesn't surely mean you are not fat,” said Dr Jimmy Bell at Imperial College. Since 1994, Bell and his team have scanned nearly 800 people with MRI machines to create “fat maps” showing where people store fat.

    According to the result, people who keep their weight through diet rather than exercise are likely to have major deposits of internal fat, even if they are slim.

    Even people with normal Body Mass Index scores can have surprising levels of fat deposits inside. Of the women, as many as 45 percent of those with normal BMI scores (20 to 25) actually had too high levels of internal fat. Among men, the percentage was nearly 60 percent.

    According to Bell, people who are fat on the inside are actually on the edge of being fat. They eat too many fatty and sugary foods, but they are not eating enough to be fat. Scientists believe we naturally store fat around the belly first, but at some point, the body may start storing it elsewhere.

    Doctors are unsure about the exact dangers of internal fat, but some think it has something to do with heart disease and diabetes(糖尿病). They want to prove that internal fat damages the body's communication systems.

    The good news is that internal fat can be easily burned off through exercise or even by improving your diet. “If you want to be healthy, there is no shortcut. Exercise has to be an important part of your lifestyle.” Bell said.

    One night in February 1962, John H. Glenn. Jr., flew over Australia. The man in the Mercury(水星) capsule（宇宙飞行容器）was alone, but friendly voices reached him by radio. On the dark land 100 miles below, he saw a sprinkling of light. They marked the city of Perth, where people had turned on their lights as a greeting to him.

    In Friendship7, Glenn radioed, “ The lights show up very well. Thank for everybody for turning them on.” His capsule raced on to the east.

    During his three orbits of the earth, Glenn could always reach one of eighteen tracking stations. Some of them were on ship at sea. Others were in the United States.

    Many of the stations had been built with the help of other countries.These countries allowed Americans to bring in radio equipment and set it up. Without the help of such lands as Nigeria（尼日利亚）, Zanzibar（尚巴西，坦桑尼亚领土的一部分）, and Mexico, there would have been breaks in the worldwide radio network.

    John H. Glenn. Jr., was the first America to orbit the earth. For his flight, the tracking network（跟踪网络） covered 60,000 route miles. Five hundred men worked in the stations along the route. Since his flight, the network has grown. Today, it covers more than 100,000 route miles and has about one hundred stations. One-third of these stations are outside of the United States.

The public footpath laid barely 20 meters from where I stood, promising a walk along the river, passing fields and through woodland, well away from any road. Yet there was something in my way—the River Thames.

I checked my map to see how to reach the path, but there was no other footpath that would lead me to the island on which it sat. It was only accessible by boat—kid's dream. Similar to a talent show, some performances are educational but mostly, they just make you laugh. Talent is irrelevant, and audience engagement through call and response is essential.

Away from phones and peers back home, social norms fade and space for self-exploration forms. Shy kids come out of their shells, and cool kids let_their_guard_down. They get to open up this door to a part of themselves that they wouldn't have felt safe to reveal at school or at home.

It's been a decade since my last performance as a camp counselor, and I never thought of skits from a skill-building perspective. But I now realize this rich camp tradition left a great impression on me. Through camp skits, I developed my sense of humor, built confidence in front of a crowd, and learned how to accept others for their quirks（怪癖）.

Maybe we can make our schools or communities more like summer camps by bringing the silliness of skits into our families and classrooms to reconnect with ourselves and each other. The next time you're sitting around a campfire with friends and family, give it a try. Embrace the discomfort and invite your loved ones to join in on the improvising（即兴创作）. And remember: the more funny noises and childlike humor, the better.

Walking has been considered as one kind of rewarding exercise. For many people, daily walking offers massive and long-term physical and mental benefits. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} A Stanford University study found that participants were more creative when walking as opposed to sitting. 

{#blank#}2{#/blank#} You've probably heard the phrase "exercise your creativity". Our creative mindset is stirred up by physical movement, which is exactly why walking with your dog, a friend, or alone feeds creative thinking. 

But the scenery is almost as important as the sweat. Just by going outside, you are stepping out of your habitual surroundings and your comfort zone, which is necessary if you want to open your mind to new possibilities. You can walk through a tree-filled neighborhood. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Even when you walk down a busy street, you can't help but get distracted by the sweet smells from a food cart or the child pointing to a building you haven't even noticed before. 

Walking outside develops our ability to collect new ideas and take in new sights, sounds, smells, and flavors. Shinrin-yoku, a common form of relaxation in Japan, suggests that being in the forest and walking among the trees there can lower your stress levels. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Research has shown that getting close to nature around your neighborhood or taking a break from multimedia increases performance on a creative problem-solving task. 

So instead of setting a fitness goal, why not set a creativity goal that starts with walking outdoors? {#blank#}5{#/blank#} For example, you can turn off your phone and give yourself the chance to be present in the world, to hear conversations and natural sounds, and to notice the way people move and the way the sun reflects in a lake. 

Walk not just for exercise. Walk for wonder.

A.Unfortunately, you often fail to do it.

B.Expose yourself more to your surroundings.

C.The movement during walking is obviously key.

D.Without enough energy, you cannot wonder or create.

E.But to receive the benefits, you do not have to live in a forest.

F.This habit, however, not only benefits well-being but also contributes to innovation.

G.Wandering around a park and observing people relaxing or birds singing is also a choice.