The sound of a mosquito can mean trouble in many parts of the world. The bite of the mosquito can be deadly. The insects carry serious diseases like malaria (疟疾). It is estimated that almost 630,000 people died from malaria and malaria­related causes in 2012, and most of these cases were in African countries.

    In the United States, a group of California scientists are working to develop a more effective and less costly substance (物质) to protect people from mosquitoes. The researchers are investigating the sense of smell in mosquitoes. They found the insects use the same receptor for identifying carbon dioxide in human breath as they do for the smell of our skin. Anandasankar Ray, who is leading the investigation, says scientists tested more than a million chemical compounds (化合物) until they found a substance called Ethyl Pyruvate. He says Ethyl Pyruvate makes the mosquitoes' receptors inactive. “When we apply Ethyl Pyruvate to a human arm and offer it to hungry mosquitoes in a cage, very few of the mosquitoes are attracted to the human arm because only a few of them are able to smell it out,” said Ray.

    Genevieve Tauxe, a member of the research team, says it was not easy to find the neurons (神经元) of noble cells that recognize both the smell of human breath and skin. “With the device used to examine the mosquito, we are able to insert a very small electrode (电极) into the part of the mosquito's nose, where its smelling neurons are and where the smell is happening,” said Tauxe.

    Anandasankar Ray says a product based on Ethyl Pyruvate may cost less to produce than DEFT, the most effective chemical treatment now in use. He says DEFT is too costly for most people who live in areas affected by malaria.

    “Perhaps by finding smells that can attack other target receptors, we will be able to improve upon DEFT and finally have the next generation of insect behaviour control products,” said Ray.

    In a world today of immense technology, population growth and economic flourish, planning for future residential (适合居住的) and commercial developments needs careful analysis with well thought through assumptions about effects on the environment and the people of the community.

    One example of a growing city is Wooster, Ohio, my place of residency, Wooster in the last five years has grown considerably in population, leading to a growth in commercial business. Surrounded by farmland, Wooster's planning commission chose to extend the community into these farm areas in the form of residential and commercial areas.

    Picture this—corn fields, old trees, clean air, country roads, and wildlife are all part of the area. Within four years, the people living on this farm step outside on their front porch to view an extensive shopping center containing Wal-Mart, McDonald's, Wendy's, TCBY, and a Cinemark movie theatre. The once quiet road is now a city street with traffic lights, busy with automobiles day and night. The air smells of car exhaust and fast food.

    Some destruction of farmland is unavoidable when a city expands. Instead of expanding outward, planning commissions should consider interior(内部的) remodeling of a city. Tearing down unusable buildings could remodel many areas inside the city. In addition, commercialized buildings could extend upwards to avoid unnecessary use of land.

    Environmentally, commercial expansion is harmful to the land. Besides forms of pollution, wildlife, including both plants and animals, is put at risk. A planning commission could have realized the benefits of environmental protection. Why not preserve the beauty and naturalness of the land while at the same time allowing for growth?

    With a steady growth of population and the need for more homes and more workplaces, many problems arise when planning for the future. The hillsides, fields and animal habitats need to be preserved while expanding cities. In the future, a world covered with concrete and asphalt（沥青）could become reality. Serious research and analysis are needed when planning for the future of our home communities and for the entire globe to avoid such a miserable result．

    Tulou, the special residential architecture of Fujian Province was included on the UNESCO's World Heritage List during the 32nd session of the World Heritage Committee in Quebec, Canada.

    In the fourth century, Han Chinese living in the Central Plains area began to migrate south, gradually gathering in Fujian and forming the Hakka communities. As a defence against enemies, the Hakkas chose to live in compact (紧凑的) communities, and the tulou was their preferred houses. Tens of thousands of such earthen structures were constructed in Fujian Province.

    Most tulous are to be found in the valleys, surrounded by high mountains, and some are in the depths of the great mountains. Most are three to four storeys high, and look like circular blockhouses (堡垒). Rooms on the first floor are used as kitchens, rooms on the second floor are used as barns (谷仓), and rooms on the third and fourth floors are for bedrooms and living rooms. For defensive purposes, the rooms on the first floor have no windows.

    Raw materials for the tulou were obtained locally. Their main building material was a mixture of clay, sand, lime and water, and egg whites, brown sugar and rice water were added as adhesive agents (粘合剂). It was then mixed to form the walls. Once they dried, the walls were so hard that driving a nail into them would have been difficult. Fir branches, which are extremely strong and do not rot, were used to strengthen them, and many centuries later they have remained their original look.

    Tulous are located in a region where earthquakes happen frequently, and their circular construction helps them resist the regular shocks.

    The proven design even inspired one famous Peruvian architect, who paid several visits to Yongding, to build a tulou back home. Not long after, an earthquake struck only 10 kilometers away, and while all the houses around the earthen building fell down, his tulou remained.

    Play is vital in every child's development, and for toddlers(蹒跚学步的小孩) the benefits of play especially come to life when they can connect with parents during playtime. To raise awareness and help parents create the time and attention span needed, LEGO and DUPLO launches a "Do not disturb playtime '' campaign. 21 days is what it takes on average to break a habit, so for 21 days the LEGO DUPLO team will not post on social media during "toddler playtime", defined as 5am-8pm.

    With social media being an integrated(不可或缺的) part and creative inspiration to modern family life, it is no surprise that researchers call out digital behavior as a concerning obstacle to quality playtime.

    "While we are hooked on our cell phones, we should think about turning them off when interacting with our young children. Kids learn so much from us and we don't want to get in the way of that. Take language learning for example. When nurturing caregivers talk to their children about what they are interested in, it helps them learn new words and new ways to express themselves. Our research shows that the use of a cell phone in a conversation between parent and child disturbs that child's word learning." advises Roberta Golinkoff, PhD: Professor, University of Delaware.

    Our research shows that parents today understand their significant role in ensuring their kids grow up to be happy, well-rounded, and equipped for the future. At the same time, many worry about not spending enough time with their toddlers. LEGO DUPLO wants to inspire parents to make the small moments memorable.

    "We know parents today feel more time-starved than ever before. Many feel guilty over not spending enough time with their little ones. Through the 'Do not disturb playtime' campaign, we hope to re-assure parents that it's not so much of the amount of time they spend with their kids, but the small meaningful moments they create during play", said Steffen Jensen, LEGO Group Senior Marketing Director.

    A Hobby is a regular activity that is done for enjoyment, typically during one's leisure(闲暇的) time. By continually taking part in a particular hobby, one can acquire practical skill and knowledge in that area. Is travel a good hobby? Travel, in the youngest sort, is a part of education and, in the elder, a part of experience. Some may think otherwise. To them, visiting churches, castles, libraries, etc. is an absolute wastage of time. They may further say that one can read the account of these or see the films of the important places of the world. They forget that touch of actuality gives a different type of sensation and satisfaction.

    Travelling may be an expensive hobby but it makes up for the financial loss. If a traveller has interest in life and its manifestations(表现), one can find much to keep oneself absorbed and happy. A student of any stream can definitely find something of his own interest and studies. One can definitely find everything that satisfies his cravings for knowledge and feelings.

    As a hobby, travelling keeps us busy during leisure time; it is the best method to make use of time. Till a person breaks from dull routine, physically and mentally, one cannot find satisfaction. Travelling helps us to achieve this break. At a new place, one is curious to know and eager to gather all the unknown information about the place which he has neither read nor heard before and he gets thrills and surprises which keep the interest and enthusiasm alive and encourage us to keep our journey on.

    While travelling, one comes across a number of people from varied backgrounds and places. By interacting with them, he comes to know about their traditions also. In case one has psychological bent of mind, one increases one's experience and power to understand others. Understanding human nature is, perhaps, the best part of education. Travelling satisfies all demands of a good hobby-it is absorbing education and refreshment to the mind, body and soul.

    A ten-year-old boy from Howell, Michigan is being praised as a hero thanks to his persistence (坚持) that led to saving the life of an elderly neighbor. The event happened late in an evening when Danny DiPietro was being driven home from hockey practice by his mom.

    That's when the young boy noticed an open garage (车库) and a figure that he believed was a dog outside an apartment building near his house. Given the freezing weather, the young boy got a feeling that something was not right. But instead of dismissing it like most kids at his age, he insisted that his mother, Dawn, find out what was going on. Dawn tried to make Danny believe that no one would leave a dog out in such cold weather, but he refused to take no for an answer.

    Dawn finally gave in and decided to drive to the area with the family dog and see if there was any truth in Danny' s hunch (直觉). Sure enough, as she got closer to the apartment building she noticed a garage that was wide open and someone waving madly for help. Upon getting there, she realized that it was not a dog the young boy had seen, but Kathleen St. Onge. The 80-year-old woman had fallen down on some ice in front of her garage and had been lying there for two hours, unable to get up.

    Dawn rushed home to get her husband to help and called 911. The two then returned with some blankets to cover Ms. St. Onge, while they were waiting for the ambulance to arrive. Though still in hospital, the elderly woman is recovering well and forever grateful to Danny for following his hunch!