Possible Earth-Like Planet Next Door?

    Scientists say they discovered an earth-like planet outside our solar system (太阳系). It is a planet that could support life.

    This planet is just 4.2 light years away from us. It is so close that space scientists have considered it as a next door neighbor. They say it could be reached by an unmanned spaceship before the end of the century -- in time for people alive today to see it.

    An international team of scientists found the planet moving around the star called "Proxima Centauri". The result came out last month from the scientific magazine Nature.

    Scientists have long thought that a planet with water is important for life. And it has to be neither too hot nor too cold. The newly-discovered planet is a little larger than earth Scientists have named it Proxima B. It moves around its sun, Proxima Centauri, once every 11 days.

    American scientists have been using instruments for years to look for earth-like planets. In 2013, scientists' best guess was that there are about one billion (1,000 million) "earths" in space.

    Alan Boss is the chairman of a group for outer space research. He said that Proxima B not only confirms (确认) the discovery of a planet, but also increases the number of other possible“earths” greatly.

    Boss said it is possible, even likely, that most stars have at least one earth-like planet, which he considers surprising.

    So from the early number of a billion, this new research suggests there may be as many possible earth-like planets as there are stars in the Galaxy (银河系). That is, anywhere from 250 billion to 500 billion "earths".

    This makes the possibility of living things increasingly likely Boss said he believes human beings will be able to show that there is life in places besides earth in his lifetime. "I am 65," he said, "but I expect to still be alive when it happens."

    Hi, everyone. I'm Tina. I think our life in 2060 will be different from our life at the moment. There will be many robots in my house. Because robots will be cheap. And these robots will help my family do many kinds of work every day. Every morning the clock-robot will ask me to get up. Then the clothing-robot will dress me quickly. Next the kitchen-robot will make breakfast for me. When I get out of the house with my schoolbag, a car-robot will wait for me. After I show it my school ID card, the car will go. And then the car-robot will check my homework. When we get to school, the car-robot will say to me "See you tomorrow, Tina. Good luck."

    In the morning, I will have three lessons with my classmates. We'll study on the Internet. We'll use the e-book. The teachers are all robots. They are in different sizes and they can answer any question about any subject. In the afternoon, we'll go to the science lab to have two classes in a new plane. After class, we'll play football with robots. My classmates and robots can all be my friends. Don't you think the life with robots in the future will be fantastic?

    Did you know that each day one person in the USA throws away 4.4 pounds of rubbish? Almost every month, we throw away our own rubbish in packaging alone. Packaging (including boxes, bags, etc.) comes to our homes with the things we have bought. Several weeks ago, the TV news said that in a city in Italy tons of rubbish were piled up in the streets, and the smell was rather terrible. What can we do to help? We should get to know the following Rs.

    Reduce To reduce means to make less rubbish. That is one of the first things we all should do for the environment. Reduce your rubbish by doing things like packing your lunch in reusable containers(可再利用的容器), taking smaller portions(份) at dinner so you don't waste food when you have had enough, writing on both sides of paper, and using less water when taking a shower.

    Reuse to reuse is to use things again. Think about the bags you get from the shop. They can be reused to carry your lunch, to hold your rubbish, or to collect used cans. You can even take them back to the school next time to carry your things instead of getting a new bag!

    Recycle(回收利用) Recycling is an important part of keeping our planet clean and green. It can also save energy. Be sure that you don't throw things in the rubbish bins that can be recycled to make something else Paper, plastic, cans and bottles can all be recycled. But food, electrical waste and mobile phones cant. When you are not sure whether something can be recycled, go to your parents and teachers for advice.

Follow the three Rs, and every one of us can do something to save the Earth. It is also the best way to save ourselves.

    Populations of white-tailed deer(白尾鹿) are growing rapidly in many parts of the United States. As populations grow, food becomes a problem. Many deer die of hunger. Others grow up small and unhealthy. In search of food, hungry deer move closer to where humans live. They eat farm crops, vegetables and even trees. Besides, increased numbers of deer near roads can cause traffic accidents.

    People admire the grace and fast speed of deer. Most people don't want these animals to be hungry and ill. Should people take action to control the growing deer populations?

Should People Take Direct Action?

    Many people think that hunting(打猎) is the best way to control the animal populations. Wildlife managers will see if there's enough food in an area and decide its carrying capacity(容量). Then hunters with licenses are sent to help control the number of deer. Hunting is usually not allowed in cities or suburbs, however.

    Some people have the idea to catch the deer and move them to other places. But this method is expensive and requires finding another place that can accept the deer without breaking the balance of ecosystem(生态系统).

    Scientists are also working to develop chemicals(化学药品) to control the birth rate(率) in deer populations. But this plan works for only one year at a time.

Should People Take Indirect Action?

    Some suggest bringing in natural enemies of deer, such as wolves, lions and bears, to areas with too many deer. But these animals could also hurt dogs, cats, and even humans. Other communities have built tall fences(篱笆) around areas to keep out the deer. However, this is impossible for farmers.

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    Some people are against any kind of action. They support leaving the deer alone. Animal populations in an area naturally go up and down over time. Doing nothing means that some deer will die of hunger or illness. But finally, the population will reach a size within the carrying capacity(容量) of the environment. So, let nature go its own way.

    What will man be like in the future-in 5. 000 or even 50, 000 years from now？We can only make a guess, of course, but we can be sure that he will be different from what he is today. For man is slowly changing all the time. Now look at the chart below, and you'll find some differences.

    Perhaps all this gives the impression that future man will not be a very attractive creature(生物) to look at！This may well be true. All the same, in spite of all these changes, future man will still have a lot in common with us. He will still be a human being, with thoughts and emotions(情感) similar to our owns.