Every year gray whales swim a 10,000 miles round-trip, from the cold waters near Alaska, down the coast of North America to the warm waters near Mexico, and back again. It is one of the longest migrations (迁徙) of any mammal (哺乳动物).

    All day, all summer long, in the cold waters near Alaska, gray whales eat and eat.

    Instead of teeth, gray whales have baleen (鲸须) they use to get food from ocean water. They get big mouthfuls of muck (淤泥) from the ocean floor, then push that muck right back out through their baleen. The mucky water flows through, but tiny animals get trapped in the baleen and licked up.

    When the water starts to freeze, the whales begin their long trip south. They swim night and day, without stopping to eat or rest. During the long journey, migrating whales may push their heads out of the water to see where they are.

    Two months later, the whales reach Mexico. Babies are born here in warm, shallow (浅的) waters called lagoons (濒海湖). Ocean lagoons have no food for the adults, but the babies are safer here than in the open seas. All winter the babies grow big and strong.

    In spring first the dads and teenagers leave the lagoons, then the moms with babies. Migrating gray whales swim close to shore, especially moms with babies. The ice is melting up (融化) north, and it's time for the hungry whales to make the long journey back to their summer feeding grounds.

    Binge-watching (刷剧) is when a person watches more than one episode of a TV show one after another. With developments in the speed and connectivity of the Internet, increases in technology and the rise of on-demand entertainment companies, people can now watch their favorite shows directly on the Internet at their convenience.

    This behavior is nothing new. In fact, “binge-watching” has been officially listed in dictionaries since 2015. The entertainment companies recognize this behavior and many take steps to encourage it. Often, instead of releasing each episode on a week-by-week basis, an entire series will become available at the same time. Once the episode finishes, many platforms will display pop-ups with “you might like” suggestions, or will automatically play the next episode.

    However, this wonderful gift may in fact be poisonous. Recent research from British media Ofcom suggests that this behavior may have become a hindrance (障碍). Out of the more than half of British adults who watch more than one episode of a show in a row, almost a third have admitted missing sleep or becoming tired as a result; and one quarter have failed to do their household chores. Next well be missing work!

    Bingeing has other connections—binge eating, binge drinking and binge smoking, all of which are often associated with compulsive (强迫性的) behavior, a lack of control and possible route to addiction. Lindsey Fussell, consumer group director at Ofcom, said, “The days of waiting a week for the next episode are largely gone, with people finding it hard to resist watching multiple episodes around the house or on the move.” If people find binge-watching hard to resist, coupled with the fact that it has shown to lead to negligence (疏忽) in many, are we witnessing the birth of a new type of addiction?

    The large amount of information and entertainment that television and online media can bring us is, many would say, a good thing. It offers us opportunities to better understand the world we live in, educate ourselves and enjoy much needed downtime. However, like any behavior done to an extreme degree, it can become dangerous. And when the activity begins to bleed into other areas, causing us to stop functioning-then it becomes a problem. So, what's the answer? Neither a tiny amount, nor too much. After all, as the old proverb says, a little of what you fancy does you good.

    When it comes to bringing up children, everybody agrees that it is not an easy task. Every parent watches eagerly the child's acquisition (学会) of each new skill — the first spoken words, the first independent steps, or the beginning of reading and writing. It is often tempting (吸引人的) to hurry the child beyond his natural learning speed, but this can set up dangerous feelings of failure and states of worry in the child. This might happen at any stage. A baby might be forced to learn something too early. A young child might be encouraged to learn to read before he knows the meaning of the words he reads. On the other hand, though, if a child is left alone too much, or without any learning chances, he loses his natural enthusiasm for life and his desire to find out new things for himself.

    Parents vary greatly in their degree of strictness towards their children. Some may be especially strict in money matters. Others are strict with the time of coming home at night or being on time for meals. In general, the controls show the needs of the parents and values (价值观) of society as much as the children's own happiness.

    When it comes to the development of moral standards (道德标准) in the growing child, consistency (前后一致性) is very important in parental teaching. To say "No" to a thing one day and excuse it the next is no foundation for morality (道德). Also, parents should realize that "example is better than precept". If they are not sincere and do not practice what they preach (说教), their children may grow confused and emotionally insecure when they grow old enough to think for themselves, and realize they have been to some extent cheated.

    A sudden realization of a big difference between their parents' principles and their morals can be a dangerous disappointment.

    Employers and managers must never ignore the need for an office or industrial first aid kit. The federal government says that every workplace should be equipped with first aid kits and that employees should be taught first aid.

    Good preparation can prevent unnecessary injury, lose of productivity(生产效率), or even law suits when a workplace emergency occurs.

    An employer must first provide the proper number of first aid kits for his workers. Many kits are available for sale online by industrial first aid kit suppliers. Kits designed for ten workers cost about $15 and kits designed for fifty workers cost about $80. There are kits also available for a small office，a vehicle，or work sites. Kits should be stored in a portable(轻便的), durable, watertight container. Fix the kit to the wall so that it is easily seen and reached in an emergency. Include a list of kit's contents to ensure it is always fully stocked.

    Show each worker where the kit is located and what tools it contains. Educate each worker about possible injuries and which ones will require immediate medical attention from professionals.

    The American Red Cross sells industrial first aid kits that meet the United States' Occupational Safety and Health Administration's requirements. Several types of kits are available. The Personal Protection Kit contains gloves, gowns, and masks to protect workers from dangers like blood and bodily fluids. It costs about $15. The American Red Cross also sells industrial first aid kits for 25 or 50 workers that are both very cheap.

    The hemlock(铁杉) trees along the Wappinger Creek, New York, look healthy. However, scientist Gary Lovett says the white balls which provide protection for the bugs are created by a tiny insect. It's hard to believe the tiny bug could kill a tree. However, trees can end up with millions and millions of the pests. When there are that many, it ends up killing the tree.

    The bug from East Asia is slowly killing trees across the USA. The trouble－making bug is just one of many invasive(入侵的) pests that have slipped into the United States. They can hurt other living things in their new home.

    Many invasive pests arrive on wooden pallets piled inside shipping containers. They support and separate goods, and keep them from sliding around. Invasive pests often tunnel into the pallets.  How can we stop pests from riding on pallets? Lovett says new rules are needed. The companies that make pallets don't want more rules. Congress has added an amendment(修正案) in the 2018 Farm Bill to try and prevent this problem. However, Lovett is not hopeful it will make much of a difference. Pallets are checked by inspectors. Many are sprayed with bug－killing pesticide. "I believe in the system，" said Brent McClendon, president of The National Wooden Pallet and Container Association. He also said shipping containers are checked very carefully.

    Still, each year 13 million containers are shipped to the U.S. Each is full of wooden pallets. Lovett says: "Inspectors can't possibly check everything. All it takes are a few bad pallets; we should get rid of wooden pallets." He believes pallets should be made of plastic or eco－composite wood. Eco－composite wood is a mix of wood fiber and plastic. Insects cannot hide into it. One problem is that these choices cost more. They may be worth the extra money, though. Invasive pests cost the U.S. $5 billion a year. Trees don't just die in forests. They also die in cities and our yards. Then, they need to be replaced. That costs money, too.

     Aspirin has long been praised as a wonder drug. An aspirin a day keeps the doctor away. Many Americans have been taking one aspirin a day, believing it would protect them from a heart attack a stroke(中风), and even a cancer. But several recent studies have thrown this into question. Daily use of aspirin can have serious side effects(副作用).

    One study followed more than 19,000 healthy people aged 65 and older. They were required to take either 100 mg of aspirin (a little more than the 81 mg dose that most people take) or a placebo(无效对照剂) every day for about years, Not only did people in the aspirin group not lower their risk of heart disease, or disability but they were also more likely to suffer from bleeding into the brain or stomach. And they were more likely to die because of an increased risk of giving in to cancer, Similarly, an experiment of more than 12. 500 people aged 55 and older who have a cardiovascular (心血管的)risk found no benefit to taking aspirin daily. In study of more than 15,000 people with diabetes(糖尿病), a daily aspirin did prevent heart attacks and strokes, but it also caused serious bleeding.

    Although some earlier research has proved that aspirin can help people who have already had or are at high risk for heart attacks or strokes, the drug's value is not so clear for people, especially older people,

    The bottom line is this: Be smart and be safe. You should not take daily low-dose aspirin without talking to a doctor if you.

    ● Are over the age of 70

    ● Drink wine regularly

    ●Are on any simple medical operations