An absolute description of the threat hanging over the world's mammals,reptiles,amphibians and other life forms has been published by the well-known scientific journal,Nature.A special analysis carried out by the journal indicates that an astonishing 41% of all amphibians on the planet now face extinction while 26% of mammal species and 13% of birds are similarly threatened.

    Many species are already critically endangered and close to extinction,including the Sumatran elephant,Amur leopard and mountain gorilla.But also in danger of vanishing（消失）for the wild,it now appears,are animals that are currently rated as merely being endangered.

    In each case,the finger of blame points directly at human activities.The continuing spread of agriculture is destroying millions of hectares of wild habitats every year,leaving animals without homes,while the introduction of newly-come species,often helped by humans,is also damaging native populations.At the same time,pollution and overfishing are destroying ocean ecosystems.

    "Habitat destruction,pollution or overfishing either kill off wild creatures and plants or leaves them badly weakened," said Derek Tittensor,an ocean ecologist at the World Conservation Monitoring Centre in Cambridge. "The trouble is that in coming decades,the additional threat of worsening climate change will become more and more common and could then kill off these survivors."

    The problem,according to Nature,is worsened because of the huge gaps in scientists knowledge about the planet's biodiversity.Evaluations of the total number of species of animals and plants alive vary from 2 million to 50 million.In addition,evaluations of current rates of species' disappearances vary from 500 to 36,000 a year. "That is the real problem we face," added Tittensor. "The scale of uncertainty is huge."

    In the end,however,the data indicate that the world is heading cruelly towards a mass extinction-which is defined as one involving a loss of 75% of species or more.This could arrive in less than a hundred years or could take a thousand,depending on extinction rates.

    Did you know that sixty percent of your body weight is water? However, a loss of only two percent of this water through dehydration (脱水) during exercise can significantly affect your performance. The more you sweat, the more your exercise performance declines, unless you drink enough to replace your loss of fluids (液体).

    When you lose too much water, you can overheat quite easily, especially in a warm environment. But this is not the only problem you may face. Dehydration leads to your heart pumping much faster, which means exercise becomes more difficult and requires more effort. Despite these problems, however, many of us simply do not take enough fluids in when we head for the gym or set out on a run.

    So why is this? How do we manage to lose so much water without simply drinking more to replace it? Well, it's easier than you think. When we are at rest, we quickly become aware that we are thirsty and will put that right by having a drink. When we exercise, on the other hand, our thirst mechanism (结构) does not work as effectively, so we don't notice early enough that we are actually thirsty. In fact, we only start to fed thirsty when we have already lost around two percent of our body weight.

    Another problem is that, the more dehydration we become during exercise, the more difficult it is to prevent further dehydration-because our stomachs become intolerant (不能容忍的) to fluids and we do not absorb water properly, just when we need it most.

    The key thing about fluids and exercise is to manage your intake properly-regular small amounts are preferable, and some should be drunk before the period of exercise begins. You also need to match your intake to the sort of exercise you are doing. For example, for one hour of exercise, such as taking part in a 10 km run, you need to drink about two extra litres of water. For longer periods of exercise, sports drinks are recommended.

    Back in 1969, it was the Apollo 11 crew who flew to the moon in a spaceship. When U.S. astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin stepped foot on the moon, they were the first. Meanwhile, their fellow astronaut Michael Coilins circled the moon in their spaceship, named Columbia.

    When Armstrong and Aldrin were done with their walk，they returned to the command module, and back to Earth. That part of the spaceship is on view at the Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. But, if you cannot get to Washington，soon you will be able to see Columbia on your computer or your smartphone.

    Digital scientists are scanning the inside of the spaceship. They are creating an online model, in three dimensions, or“3 D”. By looking at these photographs, you will be able to see outer space，the way the astronauts did. It will be like sitting in their seats.

    Want your very own Columbia spaceship? You will be able to print a 3D copy of Columbia. Experts say anyone can make a life-sized model. But they expect most people to make smaller models of the 320×400 cm(11'X 13')command module.

    Scientists are using special 3D technology to scan the inside. They use cameras on long arms to take the photographs. The thousands of photographs taken will be combined with 50 laser scans.

    What would it be like to sit inside Columbia and take a look around? All the images will be loaded into software that allows you to look around the module on a computer screen. The user will be able to see the Columbia both inside and out. The Smithsonian says that the 3D technology gives the user ways to see things they cannot see at the museum. And it will give information that even the museum curators(馆长)have not seen before.

    “With the Command Module, no one has been inside since it came into the collection,” says Adam Metallo. Smithsonian 3D imaging specialist. “Now the information we capture can give anyone in the world a view of what it looks like inside this incredible piece of history.”

    When he was young, Louis Armstrong was taking what was called “Creole jazz”, which was also called dance music, and combining it with trumpeter (小号手) Buddy Bolden, to create what would eventually become today's jazz.

    Armstrong accomplished that with almost no formal training. He received little training before he was placed in the New Orleans Colored Waif's Home at the age of 12, after a run-in (小争执) with the police. The punishment turned out to be a mixed blessing, for he also had the opportunity to play in a real band.

    While at the Waif's, Armstrong also got the chance to hear some of the city's finest musicians. Cornetist Freddie Keppard performed in a nearby club. So did trumpeter and bandleader, King Joe Oliver, who took the boy under his wing and taught him how to read music and work on his playing technique.

    When Oliver left for Chicago, Armstrong chose to stay in New Orleans and work with some of the other top musicians of the day. In Chicago, King Oliver offered him a place in his band in 1922. It became Armstrong's biggest challenge yet — the band had no parts written for trumpet, so he was forced to listen to King Oliver and improvise (即兴创作).

    Soon, Armstrong's undeniable talent was getting notice. Even classically trained musicians would come to hear the incredible sounds this young man created.

    Lil Hardin, the bands piano player and the future Mrs. Armstrong, explains that Oliver kept Armstrong in the second trumpet-chair so that Oliver would still be “King”. Hardin convinced him to leave the band.

    Armstrong moved to New York City in 1924 to join Fletcher Henderson's band and then flew solo. In 1925, Armstrong put together the Hot Five, expanding his popularity even more. Armstrong recorded his first composition, Cornet Chop Suey, one of the most copied jazz solos of all time. This monumental 1928 recording blends (混合) artistry, endurance and showmanship that has rarely, if ever, been matched in Jazz.

    Many years ago, there lived a poor fisherman. His only companion was his dog. They might be seen walking on the white sandy beach.

    The dog was always beside his master as the fisherman made his little boat ready to sail. When the man pulled out to sea each morning, the dog would run up on the high ridge (山岭). There he would sit and watch all day. The dog never moved until late afternoon when he saw the little boat return. Then he would race back to the shore to greet his master.

    As the years went by, the fisherman grew older. So did the faithful dog. The fisherman still went out to sea. The dog still watched for his return, sitting on the high ridge.

    One early morning in September, the fisherman was getting his little boat ready. All at once the dog began to bark. He circled around the fisherman and tugged at his trousers. The fisherman could not remember when he had seen his dog act so strangely. He patted the dog's back, thinking the dog wanted to play. But nothing made any difference. Then the man climbed into the boat and sailed away. The dog went to his watching place, still barking.

    There were other fishing boats out that morning. Suddenly the soft wind changed. It began to blow wildly. The fisherman's boat was seized by the wind and whirled around (随风旋转) .The sky darkened. Rain began to fall.

    "It's a hurricane!" said the fisherman." The man thought of his dog at once. Had the dog left the ridge and run home? Or was he still sitting there? The fisherman tried to drive his boat and turn it toward the shore. Suddenly a great wave swept over his head and tossed the boat away (卷走).

    The next morning, the hurricane was over. The families of the other fishermen ran to the shore. They watched for the return of the boats. They waited and waited, but no one returned. Then the people went slowly back to their homes and started a new life. As they rebuilt their village, no one gave a thought to the fisherman's dog.

    Several months later a group of villagers was out gathering sea grapes (海葡萄). They noticed what appeared to be the figure of a dog sitting high on the ridge.

    "Look" said one." Isn't that the old fisherman's dog?"

    "How could it be, after all this time?" said another.

    When the man reached the spot, he found only a rock—a rock shaped like a dog. But as soon as the people looked up again, they saw the stone dog. He just sat there on top of the ridge, waiting, waiting…

I arrived in this beautiful Spanish island at the start of September, full of enthusiasm and eager to start work as an English teacher. I sorted all the necessary paperwork out and moved into a flat of my own within the first couple of days. Great! Or so I thought. At 4 am and at several intervals after that, I was rudely awoken by the cock that lives opposite me. Fantastic! I now have five extra alarms every morning.

In the following weeks, I also started to notice a trend. Things in my flat started to break at the rate of one object per day, like the hot water, bowls, cups, shower, doors or glass shelves. Yes, I was clumsy but things just fell apart. If it wasn't broken, it would either be dirty or missing. Using my washing basket for the first time was pretty disgusting. When I took out my clothes, they were swiftly followed by a hundred or so insects that were living in the bottom.

As for the general lack of equipment in the house, there was no oven, tin opener, sharp knives or potato peeler. It turned out making a burger wasn't the best idea. I had a small microwave and a grill. I thought the general understanding was never to put metal in a microwave but I went with it. Smoke soon started to appear. I was not quite sure if it was the burger or the grill but as soon as I opened the door, the electricity cut out. I spent the following 10 minutes in a dark, smoky room hunting for the power switch using the light from my mobile phone, which broke the week after and left me without a connection to the outer world.

Luckily, I'm now borrowing a phone and my luck has returned. No more things have broken (probably because there is nothing left to break). I've also realized that even if a flat looks pretty, it doesn't mean its contents work. I am also learning how to adapt to life with limited, broken utensils.