Scientists from the University of East Anglia have identified four new man-made gases that are contributing to the damage to the ozone(臭氧) layer. Two of the gases are accumulating at a rate that is causing concern among researchers.

    Worries over the growing ozone hole have seen the production of chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) gases restricted since the mid 1980s. But the precise origin of these new, similar substances remains a mystery.

    Lying in the atmosphere, the ozone layer plays a critical role in blocking harmful UV rays, which cause cancers in humans and reproductive problems in animals.

    Scientists from the British Antarctic Survey were the first to discover a huge “hole” in the ozone over Antarctica in 1985. The evidence quickly pointed to CFC gases, which were invented in the 1920s, and were widely used in refrigeration. Extraordinarily, global action was rapidly agreed to deal with CFCs and the Montreal Protocol to limit these substances came into being in 1987. A total global ban on production came into force in 2010.

    Now, the newly discovered four new gases can destroy ozone and are getting into the atmosphere from as yet unidentified sources. Three of the gases are CFCs and one is a hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC), which can also damage ozone.

    The research has shown that four gases were not around in the atmosphere at all until the 1960s, which suggests they are man-made. The scientists discovered the gases by analyzing polar snow pack. Air from this snow is a natural archive of what was in the atmosphere up to 100 years ago. There searchers also looked at modern air samples, collected at remote Cape Grim in Tasmania.

    They estimate that about 74,000 tonnes of these gases have been released into the atmosphere. Two of the gases are accumulating at significant rates. However, they don't know where the new gases are being released from and this should be investigated. Possible sources include chemicals for insecticide (杀虫剂)production and solvents (溶液) for cleaning electronic components. The three CFCs are being destroyed very slowly in :the atmosphere—so even if emissions (散发)were to stop immediately, they will still be around for many decades to come.

    Of the four species identified, CFC-113a seems the most worrying as there is a very small but growing emission source somewhere, maybe from agricultural insecticides. We should find it and take it out of production.

    Chicago festival season is here, but are you ready? Music festivals, film series, street fests, beer bashes—it's a summer long party. So pull out your calendar, read our guide and start enjoying weekends.

    Friday Art Markets at Daley Plaza

    Select Fridays August 19 through September

    Daley Plaza

    Cost: Free

    Direction: Nearly 75 artists will be showing their work in Daley Plaza, including jewelry, ceramics, sculpture, paintings, glass, wearables, wood and mixed media.

    Website: http://www.FridayArtMarketsaDaleyPlaza php? sid=146320

    Renegade Chicago Pop-Up

    Sept. 9-10

    Pilsen

    Cost: Free

    Directions: Get your hands on the goods at this outdoor celebration of all things handmade. Festivities include food trucks, DJ sets, craft brews, DIY workshops, photo ops and shopping.

Website: http://www.RenegadeChicagoPop-Up php? sid=146346

    Millennium Park Summer Music Series

    Select Mondays and Thursdays June 12 through Aug. 21

    Millennium Park

    Cost: Free

    Directions: Grab a blanket and some picnic snacks for a free outdoor concert in the park. The music series features a wide variety of music from pop local, national and international artists.

Website: http://www.MillenniumParkSummerMusicSeries php? sid=146432

    Northsider Craft Beer Fest

    Sept 23

    Uptown

    Cost: $15-$69

    Directions: Spend a day on the green sampling beers and hard ciders（苹果汁）from breweries across the country, including Colorado, Michigan, California and Wisconsin—and let's not forget those in our own home state, too.

    Website: http://www.NorthsiderCraftBeerFest php? sid=146467

    Wellington: Huawei has started a rugby-themed media campaign in a bid to win over New Zealand's public after the country's security agency blocked the Chinese technology giant's equipment from being used in a nationwide Internet network.

    "5G without Huawei is like rugby without New Zealand," ads in New Zealand's two largest newspapers read alongside a photo of players competing in a ball. Large posters also appeal to the country's love of the sport. In November, New Zealand's Government Communications Security Department (GCSD) told Spark it couldn't use equipment from Huawei-the world's largest telecommunication equipment company—in the building of its 5G network because an unspecific "significant network security risk was identified". Spark is now in the process of seeing if it can make changes to prevent those risks, although GCSD has declined to publicly say how that would happen.

    Huawei's newspaper ad goes on to argue the decision would mean less advanced technology and higher prices for New Zealand customers. The ads come after the company last month publicly offered to only use New Zealand, rather than Chinese, staff to build the network—in a bid to ease fears—and called for an urgent meeting with the government, denying (否认) there had been any wrongdoing.

    Western spy agencies have increasingly raised security concerns about Huawei—China's largest telecommunications company-over what they say are possible links to the Chinese government, with the United States reportedly pressing Five Eyes intelligence network allies (同盟国) to avoid the company. Australia and Canada were the first countries to ban Huawei from a building of 5G networks.

The company has repeatedly denied accusations.

    New Zealand's top politicians have repeatedly denied the GCSD decision was influenced by other Western powers and say it's about the particular technology being suggested, not China. They have also denied suggestions New Zealand's diplomatic ties with China have been tense over the decision, with the official promotion of a major China—New Zealand tourism project now postponed.

    When traveling in England, here are some things to keep in mind.

    When taking the underground in England, once on the underground train, stand clear of the closing doors. They can give you a pretty hurtful knock if they hit you. When getting on or off the tube train, make sure you mind the gap(缝隙)! This varies from a few inches to a foot at some of the stations.

    The saying that English food is boring and tasteless isn't true, at least not anymore. You'll find a huge variety of international restaurants, especially in London. Make sure you eat some of the old-fashioned traditional foods in pubs, and wash it down with some local beer!

    Come prepared for any sort of weather ——even if the day starts off well, it's likely that the temperature will change. The best thing to do is layer(分层穿套) your clothes so that you can add or reduce as necessary.

    The British are in general very polite people and will expect at least basic politeness from travelers. Pleases and thanks go a long way! At the same time  they like playing jokes on others. Don't be surprised or offended if you're called darling, dear, dearie, flower, love, chick, chuck, me duck, son, ma'am or any other similar pet name by someone you don't know. It's quite normal.

    England is generally quite safe, but you'll need to be more careful in London and the other large cities, especially at night. Choose an underground train that has plenty of people in it and avoid suburban underground stations at night. There are many night buses you can catch, but try not to do this alone. A licensed cab is often the best choice. Try and leave valuable things in your hotel room, as pickpockets(扒手) do operate in some areas. Be careful of bags especially when in some busy areas.

Though new term had begun for weeks, the new girl Molly still remained 1 around her classmates. Now she was sitting at the picnic table alone. She seemed unsure of what to do or say, yet I could see her eyes longing for 2 .

Brianna, the class clown, was standing near the playground making the other students laugh, as usual. "Brianna, Molly looks awfully 3 . Would you invite her to join us?" I said.

Brianna sighed. I could tell that she was 4 to do what I was asking of her, but I also knew she was so sweet and kind. I had specifically 5 her for this task. She looked at her friends, then at Molly.

Knowing this choice was 6 her, I reached into my pocket and pulled out a D-buck, our class currency(货币). I needed to 7 her cooperation.

"Here, I'll 8 you for your time."

She offered an insincere smile, grasped the green paper, and headed off.

I watched closely as the girls talked. When they finally walked back together, I sighed with 9 .

A minute later, Brianna came back and handed me the D-buck.

"I shouldn't keep this." Her eyes fell to her feet, 10 radiating from her quiet voice. "I don't want Molly to think I only went to get her so I could earn a D-buck. She's my friend."

Then Brianna skipped back to amuse her classmates again, and who laughed for the first time that week? Molly.

Smart and highly sensitive （灵敏的）, a new soft sensor developed by UBC (University of British Columbia) and Honda researchers opens the door to a wide range of applications in robotics and prosthetics （假肢）.

When applied to the surface of prosthetic or robotic arms, the sensor skin provides touch sensitivity and flexibility, making it possible for difficult tasks to be completed by machines, such as picking up a piece of soft fruit. The sensor is also soft to the touch, like human skin. which helps make human interactions safer and more lifelike.

"Our sensor uses weak electric fields to sense objects, even at a distance, much as touchscreens do. But unlike touchscreens, this sensor is soft and can detect forces into and along its surface," explained Dr. John Madden, senior study author and a professor of electrical and computer engineering who leads the Advanced Materials and Process Engineering Laboratory at UBC.

The UBC team developed the technology in cooperation with Frontier Robotics, Honda's research institute. Honda has been innovating in humanoid robotics since the 1980s, and developed the well-known ASIMO (Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility) robot. It has also developed devices to assist walking and the emerging Honda Avatar Robot.

"Dr. Madden's lab has significant expertise in flexible sensors and we're happy to cooperate with this team in developing touch sensors that can be applied to robots," said Mr. Ishizaki Ryusuke, one of the study's lead authors and chief engineer at Frontier Robotics.

Dr. Madden said, "Human skin has a hundred times more sensing points on a fingertip than our technology does, making it easier to light a match or sew. As sensors continue to develop to be more skin-like, and can also detect temperature and even damage, there is a need for robots to be smarter about which sensors to pay attention to and how to respond. Developments in sensors and artificial intelligence will need to go hand in hand."