We already know the fastest, least expensive way to slow climate change: Use less energy. With a little effort, and not much money, most of us could reduce our energy diets by 25 percent or more—doing the Earth a favor while also helping our wallets.

    Not long ago, my wife, PJ, and I tried a new diet—not to lose a little weight but to answer an annoying question about climate change. Scientists have reported recently that the world is bending up even faster than predicted only a few years ago, and that the consequences could be severe if we don't keep reducing emissions(排放) of carbon dioxide (CO₂ ) and other greenhouse gases that are trapping heat in our atmosphere.

    We decided to try an experiment. For one month we recorded our personal emissions of CO₂. We wanted to see how much we could cut back, so we went on a strict diet. The average US household(家庭) produces about 150 pounds of CO₂  a day by doing common-place things like turning on air-conditioning or driving cars. That's more than twice the European average and almost five times the global average, mostly because Americans drive more and have bigger houses. But how much should we try to reduce?

    For an answer, I checked with Tim Flannery, author of The Weather Makers: How Man is Changing the Climate and What it Means for Life on Earth. In his book, he had challenged readers to make deep cuts in personal emissions to keep the world from reaching extremely important tipping points, such as the melting(融化) of the ice sheets in Greenland or West Antarctica. "To stay below that point, we need to reduce CO₂  emissions by 80 percent," he said.

    Good advice, I thought. I'd opened our bedroom windows to let in the wind. We'd gotten so used to keeping our air-conditioning going around the clock. I'd almost forgotten the windows even opened. We should not let this happen again. It's time for us to change our habits if necessary.

The most anticipated films of 2018

    Thanks to movies like Wolf Warrior 2, Never Say Die, Youth, The Fate of the Furious an Dangal, the 2017 box office gross (票房收入) has reached new heights. Meanwhile, audience have been fed up with Hollywood's long dependence on sequel (续集) films. A lack of origin stories has been criticized for a while.

    As we embrace the new year, let's look to the future, and the most anticipated films in t following year.

Guardians of The Tomb

Country: China and Australia

Release Date: Jan 19, 2018

Director: Kimble Rendall

Stars: Li Bingbing, Kellan Lutz, Wu Zun, Kelsey Grammer

    An innocent discovery of a well-preserved mummified Emperor from 200 BC China unearths a 2000-year-old nightmare — a secret that should have remained buried.

Monster Hunt 2

Country: China

Release Date: Feb 16, 2018

Director: Raman Hui

Stars: Bai Baihe, Jing Boran, Tony Leung Chiu-wai

    Monster Hunt was a huge commercial success, breaking numerous box office records. The film took place in the distant past, when the human race existed alongside the Monster race. Monster Hunt 2 is the sequel of it.

Avengers: Infinity War

Country: United States Release

Date: May 4, 2018

Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo

Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Josh Brolin, Mark Ruffalo, Tom Hiddleston, Chris Evans

    The upcoming American superhero film, based on the Marvel Comics superhero team the Avengers, is the sequel to 2012's Marvel's the Avengers and 2015's Avengers.

Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation

Country: United States

Release Date: July 13, 2018

Director: Genndy Tartakovsky

Stars: Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez, David Spade

    This 3D animated cartoon movie, the sequel of Hotel Transylvania 2, is a fantasy-comedy for your whole family to enjoy.

    Discover Nature Schools programs

    Becoming Bears (Kindergarten-2 grade)

    By becoming baby bears children learn from their "parent" to survive the seasons. Kids will find safety in the spring and learn kinds of food bears eat during the summer, and then create a cave for winter hibernation(冬眠). After learning the skills needed to survive, students will go out of the cave as an independent black bear able to care for themselves. (1.5-2 hours)

    Whose Clues? (3-5 grade)

    Kids will discover how plants and animals use their special structures to survive. Through outdoor study of plants and animals, kids will recognize their special structures and learn how they enable species to eat, avoid their enemies and survive. Using what they have learned, kids will choose one species and tell how they survive in their living places. (3-4 hours)

    Winged Wonders (3-5 grade)

Birds add color and sound to our world and play an important ecological (生态的) role. Students will learn the basics of birds, understand the role birds play in food chains and go bird watching using field guides and telescopes. Students will do hands-on activities. Students will use tools to build bird feeders, allowing them to attract birds at home.(3-4 hours)

Exploring Your Watershed (6-8 grade)

    We all depend on clean water. Examining how our actions shape the waterways around us. Go on a hike to see first-hand some of the challenging water quality problems in a city. Students will test the water quality to determine the health of an ecosystem.

    Each program is taught for a class with at least 10 students.

    All programs include plenty of time outdoors. So please prepare proper clothing, sunscreen and insect killers for children.

    To take part in a program, please email dcprograms@mdc.mo.gov.

    Last year my children gifted me a stainless steel (不锈钢的) coffee plunger (法式按压咖啡壶). I love to start the day with a strong black coffee and couldn't wait to use it. I looked forward to the following morning's coffee making, knowing that I probably wouldn't smash (打碎) this plunger as easily as I had done so often in the past.

    But as I poured my first cup of coffee, the plunger spilled (洒出) all over the table. Thankfully no one was around to see my disappointed face! I kept trying, but each morning would see me wiping up the coffee. Then I realized that if I poured very slowly there would be no spilling.

    This was at first a very painful experience. My normal practice was to rush through breakfast so that I could get on with my day.

    But in time I learned not only to pour slowly but to enjoy the experience: the smell, the taste, and the stillness of a new day.

    It prompted (促使) me to reflect upon whether there were other areas of my life I was rushing through. Most of life, it seemed.

    I started to leave extra time to do even the most ordinary tasks. When shop owners would apologize for keeping me waiting, I'd say, "Not a problem, I'm not in a hurry." Even hanging out washing became pleasurable when a couple of extra minutes of standing still and listening to the birds singing in the trees around me became part of my routine.

    Besides, one of my favorite experiences living in the inner city for many years was sitting on the front doorstep of our home spending time with strangers. We sat on the steps, each of us with a cup of coffee in our hands, listening to each other's stories. It was one of the warmest things about living in a busy city. It was as if the world around us slowed to a pace (步伐) we could both handle.

    Stillness and quietness not only slow the pace of life, but also feed the soul, helping us to enjoy the world's small pleasures.

    Better known by his stage name Kun, Cai Xukun is, without a doubt, one of the most popular stars in China.

    On July 26, the 21-year-old dropped his new single Young. Within just 20 seconds, it reached 1 million views and in only 3 days topped the music charts of Tencent's QQ music.

    Cai wrote the song by himself to share his understanding of modern-day youth. The singer has mixed R&B with electronic music to make his new beat cheerful. One reviewer wrote on QQ Music: "When you listen to the song, you just seem to go back to youth again."

    August 2 is Cai's birthday, and the song was a gift to himself. The singer hopes that he can always have the courage to follow his love of music, ignoring what anyone says. "My works are like my children and I have put my best effort into them. I want every piece of my work to have my own spirit in it. I feel more enjoyment when I am performing my own work." He told the Global Times.

    To find new inspiration, Kun attends different kinds of musical performances－from festivals to opera houses. "I just like to do everything, all for my music, all for my art," he told i-D.

    With talent and dedication(专注) to music, Cai is expected by many to make his mark in the competitive Chinese music industry.

According to research, about 21.5 million American children between the ages of six and seventeen are involved (参与的) in a team sport. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} But regardless of the reasons for getting involved, children can gain a lot from sports.

A 2006 report shows that taking up sports can increase both emotional and behavioral well-being in teenagers. And increased well-being can lead to higher confidence, which results in better overall performance. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} In addition, they usually get along well with people around them and are less likely to have bad or risky behavior.

{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Through this process, children develop social and leadership skills and learn the value of teamwork. Children involved in sports usually have stronger and better relationships with their schoolmates and a better understanding of people from different backgrounds.

Actually, sports give children an opportunity to communicate with adults in valuable and positive ways, which can help them develop closer relationships with adults. This effect is especially great when children don't get along well with their family members. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

Although most effects of sports on children are good, there can be disadvantages. If the pressure to win is overemphasized (过分强调) or the expectations of parents or coaches become too great, kids may experience lots of stress. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} To avoid these bad effects, children should not overemphasize winning but focus on developing certain skills.

A. Being physically fit is linked to having a higher IQ.

B. They may take part in sports for fun or to develop some skills.

C. However, children hardly play sports when they become older.

D. It can cause worries, headaches, stomach aches, and muscle pain.

E. For example, children involved in sports are likely to do well in their studies.

F. Organized sports require children to work together to achieve a common goal.

G. Many children say sports have helped increase their conversations with parents.