You carry a 1.3 kg mass of fatty material in your head that controls everything you will ever do. This fantastic control center lets you think, learn, create, and feel emotions. It also controls everything your body does. What is this amazing machine? It's your brain — a structure so amazing that the famous scientist James Watson called it ＂the most complex thing we have yet discovered in our universe＂.

    Imagine your kitten jumped onto the kitchen counter, and was about to step onto a hot stove. You would have only seconds to act. In situations like this, your brain reads the signals from your eyes and quickly calculates when, where and at what speed you need to run to save her. Then it tells your muscles to move. No computer can match your brain's great ability to download, process, and react to the flood of information from your eyes, ears and other sensory organs.

    If a bee lands on your foot, sensory neurons(神经元) in your skin send this information to your brain at a speed of more than 240 kilometers per hour. Your brain then uses motor neurons to send a message back to your foot: Shake the bee off quickly! Motor neurons can send this information at more than 320 kilometers per hour!

    Your brain contains about 100 billion tiny cells: neurons — it would take you more than 3,000 years if you tried to count them all. Whenever you dream, laugh, think, see or move, tiny chemical and electrical signals are racing between these neurons along billions of tiny neuron pathways. Believe it or not, the activity in your brain never stops. Countless messages fly around inside it every second, like a super-fast game of table tennis. Your neurons create and send more messages than all the phones in the entire world. And although a single neuron generates only a tiny amount of electricity, all your neurons together can generate enough electricity to power a light bulb.

    Petra and Wadi Rum, Jordan

    When it comes to the world's wonderful desert scenery, Jordan's Petra and Wadi Rum has it. Also known as the Valley of the Moon, this place is one of the best due to its amazing desert canyons (峡谷) and rock walls. Participants love exploring its Burdah and Um Fruth, walking to the impressive ancient city.

Kilimanjaro, Tanzania

    The Rongai Route is the best route if the participants of the walking tour want a quiet climb. The Kili Trail permits travelers to witness the region's wilderness, virgin forests, and rare animals. This route, according to many, is the easiest way to reach the top where the breath-taking 360-dcgree sights of natural wonders await.

    Quebec, Canada

    This special environment made up of both the natural and cultural treasures, where fresh water becomes one with the tides (潮汐) of the sea, makes Quebec one of the interesting walking tour destinations in the world. Here is a track that heads to the Saguenay Fjord National Park which is included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Adding to the beauty of Quebec are its sparkling waterfalls, inviting lakes, and rare animals.

    Great Smoky Mountain, US

    This region has been named as the ancestral home of the Cherokee Indians, where rich natural wonders combined with interesting history are the major happenings. The rich natural reserve is evident and enjoyed by walking tour participants. What also makes this destination a popular choice is its reputation as the biggest wilderness on the eastern part of the United States.

    Flying insects are polluting new environments by eating microplastics in polluted waters and carrying them through the air, a new study has found.

    UK researchers found that microplastics -- pieces of plastic less than 5 millimeters in size -- remain in the bodies of mosquitoes and other waterborne insects even after they become flying adults.

    The findings mean that pollution from plastics being dumped into our oceans is being carried into the air, and raises concerns that birds and other creatures that eat the insects are also being polluted.

    The team from the University of Reading in England and Queen's University in Belfast, Northern Ireland, inserted two minuscule pieces of polystyrene, each weighing just over one gram per cubic centimeter, into young mosquitoes and observed the insects throughout their life cycles. They found that the particles did not disappear from the mosquitoes' systems after the insects moved between life stages and started to fly, and were present inside the fully formed insects. “When the microplastics become the adults, it represents a potential aerial pathway to pollution of new environments,” the authors wrote in the study.

    “Thus, any organism that feeds on terrestrial life phases of freshwater insects could be affected by MPs found in aquatic ecosystems ( 水生态系统),” they added, using an abbreviation for microplastics. Freshwater insects such as mosquitoes are eaten by birds, amphibians, insects and fish, according to the Environmental Protection Agency in the United States. More than 150 million tons of plastic are floating in the world's oceans, with an additional eight million tons entering every year, according to the World Economic Forum. Plastic can be eaten by fish, birds and marine mammals, and can damage marine ecosystems such as coral reefs.

    “This disturbing study raises real concerns about the spread of plastic pollution: it really is present everywhere, not just the marine environment,” said plastic pollution campaigner Emma Priestland from the charity Friends of the Earth.

    “Knowing that plastic can be moved from the larval stage to the adult mosquito, which then serves as food to a multitude of larger animals, highlights the urgency with which we need to.”

    A study from 2015 estimated that the total amount of floating plastic in the oceans could triple by 2025.

    I was getting ready to go to bed when the phone rang. This could not be good. My mind raced through the list of family members who might need help, but the voice was hardly familiar.

    "Lindy, this is Lesley." I don't know Lesley well. We did occasionally speak with each other, but to say we were friends was not appropriate. I asked what she needed. Perhaps something really awful caused her to reach someone she barely knew. Instead, she asked me, "Do you have room for a turkey? In your freezer?" We had lots of room in our freezer, and in fact, too much. "Sure," I responded, "did your freezer break down?" "Not exactly," Lesley replied, but I will explain when I arrive."

    Minutes later came a huge freezer truck. Lesley stepped down and explained the lease (租约) of the grocery store her husband serviced had run out and that they had to empty all the freezers that very night. Thinking it was a shame to throw away all this good food, they decided to drop off food to anyone she could think of. Noticing our freezer was pretty empty, Lesley asked to fill it up. Our home was their last stop and anything left would have to be put in our freezer. An hour later, everything finished, I asked her, "When will you come back for all this?" Lesley laughed, "We don't want it back. It is yours! Thanks for helping us out!" Then they waved goodbye and drove away.

    "For helping them out?" We opened our freezer door. Inside were all expensive foods we never bought but often longed to try. We were struggling to buy groceries, yet it was not something we shared with anyone. However, our needs were met in an unexpected way, by that call, "Do you have room for a turkey?"

    Great places where you can travel for the coming 2020 New Year's Eve you'll never forget:

    Sydney

    Sydney, Australia, is the first major international city to greet the New Year at midnight. The major fireworks display takes place at Sydney Harbour with the Opera House and Harbour Bridge providing a spectacular (壮观的) backdrop.

    Taipei, Taiwan

    New Year^'s Eve in Taipei, the capital city of the island of Taiwan, is a visual spectacle. The city's tallest building, Taipei 101, is the launching pad for an unforgettable fireworks show. Prime spots to take in the event include National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall and the Xinyi Commercial District, which gets quite crowded.

    Cape Town

    Cape Town is one of the most beautifully situated cities in Africa and the world. New Year's Eve fireworks make it all the more spectacular. If you're looking for a place with delicious food and a view of the festivities, Baia Seafood Restaurant is a good choice. If you're in the mood for a party, Cape Point Vineyards is one of many places to consider.

    Las Vegas

    Vegas is lit up year-round, but it goes all out for New Year's Eve. The street is closed off to vehicles, and pedestrians take over for an unforgettable festival. At midnight, various casinos (赌场) launch an impressive fireworks off the roofs of their buildings.

    For further information, you can click on here, the website https: //edition. cnn. com/travel/

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.