“Clothes Swapping”has become an increasingly popular activity for women in the United States. The women can give away unwanted clothing at a clothes swap event and get something different in return.

    Recently about 300 women went to a clothes swap at a high school in Springfield, Virginia. It was the largest crowd ever for the area's popular clothing-swapping group.

    Daphne Steinberg was having a good day.“For anyone who knows Ann Taylor LOFT, Ann Taylor is a really nice women's designer and I will totally wear this to work. So I love that, I love that I can equip myself for work, have a good time in doing it, not totally bankrupt myself.”

Sandy Van Dusen likes the idea that clothes are finding new homes instead of being thrown away. “Because it helps to keep the Earth green. There's no point in my opinion in continuing to buy new clothes when we can reuse what's already here. Give it a new home— let somebody else love what you used to love and no longer love.”

    Kim Pratt organized the clothing-swapping event in Springfield. She also organized a money-raising activity for the high school's debate team. It is one of several ways that her group gives to charitable causes. Another is by donating all of the“un-swapped” clothing to shelters for victims of domestic violence.

    “I started doing this four years ago, and we've been doing it for four years, getting bigger and bigger each time we have a swap.”

    She used the social media website meetup.com to help publicize the events. The website has helped her group grow from 30 members to 1,300. Mrs.Pratt says most of the members respect the clothing swap rules. But she say competition for desirable fashion can be strong.

    “We have to tell people sometimes not to hover over the new people coming in with their clothing. As they put it out, some people tend to grab the stuff right out of their hands and it becomes like a free-for-all. We try to avoid that as much as possible.”

    An interesting study posted on Facebook recently shows how men and women develop new interests as they mature(成熟).

    While women tend to take exercise seriously from the age of 34, men will wait until their 45th birthdays before working hard to get in shape. The average woman spends more time talking about sports, politics, career and money as she gets older.

Women's interest in books reaches its peak(顶峰) at the age of 22, while that of men does so when they are in their 50s.

    Men start to change their focus from the workplace to other things after age 30, while women do not do so until eight years later. Both, however, care most about fashion at age 16.

    The research used anonymous(匿名的) data donated by thousands of Facebook users, recording the statuses, 'likes' and 'interests' they had posted on their profiles.

It found the average woman talks about television most at 44, while men peak much younger, at age 31.

    Men are also most likely to see a film in a cinema at age 31, while women go out to see films most when they are only 19.

    Men are most interested in travel at 29, women at 27, while women talk most about food and drink at 35, and men at 38.

    And if you are middle aged, a safe topic for any audience is the weather, which is a key interest for many as they approach 60.

    Stephen Wolfram, the British scientist who carried out the research, says, “It's almost shocking how much this tells us about the changes of people's typical interests.

    “People talk less about video games as they get older, and more about politics.”

    These days a green building means more than just the color of the paint. Green buildings can also refer to environmentally friendly houses，factories，and offices.

    Green building means "reducing the effect of the building on the land"，Taryn Holowka of the US Green Building Council (评议会) in Washington，D.C.，said. According to Holowka，building accounts for 65 percent of total US electricity use.

But green buildings can reduce energy and water use. Also，the buildings are often located near public transportation such as buses and subways，so that people can drive their cars less. That could be good for the environment，because cars use lots of gas and give off pollution. Green buildings are often built on developed land，so that the buildings don't destroy forests.

    Marty Dettling is project manager for a building that puts these ideas into action. The Solaire has been called the country's first green high-rise building. According to Dettling，"We've reduced our energy use by one-third and our water by 50 percent."

    The Solaire cuts energy in part by using solar power. "On the face of the building we have solar panels (光板) which change the sun's energy into electricity，" Dettling explained.

    The Solaire also has lights that automatically turn off when people leave the room. In addition，the building has lots of windows，allowing people to use the sun for light during the day. The Solaire cuts water by reusing it.

    Not everyone is eager to move into a green building，however. Some people think that things like solar panels cost more money than more traditional energy sources. Anyhow，Holowka said，"It's going to be big."

    One of the great concerns that ornithologists have is that climate change will throw the nesting activities of birds out of sync (同步) with the availability of food for the raising of chicks. For one species, the pied flycatcher, a new study shows that some of its clan are proving to be remarkably adaptable.

    Upon returning to Europe from their African wintering grounds, the flycatchers time their egg-laying to the short period when juicy caterpillars (毛毛虫) are most abundant. During the past three decades this caterpillar peak has advanced by three weeks. Pied flycatchers initially had difficulty adjusting, but over time have started laying their eggs earlier to grab the caterpillars. Some, though, are doing a lot more to improve their reproductive chances of success, according to a study in the Journal of Avian Biology led by Christian Both of the University of Groningen, in the Netherlands.

    Like most bird species, pied flycatchers have long been thought to lay a single clutch of eggs during the breeding (繁殖) season. This was widely considered to be a trait that wouldn't change. Then, in 2007, a Swiss team led by Dr Ravussin began to suspect that clutch numbers were flexible. They discovered a female pied flycatcher that immediately produced a second brood with a new male after raising an early set of chicks. Aware of Dr Ravussin's findings, Dr Both wondered whether this was just a single, odd instance or if second broods might be happening on a larger scale driven by the arrival of earlier springs. So, they cooperate to delve into the data to find out.

    The team studied pied-flycatcher populations in the Netherlands and Switzerland that were known to be among the earliest nesting members of the species. In total, they tracked the egg-laying times and hatchling-rearing success of 8,848 breeding pairs in the Netherlands and1, 372 in Switzerland between1980 and 2018. They found that since 2006, 11 cases of second broods were observed, all of them among the earliest breeders in both populations.

    Further studies ruled out that the birds were making up for a failed first attempt at raising chicks or that the second group of nestlings suffered.

    With no obvious downside to laying a double clutch, Drs Both and Ravussin conclude that the birds are attempting to double their annual reproductive output. While this behavior is still rare, they argue that if the tendency is driven by heritable genes (which it may well be), then a succession of early springs could make the strategy much more common.

    If you are a teenager without a job, you probably do not have much extra money. Sometimes parents will give their children a pocket money for doing small housework, but it is often not enough once the children grow into teenagers and want to do things with their friends all of the time. How to make money is an important thing for teens to learn. If you're wondering how a teenager can make good money, some ideas might be:

    Getting a part-time job at a local restaurant or store is always a sure way to make money as a teen. But getting a job somewhere like this might be hard, considering many jobs in local stores are being taken by adults more and more often.

    Doing landscaping (绿化) is something that most adults do not like to do, and teens can usually find jobs around their neighborhood doing the landscaping of friends and family.

    Some teens are good at something such as writing or photography. These teens can make money by doing things such as writing articles for newspapers or magazines or selling their photos online.

    Teens who live in a country area can earn money by helping out on farms, or they can try raising their own animals such as chickens, and selling them or their products.

    Looking for jobs can seem hard at first, but if you have a try, it should not be too hard to find a job or way to make money.

The Importance of Learning a Second Language

In today's globalized world, learning a second language has become an essential skill. It offers numerous benefits that can enhance both personal and professional aspects of life. 

{#blank#}1{#/blank#} Through the process of learning a new language, one can gain a deeper understanding of different cultures and traditions. This can lead to greater empathy and appreciation for diversity. 

Additionally, bilingual(双语的) individuals often have better cognitive abilities. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Studies have shown that they are better at multitasking, problem- solving, and decision- making compared to monolinguals(单语的). This is because the brain is constantly engaged in managing two languages, which strengthens its overall function. 

{#blank#}3{#/blank#} In many professional fields, being proficient in more than one language can open up job opportunities that would otherwise be unavailable. Many companies prefer to hire candidates who can communicate with international clients or partners. 

Moreover, learning a second language can significantly enhance travel experiences. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Communicating in the local language can lead to more meaningful interactions and a deeper connection with the place and its people. 

Finally, the process of learning a new language itself can be incredibly (不可置信地) rewarding. 

{#blank#}5{#/blank#} This sense of achievement can boost confidence and motivate individuals to tackle other challenges in life. 

Overall, the advantages of learning a second language are clear. It not only broadens one's horizons but also equips them with skills that are valuable in an increasingly interconnected world. 

A. It allows travelers to guide new environments with ease and enjoy genuine cultural experiences. 

B. The effort and devotion required to master a new language can get a strong sense of accomplishment. 

C. Bilingualism can delay the onset of dementia(痴呆症) and other age- related cognitive declines. 

D. One of the most significant advantages is the ability to connect with people from different backgrounds. 

E. Fluency in multiple languages is often associated with higher salaries and better career prospects. 

F. They tend to have improved memory, attention span, and analytical skills. 

G. Another major benefit is the improvement in job prospects and career advancement.