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Have you ever seen your cat or dog eating grass? They do so because it can help their digestion, and many wild species use natural substances to prevent and control diseases. This is called "zoo pharmacognosy" or, more commonly, animal self-medication.

Scientists have discovered that tamarin monkeys use a specific tree resin (树脂) as medicine. In the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, scientists followed several groups of them to collect data. During one of these daily studies, tamarin monkeys were observed rubbing their bodies on the trunk of a tree. At first, researchers thought that they were marking their territory, a common behaviour in this species. Botanical experts later confirmed that the tree was a species of cabreuva, which is well known for its medical properties.

Researchers decided to place camera-traps in different sites at the foot of the tree to record future visits by tamarin monkeys. The records surprisingly showed that many animals living in the forest visited it. Totally, ten species were observed. For many of them, it was the first time that behaviors similar to self-medication had been observed. More surprisingly, one species spread resin on each other's fur in pairs. In general, the species seemed to specifically visit the tree to acquire the resin and seemingly benefit from it, either healing their wounds or fighting back parasites (寄生虫).

While further studies are needed to identify the properties of the resin and thus confirm that this is indeed self-medication, the use of it suggests that cabreuva represents a common and universal drugstore for the residents of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. It is likely to be a valuable resource helping the species maintain their magnitude by improving their health.

This discovery could have an important protection influence, as the disappearance of some trees could potentially affect the survival of some animals.

Eradajere Oleita thinks she may have a partial solution to two of her country's problems: garbage and poverty. It's called the Chip Bag Project. The 26-year-old student and environmentalist from Detroit is asking a favor of local snack lovers: Rather than throw your empty chip bags into the trash, donate them so she can turn them into sleeping bags for the homeless.

Chip eaters drop off their empty bags from Doritos, Lays, and other favorites at two locations in Detroit: a print shop and a clothing store, where Oleita and her volunteer helpers collect them. After they clean the chip bags in soapy hot water, they slice them open, lay them flat, and iron them together. They use padding (衬垫) and liners (衬里) from old coats to line the insides.

It takes about four hours to sew a sleeping bag, and each takes around 150 to 300 chip bags, depending on whether they're single-serve or family size. The result is a sleeping bag that is "waterproof, lightweight, and easy to carry around", Oleita told the Detroit News.

Since its start in 2020, the Chip Bag Project has collected more than 800,000 chip bags and, as of last December, created 110 sleeping bags. Sure, it would be simpler to raise the money to buy new sleeping bags. But that's only half the goal for Oleita—whose family moved to the United States from Nigeria a decade ago with the hope of attaining a better life —and her fellow volunteers. "We are devoted to making an impact not only socially, but environmentally," she says.

And, of course, there's the symbolism of rescuing bags that would otherwise land in the trash and using them to help the homeless. It's a powerful reminder that environmental problem and poverty often go hand in hand. As Oleita told hourdetroit. com: "I think it's time to show connections between all of these issues."

Here're some of the excellent inventions in 2023. Which one do you like most?

Whiter Paint

The paint on a white building reflects 80 to 90% of the sunlight that strikes it. The rest of the light warms the surrounding area, raising air-conditioning bills. But the Whiter Paint is made of chemicals that better reflect UV rays. It reflects up to 98% of the sunlight, which could reduce AC use by 40%. "The heat is reflected into deep space," says Xiulin Ruan, who led the Purdue University team that created the paint.

Duolingo app

Now you can take music lessons on a smartphone, using this app, which uses an on-screen piano to teach basics such as harmony and beat. You learn by interacting with more than 200 popular pieces of music. Just match sounds to notes and play along. "You don't need natural talent to learn music," says Karen Chow, who's a learning scientist at Duolingo.

Model A

Model A, developed by Alef Aeronautics, is a two-seat all-electric vehicle with a flight range of 110 miles. And it looks as if it were made to be parked in a garage. In July, 2023, the Federal Aviation Administration gave Alef permission to take the vehicle on test flights. The company hopes to deliver the first Model A by 2026.

Moonwalkers

They're actually battery-powered shoes with wheels. They let you walk normally—just faster and more easily. Moonwalkers, made by Shift Robotics, use AI to sense when you're speeding up or slowing down, and adjust themselves accordingly. With it, you can walk at speeds up to seven miles per hour.

注意：1. 字数100词左右；2. 可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。

删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。

修改：在错的词下画一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。

注意：1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2. 只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。

Today, I'd like to share you something about my sister whom inspires me a lot. She has always been my role models due to her determination.

My sister, currently in college pursuing her dream of becoming a doctor, have faced numerous obstacles along the way. Therefore, never did she let these setbacks discourage her. Instead, she turned it into stepping stones for success. Her determination to achieve her goals has taught me the greatly importance of never giving up.

Additionally, my sister's ability to find solutions to any problem inspires me deeply. And her approach to overcome challenges with a smile reminds me of that a positive mindset can overcome any difficulty.

In conclusion, inspiring by her story, I will try to follow in her footsteps and achieve my own dreams with the same level of determination.

Named Long Chenchen, the mascot for China's upcoming Dragon Spring Festival Gala, was (official) released, with a lot of design details showing the aesthetics of Chinese cultural elements.

To celebrate 2024, will be the Year of the Dragon in Chinese culture, "Long Chenchen" serves as a spiritual symbol with the colors of orange and red as well as a pair of doll eyes.

The seemingly cute-looking dragon takes inspiration from diverse Chinese archaeological (discovery). The dragon mascot (praise) by netizens on China's social media platforms such as Sina Weibo so far. Some said Chenchen looks "amiable" and can bring more international visitors to see the profound yet (adore) Chinese culture.

Admitting that it has some "imperfections," CMG said that it was created by designers "one stroke after another." All the details about the dragon, including (it) patterns, colors and face have been revised by designers through many versions.

Along with this verbal (explain), a short video (show) the design team working on the mascot has been posted on Sina Weibo by CMG. The media group's response to the character's design has become trending topic on Sina Weibo and has been viewed by more than 200 million netizens.

" it was created by AI or human beings, I think the mascot has successfully delivered the spirit of the dragon. The dragon is important to display the life-force of Chinese culture," one netizen posted on Sina Weibo.

Being the England women's national team coach demands a lot from me. With this responsibility, there are no days off. During Euro 2022, when I had Covid (冠状病毒), I felt the 1 to return as soon as possible. The situation 2 when my sister, Diana, my greatest 3 , who watched every game no matter where we played, fell seriously ill just before the tournament started. In those moments, I 4 to be able to switch off and just be with my family.

The weeks before Diana's passing away were especially 5 . The focus was on her, and I had to step away from football. My responsibility for the European Championship, however, weighed heavily on me. I 6 my staff together and had a difficult conversation about the possibility of me being 7 on the day Diana passed away. It was a(n) 8 discussion, but I was amazed by their understanding and support. Their 9 truly touched me. This discussion deepened our bond, and provided me with a sense of 10 and freedom during such a difficult time. When I 11 Mark Bullingham, the CEO of the FA, about Diana's condition, he 12 responded, saying, "Stay in the Netherlands. That's the most important thing in your life right now." His support meant a lot, as he didn't question how it would 13 the team.

I returned to the team after Diana's death, and the players showed their 14 by wearing black armbands. Before the Euro final, I managed my 15 with help from the team psychologist, and after winning, I got a tattoo on my wrist like the same image on Diana's. For me it was a way to feel 16 .

The death of my sister and 17 our team handled it had a big impact on the staff at work. It reminded us that life isn't always easy. It was important for me to 18 and let others know I was 19 . It has showed that it's OK for us to 20 when we need to deal with real-life issues.

If you understand the fable of the frog in the boiling water, it is time to learn how to avoid becoming the frog and make positive changes so that you can succeed and live your dream life. Here are a few tips you can follow.

You don't want to go through every day without having a clear direction. The first thing you want to do to create a better future is to identify what kind of future you desire. Once you have a clear direction, you can run as fast as you can to get there.

Make a plan and work on it every day. Besides knowing what you want, you need to also know what you need to do to get there. Every one of us wants to have a better future, but most people don't know what to do to get there. This is why having a plan is important. Once you have a plan, all you need to do is stick to your plan and take massive action.

Take consistent action. Identifying your goals and knowing your plan is just a foundation step to achieving the success you want. You also need to take action and work on your goals if you want to achieve them. 

Improve yourself regularly. Just like your phone, you update your mobile phone from time to time so that the software is the latest. Constantly update and improve yourself so that you can perform at your best. If you want to be financially rich, you can't just do nothing about your finances. You need to learn how to manage your wealth too.

Always remember the story of the frog in the boiling water. And follow the tips I shared about to "hedge" yourself against the impact of gradual changes.

A. Create your future today, not tomorrow.

B. You need to track, plan, invest, and save.

C. You need to do the same to yourself.

D. Set a goal and never turn aside along the way.

E. Therefore, create an action plan for your goal.

F. Avoiding being "cooked" in an environment matters.

G. You can't think about your dream, just praying over there.

Air pollution remains a critical health risk in the European Union, claiming over 500,000 lives in 2021, with findings suggesting nearly half of these could have been prevented if pollution were reduced to levels recommended by health experts. Data from the European Environment Agency (EEA) show that of these deaths, 253,000 were linked to exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) going beyond the World Health Organization's (WHO) guideline limit of 5 micrograms per cubic meter. These particles are especially dangerous as they can pass into the bloodstream and affect various organs. Nitrogen dioxide and ozone also contributed to the mortality (死亡频率) statistics, associated with 52,000 and 22,000 deaths respectively. The EU's environment commissioner, Virginijus Sinkevicius, underlined that air pollution poses the top environmental health risk in the EU. Nevertheless, there is evidence of improvement, with deaths from PM2.5 decreasing by 41% between 2005 and 2021, and the EU targets a reduction of 55% by 2030.

In response to these concerns, the WHO, which updated its air quality guidelines in 2021, warns that no level of air pollution can be considered safe but has set upper limits for certain pollutants. The European Parliament vote to bring the EU's air quality standards in line with the WHO but decided to delay doing so until 2035.

Sinkevicius said that air quality is indeed improving due to effective clean air policies. Beyond death counts, the EEA also assessed air pollution's broader impact on diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and diabetes, stressing not only mortality but the quality of life impacts. EEA researcher Alberto Gonzalez Ortiz pointed to severe disability states caused by these conditions, worsened by air pollution.

The EEA's comprehensive approach shows that while the fight against air pollution has seen progress, immediate action is still critical to reduce pollution and reduce its widespread effects on public health.

In the U.S., a recent trend shows a growing demand for natural wine, which attaches importance to minimal processing and eco-friendliness. However, IWSR Drinks Market Analysis indicates that these wines still make up less than one percent of sales in 2021. Despite a general decline in wine buyers since 2015, demand for natural wines is on the rise at a significant pace, as said by Drizly, an online alcohol delivery service.

Natural wines typically use organic grapes, avoiding chemicals for pest and weed control. Traditional methods like foot treading (踩) are sometimes employed for crushing grapes. Afterwards, the crushed grapes ferment (发酵) naturally. Manufacturers don't add water, yeast or other substances. There are some exceptions. Some natural winemakers add extra sulfites for preservation. Others clarify the wine to get rid of any small piece that could make it look cloudy, resulting in the earthy and unique flavor.

However, the market faces barriers due to a lack of set definitions for natural wine, creating confusion and marketing challenges. As Professor Anita Oberholster from UC Davis suggests, defining "natural wine" could help its growth. Yet, industry opinions vary on regulation: while some support official guidelines, others, like John Keller of Neu Cellars, worry about higher costs involved with certification.

CEO of Vinovest, Anthony Zhang sees another problem. Some wine companies are profiting using labeling content like imagery that suggests their wine making is natural when they are not. The European Union has taken measures to stop this by requiring wines sold in its markets to list all contained substances, starting December. It's expected that the U.S. may soon adopt similar regulations, increasing transparency for consumers. With these advancements, buyers may soon be able to make more informed purchases.