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Earth is far more alive than we previously thought, according to "deep life" studies that reveal a rich underground ecosystem beneath our feet that is almost twice the size of all the world's oceans. Despite extreme heat, no light and intense pressure, scientists estimate it has between 15 billion and 23 billion tonnes of microorganisms. "It's like finding a whole new reservoir (储藏) of life on Earth, " said Karen Lloyd an associate professor at the University of Tennessee.

Results suggest 70 percent of Earth's bacteria and archaea exist in the subsurface. One organism found 2.5 kilometers below the surface has been buried for millions of years and may not rely at all on energy from the sun. Also, the methanogen (产甲烷菌) has found a way to create methane in this environment, which the methanogen may not use to reproduce or divide, but use to replace or repair broken parts. Lengths of their lives were completely different. Some microorganisms have been alive for thousands of years, barely moving except with shifts in earthquakes or eruptions. They're just active inside, with less energy than people thought possible to support life.

The team consists of 1, 200 scientists from 52 countries in disciplines ranging from geology and microbiology to chemistry and physics. A year before the conclusion of their study, they will present the findings before the American Geophysical Union's annual meeting opens this week, which they say are made possible by technical advances on drills and microscopes.

The scientists have been wondering about the point beyond which life cannot exist, but the deeper they dig, the more life they find. There is a temperature maximum—currently 122℃—but they believe this record will be broken if they keep exploring and developing more advanced instruments.

Questions remain, including how the microbes interact with chemical processes, and what this might reveal about how life and Earth coevolved.

For years, you've been told that stress can be deadly and is something to be avoided. Therefore, an anxious situation is often accompanied by a sense of fear. However, recent studies suggest that stress-related harmful effects on your health are not unavoidable.

One study followed 30, 000 people over eight years and measured their stress levels. Those who believed that stress is harmful died at a higher rate than those who were under stress but didn't acknowledge the so-called negative effects. The latter group was healthier, and many of them lived long, happy lives.

Stressful feelings start out in a small region of the brain that affects how people feel emotions, especially fear. The small region is very sensitive to possible threats. When it senses danger, it alerts the brain, and feelings of fear or stress can result. These feelings give people a warning message when they need to pay attention and when they need to take action. For instance, when the sight of a speeding car triggers (触发) the region to release a lightning-fast message, we know immediately to move out of the way!

Another study carried by Health psychologist Dr. McGonigal found a link between stress and the amount of sympathy people showed to others. Researchers tracked 1, 000 adults, their descriptions of the level of stress in their lives and the amount of time spent helping others. With each major stressful event, such as a family tragedy or financial crisis, the risk of dying increased by 30 percent. But for the group who spent time helping others, there was no increase in stress-related deaths, even for those who had faced their own personal tragedies. According to Dr. McGonigal, "Chasing meaning is better for your health than trying to avoid discomfort. Go after what it is that creates meaning in your life and then trust yourself to handle the stress that follows."

A new study shows that getting half of American 8-to 11-year-olds into 25 minutes of physical activity three times a week would save ＄21.9 billion in medical costs over their lifetimes.

The increase from the current 32 percent to 50 percent of kids taking part in exercise, active play, or sports would also result in 340, 000 fewer overweight teenagers.

"Physical activity not only makes kids feel better and helps them develop healthy habits, it's also good for the nation's bottom line, " says Bruce Y. Lee, executive director of the Global Obesity Prevention Center at Johns Hopkins University. "Our findings show that encouraging exercise and investing in physical activity when kids are young pays    big    dividends as they grow up."

The study, published in the journal Health Affairs, suggests an even bigger advantage if every 8 to 11-year-old in the United States exercised 75 minutes over three times in a week. In that case, the researchers estimate(估计), ＄62.3 billion in medical costs over the course of their lifetimes could be avoided and 1.2 million fewer youths would be overweight. And the money would increase if not just current 8-to-11 year olds, but every future elementary school child joined their game.

Exercise at least 25 minutes a day, three days a week, is a guideline developed for kids by the Sports and Fitness Industry Association. An overweight person's lifetime medical costs average ＄62, 331. For the overweight person, these amounts are great.

"Even a little increase in physical activity could cause billions of dollars in savings, " Lee says. He also says there are other benefits of physical activity that don't affect weight, such as improving bone density, improving mood, and building muscle.

Lee says "We need to be adding physical education programs and not cutting them. We need to encourage kids to be active, to reduce screen time and get them running around again. It's important for their physical health and the nation's financial(经济的) health."

Nowadays, the term "quiet quitting" has taken over the Internet, meaning lying flat, or taking a break from the overwork. It appears to have originated from a TikTok video posted by Brian Creely. Creely showed an Insider article written by senior reporter Aki Ito. The headline read, "Fed up with long hours, many employees have quietly decided to take it easy at work rather than quit their jobs." Creely said, "More people are quiet quitting instead of leaving." The video has received nearly 100, 000 likes and more than 4, 000 comments, the vast majority describing the benefits of doing the bare minimum.

Despite a number of news outlets reporting that quiet quitting is a trend that is being encouraged, Insider found many users on the app were actually warning people against doing so.

Ashley Herd, a former employment lawyer, posted two videos about quiet quitting. In her videos, she argued that while limiting work to what is specified in the job description is fine, doing so quietly can be detrimental. "If someone is stressed out, they should feel able to have that conversation with their manager, " she said.

A TikToker and consultant Mary posted a video titled "Minorities should be careful quiet quitting". In the video she said, "Unfortunately in America minorities are held to a different standard. We are looked at differently. So we have to go above and beyond to be successful. We can't risk being regarded as not performing."

In recent weeks, TikTokers have been warning workers that quiet quitting could lead to "quiet firing", labeled as a new workplace trend. The phrase describes the longstanding practice of constructive dismissal—creating an environment that leads a worker to quit their job in order to avoid having to fire them. Creators are receiving hundreds of thousands of views that post about quiet firing and call out managers who employ the practice.

When young, Jack was very  , who worked  hard on scientific research.He  his career and barely  his attention to other things.After a couple of  , he made a big  and won a good fame in the  field.However,  most successful people, he is leading a simple life.  , he still lives in a small room with little  now.Last week, he signed a  with a charity concerned about  .He gave away all his money to the charity to  in environmental protection.It is his  to our environment that  other ordinary people.

It was so heartbreaking for Devan Bonagura to see 81-year-old Nola Carpenter sitting in the break room of a supermarket where she works. In the short video he shared, the woman appears tired and stares at the floor as if thinking of something. The video finally went popular, earning over 30 million views and causing a movement that would change Carpenter's life.

It is widely known that retail (零售) workers are heroes. They put up with long hours and angry customers, among a lot of other things. This work is challenging for young people and able-bodied people, so it can really be more difficult to the old. That's why Bonagura posted the video.

He posted the short video of her with the message "Life shouldn't be this hard. . . "and the caption(字幕)"I feel bad". At last, his followers asked him to find a way to support this woman, and it inspired him to open a GoFundMe campaign titled"Let's help Carpenter retire (退休)". The idea was to support Carpenter so that she could retire early.

Although the goal was just $10, 000, 24 hours later over $100, 000 had been collected. Two days later, Bonagura met up with Carpenter and told her how he had posted a video of her and how people had come together to help her. "They see that you're a very hard worker," the social media platform told the woman. "We are all super proud of you, and we want to offer you the $110, 000 that has been raised for you. " "T'd accept it, but I'd still have to work until I get the other $60, 000 to pay off the house," she explained. "The house is what's holding me at work. "She then talked about her daily life and how she struggled to help those in need.

注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右;2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

Knowing why Carpenter worked so hard at this age, every one was moved

Reaching her goal, Carpenter won't retire until the New Year.

注意：1. 书信内容包括上述内容，但不能逐句翻译；2. 词数：100左右。

Dear Editor,

I am a middle school student. I'm writing to tell you of my worry.

Your truly,

Li Hua

Today's stars are at the center of much of the world's attention. Paparazzi (狗仔队) camp outside their homes, cameras ready. Tabloids (小报) publishing stories about their personal lives. Although being famous might sound like a dream come true, they, feeling like zoo animals, face pressures that few of us imagine.

psychologist Christina Villareal, celebrities — famous people — worry constantly about their public appearance. Eventually, they start to lose track of who they really are, seeing the way their fans imagine them, not as the people they were before everyone knew their names. "Over time," Villareal says, "they feel separated and alone. "

The phenomenon of tracking celebrities (be) around for ages. In the 4th century B. C. , painters followed Alexander the Great into battle, (hope) to picture his victories for his admirers. When Charles Dickens visited America in the 19th century, his sold-out readings attracted thousands of fans, leading him to complain about his lack of privacy. Tabloids of the 1920s and 1930s ran articles about film-stars in much the same way that modern tabloids and websites . 

Being a public figure today, however, is a lot (difficult). Superstars cannot move about without worrying about photographers with modern cameras. When they say something silly or do something ridiculous, there is always the Internet (spread) the news in minutes and keep their "story" alive forever.

fame is so troublesome, why aren't all celebrities running away from it? The answer is there are still ways to deal with it. Some stars stay calm by surrounding themselves with trusted friends and family or by escaping to remote places away from big cities. They focus not on how famous they are but on what they love to do or made them famous in the first place.

In modern cities, it is now time as much as space that separates urban functions, as people's lives are lived not only to different timetables, but also at wildly different rates. The mass timetable of the industrial city, with 9-5 office hours and silent Sundays, has gone. In its 1 is flexi-time, part-time working, Sunday shopping and the 24-hour city.

European cities are 2 these changes perhaps faster than British cities. In at least half a dozen cities in Italy, 3 , you will find the Uffici Tempi--the Offices of Time. What they do is try to reorganise time more flexibly in the city, in order to meet new needs. This is particularly relevant for Italian women, an increasing number of whom have to 4 two timetables: work and home. Usually located in the Mayor's office, the Uffici Tempi bring together transport providers, shop-owners, employers, trade unions, the police and other services to see how their efforts might be better 5 . The main aim in all this is to increase the efficiency and productivity of the city. This can mean delaying the starting tunes in schools, offices and factories to avoid rush hours, or having shops opening later in the day but closing later too. One further 6 is that there can be more police about in the evening, patrolling the streets when people most need them.

In a number of German cities, people have been 7  whether the timetable of the future city should be 6x6 or 4x9--working hours, that is. Apparently male workers favour a four-day week, while women workers, on the other hand, favour 8  shorter working days. This would give employees more time in the afternoon to be with children or to get the shopping. 

The 9 for public services to adapt to our changing lifestyles has been quite difficult for some of the staff involved. 10 , who likes working evenings or Sundays? Nevertheless, many city centres are now open for shopping seven days a week, and a number of them now promote themselves as ‘24-hour cities', where those with money can drink, eat, dance and even shop the whole 11 .

Time is flexible, but buildings aren't. The 12 between the structure of the city and its uses, over time, is a serious architectural and planning problem. 13 has become the key skill. We are slowly 14 the terms of dormitory suburbs and industrial districts, in favour of mixed- use areas, out-of-town retailing and working from home. There is no doubt that planning theory is being 15 by the changing nature of time in the modern city.

How to Survive a Tsunami on the Beach

The word tsunami is from Japanese. It describes a series of waves that can reach over 100 feet tall and travel at speeds up to 600 miles per hour across the sea. A single wave in a tsunami can be quite long, as much as 60 miles, causing great damage. 

Your best chance for surviving a tsunami on a beach is to pay attention to the warning signs, stay away from the shore after an earthquake, and get to high land. Then wait for information from disaster response groups. 

With your family, discuss how you'll reach the evacuation area (紧急疏散区) as soon as possible.

The sooner you know a tsunami is coming the better your chance of making it to higher ground. 

·Head for high ground, get at least 100 feet above sea level. 

·

·Don't swim against the current.

As you learn how to survive a tsunami, remember the first wave in a series of waves is the smallest and weakest. If you're in a boat at the beach, head out into the ocean. You'll stand a better chance away of survival away from the shoreline.

A. That's why it's crucial to know how to survive a Tsunami.

B. Grab something like a tree or something that float, like a raft. 

C. The waves following an earthquake may continue for hours or up to a day. 

D. That's why it's essential to learn the early warning signs to survive a tsunami.

E. If it's too late, and the water's already rising, here's what to do in a tsunami.

F. Your best chance for surviving a tsunami on a beach is to pay attention to the warning signs. 

G. Whether you're visiting or living in a tsunami zone, learn where the closest place is out of the tsunami's reach.

It's often said that we human beings can dream in a foreign language. Could dreaming in a foreign language improve our memory? Does dreaming in a foreign language mean we are making progress in learning that language?

Before we look at multilingual (多语言) dreams, first we need to look at sleep. The connection between sleep and language can be applied to how we learn any language, including our native language. Even adults still learn about one new word every two days in their first language. But, if we are going to remember that new word better, what matters is that we need to connect it with what we have learned. And in order to do that, we "need to have some sleep", says Gareth Gaskell, a professor at the University of York.

It's during sleep that the integration (整合) of old and new knowledge happens. At might, one part of our brain — the hippocampus — takes whatever new information it receives during the day and passes it on to other parts of the brain to be stored. The role that dreams play in this night-time learning process is still being studied, but "it's entirely possible that during multilingual dreams, the brain is trying to connect the two languages", says Marc, a researcher at a university in Bern, Switzerland.

So having multilingual dreams could mean that our brain is trying to remember a new word or phrase. However, it could also have an emotional (情感) significance. Danuta, a professor of psycholinguistics at the University of Silesia in Poland, suggests that multilingual dreams can express "fears or wishes" around learning a foreign language, including the wish to be a local speaker or to be accepted within a certain community.

We clearly still have a lot to learn about multilingual dreams, but one thing seems certain: if you're trying to learn a new language, you can sleep on it.

According to a study published this week, habitual napping (打盹) appears to be associated with a large brain volume in adults although experts stressed that further research was needed. It reduces the cost caused from the lost time and the fatigue-related errors. The work followed previous studies that suggested a brief doze could improve people's ability to learn.

Arianna Huffington, a co-founder of Huff Post and the founder and chief executive of Thrive Global, said, "Given the latest science on the effectiveness of napping and the clear link between employees feeling well rested and their productivity, it's long past time that businesses embrace short naps at work. "

Some businesses, including Thrive Global, have already introduced facilities for employees to take naps. Google introduced sleep pods as far back as 2014 and companies like Nike and Ben & Jerry's introduced nap rooms. The practice has even been adopted by the NHS, with a growing number of hospitals introducing sleep pods for staff in an effort to help them get more rest. Employees, it seems, are enthusiastic. Sean Greenwood, of Ben & Jerry's, said, "If a quick nap gets employees more involved and creative, we're happy to provide that for our team members. "

Unfortunately, the practice of napping still suffers from our collective concept that sleep equals weakness and laziness. However, the performance-enhancing benefits of naps have been no secret to many leaders throughout history. It also gives the higher-ups the chance to acknowledge the 24/7 culture and come up with top-down solutions that encourage workers to take care of themselves in and out of work. 

While sleep experts stressed that a daytime doze could be beneficial, they said it was crucial to get enough shut-eye at the end of a day. It is the late stage of sleep, sometimes missed by early risers, that strengthens the nerve circuits that make for learning and memory, allowing the brain to make and consolidate new neutral connections. Additionally, prioritizing sufficient sleep during the regular nightly sleep period is essential for overall well-being. 

Student newspapers across the US are facing a dark reality. As they are free to read, they are making less money than ever, meaning that such newspapers are finding it hard to survive. 

Most college papers have reduced their print editions (版本). Last year, the Daily Tar Heel printed a paper four days a week. This year, it prints a paper every three days. And while it used to produce around 22,000 newspapers each time, it only makes around: 10,000 now, said Erica Perel, general manager. 

Increasingly, student journalists have turned their focus to digital versions of their newspapers, and the new ways that social media allows them to tell stories. They've adapted their skills to mirror what's going on in the professional journalism world.

"I think we're adapting very well…in moving away from that print edition. But it's challenging. " said Jonathan Carter, a student at North Carolina State University. So what should student newspapers do? LoMonte said the best solution would be for universities to financially (财经的) support student journalism. University leaders like to talk about producing responsible students, he said, and journalism is a part of that.

In the meantime, campus newspapers are figuring out their financial models as they go along. Bruce dePyssler, adviser to North Carolina Central University's Campus Echo Newspaper, said his students post one story a day online. The best stories are put together for a once-a-semester print edition.

And even if student journalists don't go into media jobs, Perel said, "They've still had a great education. " "The number one thing that we teach is critical thinking (批判思考) and how to be a lifelong learner, " she said, "The ones who are living through this transition (过渡) are the ones that are going to be a lot stronger for it in the end. "

Animals were the real pioneers of space flight. Let us learn about some animals that have been to space. 

●A. Fruit flies

On February 20,1947, the United States sent some fruit flies into space to study the impact that cosmic radiation (宇宙辐射) might potentially have on astronauts in the future. They chose flies because they are genetically similar to humans. 

When they returned to Earth, the scientists found the flies alive, with no evidence of the effects of radiation. 

●B. Mice

Mice have long been used to find out more about how space travel will affect the human body. In fact, NASA has recently published a study of mice housed at the International Space Station. It shows that mice quickly adapt to microgravity (微重力) conditions. 

The very first mouse went into space in 1950, reaching an altitude of 137km. However, unlike the fruit flies, the mouse died when the rocket broke into parts due to a parachute (降落伞) failure. 

●C. Dogs

Laika, a Russian homeless dog, went to space on November 3, 1957. She was picked up on the streets and was thought suitable because she had a gentle temperament (性情) and behaved well. The scientists also believed a homeless dog would be better at dealing with difficult conditions like microgravity than a pet dog. 

Laika is famous for being the first animal to orbit (环绕……运行) the Earth. However, she never returned. 

●D. Spiders

In 1973, two garden spiders called Anita and Arabella were used in an experiment to see if they could still build webs in space. 

Both spiders managed to build webs, even though the webs were slightly finer than on Earth. The study showed a great deal about the effects of microgravity on motor response (运动反应). 

Daniel got a job as a delivery man to work his way through college. His parents couldn't save up all the money he needed to get into law school, so since he was 15, he would take summer jobs and find some other jobs between studies to earn extra cash.

The boy was determined and every day he would wake up at 5 a.m., summer or winter, riding on his old bike to deliver parcels. It wasn't an easy job, especially during winter. Besides that, his old bike was slow, making things harder. But that wasn't a problem for Daniel.

Daniel's schedule was always the same every day and people in the neighborhood already knew him. He called them by their names, and they would often wave and greet him as he passed.

It was a normal day and Daniel was delivering parcels as usual. "Morning, Daniel! Check out my brand-new mountain bike!" called out a man whose home Daniel visited frequently. "Morning, Mr. Warren! That's a really fancy bike!" Daniel screamed back at him as he rode towards his first delivery. He couldn't help imagining what it would feel like to own a bike like the one Mr. Warren had just shown him. "My deliveries would double with that" he thought longingly.

Suddenly, Daniel lost balance and fell on the road. He got up and leaned the bike against the wall to see what had happened. He found a nail stuck in the back tire (轮胎) and he unluckily had a flat tire.

As he turned around and tried to think of what to do, he saw something unusual. A strange man Daniel had never seen before furtively (鬼鬼祟祟地) looked around and placed a package under his jacket. "Hey!" Daniel shouted at the man. "Hey there! What are you doing? That's not yours!" The man heard Daniel and started to run as fast as he could.

注意：1. 续写词数应为 150 左右：2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

假定你是某国际学校的学生会主席李华。随着手机越来越智能，学生们所受的影响也越 来越大。请你围绕"合理使用手机"这个主题，根据下面的提示，用英语给你校学生写一封倡议书。内容包括：1.智能手机给学生带来的不良影响；2.学生应如何减少智能手机的影响；3.发出倡议。

注意：1.词数不少于80;2. 内容充实，行文连贯；3. 开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。

Dear fellow students,

Li Hua

Machines work well at a constant speed —and the faster the better.Whether they are spinning cotton dealing with numbers,regular,repetitive actions are what they excel at.

Increasingly,our world is being designed by machines and for machines.We adapt to machines and hold ourselves to their standards:People (judge)by the speed at which they respond, not the quality of their response."Always on"becomes something to take pride .When I ask people they are doing,they almost always answer "busy".Ticking things off the "to do"list becomesmeans of defining ourselves. (occupy)if not with work then with family or our social networks,most of us feel exhausted.

A few years ago,I became very interested in what it meant (pause).I started to notice where pauses show up in my own work and life.For example,I realized when I was writing,a short walk was a(n) (effective)way to focus than concentrating harder.The small walk acted as a pause, (enable)me to rest,reflect or refresh,appreciate and break a block in my (creative).I realized that pause is not nothing!

A minute eating ice-cream is not the same as a minute doing push-ups.Even time itself isn't a uniform raw material —as the physics of Einstein shows.

The last attempt of Ken Campbell to run could trace back to high school.When his wife,Susan, injured her foot,she needed 1 to rejoin her running group,so Campbell went along to keep her company in the2 ."We were just walking at the beginning,"he says,"I was heavy,and weighed over 90kg."But as the weeks and months passed,the weight fell away,Susan recovered and Campbell's 3 grew.At the age of 63,he ran 50km,and at 70,he 4 a 100km ultra marathon.

So how does someone with no5 experience of running become an ultra distance runner in his 60s and 70s?Susan had run marathons before her 6 ,but for Campbell,the turning point came when Susan's Fleet Feet running group started the trails in the Sierra Nevada foothills near their home.

Campbell went out to visit Susan's group,and "the trails were a terrible 7 .It had been raining,and I was slipping,sliding and 8 .But I thought,well,I like this a lot."What he liked above all was the feeling of "being wrapped by the trail,being 9 by the closeness of the vegetation(植被)and the nearness of the river".

Running the 100km ultra marathon took Campbell 16 hours.When Campbell 10 the finish line at 3 am,Susan handed him a 100km sticker to11 on the back of his truck.He already had a 50km one on there."It is a public12 that you are part of this community,"he says. "Wherever we park,I see a line of vehicles with their various stickers and I feel that we are a tribe (部落). "

Campbell suffered from arthritis(关节炎)before he started running,and was "a(n)13 for knee replacement",but for now,he no longer needs a surgery.It can 14 the running —but the "sense of well-being and accomplishment will carry me on forever",he says,"If I can't run,I will 15 . "

Teenagers are spending more money than ever.Just last year,

31.6 million teens spent 155 billion,according to the North-brook,Illinois-based market research group Teenage Research Unlimited. 

Shocked at how much money kids spend?Maybe you haven't checked the price tags lately on some of the younger generation's must-haves.To some,such luxurious spending on the changeable young might seem unbearable. .Timothy Marshall,an associate professor of developmental psychology at Christopher Newport University in Virginia,analyzed the widespread phenomenon after some research.

One factor is surely the sheer power of marketing through mass media.Teenagers are exposed to an estimated 3,000 advertisements each day.Combine the ads with programming itself,like the fashion-,music-and skin-filled shows on MTV,and you've got a large number of messages telling kids what they should own if they want to fit in.

Many working parents probably compensate by spending money on their kids. But also,spending money is often more convenient in our fast-paced society than going to baseball games or other activities.

For many families,of course,keeping up with their children' costly demands for designer clothing,CDs,and concert tickets is a financial impossibility.Marshall says,even for those families who can afford such luxurious spending,striking a compromise between spoiling the kids and denying them is tricky,but possible.

Instead of just giving children the toys or clothing they desire,give them an allowance and show them how they can save up for whatever they want.And don't be afraid to just say no.Most of the parents are working nine-to-five or even working overtime to make ends meet. Therefore,shoulder the responsibility of instructing the kids to tell right from wrong,and developing healthy habits of spending money is of great importance. 

A.Why do some parents give in?

B.How did they persuade parents to pay?

C.Teaching kids how to budget and save is key.

D.Kids shouldn't always take money for granted.

E.Much of that money,of course,comes from parents.

F.We need to step up and tell kids where the boundaries are.

G.There is probably some guilt involved in not spending enough time at home.

Carried by the wind,dust particles( 微 粒 )from places such as the Sahara Desert can float halfway around the world before settling to the ground.As the plastics abandoned by humans break down into tiny pieces in the environment,they,too,travel through the atmosphere.Now scientists are a step closer to understanding how these microplastics travel in the globe —both locally and on long-distance flights.

Researchers spent more than a year collecting microplastics from 11 national parks and wilderness areas in the western U.S.They examined the particles that settled on dry days and those that fell along with rain or snow.In addition to making clear how microplastics move around,the results,published on Thursday in Science,reveal the seriousness of the problem:more than 1 million kilograms of microplastics —the weight of 120 million to 300 million plastic water bottles —fall on protected lands in the country's western region each year.

The new findings add to scientists' concern over microplastic pollution's potential impacts on the environment and human health."We're not supposed to breathe in this material,"says Steve Allen,a microplastics researcher at the University of Strathclyde in Scotland,who was not involved in the new study.Plastics in the environment "carry all sorts of pesticides (农药),heavy metals and all the other chemicals that we ve made over time,"he adds."They're going to carry them directly into our lungs."

Since their discovery in oceans in the 1970s,microplastics —which can be as large as a grain of rice or smaller than a particle of dust —have been found nearly everywhere researchers have looked:in cities,in Arctic snow,on remote mountaintops.Their presence in areas distant from the place where human live has pointed to them being carried by winds.