Nan Hauser has spent much of her life in the South Pacific Cook Islands. As a whale researcher, she has been1the international title of "Earth Ambassador. " While many of the locals had heard of this2, it was an encounter (偶遇) that would make her known worldwide.
One day in 2017, Nan dived into the ocean to shoot some videos with the whales, when the most3thing happened. As she swam alongside them, they began to display4signs that danger was near. Suddenly, she saw another whale make an5on her at full speed. Just as6hit, one of the whales used its fin (鳍) to push Nan onto its back and7of... not a whale but a tiger shark.
After the shark disappeared, the whale safely8Nan back to her boat. She climbed aboard and yelled her9to the whale. After a few minutes, the whale disappeared into the10, and Nan said goodbye, feeling grateful for this lifetime11.
Almost a year later, Nan received a call from a local fisherman saying that he12whales in the harbor. Could her whale friend have13? She jumped onto a boat quickly. Nan14recognized her friend by the two15marks on his tail, and dived into the water to swim with him.
After Nan's encounter, she16with how best she could thank the whale. After all, it's17to hug something much larger than you. So what's the most18way to thank a whale? It's by caring, learning more about them, and19their habitat. As for us, we can help in small ways. For example,20using the plastics will make a difference.
It is often said that "a picture is worth a thousand words." That is certainly true of the images of fleeting moments of nature submitted by international ecologists and students for the British Ecological Society's (BES) annual photography competition. Here are a few of 2019's winning entries.
Red Night
Photographed by Roberto Garcia Roa, it was declared last year's overall winner. The image captures both the beauty of the magnificent snake and its fear of human threats like fires. The ecologist says, "During my visit to Madagascar, I had the pleasure of finding this snake and photographing it. To offer a dramatic scene reflecting the conditions that these snakes are suffering, I used an external red light as a source of light to capture the environment. "
The Rhino's Annual Haircut
It was photographed by ecologist Molly Penny. The ongoing demand for rhino (犀牛) horns has reduced the population to just 30,000 globally. To try to save the species, ecologists in South Africa, home to over 20,000 southern white rhinos, have decided to saw off (锯掉) it part of the animals' horns, which regrow every year. "The Rhino's Annual Haircut," captured beautifully in the black-and-white photo by Molly Penny from the University of the West of England, reduces the risk of the animals being cruelly murdered.
For the Love of Flamingos
Photographed by Peter Hudson, it captures a heart-shaped cloud of pink flamingos in Kenya, which is truly a sight like none other. The ecologist says, "Flamingos are all legs and necks but meanwhile beautiful and fascinating and I admit I have a deep passion for them, so I was thrilled when, flying high over Lake Magadi, I watched this flock from themselves into a heart shape. ".
Flames in Flumes
Photographed by Nilanjan Chatterjee, it captures a water redstart waiting to catch an insect near a small waterfall. It was the best overall student submission. The photographer wanted to show the struggle the river birds are likely to face from the slowdown in water flow due to planned dams in rivers across India.
Samantha Whiting, from Texas, USA, was on holiday with her family in California earlier this year when every parent's worst nightmare came to life.
While playing on the beach, Samantha spotted her 10-year-old daughter Hayley drifting out into deeper water. She called Hayley back to shore, only for the youngster to realise she was caught in the rip current (离岸流) and couldn't swim back in. The current was dragging her out to sea rapidly and she called for her mum to help her as Samantha desperately tried to reach her little girl. "I will never forget her face when she said, 'Mum, help me！'" Samantha told KFSN, recalling the terror in her daughter's voice. She managed to reach her daughter but wasn't able to swim her back to shore and the pair were struggling.
Nearby, Kevin Cozzi and his girlfriend heard the screaming. He quickly jumped into action when he realized Hayley was in danger. "I've been swimming since I was 3 years old competitively, so I felt like I could get to them," Cozzi told KFSN. "I ran out there and as soon as I got to the mum, I just told her to give me her daughter because I knew she was struggling." He swam Hayley back to shore and a lifeguard rushed to help the 10-year-old, meanwhile Samantha was thanking the total stranger who had saved her little girl from drowning.
"If it were not for him coming to help me, there's no way that we both would have made it," the grateful mum said.
Months went by, and Samantha only knew Cozzi's first name and that he lived in Merced, California. However, she never stopped looking for the heroic bystander.
Earlier this week, she posted about the rescue in a Facebook group called Merced Neighborhood Watch, and within hours they reconnected.
Cozzi and his girlfriend had to put off their wedding because of COVID-19, and Samantha decided to set up a GoFund Me account to help Cozzi and his girlfriend have the wedding of their dreams. Both Samantha and Hayley have been invited to the wedding, set for next fall, and look forward to once again thanking Cozzi in person. Cozzi was thankful for their fundraiser, but told journalists, "That girl being saved was enough for me."
With the New Year just months away, you are probably looking forward to watching the wonderful fireworks(烟花) shows. Unfortunately, the over ten million blind Americans, and scores more around the world, have never been able to experience this joyful celebration. That may change soon thanks to Feeling Fireworks, a tactile(可触摸的) fireworks experience invented by the masterminds at the Disney Research Lab in Switzerland.
To experience the show, users stand in front of a large screen, which is made of special material. They then place their hands at the base of the screen and move them around to feel the fireworks. Alternatively, their hands can be placed in the center of the screen, where the initial explosions happen, and then moved across to explore other fireworks.
As the fireworks begin to explode, one of five nozzles(喷嘴) at the back of the screen starts to send out water, creating shaking movements. One specializes in the "blooming(开花) flower effect," while another reproduces the "crackle(噼啪声)" effect. The rest take care of rockets and explosions. A computer controls the timing, while a Microsoft Kinect camera tracks the person's movement. According to the inventors, Feeling Fireworks allows users to experience "tactile fireworks that are similar to physical fireworks happening in the sky."
First appearing at the User Interface Software and Technology conference held in Quebec City, Canada from October 22 to October 25, 2017, the low-cost technology is still in its early stage, with only a 66 percent success rate. However, the team plans to continue-improving the experience and believes the day when everyone will be able to enjoy the thrill of fireworks shows is not far. When ready, Feeling Fireworks will initially be available only at Disney theme parks, and then hopefully, at fireworks shows worldwide.
Lack is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity," said the American talk show host Oprah Winfrey. I've never watched her show, but when a self-made billionaire gives life advice it's probably worth listening to.
Her point is that blind luck is very rare. You may have to be lucky to find a good job these days but that does not mean you should sit at home waiting for the opportunity to come to you. If you're a Chinese, you may already be familiar with the tale of a farmer waiting by a tree stump (树桩) for a rabbit to run out and break its neck.
Richard Wiseman, the UK psychologist, conducted an experiment as part of his studies. First he divided volunteers into two groups: those who said they were lucky in life and those who said they were not. He gave everyone a newspaper and asked them to look through it to count how many photographs it had inside. On average, the unlucky people took about two minutes to count the photographs while the lucky people took just seconds. Why? On the second page of the newspaper, a command, "Stop counting There are 43 photographs in this newspaper," was written in big letters. The unlucky people mostly did not spot the message.
It's easy to compare this situation to a young person looking for jobs in a local paper. They might search so hard for one type of position that they miss an even better opportunity. People who are "lucky", in fact, keep an open mind and don't go through the same routine every day.
I first came to China in 2002 when it was considered a rather strange thing to do, Like many foreigners, my plan was to teach English for one year. Seven years later, and still here, I've had many great opportunities such as writing for newspapers and magazines. I did not dream these would have been possible. I've also never been sick, had an accident, got into a fight or had problems with the police. Coincidence? After reading about Professor Wiseman's studies I think not.
As Wiseman advises, I usually trust my own judgment. Your friends and parents may give you advice based on rational (理性) thinking, but it's important to consider how you feel about each choice you make. Your feeling acts as a warning for a potential problem.
Finally, try to turn bad luck into good. Even if you do fall down and break a leg, the time spent at home can be used wisely to study English.
The Camp Fire starting at 6:33 a. m. on November 8, 2018 was the most destructive in California history. It was touched off by faulty electrical transmission lines in the town of Paradise. It burned for 17 days and consumed 153336 acres of land, destroying nearly19000 buildings, leaving 50000 homeless, and killing 85. The damage was inestimable.
Shane Grammer, a creative director for Disney's theme parks, followed the news of the fire closely. When his childhood friend Shane Edwards posted photos of his white chimney-the only part of his house to survive-Grammer felt helpless. And then he had an idea.
"I've got to paint that chimney. I'm not trying to say anything and it's just an opportunity for me to express something. " said Grammer.
On December 31, Grammer devoted three hours to spray-painting a black-and-white image of a woman on the chimney-a reminder, perhaps, of the beauty of life, or even just of life itself. He then posted it on Instagram. The victims of the fire, especially, could not contain themselves. "Beautiful and unforgettable," one said. Another posted, "You bring beauty and hope. "
Grammer realized what he had thought was a purely artistic expression had changed into something deeper, the nature of true art. "When the first mural (壁画) moved so many people in this community, I knew I had to come back up, "Grammer told KRCR-TV in Redding. Over a period of three months he returned eight times, painting 17 murals of victims on walls, pickups, and pieces of buildings. "There is hope," he explains. "There is beauty in the ashes."
Grammer's work in Paradise has now initiated a movement. He has traveled the world painting murals in dark places that badly needed some light. "I want to do something powerful and create art that moves people," he says.
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