People often discuss the dangers of too much stress, but lately a very different view of stress is gaining popularity: this view of stress, held by members of the positive stress movement, argues that some stress might actually be beneficial.

The positive stress movement is made up of people like Zachary Rapp who are looking for an edge in a competitive world. He wakes up most mornings at dawn, goes for a run, sips black coffee while looking through emails, and then steps into a freezing cold shower. This is a routine designed to reduce the stress of running simultaneously (同步地) three different health and biotechnology companies for 18 hours a day. In addition to running and freezing showers, Rapp also uses ice baths, hot yoga, and unconventional eating practices, eliminating milk, sugar, and various other foods high in carbohydrates.

Although Rapp’s practices may sound extreme, he is part of a growing movement, consisting largely of tech industry workers who claim that such methods will help them live better and longer. Inspired by influential figures in different fields, including entertainers, athletes, entrepreneurs and scientists, positive stress practitioners seek out some combination of extreme temperatures, restrictive diets, punishing exercise routines and general discomfort.

They believe these extreme practices put stress on their bodies, which actually keep them balanced. For them, the difference between day-to-day stress, like the kind we feel when moving apartments, and positive stress is that the latter involves pushing their bodies to extremes, forcing them to build up a tolerance and finally making them feel less stress from work.

But it is important to note that not everyone agrees with these practitioners; indeed, some medical professionals argue that positive stress is not for everyone, and that it might even be dangerous for people who are unhealthy or older.

Prior’s Court is a school in Berkshire, southern England. The school is for children with autism(自闭症）. It cares for around 95 children with more severe signs of autism. Some cannot speak or communicate their needs.

The school is now finding a new use for virtual reality, or VR headsets. Virtual reality is a technology that lets you step inside a computer-created 3D world. You can explore and sometimes even manipulate(操纵) objects in that world. People with autism may find it hard to deal with places and situations they have not experienced before. VR headsets make the wearer feel they are in a different place. For example, someone wearing a VR headset can have a 360-degree view of a place as they turn around. With video, they can even hear the sounds of the place. Teachers at Prior’s Court decide to use VR to introduce children to situations like visiting a shopping mall, getting on a plane or skiing.

Nuno Guerreiro is a computing teacher at Prior’s Court School. He said, “Our children have difficulties with sensory（感觉的）issues so they dread going to very busy places. They like what they are familiar with; they like their routine. ” The school officials hope the VR experiences will help children feel better about changes from their routine.

Susan Green is the mother of an eight-year-old boy with autism under the care of Prior’s Court. She said，“My son spends most of his time indoors. But I do want him to know more about the world and experience new places. I hope this product will bring something different to his life.”

Susan Green isn’t alone. Many parents of children at Prior’s Court think that way.

On August 19, smoke filled the sky over Sao Paulo, Brazil. The smoke was coming from the Amazon rainforest, hundreds of miles away. Some parts of the rainforest had been burning for several weeks. But people can make few efforts to stop it.

The Amazon is the largest rainforest in the world. About 60% of it is in Brazil. The Amazon is home to millions of species of plants and animals. It is also important to the health of the earth. Its trees take in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and replace it with oxygen. This helps slow climate change.

Experts believe the fires were set on purpose. In general, it’s against the law to start a fire in the rain-forest. But it’s not uncommon. Farmers regularly do so. They clear land so they can plant crops and raise cattle for beef production.

Since 1978, some 289,000 square miles of the Amazon have been destroyed. Deforestation (滥伐森林) was the most serious in the early 2000s. Then, the Brazilian government began to deal with illegal fires. This greatly slowed the tree loss. But the new president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, wants to cut down on environmental protection. Since he took power, Brazil has rolled back efforts to prevent deforestation.

So what you can do in the future is help protect the Amazon. Raise money for organization such as the Rainforest Alliance and Amazon Watch which are working to raise awareness and protect the rainforest. Tell companies to make sure their practices don’t harm the environment. Take a look at our own habits. If we reduce the amount of meat we eat and paper we use, we can reduce deforestation.