Modern humans have only existed for a relatively short time, and maybe we’d like to stick around a lot longer. But how can we do that?

Figure out climate change.

【小题1】There have been times in the past when it’s been hotter than it is today, and times when it’s been cooler. But there is something different about the past century. As far as we can tell from the record, there has been no time in Earth’s entire history when the climate has warmed so much in such a short amount of time. 【小题2】There are: more frequent and more severe extreme weather events like tornadoes and hurricanes; droughts increasing; more changeable weather, with seasons beginning to lack regularity; and sea level rises. While climate change doesn’t necessarily pose an existential threat to human existence, it surely poses a threat to how we like to live our lives in modern society.

Figure out nuclear weapons.

A single nuclear weapon doesn’t pose a threat to all of humanity, but the thousands of them in the world right now certainly do. 【小题3】Just consider all the “near misses” in recent history, where nuclear war was avoided thanks only to the quick thinking of individuals. We can only try our luck for so long. And one accident can lead to larger scale nuclear conflict. 【小题4】

Figure out asteroids(小行星).

If you want to know the terrible consequences for ignoring space borne threats, just ask the dinosaurs how well it worked out for them. Asteroids have the ability to cause massive extinction events, wiping out vast numbers of entire species. 【小题5】 For humanity to make it to the long-term, we need to equip ourselves with asteroid detection and reduction strategies

Fragile. Oversensitive. Glued to their phones. 【小题1】 While there may be some truth to these stereotypical (刻板印象的) features, there might be more to this generation of teens than what is generally observed.

Never before have the lives of any generation of teens been as flooded with mobile technology and social media as the teens of this generation. 【小题2】 This is in contrast to the more village spirit or community-oriented attitude of their parents’ and grandparents’ days. We have teens who may not know about who lives in the unit next to theirs, much less offer a friendly nod or wave when they happen to cross paths with a neighbour.

【小题3】 Arguably, the very connectedness that social media brings about has led to an opening of minds and a flourishing (繁盛) of dialogue among people of diverse cultures and backgrounds. Logging onto platforms where people of all walks of life meet means that one is exposed to those people and their distinctive ways of life. In comparison, the parents or grandparents of this generation of teens probably did not have the same opportunity to get to know people outside of their social circles at their age, and are thus more likely to have fixed, stereotypical opinions of people different from them. This generation of teens, on the other hand, has the chance to use this technology to learn more about and attempt to understand the variety and diversity out there. 【小题4】

To conclude, the teens of this generation differ in many ways from their predecessors (前辈), in some ways more positive than others. 【小题5】 Therefore, this generation of teens differs from past generations, with the changes around them.

Masks that helped save lives during the coronavirus pandemic(流行病) are proving a deadly danger for wildlife, with birds and marine creatures trapped in the incredible number of abandoned facial coverings littering on animal habitats.

Single-use surgical masks have been found thrown around pavements, waterways and beaches worldwide since countries began demanding their use in public places to slow the pandemic's spread. Macaques(猕猴) have been spotted chewing the straps(带子) off old and deserted masks in Malaysia a potential choking danger for the little monkeys. And in an incident that captured headlines in Britain, a gull(海鸥) was rescued in the city of Chelmsford after its legs became tangled（缠结）in the straps of a disposable mask for up to a week. The animal welfare charity was alerted after the bird was spotted motionless but still alive, and they took it to a wildlife hospital for treatment before its release.

The biggest impact may be in the water.More than l. 5 billion masks made their way into the world's oceans last year. accounting for around 6,200 extra tons of marine plastic pollution, according to environmental group OceansAsia. ? Already there are signs that masks are worsening threats to marine life. Conservationists in Brazil found one inside the stomach of a penguin after its body was washed up on a beach, while a dead pufferfish(河豚) was discovered caught inside another off the coast of Miami.

Masks and gloves are "particularly problematic" for sea creatures，says George Leonard, chief scientist from U. S. -based NGO Ocean Conservancy. "When it takes those plastics hundreds of years to break down in the environment, they form smaller and smaller particles," he added, "those particles then enter the food chain and impact entire ecosystems."

Fortunately, there has been a shift towards greater use of reusable cloth masks as the pandemic has worn on，but many are still choosing the lighter single- use varieties.Campaigners have urged people to throw away them properly and remove the straps to reduce the risk of animals becoming trapped. Oceans Asia has also called on governments to increase fines for littering and encourage the use of washable masks.