学进去

Have you heard of community fridges? These are spaces 1． locals can share food with one another and save fresh food 2． going to waste. The Community Fridge Network 3．(connect) 300 community fridges across the UK. It offers guidance to people 4． (look) to set up their own fridges, and support to groups running fridges. The fridges are open to everyone. Of course, there are some rules for what can and cannot 5．(share) in order to keep things safe. But otherwise, you’re welcome 6． (take) what you need, and leave anything that might otherwise end up in the waste bin.

According to 7． survey by the Food Foundation, in April 2022, 15. 5 percent of UK households were food insecure, meaning that they ate 8． (little) than normal or went a day without food because they could not access 9． afford food.

The benefit of community fridges has never been clearer. In difficult times, with pretty much all costs increasing greatly, it is reassuring to know that 10．(community) are coming together and helping each other as much as they can.

We are excited to announce that Brandon Hobson-author of Where the Dead Sit Talking, a National Book Award Finalist-will judge our 2023 American Short(er)Fiction Prize.

General Guidelines

Stories must be 1, 000 words or fewer. You are allowed to include up to three stories per entry. Please submit(提交)all stories in one document. Each story must begin on a new page and be clearly titled. For the title of your submission, list the story titles, separated by a comma.

The first-place winner will receive a ＄1, 000 prize and publication(出版)in a future issue of American Short Fiction (ASF). All entries will be considered for publication. Please submit your $17 entry fee and your work through Submittable. We no longer accept submissions by post.

You may submit multiple entries. We accept only previously unpublished works.

Submit your entry online between November 24, 2022-February 1, 2023.

Conflicts(冲突)of Interest

Staff and volunteers currently working with ASF are not fit for consideration or publication. Additionally, students, former students, and colleagues of the judge’s are not admitted to participate(参加). We ask that previous winners wait three years after their winning entry is published before entering again.

About writing, Hobson has said, “I’m always more interested in language than I am certainly in plot. Most of us who write literary fiction are interested in experimenting in more ways than just looking at it, especially a traditional storyline or plot that we all learned in school. ” With those words of encouragement and wisdom, good luck! We can’t wait for your submissions!

Looking forward to your early reply.

Yours,

Li Hua

For many people, catching a smell of freshly cut grass is a pleasant sign that warmer weather is here to stay. For the grass, however, this scent signals an entirely different story.

The smell we associate with freshly cut grass is actually a chemical SOS, one used by plants to beg nearby creatures to save them from attack. After all, when danger strikes —whether it's gardening equipment or a hungry caterpillar — plants can't lift their roots and run. They must fight where they stand. To protect themselves, plants employ a string of molecular (分子) responses. These chemical communications can be used to poison an enemy, warn surrounding plants of dangers or attract helpful insects to perform needed services.

Clearly, plants can communicate. But does that mean they can feel pain? According to some researchers, plants release gases that are the equivalent of crying out in pain. Using a laser-powered microphone, researchers have picked up sound waves produced by plants releasing gases when cut or injured. Although not audible to the human ear, the secret voices of plants have revealed that cucumbers scream when they are sick, and flowers cry when their leaves are cut.

There's also evidence that plants can hear themselves being eaten. Researches show that plants understand and respond to chewing sounds made by caterpillars dining on them. As soon as the plants hear the noises, they respond with several defense mechanisms.

For some researchers, evidence of these complex communication systems — giving out noises via gas when in pain — signals that plants feel pain. Others argue that there cannot be pain without a brain to register the feeling. Still more scientists infer that plants can exhibit intelligent behavior without possessing a brain or conscious awareness.

As they grow, plants can change their paths to avoid obstacles or reach for support with their tendrils (卷须). This activity comes from a complex biological network distributed through the plants' roots, leaves and stems. This network helps plants reproduce, grow and survive.

As my son and I were leaving for his basketball class, we found a cat sitting outside the door. Since we are not typically_________with animals in my neighborhood, the cats usually_________when they sense human presence. But this one sat still when she_________found us a couple of steps away. We felt she might be in need of some_________

With my encouragement, my son_________up the cat. We are usually quite afraid about_________animals, but this time he brought her in. We_________a little bit of milk, and she drank as we took turns stroking（轻抚）her back.

When we had to leave, she_________us out of the door. Two street dogs showed up and she_________in fear. We all felt__________for her. We tried to put her in our car__________we could take her to the basketball class, but she jumped off.

We did an act of__________towards the cat, but in a way, I think nature and the cat did a much bigger act of kindness towards us. We were given a(n)__________to engage（参与）in a moment, where one could just give without any expectations. We could feel a(n)__________, without having to say any words, and learn the joy of__________.

Ways to Create Calm in Your Daily Life

Most of us need some space for calm in our lives. A few simple minutes can create much needed moments of calm.1． You can use these skills to create calm in your busy schedule.

Go walking. Walking is perfect and you can do it well anywhere. Simply walking and taking in the view is stress reducing. 2． It makes room for new ideas to take root. Appreciate nature. When we think of nature we think of getting out into the open air, and that’s great if you can. 3． Actually , nature is everywhere. Find a park or a small patch (小块地) of great green, or just stick your head out of the window! You have many ways to appreciate nature.

Listen to music. Many people listen to music to calm themselves down. Music actually lifts us out of ourselves. Discover what music works for you. 4．.

Do some activities. Certain activities like yoga and tai chi need quiet focus. 5． They are good for the body, mind and spirit. Classes are a good place to begin, but once you learn the skills, you can practice anywhere: home, school or even on the road.

Try out some of these ways and you’ll soon be practicing “moments of calm”.

Four best photobooks in 2023

Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake

Following 2020’s smash hit Entangled Life, mycologist Merlin Sheldrake return s just in time for Christmas with an amazing illustrated edition. At over 240 pages, Sheldrake’s passion and knowledge leap off every spread. From the microscopic(微观)to the splendid, the colour images create an entertaining experience.

Anna Atkins: Cyanotypes by Peter Walther

Often copied, seldom improved on, the elegant cyanotypes(氰化钾照片)of Ann a Atkins are timeless. First created in the 1840s, cyanotypes use light-sensitive iron salt solution and exposure to sunlight to create beautiful Prussian blue prints. Peter Walther’s book is comprehensive, 660 pages long, and is perfect for Atkins’ fans or anyone keen to learn.

The Earth in Our Hands by Thomas Pesquet

Thomas Pesquet’s breathtaking collection of photographs taken from the International Space Station(ISS)follows in the footsteps of astronaut Don Pettit’s Spaceborne. Pesquet took more than 245,000 images over two missions, with his book including 200 of these. It is the closest most of us will get to being on the ISS—a really immersive read.

Looking at Trees by Sophie Howarth

Sophie Howarth’s absorbing book features 26 of the world’s leading photographers, including Nicholas J. R. White and Anna Beeke. From a framed Hollywood juniper in California to a surreal(超现实的)image of Halfway Gardens in Gauteng, South Africa, Howarth asks us to value trees at a time of environmental challenge. A book you will return to.

At 102 years old, toy inventor Eddy Goldfarb is still going like freshly wound Yakity-Yak Talking Teeth, one of his more than 800 creations. Goldfarb also dreamed up the Bubble Gun, battery-powered Stomper vehicles and KerPlunk, in which hopeful players hold their breath as they strategically remove sticks without disturbing the marbles above.

“Being active and being creative is my secret, and I think it could apply to a lot of people,” the Toy Industry Hall of Fame inductee (新成员) says in an interview before singing the praises of his pair of 3D printers. “That’s the most wonderful machine because you start with nothing, and it goes layer by layer and builds something.”

The Chicago native still creates in his workshop and is the focus of Eddy’s World, a documentary that aired on TV. The 28-minute film is directed by his daughter, Lyn Goldfarb.

Goldfarb knew he was going to be a creator at 5 when his father invited an inventor to dinner. “That’s when I learned the meaning of the word,” he says, “and I knew from then on that I was going to be an inventor.” The designer couldn’t afford college and joined the Navy during World War II. He thought of the ideas for his first three toys while serving on the USS Batfish.

Goldfarb feels “very lucky” to still be alive at his age. He owes his longevity(长寿)to being creative and his optimistic personality. “During the war, I was on the submarine (潜艇) and saw a lot of action, and I think I realized what’s important and what’s not,” he says. “I found out that most things aren’t that important. I can overlook a lot.”

What’s next for the centenarian (百岁老人)? He’d fancy another milestone birthday. “Oh, I’d like to turn 105,” he says. “I’m fortunate that I’m healthy. I don’t have any of the aches and pains that I heard about all my life. So life is worth living. At 105, we’ll start thinking about what we should do.”

Between 20 and 40 per cent of planet Earth is covered in grasslands, across every continent except for Antarctica. Grass is a low-growing, flowering plant with groups of narrow leaves growing from its base. Strong roots typically hold this plant’s leaves firmly to the ground.

One of the most common sights along stretches of grass is grass-eating animals. This is because many large animals rely on extensive grasslands to survive, and grass grows well with this regular trimming (修剪). The plants gain their energy from sunlight and require healthy cells to do so. If the leaves aren’t cut, the tips die and start to rot. When they are damaged with a clean cut, however, the cells are caused to grow quicker and produce new, healthy tissue. This is also why cutting your garden’s grassland regularly can make your grass look thicker and healthier.

Humans rely on grass for food, too. Many grasses, such as w heat or corn, are harvested as a main part of some diets. Meanwhile, grass is used indirectly to produce food in the form of livestock (牲畜). Cattle farmers require grass in their fields to feed cows and sheep before they are turned into meat for human consumption.

One of the most debated questions is how long ago grass evolved. Because grass doesn’t preserve well as a fossil, a definitive answer is hard to come by. Until recently, many scientists estimated that grass began to grow on Earth between 50 and 65 million years ago.

However, within the last decade, a piece of 100-million-year-old amber (琥珀) was found that appeared to contain the oldest grass fossil to date. Studies of fossilized dinosaur faces (粪便) also suggest that some dinosaurs lived at the same time that grass grew on the planet, incorporating it into their diets.