1. At any moment, approximately 13 million hunting traps are placed in protected areas throughout Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam, posing a serious threat to wildlife. These wire traps are often professionally made and arranged in extensive trap lines that randomly capture any animal passing through. Due to the severity of the issue, conservation efforts have focused on removing these traps, but experts argue that this alone is not enough to solve the crisis.

2. [I] Between 2011 and 2021, conservation teams removed 118,151 traps from two Vietnamese nature reserves, Hue Saola Nature Reserve and Quang Nam Saola Nature Reserve. [II] These areas, covering nearly 32,000 hectares, are home to endangered species such as the saola, a rare species that has not been seen in the wild since 2013. [III] Although hunting is illegal, the use of traps remains widespread, primarily to supply restaurants and wildlife markets, rather than for survival. [IV]

3. To evaluate the effectiveness of trap removal, researchers divided the reserves into 200-square-metre cells and tracked changes over 11 years. Forest guardians, many of whom were former poachers, worked in harsh conditions to remove the traps. However, despite the progress, poachers may have simply moved deeper into the forest or to other locations, continuing their illegal activities.

4. The trap removal program cost $220,000 per year, with each trap costing$20.50 to remove, while setting one costs only $1.13. Expanding this program across all of Southeast Asia would require hundreds of millions of dollars, making it impractical as the only solution. Experts stress the need to tackle the main reasons behind wildlife trapping, such as economic pressures and demand for wild meat.

5. This issue is not just limited to Southeast Asia. In Africa, for example, lions are often caught in traps meant for large plant-eating animals. Conservationists argue that reducing the demand for wild meat is essential, but it could take a whole generation to make a real difference. Without urgent action, the widespread use of hunting traps could drive many rare species to extinction.

How Climate Change Is Shifting Earth's Ecosystems

1. In 2018, a scientific group called the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published a report about the Earth becoming warmer. They found that since the time before factories were common, the world's temperature has increased by 1°C. If this trend continues, the Earth could be 1.5°C warmer between 2030 and 2052. This small increase is devastating for the environment, especially for the Arctic and coral reefs.

2. The ocean absorbs more than 80% of the Earth's extra heat. This warm water is very bad for coral reefs because it causes them to lose their color and die. If the temperature reaches 1.5°C, about 90% of these reefs could disappear. Furthermore, the ocean is becoming more acidic, which makes it difficult for sea creatures like shellfish to grow. [I]

3. As the ocean gets warmer, the water expands and takes up more space. At the same time, ice from glaciers is melting. Together, these factors cause the sea level to rise. Since the late 1800s, the sea has risen by 20 centimeters. Scientists now see that the water is rising faster every year. This causes more floods and destroys land near the coast.

4. Climate change also affects the weather and water quality. [II] Hot air causes more water to evaporate, which leads to heavy rain and powerful storms. In lakes and rivers, warmer water holds less oxygen. This is a serious problem for fish and other animals that live underwater. [III]

5. Extreme weather is another major concern. Hurricanes are becoming stronger because the ocean surface is warmer. For instance, in 2017, powerful storms caused great damage in Florida and Puerto Rico. [IV] Today, experts use ocean temperatures to predict how dangerous these storms will be.

6. Finally, many places are suffering from a lack of water. In California, there have been several record-breaking droughts since 2012. When the weather is very dry and hot, the risk of wildfires increases. These fires are now five times more common than they were 40 years ago. Many forests cannot recover after these fires, and many animals lose their homes forever.

(Adapted from: https://education.nationalgeographic.org/)

1. The 21st-century discoveries about the human brain and its functioning have brought to light the astounding fact that human abilities are not fixed at birth. In other words, what you are able to do with your life is not fixed when you are born. It is not all in the genes. It is not just nature: nurture plays a significant part in the molding of what a person is, and what he/she can be.

2. Brain plasticity or neuroplasticity refers to the amazing ability of the human brain to modify its structure and functions according to the changes within the body and in the external environment. (“Plasticity” comes from the Greek word “plastos” meaning molded).

3. In his book “The Brain that Changes Itself”, psychiatrist and psychoanalyst Norman Doidge, M.D., offers an introduction to the brilliant scientists advocating neuroplasticity and the people whose lives they've transformed. The book describes real life stories of stroke patients learning to speak again and the amazing story of a woman born with half a brain that restructured itself to work as a whole. It is a book that changes the way we think about our brain, its nature, and its potential.

4. [I] The genes we inherit from our parents are finite, no doubt about that. However, our brain's ability to develop is infinite. New brain cells are being born all the time, and to keep them alive and growing, we have to stimulate them. [II] Herein lies the promise of neuroplasticity in the molding of children into adults who are capable of realizing their potential. [III] What Mozart, Einstein and Leonardo da Vinci had was innate potential plus the right environment. [IV]

5. All geniuses started life in exactly the same way. They had parents who supported the development of their individual gifts and talents. They had the right environment and stimuli that led to the optimal development of themselves.

(Adapted from kidsworldfun.com)