PLANT A TREE THAT WILL LAST FOR MANY YEARS

1. This time of year, in the U.S., many people are thinking about their
gardens and getting their land ready for warmer weather.

2. Some people are thinking about planting flowers. Others want to plant
trees. For those who love trees, there is a national day for tree planting, called
Arbor Day. Arbor Day is observed on the last Friday in April. However, some
states pick their own Arbor Day depending on their climate. The aim is to have the
observance on the best day of the year to plant a tree.

3. When thinking about trees, remember that they will usually live many
years longer than the people who plant them.

4. One gardening expert who spoke to the Associated Press says it is

important to make good choices today if you are considering planting trees for
tomorrow.

5. Daniel Herms is an insect expert who centers his research on how trees
respond to stress. He works for Davey Tree Expert Co., a landscaping business in
the Midwestern state of Ohio. The company creates and cares for gardens, lawns
and properties.

6. “Things are changing faster than the lifespan of trees,” he said. That
means the weather and the kinds of insects that live in an area today – may be
different in 20 or 30 years. However, many trees can live for 50 years or more.

7. That means people who plant trees today have to think about the results
of their choices tomorrow.

8. Herms said some trees will thrive and some will not over the next 20 or
30 years “depending on the traits that make them adapt to the changing climate.”
 9. So, how do you choose a good tree? One way to do it might be to choose
the “state” tree where you live. However, Herms said, some state trees no longer
thrive in their own states.

10. For example, the state trees of California are the very large redwoods
and sequoias. They are two of the largest and tallest trees in the world.

11. However, the trees grew that way along the Northern California coast
because of the moisture in the air that comes from the ocean. The wet air is called
fog. Herms said there is less fog along the coast of California because of climate
change. In the future, the sequoias and redwoods may not grow as well, he warned.

12. Other state trees are in the same situation. Herms said they could do
well in other places, but they are not certain to live long lives in their “home”
states. They include the blue spruce of Colorado, the Western white pine of Idaho,
the Eastern white pine of Maine and West Virginia’s sugar maple.

13. But if you have a tree growing on your land that is now vulnerable,
Herms said it is not necessary to remove it. You just have to take care of it.

14. “In most cases, it can continue to grow…with a proactive healthcare

program,” Herms said. Proactive means making sure conditions are good for the
growth and health of the tree. That includes giving the tree proper water if it is
drier where you live today than when you planted the tree. In addition, you can add
nutrients to the soil to make sure the tree stays healthy. A trained arborist – a
person who knows how to care for trees – can help.

15. People are concerned about keeping trees healthy not only because they
look good when they grow. Trees produce oxygen, they provide shade and cooling
during hot weather, and they reduce water runoff. Runoff is water that comes
during storms that is not absorbed into the ground.

16. Herms said that trees also trap carbon, “so they can contribute to
climate goals.” In fact, trees need carbon dioxide to grow.
 17. Even if you do not live in the U.S., you can still join in celebrating
trees. If you are thinking of planting a tree this year, Herms suggests choosing a
tree that will do well even if your area gets a little bit warmer as the tree grows.

18. Check with a local college or university if you need some help finding
this information. If your city has an arboretum, a place that grows and cares for
trees, there is likely someone there who can help.

19. Here is some basic information about planting trees. First, dig a hole as
deep and twice as large as the tree’s root ball. Then add a generous amount
of compost as extra material into the soil as you fill the hole.

20. Water the tree for at least its first three years. Herms said young trees
need at least 2.5 centimeters of water each week. That can come from rain or extra
water you provide.

OIL AND WATER DO NOT MIX

1. Oil and water are two very different substances. Oil is thick. Water is
thin. If you pour oil into water, they do not mix, and the oil floats to the top.

2. This difficult relationship can play a part in some laboratory

experiments. It can play a big part in kitchens as we cook food. It can also be used
to describe some of our personal relationships

3. If we say two people are like oil and water, it means they do not get
along. They are not compatible.

4. Things like objects, elements, and people that do not or cannot mix
together easily can be compared to oil and water.

5. Here is an example from experience. My friend often asked me to watch

her cat Bluey when she would travel out of town. Usually, cats love me but not
Bluey. He would make terrible cat noises as soon as I walked into the apartment.
Every time I tried to pet him, he would bite and scratch me. So, I didn’t like him
either. We were like oil and water. I took care of him, but for the most part, we
ignored each other.

6. This expression describes how oil and water naturally separate. They are
incompatible. So are people who have nothing in common and do not get along.

7. We sometimes say oil and water do not mix to express an opinion that
two things do not go together.

Here is another “oil” expression. If you pour oil on troubled water, you
calm a tense situation. You might not hear this expression too much in America as
it is mainly a British usage.

TOP US GOVERNMENT DOCTOR DECLARES LONELINESS A

BIG HEALTH PROBLEM

1. America’s top spokesperson on public health, the U.S. surgeon general,

recently said loneliness is as dangerous as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

2. Dr. Vivek Murthy said loneliness costs the health industry billions of
dollars each year, and he declared it the latest public health epidemic.

3. In a report, Murthy said about half of U.S. adults say they have
experienced loneliness.

4. “We now know that loneliness is a common feeling that many people
experience. It’s like hunger or thirst. It’s a feeling the body sends us when
something we need for survival is missing,”

5. Murthy told The Associated Press (AP): “Millions of people in America

are struggling in the shadows, and that’s not right. That’s why I issued this
advisory to pull back the curtain on a struggle that too many people are
experiencing.”
 6. To pull back the curtain means to show how something is or acts that is
normally not seen in public.

7. The declaration is meant to raise understanding about loneliness.

However, it is not linked to federal financial support or programs meant to fight
the problem.

8. Recent research suggests that American have become less active with
organized religion, community organizations and even their own family members.

9. Research also shows Americans have reported an increase in feelings of

loneliness. In addition to that, the number of households with a single unmarried
person has doubled in the last 60 years.

10. But this problem became more severe with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Schools and workplaces closed and millions of Americans were separated from
family and friends.

11. The surgeon general’s report said individual Americans reduced their
friend groups and spent less time with friends who remained. Americans spent
about 20 minutes a day in person with friends in 2020, down from 60 minutes a
day 20 years earlier.

12. The loneliness epidemic is especially affecting young people aged 15 to

24. The age group reported a 70 percent drop in time spent with friends during the
same period.

13. The report said loneliness increases the risk of an early death by nearly
30 percent. And it said people with poor social relationships have a greater risk of
stroke and heart disease.

14. The research found lack of social activity also increases the risk of
developing mental health problems like depression, anxiety, and dementia.

15. Murthy did not provide any data that shows how many people die
directly from loneliness or lack of social activity.
 16. The surgeon general is calling on businesses, schools, community
organizations, parents, and others to make changes that will increase the country’s
level of connection.

17. He advised people to join community groups and put down their phones
when they are meeting friends. Murthy also advised employers to consider their
policies for working away from their offices. And he called on health systems to
provide training for doctors to recognize the health risks of loneliness.

18. Murthy said technology has increased loneliness. One study in the
report researched people who used social media for two hours or more a day. It
found that the group was more than twice as likely to report feeling a lack in social
connection than those who spent less than 30 minutes a day on social media.

19. Murthy said social media is driving the increase in loneliness. His report
suggests that technology companies formulate protections for children especially
around their social media behavior.

20. Murthy said there is no replacement for in-person interaction. He added

that Americans are using technology more for communication. He wondered: “We
lost out on a lot of that in-person interaction. How do we design technology that
strengthens our relationships as opposed to weaken them?”