The area of tropical forest destroyed in 2021 was enough to cover the entire island of Cuba, and sent more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere as India does in an entire year from burning fossil fuels, according to an analysis published on Thursday.

Some 11.1 million hectares（around 43,000 square miles）of forest was destroyed, mainly by logging（伐木）as well as fires, the analysis by the World Resources Institute's Global Forest Watch and the University of Maryland found. Some of those fires were deliberately lit to clear land and many were deteriorated by climate change.

The loss was less severe than that in 2020, but deforestation（毁林）is still occurring at an alarming rate in the tropics. Of the area lost, 3.75 million hectares were primary tropical forest at the equivalent of 10 soccer fields every minute, WRI reported.

Primary tropical forests in particular are crucial for the ecological balance of the planet, providing oxygen that supports life and as biodiversity hotspots. They are also rich in stored carbon, and when these forests are logged or burned, they release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, contributing to global warming.

"What's important to understand is that forests, especially tropical forests, are part of the global climate system," WRI senior fellow Frances Seymour told CNN. "So they're not mechanical carbon storage devices. They actually influence the energy transfer and the moisture content of the atmosphere in ways that affect rainfall and global circulation patterns."

"When deforestation happens, when forests are lost, it not only contributes carbon to the atmosphere, but also disrupts rainfall patterns and increases local temperatures in some ways. For example, it makes remaining forests more vulnerable to fire and the warmer, drier conditions that come with climate change," Seymour said.

Not everyone knows that Mogao Caves in China has a "little sister"—Yulin Caves, which is smaller but better preserved than Mogao Caves. This "little sister" has the most brilliant murals(壁画) which are large in scale(规模) and diverse in forms and skills, with much art value. Here is some information to refer to when planning your tour here.

Daily Itinerary(行程)

DAY 1: Visit Mingshashan in the middle afternoon when it is not very hot and sunburn is low.

DAY 2: Visit Yulin Caves. You can visit up to 6 caves. After that, drive about 30 minutes to Suoyangcheng.

DAY 3: Visit the newly opened Mogao Caves Digital Exhibition Center. You will watch two short but well-produced educational documentary movies about Mogao Caves. After the movies, take the interzonal bus to Mogao Caves.

Highlights of This Tour

●In-depth tour of Mogao Caves and Yulin Caves

●Visiting Suoyangcheng—an ancient ruined city 2,000 years ago

●Private tour package covering airport pick-up, accommodation, sightseeing and private tour guide

Basic Information about Price

●$ 380 per person

●This price is based on a group of 2 adults sharing one standard double-bed room in 4-star hotels and traveling with our private tour in low seasons.

●This price is subject to change according to your traveling season, group size, hotel, class, etc. If you want a lower price, you can get more people to join you, or use economy class hotels.

A British family was on holiday in a rented motor home in the USA. Traveling through California, they visited the Magic Mountain-Amusement Park. In the mid-afternoon, halfway through what was turning out to be a most enjoyable day at the park, the family came upon a particularly steep ride. In the line, the ride attendants(服务员) strongly warned everyone about the risks of losing hats, glasses, coins and keys, etc. , and these warnings were repeated by large signs around the ride. During the ride, their keys' fate was just as the warnings repeated.

However, the fact was that there were no spare keys. One park attendant drove the family back to the motor home, suggesting the least damaging ways to break into it. Fortunately, a window had been left slightly open, enabling the middle son to be put in and to open the doors from the inside. What was even more fortunate was that the attendant made the engine fire without the key.

The next day the father called a local locksmith(锁匠) to see what could be done. "I might be able to make new keys from the locks if you bring the vehicle to me. " said the locksmith. So the family drove to the locksmith, whose business was in a small shopping centre in the countryside. The locksmith looked at the motor home, and said he would try. In fact, the job took the locksmith most of the day and he put away all his present work. The family hung around the locksmith's, visited the shops again, and generally spent a day at the little shopping centre.

In the late afternoon the locksmith said that he had nearly done. When the father entered the locksmith's shop, the locksmith was smiling. He put two new shining keys on the counter. Although the day was not included in their plan, the family really appreciated all the help and kindness they received from the people.