【明報專訊】SCIENTIFIC study shows that a planet eight times the size of Earth has temperatures that could sustain life. It is outside our solar system thus is an exoplanet (系外行星). Also, for the first time, water vapour has been detected in the atmosphere of an exoplanet. Theoretically speaking, there may already be life on this planet. But it could be very different from that on Earth since creatures would need to overcome gravity that is stronger than our planet's.

Teenage activist

JUST a 16-year-old Swedish girl, Greta Thunberg is already an environmental activist calling on fellow teenagers to skip school. That was to raise world leaders' awareness of climate change. She is the winner of this year's Ambassador of Conscience Award given by Amnesty International (國際特赦組織). She has attended a joint hearing on Capitol Hill (國會山莊) in Washington DC and said that "I want you to take real action." (photo.2)

Misleading selling

THE Consumer Council (消費者委員會) has looked at discount offerings at various supermarkets in the city. It has been reported that no sooner had the shops shown original prices of their products than they crossed them out and put on lower ones. It is said that the shops have misled the public and possibly infringed consumers' right to correct information. (photo.3)

■Gear up

(1) Find a word that has a similar meaning to "deceived" in one of the articles.

(2) Scientists have discovered a planet that is similar to ours. It is (not inside / near / in the middle of) our solar system.

(3) Recently a Swedish girl has gone to the US Congress because she wanted to praise the US's climate change policy. (True / False)

(Answers on next text)

■Glossary

sustain (v) 維持

creature (n) 生物

activist (n) 積極人士

infringe (v) 侵犯

[Smarties' Power English 第254期]