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The person who wants love so much they never get it There is a person who, ostensibly, wants love very much. They are 'dating with intent'. That is, dating with an intent to marry, to form a complete life with someone, to stop ever having to date anyone else again. They don't hold back. They suggest a second date almost immediately. And then a third one. They message constantly. They aren't shy to declare their feelings by the end of the first month. They buy little gifts. They hug a lot. They love holding hands. It is a hugely moving picture of love; the difficulty is how much this person wants it to come right. They've been lonely for the longest time – arguably since they were a child. They did have love back then, but it was shattered or compromised to an extent that perhaps has never really been dealt with or understood. Maybe a beloved adult died, or went away, or someone got very sick. And now it doesn't feel like the world can ever be stable. Love always seems on the verge of being extinguished. Nothing ever quite feels solid. That's why one has to move very fast and hold on very tightly, and ask a lot of questions of the partner: Are you sure you're OK? Do you still care? Is this for real? It's because of worry – worry about how safe love is – that the worried person often feels they need to raise their voice and ends up sounding rather harsh. Anger feels warranted, or at least becomes inevitable, when their partner comes home ten minutes late. It's because of worry that they start an argument about the partner's ex – who they suspect, the more they think about it (and they've thought about it all afternoon), may not be entirely off the scene. It's because of worry that they spoil a dinner in a restaurant by accusing their partner of flirting with the waiting staff. It's because of worry that they call their partner ungrateful and, in extremis, threaten to leave them. They want so much to be reassured, to be told they matter, but they are so alarmed that it seems that all they may really want to do is attack, criticise, create pressure and destroy. It can be dispiriting to be on the receiving end of love from someone who can't accept that love might be real. Eventually, even the most patient lover may start to get fed up; they have told them again and again that they love them; they have spent an hour trying to unpick a fight about nothing; they have done everything to prove that they aren't having an affair with anyone at work. They have stressed that the weekend they have to spend by themselves has nothing to do with rejection and everything to do with catching up on their projects. And so begins – by a terrible irony – the very thing the loving-but-worried person has feared from the start. One sombre day, their lover tells them they just can't take it anymore. They need some space. They don't have the energy to explain once again. They might walk out very suddenly – and ask never to be disturbed again. This sorrowful lover who loves with too much fear alerts us to a curious aspect of love: that wanting a safe relationship with too much intensity can be the very element that renders it dangerous. That if we never enjoyed security in childhood, we may seek it with excessive urgency in adulthood, resulting in a double punishment and exclusion. That we need to believe that trust and goodness could be real to give them a chance to one day become so. 词汇表 ostensibly [ɒˈstensəbli] adv. 表面上，外表上地 intent [ɪnˈtent] n. 意图，目的 arguably [ˈɑːɡjuəbli] adv. 可以说，按理 shatter [ˈʃætə(r)] vt. （希望等）使破碎，使粉碎，使破灭 beloved [bɪˈlʌvɪd] adj. 深爱的，钟爱的 on the verge of [vɜːdʒ] 濒临于，接近于，即将 extinguish [ɪkˈstɪŋɡwɪʃ] vt. 熄灭，消灭，使破灭 warranted [ˈwɒrəntɪd] adj. 有正当理由的，理所应当的 off the scene 离开现场，退出，不在场 spoil [spɔɪl] vt. 破坏，糟蹋，毁掉 in extremis [ɪkˈstriːmɪs] 在极端情况下，在危急关头 reassure [ˌriːəˈʃʊə(r)] vt. 使安心，使放心，安慰 alarmed [əˈlɑːmd] adj. 惊恐的，担忧的，恐慌的 dispiriting [dɪˈspɪrɪtɪŋ] adj. 令人沮丧的，令人气馁的 get fed up 感到厌烦，受够了，不耐烦 unpick [ʌnˈpɪk] vt. 拆开，拆散；化解，理清（争论、问题等） irony [ˈaɪrəni] n. 讽刺，反讽 sombre [ˈsɒmbə(r)] adj. 阴沉的，忧郁的，昏暗的 sorrowful [ˈsɒrəʊfl] adj. 悲伤的，悲痛的 render [ˈrendə(r)] vt. 使成为，致使，造成 exclusion [ɪkˈskluːʒn] n. 排斥，排除在外 🏫翻译，视频和pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进入【打卡交流群】

What's in a footballer's brain? Georgie Hello, this is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm Georgie. Neil And I'm Neil. Georgie Neil, I'm not a huge fan of football, but I know you are. So, why do you love it so much? Neil Oh, where can I start? I think it's the combination of the passion and also the skill and athleticism of the players. They call it 'the beautiful game' for a reason. Georgie Now, football players are faster than ever before, but the game is also about making very quick decisions. Neil Yes. To be the best of the best, some football clubs have started looking beyond the body, to the brain. Here's Tom Cooke, Academy Psychologist for Nottingham Forest Football Club, talking to the BBC World Service. Tom Cooke We're watching these athletes make decisions in split instincts, under the highest pressures and the highest intensities. It made a lot of sense to go, well, neurologically or cognitively, there's something going on. Neil There's something going on in the brain when the athletes are making quick decisions. If there's something going on, something unknown and interesting is happening. So, what's happening inside the brains of football players? And could brain training help win more games? That's what we'll be hearing about in this programme. Georgie But first, Neil. I have a question for you. As we've heard, football players have to make decisions in high-pressure situations, and their performance may be influenced by their emotional state and fear response. But which part of the brain is best known for its role in processing fear and detecting threats? Is it: a) the brain stem, b) the amygdala, c) the cerebellum? Neil Well, I don't know, but I'm going to guess b) the amygdala because I like the sound of the word. Georgie OK, well I'll reveal the answer later in the programme. In 2014, a group of Japanese scientists studied the brain of Brazilian football star Neymar. They found that his brain was a lot less active than the brains of his peers when he rotated his right ankle. Here's Holly Bridge, Professor of Neuroscience at the University of Oxford talking about this research to the BBC World Service. Holly Bridge That reduction in activity in Neymar's cortex reflects that he has absolute expertise in moving his feet. And it's essentially done with very, very little conscious effort. Neil Holly said Neymar has absolute expertise in moving his feet. Expertise means a high level of skill or knowledge gained with experience. Neymar's expertise is shown without much conscious effort. Conscious describes something done with awareness, not by accident. So, if Neymar kicks the ball without much conscious effort, he plays without thinking too much. Georgie Decades after this research, football clubs are becoming more interested in brain data technology, even exploring whether a player's brain can be trained. Neil Here's Tom Cooke, Academy Psychologist for Nottingham Forest Football Club. Tom Cooke What we're doing is trying to design sessions but with cognition or neuroscience at the centre of it. So it could be something like they're not great at storing lots of information, so we're trying to overwhelm them, in a safe environment like training, that's where the development and improvement can happen to hopefully affect when they go out into games or cup competitions. Neil Training can help players deal with the pressures of the game. Here's Holly Bridge again, talking about how emotions can affect a player's game. Holly Bridge A lot of performance is also driven by your emotional state. And that is something you can learn to control. Neil How well a player performs is driven by their emotional state. Here, driven by means influenced by or pushed forward by. Holly says that too many emotions can lead to a lack of precision and focus. Georgie In a football match, high-pressure scenarios like penalties, corners and free kicks offer rare moments of stillness. Here's Niklas Häusler, founder and CEO of Neuro 11, talking to the BBC World Service. He measures player's brainwaves before these important kicks and teaches them how to stay relaxed. Niklas Häusler If you don't focus right in those moments, and let's say mentally you're all over the place, then it becomes more difficult to, to have an accurate corner and to try to win the game. And when we talk about margins, those are the little margins that can make all the difference. Neil If you're mentally all over the place, it's more difficult to kick the ball accurately. When we describe something as 'all over the place' we mean that it's chaotic, disorganised or confused. Niklas said that small margins can make all the difference to a game. Georgie Yes. A margin is a measure of difference. Here, we're talking about small details that can affect a player's performance or outcome of a match. Neil Now, speaking of how emotions can affect performance, I think it's time for the answer to your quiz question, Georgie. Georgie Yes. I asked you which part of the brain is best known for its role in processing fear. Neil And I guessed b) the amygdala. Georgie Which was the correct answer! Well done. The amygdala is associated with our processing of fear and anxiety. OK, time for a vocabulary recap. If there is something going on, something interesting or important is happening. Neil Expertise is specialised knowledge or skill gained through study or experience. Georgie Conscious means involving active thought or attention. Neil If something is driven by something, it is influenced by it and pushed forward by it. Georgie All over the place describes a situation or mental state which is disorganised, chaotic or confused. Neil And finally, a margin is a measure of difference, small details of which can affect an outcome. Georgie Once again, our six minutes are up. Goodbye for now. Neil Goodbye! 词汇表 there's something going on 有事情正在发生，有情况（指未知而有趣的事情） expertise [ˌekspɜːˈtiːz] n. 专长，专门知识 conscious [ˈkɒnʃəs] adj. 有意识的，有知觉的 be driven by 受…驱动，受…影响 all over the place 杂乱无章，一团糟，精神不集中 margin [ˈmɑːdʒɪn] n. 差距，余地，微小差异 athleticism [æθˈletɪsɪzəm] n. 运动能力，运动素质 the beautiful game 美丽足球（足球的别称） split instincts [splɪt ˈɪnstɪŋkts] 瞬间本能，瞬间直觉 neurologically [ˌnjʊərəˈlɒdʒɪkli] adv. 神经学上，从神经学角度 cognitively [ˈkɒɡnɪtɪvli] adv. 认知上，从认知学角度 brain stem [stem] 脑干 amygdala [əˈmɪɡdələ] n. 杏仁核 cerebellum [ˌserəˈbeləm] n. 小脑 cortex [ˈkɔːteks] n. 皮层，大脑皮层 overwhelm [ˌəʊvəˈwelm] vt. 使应接不暇，压垮，使不知所措 penalty [ˈpenəlti] n. 点球，罚球 corner [ˈkɔːnə(r)] n. 角球 free kicks 任意球 brainwave [ˈbreɪnweɪv] n. 脑电波 important kicks 重要罚球（指点球、任意球等关键射门） 📝 翻译及pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复1可加入【打卡交流群】

Why high temperatures make it harder to sleep Around the world, summers are getting hotter. Day and night temperatures are increasing. What impact could that be having on how we sleep? Temperature and sleep are closely linked. Typically, our bodies cool themselves down before we sleep. One of the main ways that we do this is by widening blood vessels near the skin to allow heat to dissipate. In hot weather, this process becomes less effective as it is more difficult for heat to be transferred. One of the body's mechanisms to speed up this process is by allowing sweat to evaporate. However, in humid conditions it's harder for evaporation to take place. If the body is unable to cool down, then it's more difficult for people to fall asleep and more likely that sleep patterns can be disrupted. This means that it's important for us to try to manage the temperature of the environment that we sleep in. While it can be costly, air conditioning is a useful tool to keep our sleeping environment cool. Managing ventilation is also important. During the hottest hours of the day, keeping windows and curtains closed can stop hot air and heat from sunlight entering our homes. At night, once the temperature has dropped, opening windows can allow cool air to come in and reduce the temperature in our homes. Fans can help to speed up cooling, as long as air temperatures are low enough. They become less effective in hotter conditions. It's not just rooms that we can cool down. Using breathable bedding and sleepwear makes it easier for our bodies to regulate temperature. While it may seem counter-intuitive, it can be beneficial to have a warm bath or shower before sleep. Warm water can cause more blood to flow to our skin. Once you get out of the bath or shower, this means that you cool down more quickly. Another tip suggested by sleep experts Kevin Morgan and Lisa Artis is to cool your socks in the fridge and then put them on before going to sleep. They also say that it's important to try to keep to your usual sleep routine to avoid disruption to your sleep habits. 词汇表 blood vessel [ˌvesəl] n. 血管 dissipate [ˈdɪsɪpeɪt] vi. 消散，散发，散失 transfer [trænsˈfɜː(r)] vt. 转移，传递，传导 evaporate [ɪˈvæpəreɪt] vi. 蒸发，挥发 humid [ˈhjuːmɪd] adj. 潮湿的，湿润的 evaporation [ɪˌvæpəˈreɪʃn] n. 蒸发，挥发 ventilation [ˌventɪˈleɪʃn] n. 通风，空气流通 breathable [ˈbriːðəbl] adj. 透气的，可透气的 bedding [ˈbedɪŋ] n. 床上用品，寝具 sleepwear [ˈsliːpweə(r)] n. 睡衣，睡衣裤 counter-intuitive [ˌkaʊntər ɪnˈtjuːɪtɪv] adj. 有悖直觉的，反直觉的 sleep routine [ruːˈtiːn] 睡眠习惯，作息规律 📖 翻译、pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进【打卡交流群

How can I overcome my fear of speaking in public? According to a study conducted by the statistic brain research institute in 2016, 74% of the global population feels uncomfortable speaking in front of an audience, that might be an oral exam at school, a presentation at work, or even making a toast at a birthday party, for example. The symptoms are often the same, sweaty palms, shortness of breath, and a racing heart. You may feel like you're frozen on the spot. The level of anxiety can range from light nervousness to total panic, and it's not always easy to shift this kind of stage fright. Is there a specific name for this fear? Indeed, the term for a strong fear of public speaking is glossophobia, from the ancient Greek words glossar, meaning tongue, and phobos, meaning fear. Experts say it's one of the main signs of social anxiety, and it stems from the feeling of being watched and judged. It's considered a phobia because the anxiety part is irrational. It's when we fear the worst, even when there's no reason for the worst to happen. So if you're stressing out about speaking in public simply because you're unprepared, that doesn't really count as glossophobia. How can I overcome glossophobia then? First, get accustomed to speaking in less anxiety-inducing situations. For example, share anecdotes at dinner with friends, even if you usually don't participate so actively in conversation, the more you train your brain to think in the presence of others and express yourself at the same time, the easier it will become. When the big day comes around, you can try using visualization techniques to get yourself thinking positively. Imagine yourself entering the room, smiling at the audience, giving your presentation confidently and successfully. This should help relieve anxiety and reduce negative thoughts. Stomach breathing exercises can also help reduce anxiety by around 40% and slow down that racing heart rate. Start a few minutes before your speech, and don't hesitate to take a short pause in between sentences to catch your breath. If you stumble over your words, it's not a big deal. Just take a breath and continue calmly. You can even make fun of the fact that you're feeling a bit nervous in order to lighten the mood. If making eye contact with others makes you nervous, focus on the back of the room just above your audience's heads to maintain visual contact without really looking at them. With time and by following these tips, your future public speaking engagements will be a stroll in the park. There you have it. 词汇表 make a toast [təʊst] 祝酒，举杯致辞 sweaty palms [ˈsweti pɑːmz] 手心冒汗，手心出汗 racing heart 心跳加速，心悸 frozen on the spot （因害怕等）僵在原地，当场愣住 stage fright 怯场，舞台恐惧症 glossophobia [ˌɡlɒsəʊˈfəʊbiə] n. 言语恐惧症，公开演讲恐惧症 glossar [ˈɡlɒsə] n. 舌头（古希腊语词根） phobos [ˈfəʊbɒs] n. 恐惧（古希腊语词根） stem from [stem] 源于，来自 phobia [ˈfəʊbiə] n. 恐惧症，恐怖症 irrational [ɪˈræʃənl] adj. 非理性的，不合理的 anxiety-inducing adj. 引发焦虑的 anecdote [ˈænɪkdəʊt] n. 趣闻，轶事，小故事 visualization [ˌvɪʒuəlaɪˈzeɪʃn] n. 可视化，形象化（心理预演） stumble over your words [ˈstʌmbl] 说话磕巴，结巴 lighten the mood 缓和气氛，放松心情 visual contact 视觉接触，目光交流 a stroll in the park [strəʊl] 轻松自如的事，小菜一碟 🪴翻译和pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进入【打卡交流群】