A longer daily walk could be better for your heart than short strolls The study looked at more than 33,000 adults aged 40 to 79 in the UK who walked fewer than 8,000 steps a day. The researchers, from the University of Sydney and the Universidad Europea in Spain, tracked their health over eight years. People who walked in longer stretches had a lower risk of heart problems than those who walked in short bursts. Whether that's because they were fitter to begin with isn't fully clear from the study, but the researchers did try to control for this by taking into account factors such as whether the person smoked, was obese or had high blood pressure. Even among the least active, those who walked under 5,000 steps a day, longer walks appeared to make a difference. 词汇表 stroll [strəʊl] n. 散步，漫步，溜达 track [træk] vt. 追踪，跟踪（进展情况） walk in longer stretches [stretʃɪz] 长时间连续行走，长距离不间断步行 walk in short bursts [bɜːsts] 短暂间歇行走，多次短距离步行 take into account 考虑，顾及 obese [əʊˈbiːs] adj. 肥胖的 high blood pressure 高血压 make a difference 产生影响，起到作用 🗒️翻译和pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复1可加入【打卡交流群】

Why is junk food so addictive? Whether it's pizza, chocolate, ice cream or french fries, you've no doubt noticed that your favourite guilty pleasure food just seems to be so addictive. You start eating and you just can't stop. Why is that then? Actually it's because of their high sugar, fat or salt content. Unfortunately, some highly processed foods contain a combination of all three. That can lead to a dopamine surge, which is sometimes as strong as what people get from nicotine. The taste, texture or composition of these addictive foods activates the reward system and makes us want to eat them over and over. We're no longer eating out of hunger, but due to a craving for instant pleasure. Are there any studies on the subject? There are two American ones which come to mind immediately. The first was conducted by researchers from the University of Michigan in 2015. Meanwhile, the other was conducted by a team from Yale University in 2011. Both studies showed that fatty or very sugary foods stimulate the same area of the brain as some hard drugs. So if you get a craving for ice cream, a hamburger, soda or cookies, it's coming from your brain rather than your stomach. Beyond the usual suspects, there are some other surprising members of the addictive food club. Like cheese for example. It contains a protein known as casein, which is present in all dairy products. During digestion, casein releases opioids called casomorphins which can lead to addiction. All addictive substances stimulate the production of dopamine, one of our pleasure hormones. How on earth can we tell the difference between indulgence and addiction? That's a very good question. Experts say that when we're addicted to a type of food, we feel a compulsion, an irresistible need to eat. Even though we know we shouldn't give in, and that it's not good for our health or weight, we still do it. That loss of control is what makes addiction different from occasional indulgence. That said, some researchers argue that the term addiction isn't appropriate for eating habits. They say that people don't dedicate all their time to eating chocolate, for example, when they're addicted to it. Furthermore, they don't feel withdrawal symptoms or cut off social relationships as a result. There you have it. 词汇表 guilty pleasure [ˈɡɪlti ˈpleʒə(r)] 罪恶快感，带有罪恶感的乐趣（指明知不健康或不该做却仍喜欢的事物） highly processed foods [ˈprəʊsest] 高度加工食品，深加工食品 dopamine surge [ˈdəʊpəmiːn sɜːdʒ] 多巴胺激增，多巴胺的大量释放 nicotine [ˈnɪkətiːn] n. 尼古丁，烟碱 texture [ˈtekstʃə(r)] n. 口感；质地 composition [ˌkɒmpəˈzɪʃn] n. 成分，构成 reward system 奖励系统（大脑中负责产生愉悦感的机制） craving [ˈkreɪvɪŋ] n. 渴望，渴求，迫切需要 instant pleasure 即时快感，即时享乐 fatty [ˈfæti] adj. 高脂肪的，油腻的 sugary [ˈʃʊɡəri] adj. 含糖的，甜的 hard drug （容易上瘾的）烈性毒品，硬毒品 soda [ˈsəʊdə] n. 汽水，苏打水 suspect [ˈsʌspekt] n. （某坏事物的）可能导致者；可疑对象 casein [ˈkeɪsiːn] n. 酪蛋白（从哺乳动物乳汁中提取的蛋白质） opioid [ˈəʊpiɔɪd] n. 类鸦片物质，阿片类药 casomorphins [ˌkeɪsəʊˈmɔːfɪnz] n. 酪啡肽（从酪蛋白分解过程中产生的肽类物质） addictive substances [əˈdɪktɪv ˈsʌbstənsɪz] 成瘾性物质，致瘾物质 pleasure hormones [ˈpleʒə(r) ˈhɔːməʊnz] 愉悦激素（如多巴胺、血清素、内啡肽、催产素等） indulgence [ɪnˈdʌldʒəns] n. 放纵，沉溺，嗜好 compulsion [kəmˈpʌlʃn] n. 强烈冲动，强烈欲望 irresistible [ˌɪrɪˈzɪstəbl] adj. 难以抗拒的，无法抵挡的 dedicate (to) [ˈdedɪkeɪt] vt. 奉献，献出（全部精力、时间等） withdrawal symptom [wɪðˈdrɔːəl ˈsɪmptəm] 戒断症状（停止使用成瘾物质后出现的不适反应） 🪴翻译和pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进入【打卡交流群】

The power of friendship to keep you young If you've ever felt the benefit of a loved one's warm embrace when you're feeling stressed or sad, it might not surprise you that strong relationships can do wonders for your wellbeing. Research over the years has shown that people with strong social ties tend to be healthier, but a 2025 study, published in Brain, Behaviour and Immunity now suggests that it could also slow down the ageing process. Researchers in the United States came up with a measure called 'cumulative social advantage', which takes into account the benefits of maintaining strong, supportive relationships over time, rather than just newer relationships. They looked at things like support from parents growing up, participation in the community, and ongoing support from friends and family. People who had these things were more likely to have a younger biological age and less inflammation in the body. Co-author of the study, Anthony Ong, says "Think of social connections like a retirement account. The earlier you start investing and the more consistently you contribute, the greater your returns". So, how are friendships so powerful? Humans have evolved over hundreds of thousands of years as social beings – we're wired for connection. For our ancestors, being part of a group wasn't just about having company, it kept us safe and made it easier to find and share food and raise offspring. And it now appears that these connections affect our bodies on a biological, cellular level. "While it is always good to make new friends, there is often a greater sense of trust and dependability with people you've known for a longer time, " says Hillary Ammon, a clinical psychologist at the Center for Anxiety and Women's Emotional Wellness. Of course, maintaining relationships as we get older can be difficult as people closest to us move away, or prioritise other things. Hillary says not to worry if your friends are newer, as connection is what really matters. A strong network of friends not only adds years to your life, it adds life to your years. 词汇表 do wonders for 对…有奇效，对…大有好处 strong social ties 稳固的社会关系，紧密的社会联系 cumulative social advantage [ˈkjuːmjələtɪv] 累积社会优势（指个人或群体在经济、教育、关系网络等方面不断积累的优势） take into account 考虑到，顾及 supportive [səˈpɔːtɪv] adj. 给予帮助的，支持性的 biological age [ˌbaɪəˈlɒdʒɪkl] 生理年龄，生物学年龄 inflammation [ˌɪnfləˈmeɪʃn] n. 炎症，发炎 retirement account [rɪˈtaɪəmənt] 退休账户 consistently [kənˈsɪstəntli] adv. 一贯地，持续地，始终如一地 be wired for [ˈwaɪəd] 生来就，天生适合，本能倾向于 offspring [ˈɒfsprɪŋ] n. 后代，子女 cellular [ˈseljələ(r)] adj. 细胞的，由细胞组成的 dependability [dɪˌpendəˈbɪləti] n. 可靠性，可信度 clinical psychologist [ˈklɪnɪkl saɪˈkɒlədʒɪst] 临床心理学家 prioritise [praɪˈɒrətaɪz] vt. 优先处理，优先考虑，把…放在首位 a network of friends [ˈnetwɜːk] 朋友圈子，人脉网 adds years to one's life 延长寿命，延展生命的长度 adds life to one's years 丰富人生，为生活增添活力 📖 翻译、pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进【打卡交流群】

How can I spot a liar? Lying is the act of deliberately making a false statement or concealing the truth. People might lie for different reasons, like to avoid getting into trouble, to get something they want, to make someone feel better, or to look good in front of others. However, lying is not always easy or comfortable. When people lie, they have to deal with two conflicting realities, the truth and the lie. This can make them feel stressed or nervous. They have to remember what they said, watch how they act, and guess how others will react. They may also feel guilty, scared, or worried about being found out or exposed. So how can you tell if someone's lying to you? Well, there's no sure way to know if someone's lying, but there are some signs that might give them away. They can be through what they say, verbal clues, how they act, non-verbal clues, and how their body reacts, physiological clues. What are some verbal clues? When someone lies, they may say things that don't make sense or don't match up. They may avoid answering your questions or give you vague or off-topic answers. They may act like they're not involved in the lie by using distancing language. They might get angry or defensive when you challenge them or question them. They might also make mistakes in their speech like stuttering, pausing, repeating or correcting themselves. What are some non-verbal clues? When someone lies, they may act differently than usual. They might avoid looking at you or look at you too much. They may show facial expressions that don't fit their words or emotions. They could also display tense or nervous body language and they might use less or more gestures than normal. What changes for them physiologically? When someone lies, their body may react in ways they can't control. They might have a faster heart rate because of stress or excitement, or higher blood pressure because of anxiety or fear. Their pupils might dilate because they're thinking hard or feeling strong emotions. How can you improve your chances of spotting a liar? There is no perfect way to spot a liar, but you can do some things to help you. Ask open-ended questions that need more details and explanations. Compare the person's behaviour to their normal or usual state, if you know them well, and fact-check what they say. But do be aware of your own biases and expectations that may affect your judgment. For example, we tend to look for or favor information that confirms what we already think or want. And we often judge people based on our overall impression of them. These can make you miss or misinterpret some signs of lying or truthfulness. So try to be as objective and open-minded as possible. There you have it. 词汇表 spot a liar 识别说谎者，识破说谎的人 deliberately [dɪˈlɪbərətli] adv. 故意地，蓄意地，刻意地 false statement [fɔːls ˈsteɪtmənt] 虚假陈述，假话 conceal the truth [kənˈsiːl] 隐瞒真相，掩盖事实 conflicting [kənˈflɪktɪŋ] adj. 相互矛盾的，冲突的 give someone away 暴露，显露（某人的内心感受） verbal / non-verbal / physiological clues [ˈvɜːbl ˌnɒn ˈvɜːbl ˌfɪziəˈlɒdʒɪkl kluːz] 语言/非语言/生理线索 match up 相符，吻合，一致 vague [veɪɡ] adj. 模糊的，含糊的，不明确的 off-topic [ɒf ˈtɒpɪk] adj. 离题的，跑题的，与主题无关的 distancing language [ˈdɪstənsɪŋ] 疏离性语言（刻意与话题或他人保持距离的表达） defensive [dɪˈfensɪv] adj. 戒备的，防御性的 stuttering [ˈstʌtərɪŋ] n. 结巴，口吃 tense [tens] adj. （身体或肌肉）僵直的，紧绷的；紧张的 pupil [ˈpjuːpl] n. 瞳孔 dilate [daɪˈleɪt] vi. （瞳孔、血管等）扩张，扩大 open-ended question 开放式问题（无法用简单“是或否”回答的问题） fact-check [fækt tʃek] vt. 核实事实，事实核查 bias [ˈbaɪəs] n. 偏见，成见；偏好 confirm [kənˈfɜːm] vt. 证实，确认 overall impression [ˌəʊvərˈɔːl] 整体印象，总体印象 misinterpret [ˌmɪsɪnˈtɜːprɪt] vt. 误解，曲解 truthfulness [ˈtruːθflnəs] n. 诚实，真实 🪴翻译和pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进入【打卡交流群】